Public Health and Indian Studies

Program Overview

Watch the winning entry from the Spring 2012 Video Contest!

The Public Health and Indian Studies program at Manipal University offers two tracks that introduce U.S. undergraduates to the most pressing public health issues facing India today and a multi-disciplinary array of courses focused on Indian geopolitics and humanities. Located in the heart of the coastal belt of Karnataka, just north of Kerala, and based at one of India’s premier private universities, this dynamic program offers U.S. students an integrated Indian campus experience and the unique opportunity to live and take courses alongside Indian students.

Through coursework, public health students visit local health clinics and academic centers dedicated to Ayurveda and the study of traditional Indian medicine, while students focused on Indian Studies explore India’s traditional culture and rise on the world stage. All Alliance students are given a comprehensive overview of Indian society and politics through the Contemporary Indian Society core course. Field activities integrated with the core course offer students exposure to the regional complexity of Karnataka, its thriving local religions and economies, and burgeoning IT and business sectors in Bangalore and Mysore.

In addition, students may choose to explore Indian culture through a variety of extracurricular Expressive Culture classes, such as Hindi, cooking, yoga, and yakshagana dance-theater.

Meet our on-site staff who keeps the Manipal program running smoothly.

Pre-Requisites and Academics

To be eligible for this program, students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 and be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at an accredited U.S. institution. No previous academic or language coursework is required.

On Location In Manipal

Manipal is a small university town located in southwest Karnataka, five miles from the Arabian Sea. Surrounded by lush backwaters and away from the hustle and bustle of India's megacities, Manipal provides an ideal rural, tropical location for studying India’s public health challenges and rich cultural heritage, as well as Karnataka’s thriving local economies, including the tea, coffee, cashew, fishing and silk industries. The university provides regular bus service to Mangalore, the nearest large city, where students will find ample shopping and entertainment venues, as well as an international airport with access to most of India's major cities. Four hours south of Goa, and only a few miles from neighboring Udupi, Manipal offers stunning views of the sea and nearby Western Ghats.

Check out this interactive map of the Alliance's resources across Manipal:

View Alliance On Location: Manipal in a larger map.

Manipal University

The Alliance Public Health and Indian Studies program is based at Manipal University, a premier private university known throughout India and around the world for its strong medical college and health science programs. With over 18,000 graduate and undergraduate students, including 3,500 students from countries in the Middle East, Europe, Australia and other parts of Asia, Manipal’s world-class faculty bring a dynamic approach to the classroom.

The Manipal campus is modern, with state-of-the-art facilities including numerous colleges and institutes, classrooms, libraries, student hostels, food courts, athletic fields and swimming pools, and a brand new indoor sports complex. Students come from all over India and the world to study at Manipal, and Alliance students are immersed in its thriving campus life, with every opportunity to participate in student activities, clubs, festivals, and sports competitions. For more information on Manipal University, visit their website: www.manipal.edu.

Public Health

The Public Health track at Manipal capitalizes on the long-standing reputation of the university’s medical and health science programs, offering students direct-enroll course options addressing rural public health, global public health, national health policy, and Ayurveda.

The Public Health curriculum offers a total of 15 credit hours per semester:

MANI SOCI 350 Contemporary Indian Society (required – 3 credits)
Three Public Health and/or Ayurveda courses (3 credits each – 9 credits total)
One elective from among the general Indian Studies SAP offerings (3 credits)

Contemporary Indian Society

This required core course, exclusively for Alliance students, provides a political, historical, religious, and social overview of contemporary Indian society and creates a shared intellectual context that promotes the integration of coursework with students' personal observations. A number of field visits are included.

Public Health and Ayurveda

Students choose three courses from the Department of Public Health and/or Department of Ayurveda, for a total of 9 credits. Regular offerings may include:

These courses include a field-based practicum alongside other Manipal students, with regular visits to the university’s hospital and rural health clinics. Past students have shadowed doctors in various departments at Manipal University Hospital, visited a leprosy hospital and rehabilitation center, learned how to screen and diagnose tuberculosis patients, and participated in local rural implementation of WHO organized India-wide polio eradication project.

Please note that course offerings may vary by semester and according to enrollment. Courses offerings are usually finalized within one month prior to the application deadline for each semester, but the Alliance's ability to do so depends upon internal Manipal University requirements.

Indian Studies

Students choose one elective from Manipal's Study Abroad Programme (SAP) curriculum. For a list of regular courses offerings, visit the Indian Studies section.

