BA (Hons.) - Sociology

Sociology is both the art and science of making the familiar strange – of pausing before the ordinary to reveal the extraordinary social forces that quietly script our lives. Studying Sociology is an imperative for the young generation as it helps them make sense of an increasingly complex world. It begins with a simple question: why do we live the way we do? and unfolds into a discipline that maps the hidden architectures of power, belief, identity, and everyday life. The B.A. (Hons.) Sociology programme at UPES provides students with rigorous training in core sociological theories alongside hands-on exposure to research and field-based practice. Indeed, it is designed to train them to not take the world at face value, teaching instead to dig beneath headlines, hashtags, and histories to reveal the patterns shaping our collective futures. Courses such as Classical Sociology, Sociological Theory, and Sociology of India ensure a strong conceptual foundation, while papers on Power, Hegemony and Social Movements, Social Stratification and Intersectional Sociology, Gender and Labour, and Population and Society allow students to engage deeply with contemporary inequalities and social change.

In a century shaped by rapid social, technological, and environmental shifts, the programme equips students with tools to interpret real-world issues from migration and environmental crises to identity politics and digital cultures. It also imparts a sociological imagination that lets students understand the present by studying the past, as well as logically predict future course of events.

• Transdisciplinary Curriculum Students will be trained from multiple disciplinary perspectives, applying core conceptual lenses of political science, public policy, public administration, global governance, sociology, and climate studies to understand complex governance and administrative challenges.
• Learning by doing The program pedagogy moves beyond the classroom teaching and concepts to focus on field visits, case experiments, simulations, case discussions and student-driven education.
• Globally Trained Faculty Students in the program learn from highly trained faculty from leading international and Indian universities.
• Masterclasses, Talks and Seminars Alongside regular classes, the program includes expert-led sessions with civil servants, policy practitioners, representatives from international organisations, think tanks, and industry. These expert-led sessions will shed light on contemporary issues in public policy, public administration, governance, and politics.
• Global Exposure Students will have the opportunity to explore immersions, exchanges, and progression pathways with universities in North America, Europe, and Asia.
• Fellowship and Internship pathways Students will have access to carefully curated internships and fellowships with think tanks, international organisations, government bodies, non-governmental organisations, and industries.
• Critical and Analytical Training A strong emphasis on developing analytical thinking and writing, policy analysis, data interpretation, application-based writing, academic reasoning, methodological skills, and practical reasoning. 

Students will be well-equipped to thrive in various ecosystems that demand empirically based research skills, strong analytical abilities, and data-driven solutions to complex governance and administrative issues. Therefore, in a rapidly diversifying governance landscape, students from this program will be well prepared for:

• Public Administration in the government
• Civil services
• International and domestic think tanks
• Consultancy Business
• Career in the Private Sector and Social Entrepreneurship
• International organization
• Higher education
• Civil society, NGOs and social sector enterprises

Students graduating from this program will build a strong foundation to explore a wide variety of career opportunities, including government services, international development organisations, issue-based research consultancy firms, research think tanks, social enterprises, higher education, and data-driven entrepreneurship.

The BA (Hons.) in Governance and Public Administration at UPES prepares students for placements by developing their problem-solving and analytical skills, along with a thorough understanding of governance and development politics. The program combines theoretical knowledge with practical experience. UPES’s robust industry connections foster career-oriented collaborations, aiding students in achieving their goals. 

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