Summary

Offered through the Council on International Education Exchange (CIEE), this program is co-sponsored by UW-Madison. Through interraction with Indian students at the University of Hyderabad, participants will gain insight into the historical, cultural, and current challenges faced by contemporary India.

The university is located about 40 minutes outside the city of Hyderabad, the fifth largest city in India, affording students a more tranquil environment outside of the city center to learn about student life in Andhra Pradesh. The state of Andhra Pradesh has a rich tradition in art, poetry, calligraphy, architecture, dance, and music. The language of the state is Telegu, but in Hyderabad, Urdu is also spoken and people are comfortable with Hindi and English.

The program is designed for students with a desire to understand the complexities and paradoxes of the world's largest democracy. Through coursework and excursions, students have the opportunity to explore India's cultural and religious diversity while experiencing the impact of modernity upon tradition.

Academics

On this program students can take courses for international students offered through the CIEE Study In India center or can directly enroll in courses at the University of Hyderabad in such fields as history, literature, philosophy, sociology, communications, management studies, anthropology, dance, art history, cinema, political science, economics, natural sciences, Hindi, Telugu, Sanskrit and Urdu languages.

Students are required to take a Hindi language course, but if proficient in Hindi they may choose to learn Telegu or Urdu instead. To supplement classroom language learning, students are paired with a peer language tutor for language and cultural exchange.

The University of Hyderabad was the first federally-funded university to be established in the culturally and linguistically rich southern part of India. The university has more than 200 faculty, 2,100 full-time students and has eight schools: Chemistry; Life Sciences; Mathematics and Computer and Information Sciences; Physics; Humanities; Social Sciences; Management Studies; and Performing Arts, Fine Arts and Communication.

The University of Hyderabad is a graduate-level Indian university. This designation is somewhat different than it is in the U.S. system, but should not provide a barrier to undergraduates. The student body is made up of mostly Indian students from all over the country. Classes are relatively small, and are taught through lectures, although discussion and active participation is welcomed by most professors.

Cost

Program cost information includes not only program fees, but out-of-pocket expenses with notes to help explain costs. Program fees are estimated and can be adjusted at any time. Accepted students receive cost sheets with confirmed program fees in their acceptance packets.

Fall 2009-10 Cost Estimate Sheet Spring 2009-10 Cost Estimate Sheet Year 2009-10 Cost Estimate Sheet Fall 2010-11 Cost Estimate Sheet Year 2010-11 Cost Estimate Sheet

Location

Located in the predominately Hindu state of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad is a busy city with a population that combines Muslim and Hindu cultures. It stands as a point of interaction between Northern and Southern India, between rural and urban India, and between the past and the present.

Student Life

Orientation:  Students fly into Hyderabad where they attend an orientation program, which includes site visits, workshops, lectures on aspects of Indian life, and music or dance performances. The orientation also includes information on academic requirements, safety and security issues, a campus tour, an introduction to student facilities, and academic conventions in India.

Students are also required to attend a pre-departure orientation in Madison.

Housing:  Students have the choice of two housing options: a double or single room at the Tagore International House for foreign students or a homestay. Meals are included in the housing options. Student preferences are taken into consideration when given housing placements; however, due to space constraints, there are a limited number of homestay options available.

Excursions and Activities:  The program includes visits to sites of historic and cultural importance in and around Hyderabad. During orientation, students learn about Indian culture, history and society through lectures and site visits like the Charminar, Golconda Fort, Chowmohalla Palace and ancient mosques in Hyderabad. Excursions also include: Mysore, Maharaja's palace, Tipu Sutan's kingdom near Mysore, and temples and Jain religious centers at Sravanbelagola. Past excursions have also included NGOs working with women and children in rural parts of Andhra Pradesh.

Students interested in undertaking daily yoga practice may do so at the Yoga Center located on campus. Opportunities are also available for students to study classical Indian music and dance as non-credit courses. Volunteer projects may be available for interested students.