Indian Studies

The Indian Studies track at Manipal provides a comprehensive, multi-disciplinary look at India’s past, present, and future. The university has drawn its most talented teaching faculty from geopolitics, philosophy, European studies, and communications to teach direct-enroll and specially-designed courses focusing on India and South Asia.

The Indian Studies curriculum offers a total of 15 credit hours per semester:

MANI SOCI 350 Contemporary Indian Society (required – 3 credits)
Four electives from the general Indian Studies curriculum (3 credits each – 12 credits total)

All courses are subject to availability and may require a minimum enrollment. Some courses are designed especially for international students, while others may be integrated with Manipal University students.

MANI SAP001 Indian Intellectual Traditions
Dr. Sundar Sarukkai and Dr. Meera Baindur

India has cultivated a rich tradition of intellectual thought spanning the arts, science, and philosophy across the centuries. In this course, students will become familiar with these varieties of knowledge and explore contemporary problems viewed through alternative perspectives in Indian thought.

MANI SAP002 Indian Media
Dr. Neeta Inamdaar

Indian media plays a pivotal role in portraying India culture to the world and raises awareness on a number of sensitive issues including terrorism, racism, international conflicts, and environmental issues. This course will help students understand the growth, development and evolution of media in India, with a special focus on the legal and ethical concerns versus business demands.

MANI SAP003 Regional Security in South Asia
Dr. Arvind Kumar

In today’s world, the strategic implications and inter-related security issues involved with current problems of communications and information must be dealt with in a holistic sense. Students will understand the salient features and relevance of the complex issues relating to threat perceptions affecting regional security in South Asia.

MANI SAP004 Strategy and Practice of Indian Foreign Policy
Dr. Arvind Kumar

The history and changing nature of India’s foreign policy continues to inform the strategy and choices that India weighs while formulating its policies in dealing with foreign nations. This course is geared toward students who have a limited background in the strategy and practice of foreign policy in the Indian context.

MANI SAP005 Cinema in India
Dr. Varadesh Hiregange and Prof. Maitreyee Mishra

Best known through the powerhouses of Bollywood, Indian films are produced in over 17 languages with a wide and diverse range of subjects and genres. Students become familiar with the basic elements of cinema and film appreciation, the origins of Indian cinema, influential Indian film directors, and the corporatization of the film industry.

MANI SAP006 Environment and Development Communication
Prof. Maitreyee Mishra

When the world is faced with the dangers of global warming due to overproduction and consumption, paradoxically, all parts of the world do not enjoy an equitable share of development. The course will introduce students to the basics of environmentalism, ecosystem, threats to biodiversity and resources, international legal framework, movements and issues such as global warming and ozone layer depletion.

MANI SAP007 Contemporary Indian Politics
Dr. Venkat Lokanathan

The ongoing debate on politics and government in India can best be understood when considering the history and changing nature of its political systems. In this course, students will develop an introductory competence of Indian Government functions and its various existing systems and institutions.

Faculty

Public Health

Dr. Ramachandra Kamath Head, Department of Public Health
Dr. Sanjay M. Pattanshetty
Dr. Derek Lobo
Dr. R. Manjunatha
Dr. Leonard Machado
Dr. Ramachandran Narayanashastry
Dr. Varalakshmi Chandrasekaran
Prof. Bharat Shetty

Ayurveda

Dr. M. S. Kamath Head, Department of Ayurveda
Dr. Basavaraj Hadapad
Dr. Kamath Madhusudhan
Dr. Anupama Nayak
Dr. Shrirpathi Adiga
Dr. K. J. Malagi

Indian Studies

Dr. Arvind Kumar Director, Study Abroad Programme (SAP) and Head, Department of Geopolitics & International Relations
SAP003: Regional Security in South Asia
SAP004: Strategy and Practice of India Foreign Policy

Davinder Sidhu, Resident Director, The Alliance for Global Education
SOCI 360: Contemporary Indian Society

Dr. Sundar Sarukkai Director, Manipal Centre for Philosophy & Humanities
Dr. Meera Baindur Fellow, Manipal Centre for Philosophy and Humanities
SAP001: Indian Intellectual Traditions

Dr. Neeta Inamdaar Head, Manipal Centre for European Studies
SAP002: Indian Media

Varadesh Hiregange Director, Manipal Institute of Communication
SAP005: Cinema in India

Maitreyee Mishra Assistant Professor, Manipal Institute of Communication
SAP006: Environment and Development Communication
SAP005: Cinema in India

Dr. Venkat Lokanathan Senior Lecturer, Department of Geopolitics & International Relations
SAP007: Contemporary Indian Politics

Credits, Grades, and Transcripts

A study abroad experience is first and foremost an academic experience, and the Alliance for Global Education takes the process of credit and grade conversion seriously.

