IIT Delhi launches MA in Culture, Society, Thought for 2024 entry

MA in Culture, Society, Thought at IIT Delhi is an exciting interdisciplinary program that aims to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of contemporary issues through the lenses of Sociology, Literature, and Philosophy. Here are some key points based on the information provided:

1. Program Structure: The program is a two-year, full-time master’s program designed to be taught and interdisciplinary in nature. It focuses on core disciplines such as Sociology, Literature, and Philosophy, with an emphasis on the thematic areas of culture, society, and thought.
2. Interdisciplinary Approach: The program aims to train students in diverse theoretical and methodological approaches, enabling them to critically examine various aspects of contemporaneity. This interdisciplinary approach reflects the interconnectedness of different fields in understanding complex societal issues.
3. Research Opportunities: Graduates from the program will have the opportunity to join the doctoral program at IIT Delhi or pursue doctoral programs in other countries to further their research interests. Maintaining a recommended CGPA of 8.0 will waive entrance exam or qualifying test requirements for the doctoral program at IIT Delhi.
4. Career Opportunities: The program prepares graduates for diverse career paths. They can apply for jobs in government and non-governmental organizations, research institutes, think tanks, media, publishing, journalism, advocacy, social entrepreneurship organizations, and development consultancy firms.
5. Direct Path to Doctoral Program: Students who maintain the recommended CGPA will have the advantage of applying directly to the doctoral program at IIT Delhi, streamlining the process for those interested in continuing their academic journey.
6. Admissions Information: Applications for the MA in Culture, Society, Thought program will open on the IIT Delhi PG admissions portal on March 1, 2024.

Sheersha was mentored at Catalyst for a career in the social sector while she was pursuing her Class XIIth. She was selected for Bachelors in Sustainability at XIM University and eventually to Masters in Society and Culture at IIT Gandhinagar. Know about Sheersha’s employment details by clicking here

Eligibility for the programme:

1. The Qualifying degree for this Masters programme is Graduation in any discipline, (maximum 55% or equivalent CGPA for BA degree), first division for all others — e.g., B.Tech., B.Sc., B.Com., B.Des., B.Ed., etc.

2. Graduates of 3-year and 4-year UG programme are both eligible for the programme. No credit waiver is to be given to graduates of 4-year UG programs.

3. B.Tech. Advanced Standing students of IIT Delhi are allowed.

Minimum Qualifications and Procedure for Admission to Masters in Culture, Society, Thought:

The admission to this Masters programme will be through a two-tier admission process:

(i) Performance in written exam held by the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences or  Gate score in any XH subject.

(ii) Candidates shortlisted on the basis of written exam/GATE Score will be invited for interview organized by and held at the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences. The written/oral examination will include evaluation of analytical abilities; basic numerical and logical reasoning skills; and reading and comprehension.
(iii) Candidates in the final year of their study programmes and who expect to complete all their qualifying degree requirements before the third week of July 2024, are eligible to apply for admission. For short-listing purposes, their performance till the preceding semester (preceding year, if the programmes are year based) would be considered, but their admission would be provisional, subject to their meeting the minimum eligibility criteria after their final qualifying examination results are announced.

(iv) Other details about the programme, admission procedure and exam will be available on the Department website.

Exemptions, Relaxations and Clarifications:

1. For SC/ST/PH category students minimum performance in the qualifying degree is relaxed from 55% to 50% (CGPA 5.5 to 5.00).

2. Qualifying degree performance is computed by aggregating performance over all the semesters/years  of  the  qualifying  degree.  Taking  into  account  all  subjects  including languages and subsidiaries, all years combined).

Syllabus and for the Entrance Examination for MA Culture, Society, Thought 2024 entry :

The question paper will have two parts:
A. General Aptitude and Reading Comprehension
B. Subject Questions (Culture, Society, Thought)

A. General Aptitude

Quantitative Aptitude
Data interpretation: data graphs (bar graphs, pie charts, and other graphs representing data),
2- and 3-dimensional plots, maps, and tables Numerical computation and estimation: ratios,
percentages, powers, exponents and logarithms, permutations and combinations, and series
Mensuration and geometry Elementary statistics and probability.

