In a country where engineering and medicine often dominate the academic spotlight, campuses from Hyderabad to Haridwar offer degrees in subjects rooted in forgotten arts, overlooked knowledge systems, and emerging global concerns.
In the realm of arts and heritage, Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University in Hyderabad offers a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Folklore and Cultural Studies, an immersive journey through oral traditions, tribal knowledge, and performance arts.
The University of Calcutta and the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda house undergraduate programmes in Museology, where students explore the science of curation, conservation, and heritage management.
For those inspired by philosophy and peace-building, Punjab University and the University of Madras run postgraduate degrees in Gandhian Studies, delving into non-violence, political thought, and conflict resolution.
Odisha’s Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS) pushes the frontier further with a Master’s in Tribal Studies and Indigenous Knowledge Systems, focusing on governance, ecological wisdom, and community health.
Institutions like the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and Kalakshetra Foundation keep the country's rich performance traditions alive through degrees in Folk and Traditional Performing Arts.
Environment and sustainability have carved out their own niche in the Indian academic landscape. TERI School of Advanced Studies, Amity University, and Ashoka University offer BSc programmes combining environmental science with sustainability studies, touching on climate policy, eco-design, and innovation.
Wildlife conservation also has its academic home at Amity University, Aligarh Muslim University, and the Wildlife Institute of India, which offer MSc degrees in Wildlife Sciences. Students learn conservation biology and ecological forensics in hands-on field settings.
Meanwhile, Christ University has introduced Environmental Psychology, an emerging master's course exploring the complex interaction between human behaviour and the environment.
At the intersection of innovation, policy, and design, India’s premier institutions are offering degrees that shape the future.
The National Institute of Design and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay’s Industrial Design Centre provide MDes programmes in Strategic Design Management, blending design thinking, foresight, and entrepreneurship.
TERI University also offers an MSc in Climate Science and Policy, equipping students with skills in climate modelling and legal frameworks. For the curious polymath, universities like Ashoka, Flame, Krea, and Azim Premji enable students to pursue a BA in Liberal Arts, where they can customise their academic path by combining storytelling, sustainability, and data science in one integrated degree.
Academic offerings are also centred around life sciences and ecology. CCS Haryana Agricultural University, and Kerala Veterinary and Animal Sciences University offer Bachelor of Science (BSc) degrees in Animal Sciences and Wildlife Zoology, preparing students for careers in conservation and veterinary medicine.
Dr Harisingh Gour University in Sagar and Gurukul Kangri University in Haridwar offer Master's in Science (MSc) programmes in Ethnobotany and Medicinal Plants, exploring the ancient relationship between flora and indigenous healing systems.
Even psychology and therapy are being reimagined. Christ University, TISS, and SRM Institute offer postgraduate specialisations in Play Therapy and Expressive Arts Therapy, creative approaches that blend psychology with art and imagination.
Meanwhile, institutions like SNDT Women’s University, TISS, and Hyderabad Central University offer MA programmes in Gender Studies and Women’s Studies, exploring identity, development, and law through an interdisciplinary feminist lens.
These programmes might not make national headlines, but they are crafting a bold and necessary future, one where higher education reflects the complexity, diversity, and curiosity of the world it seeks to understand.