Credits

The Alliance provides information on credit transfer and conversion at the time that a student chooses courses. Credit appears on transcripts issued by Arcadia University at the completion of a student's term of study abroad. Credit is issued in U.S. semester hours, ensuring that students continue to make progress toward their degrees and verifying the full-time academic load a student carries while abroad.

All Alliance courses have been reviewed and approved by Arcadia University’s Undergraduate Academic Programs Committee. Arcadia University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. Any grades that appear on an Arcadia transcript must meet Middle States' standards.

Grades

Students receive a letter grade on a scale from A to F for every course they take while enrolled on an Alliance program. Although policies at students' individual home institutions may differ, the Alliance does not permit students to take courses on a credit/no credit basis. Student grades are determined by criteria set forth in course syllabi. As noted above, all Alliance courses are reviewed and approved by Arcadia University’s Undergraduate Academic Programs Committee. Arcadia University is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

Transcripts

At the conclusion of a program, the College of Global Studies at Arcadia University sends an official Arcadia University transcript to a participant's home school and an unofficial copy to the participant.

Because universities abroad have different administrative structures, transcripts may take longer to issue than they do at U.S. institutions. While the timeline varies by program, a general timeline for issuing transcripts is:

Fall programs - transcript issued in late February
Spring, Summer, and Academic Year programs - transcript issued in late September

If you have a question about the process, please feel free to contact your program manager responsible.

Please note: Transcripts are not released for students with an outstanding balance due to program fees. Students enrolling in consecutive terms with the Alliance do not receive their first term transcript until their second term fees are paid in full.

Participants can request additional copies of transcripts online or in writing at any time from the Arcadia University Registrar's Office.

Program Calendar

Program dates roughly follow the U.S. academic calendar:

Spring semester begins in mid-January and concludes in mid-May
Fall semester begins in mid-August and concludes in mid-December

Program dates for Spring 2013 are posted below. All flights should be booked according to these dates. Please consult the Traveling to Manipal section for instructions on how to book your flights. Remember that flights from the U.S. arrive in India the day after they depart from the U.S. Be sure to confirm that you are departing the U.S. on the first date listed below.

Semester Structure

The 16-17 week semester begins with an orientation. Students are acclimated to their new environment through introductory lectures on Indian culture, training on health and safety, and given an introduction to campus life. Once students have settled into their dorms, they begin their coursework. Field excursions and site visits are woven into the semester schedule. The semester concludes with a final seminar where experiences are discussed and students are prepared for their return home.

Given the program’s busy academic schedule, weekly local activities and excursions, and field study trips, the Alliance STRONGLY DISCOURAGES students from hosting visitors until the end of the semester. Please encourage family and/or friends to visit AFTER the program has ended. Students should make their travel plans accordingly.

2013 Spring Semester Calendar

21 January 2013 Flight departure from U.S.
22 January 2013 Arrival in Mumbai
23 January 2013 Group flight to Mangalore - Orientation begins
14 May 2013 Closing Ceremony
15 May 2013 Return flight to Mumbai and U.S.

2013 Fall Semester Calendar

10 August 2013 Flight departure from U.S.
11 August 2013 Arrival in Mumbai
12 August 2013 Group flight to Mangalore - Orientation begins
2 December 2013 Closing Ceremony
3 December 2013 Return flight to Mumbai and U.S.

2014 Spring Semester Calendar

7 January 2014 Flight departure from U.S.
8 January 2014 Arrival in Mumbai
9 January 2014 Group flight to Mangalore - Orientation begins
5 May 2014 Closing Ceremony
6 May 2014 Return flight to Mumbai and U.S.

Program Fees

Spring 2013 Program	$ 15,380
Fall 2013 Program	$ 15,800

What’s Included

The program price includes tuition and fees, housing, all meals, pre-departure materials, student visa authorizations, orientation, organized activities, field study trips, course materials, the services of a full-time resident director, and medical/evacuation insurance.

The program price does not include airfare to India, passport and consular visa fees, independent travel, and other items not mentioned as included.

Our breakdown of spring 2013 program fees and fall 2013 program fees include an itemized list of additional expenses that students will encounter while abroad.

Multiple Term or Academic Year Discount

The Alliance encourages students to enroll for more than one term and to consider studying with more than one Alliance program. Students who continue into a second or third term with the Alliance receive a $500 discount on the program fee for this subsequent term. Some students choose to spend fall term in one location and spring term in another; others continue in our summer term after completing spring.

