M.Phil. (Sociology) Syllabus, Course Structure and Program Schedule 2025-2026

M.Phil. Sociology is aimed at imparting knowledge and skills about sociology, human society, and their interaction. It allows the students to carry their own research in the sociology field.

The course delivery method for this course includes seminars, class discussions, lectures, workshops, conferences, etc. For the final evaluation, students have to sit for Final Examination, submit a thesis and give a viva-voce examination.

M.Phil. Sociology: Syllabus

The course consists of Core Courses and Electives which would help in Research for the subject. Following are the subjects which form a part of the syllabus:

Core Courses

Name of Course	Topics	Description
Methodological Perspectives	The Foundational Canon The Foundational Canon Shifts, Challenges and Alternatives Assignment Based	This course is about the study of research methodology in Sociology
Designs, Methods, and Tools of Research	Quantitative Research Qualitative Research Academic Writing Reading primary studies	This is a course on the study of methods and tools of research in sociology

Electives

Name of Course	Topics	Description
Nation, State, and Society	Colonial legacies in state formation Issues of Governance, Nation and Citizenship State, Society and Culture Crisis of the state	This is a course about the relationship between nature, state, and society
Caste in Contemporary India	Conceptualizing caste State apparatuses and caste identity formation Caste, community and Power Debates and Issues	This course deals with the study of Caste in Contemporary India
Environment & Society: Emerging Issues& Debates	Perspectives on Environment Nation Building, Development & Its Implications Resources, Livelihoods &Conflicts Global Issues	This is a course about the relationship between Environment and Society
Gender Issues in Contemporary India	Gender Construction & Manifestations Understanding Intersections Gender, Development& Indian Nation State Women’s Movement & Intersecting Movements	Here the Gender Issues in Contemporary India are studied.
Development Debates	Dominant Discourses Discourses of Development Issues of Development: Towards a Reflexive Modernity? Resistance Movements: Case Studies	This course talks about the different developmental debates and the importance of Development.
Religion, Secularism and Communalism	Religion and the Civic Sphere Approaches of Indian Sociologists Secularism Communalism	In this course, the relationship between religion, secularism and communalism is studied.
Interrogating Science, Modernity and Development	Conceptual and Historical Framework Nationalism, Nation State and Science Critiques, Debates and Alternatives Contemporary Challenges	This course focuses on the relationship between Nationalism, Nation State and Science
Contemporary Feminist Science Studies	Background and Lineages Women in Science Foundational Questions Challenges for Feminist Science Studies	This course is on the study of contemporary feminist studies
Towards Interdisciplinarity: Reading Contemporary Indian Social Scientists	Amartya Sen, Economics Kancha Illaiah, Political Science Uma Chakravarty, History Sudhir Kakkar, Social Psychology	This course studies the works of prominent Indian Social Scientists
Sociology of Communication	Conceptual Understanding Theories of Communication and Development Globalization and Media Issues of Communication	This course is on the study of the sociology of communication
Information Networks and Society	Basic Conceptual Understanding Theories of Information Society Globalization and Information Society Communication and contemporary issues	Here the relationship between the information network and society is studied.
Law and Social Change in India	Constitution of India Labour Legislation In India Legislation Relating to Women and Children Social Legislation Relating Marginalised Groups	In this course, the focus is on the study of Law and Social Change.
Ethnicity, Migration and Identity	Basic Concepts Migration and Development Migration and Mobility Ethnicity Migration Identity issues	This course deals with the relationship and importance of Ethnicity, migration and Identity.