Postgraduate Studies

The MAED is a rigorous, full-time, interdisciplinary programme with strong emphasis on reading, writing and field-based research. It is unique in India given its orientation and scope, which is guided by the idea that ecological challenges such as atmospheric pollution, resource depletion, and the attendant threats to ecosystems and biodiversity, result from a complex interaction of socio-political and biophysical factors. Students are exposed to core ideas and approaches from the ecological and social sciences to understand issues at the intersection of human society and the biophysical environment. The programme aims to create changemakers who can contribute to sustainability and social justice at the national and global scale through research, advocacy and practice.

Programme Structure

• MAED comprises 64 credits spread over two years (4 semesters).

• Each semester is of 16 credits carried out over 16 weeks of academic work including assessments and field projects.

• The 64 credits required for completion of the Programme are distributed between Core courses (32 credits), specialised Elective courses (22 credits), summer internship (2 credits) and MA dissertation (8 credits).

• For their dissertation, students are required to take up an independent research project under a designated faculty supervisor. It commences at the end of Semester III and is completed in Semester IV. It is assessed on the basis of a written dissertation thesis and a viva voce.

• Students can choose to specialize in three broad areas through selection of elective courses and dissertation topic: (a) Environmental Policy and Management; (b) Ecosystems, Conservation and Society; (c) Environmental Politics and Justice

• Students have the option to exit the MA programme with a postgraduate diploma in Human Ecology after completing two semesters and the summer internship, subject to the assessment rules of the School.

Teaching Methodology

Classroom lectures are combined with workshops, seminars and field projects, all with an emphasis on analytical skills, oral and written communication and empirical research. Students are required to read extensively, write regularly and be available for rigorous fieldbased learning. The School of Human Ecology uses the Ecology Lab and the GIS Lab at the Kashmere Gate campus as well as its long-term field sites in Delhi, Ladakh, Madhya Pradesh and the Northeast to expose students to rigorous, hands-on research.

Faculty

Faculty at the School of Human Ecology, with their core training in various natural and social disciplines, are well-equipped to lead interdisciplinary teaching and research. They use their long-term field sites and areas of expertise to expose students to core ideas of human ecology. The School also has a distinguished list of Adjunct and Visiting Faculty from the academic and practitioner communities, who are regularly invited to share their expertise with students.

Assessment and Evaluation

The purpose of assessment and evaluation at the School is to facilitate academic learning and supplement it with practical understanding and hands-on exposure. The MAED programme follows a system of continuous assessment, and therefore students are expected to be regular in attending classes, workshops and other educational exercises. Students are evaluated and graded on the basis of a variety of assessment situations including written tests/examinations, take-home assignments, term papers, class participation and discussion, presentations, fieldbased projects and independent study. The mode and pattern of assessment differs from course to course. Absence from classes is allowed only on valid medical grounds, and exceptions to this rule require special permission.