Analytical Aptitude
Logic: deduction and induction, Analogy, Numerical relations, and reasoning

Spatial Aptitude
Transformation of shapes: translation, rotation, scaling, mirroring, assembling, and grouping
Paper folding, cutting, and patterns in 2 and 3 dimensions

Verbal Aptitude
Basic English grammar: tenses, articles, adjectives, prepositions, conjunctions, verb-noun
agreement, and other parts of speech.

Basic vocabulary: words, idioms, and phrases in context, reading and comprehension,
Narrative sequencing.

Reasoning and Comprehension
This part is to test the candidate’s ability to comprehend and interpret written information – skills
that are critical to study in the Humanities and Social Sciences. The section will not directly
test language competence in terms of grammar, vocabulary etc. The focus is instead on
critical reasoning (similar to what is often found in exams like LSAT, GRE, GMAT etc.) and
analysis of the text and its stylistic and rhetorical structure.

• Reading Comprehension – ability to understand complex language material in short paragraphs
and answer questions regarding them.
• Expression – questions on stylistic and rhetorical aspects of a short passage including
corrections or modifications of particular sentences.
• Analytical reasoning – ability to understand relationships in statements or short passages and
being able to draw reasonable conclusions/inferences from them.
• Logical reasoning – Thinking critically to evaluate or to predict an argument, identify the main
and supporting arguments, predict outcomes etc.

B. Subject Questions (Culture, Society, Thought)
 Multi-genre literatures in English—poetry, the novel and other forms of fiction including the
short story, drama, creative non-fiction, and non-fiction prose—with emphasis on the long
19th and 20th centuries

 Literary criticism and theory; critical and cultural intellectual-traditions and approaches
widely referred to and used in the discipline of English

 Classical Indian Philosophy
◦ Orthodox Systems: Sānkhya, Yoga, Nyāya, Vaiśeṣika, Mīmāmsā, Vedānta
◦ Heterodox Systems: Cārvāka and, Buddhism
◦ Bhagavadgītā, and Dharmaśāstras
◦ Śaivasiddhānta, VīraŚaivism, Śāktism and Vaiṣṇavism

 Contemporary Indian Philosophy
◦ Vivekananda, Iqbal, Gandhi and Ambedkar
◦ C4.3 Classical and Modern Western Philosophy
◦ Metaphysics in Modern Philosophy: Substance, Mind-Body Dualism, the existence of
God, Problem of Solipsism, Self and Personal Identity, Phenomena and Noumena
◦ Epistemology: Theory of Causation, Descarte’s Method of Doubt, cogito ergo sum,
Principle of Non-contradiction, Sufficient Reason, Kant’s Copernican Revolution,
Hegel’s Dialectics, Spirit, and Absolute Idealism.
◦ Ethics: Concepts of Good, Right, Justice, Duty, Obligation, Cardinal Virtues

 Contemporary Western Philosophy: Wittgenstein on Language and Reality, Meaning and
Use; Husserl’s Phenomenological Method; Sartre’s Concept of Freedom; Nietzsche on the
Critique of Enlightenment; Richard Rorty’s Critique of Representationalism; Rawls’ Veil of
Ignorance, Principle of Justice

 Classical Sociological Traditions: Emile Durkheim (Social Solidarity, Social Facts, Religion,
Functionalism, Suicide, Anomie, Division of Labour, Law; Max Weber (Types of authority,
Social action, Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism, Bureaucracy, Ideal type,
Methodology); Karl Marx: Class and class conflict, dialectical and historical materialism,
capitalism, surplus value, alienation)

 Claude Levi Strauss (Myths, Structuralism)

 Erving Goffman (Symbolic interaction, dramaturgy); ∙Clifford Geertz (Culture, thick
description)

 Post-Modernism, Post-Structuralism and Post-Colonialism: Pierre Bourdieu, Michel
Foucault, Jurgen Habermas, Anthony Giddens, Frankfurt School

 Sociological Concepts: Social Structure; Culture; Network; Status and Role; Identity;
Community; Socialization; Diaspora; Values, Norms and Rules; Personhood, Habitus and
Agency; Bureaucracy, Power and Authority; Self and society

 Social Institutions: Marriage, Family and Kinship; Economy; Polity; Religion; Education;
Law and Customs

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