Housing and Meals

Alliance programs emphasize cultural immersion, experiential learning opportunities, and extensive interaction with students and faculty in the host context. Your housing arrangements at Manipal are thus an important component of your experience abroad, and we want you to be able to make the most of this opportunity.

Alliance students at Manipal are housed in air-conditioned rooms in student hostels on campus. Students may choose to live in single rooms or in double rooms with an Indian roommate. All rooms include attached, private bathrooms. Please note that the hostels at Manipal University impose a curfew on student residents, a common practice at colleges and universities across India. Curfews may vary depending on the hostel, but often range from 10 pm to midnight. Students should be aware that curfews may also change at any time without prior notice.

All meals are included and provided in the campus canteens. Additional multi-cuisine restaurants in the two university food courts and off-campus are readily available at the student’s expense. There are several coffee shops on and nearby to the campus as well.

Local Activities

Orientation

Students are acclimated to their new environment through introductory sessions on Indian culture, university life, program policies, health and safety, and through social events with Manipal University faculty and students. Excursions into the local area include visiting the Krishna Temple for an elephant blessing and local restaurants to experience regional food. Orientation culminates with a Yakshagana performance, a regional form of traditional dance-theatre, followed by dinner with faculty, students, and performers.

In and Around Manipal

Local activities and excursions are built into the curriculum throughout the semester. The core required course, Contemporary Indian Society, integrates the course material with weekend activities and trips. Numerous other optional activities are made available to the students and may include:

Screening of Bollywood movies on campus
Tour the Agumbe Rainforest Research Station and Cobra Sanctuary
Visits to Cashew Factories as well as Tea and Coffee Plantations
Cooking demonstration and class at Manipal's Institute of Hotel Management
Backwater boat tour in remote Kerala
Visit to Hindu pilgrimage sites at Gokarna and Murudeshwar
Participation in various Manipal University campus festivals
Tour of Udupi Harbor and its fishing industry, as well as St. Mary’s Island
Visit to Sringeri Math, Karkala and Moodibidri
Excursion to Goa for the annual International Film Festival of India

Note: The Public Health courses require regular visits to rural health clinics and treatment centers with Manipal students. Past students have shadowed doctors in various departments at Manipal University Hospital, visited a leprosy hospital and rehabilitation center, learned how to screen and diagnose tuberculosis patients, and participated in local rural implementation of WHO organized India-wide polio eradication project.

Expressive Culture Classes

In addition to vibrant campus life, Alliance students in Manipal are given the option of taking classes in expressive culture. Choices may vary depending on the availability of instructors, but yoga, bharatnatyam (dance), and Hindi are commonly offered.

Travel Week

One week during the semester is set aside for an extended field visit. Travel itineraries are subject to change, and highlights may include:

Bicycle tour of Hampi, haunting ruins of the 15th-century Vijayanagara Empire
Explore environmental issues at Agumbe Rainforest Research Station and on a jeep safari at Nagarhole National Park
Visit to the Assembly building in Bengaluru and a look at state level politics
Tour of Infosys, India’s premier IT industry, and the Palace in Mysore

In past semesters students traveled with the Manipal Resident Director on a nine-day study tour exploring major urban and rural sites in Karnataka.

In Bengaluru, the center of India’s IT and outsourcing industries and political strong-hold, students took a private tour of the state capital building, known as the Vidhana Soudha, and attended a discussion of India's political system with a local politician and professor from the renowned Indian Institute of Management. The group also explored the city's prime shopping district and beautiful Lal Bagh gardens.

The students then caught a train to Mysore where the visited Infosys', India’s premier IT company and world famous business success story, largest training facility. Touring the sprawling campus in a golf cart, students were able to visit the board room and peek into the classrooms where top students from top universities train for future careers at the company. While in Mysore, students also toured the beautiful palace of the Mysore royal family.

Third on the itinerary was a visit to a Kabini wildlife preserve. Though students may not always be lucky enough to see a tiger, the park is home to many other animals, including wild elephants that the students spotted. Next the group stopped in Ooty, a popular hill station in Karantaka, while making their way to the Adivasi tribal areas of the Nilgiri Hills. In the Adivasi villages students accompanied a Manipal professor and were able to interact and learn more about traditional crafts and customs of the locals.

Next the group headed to Kerala for a backwater boat ride through the inland canals lined with small rural communities before finally visiting the synagogue of what was once a thriving Jewish community in Koshi and catching the train home to Manipal.

Contact a Program Graduate

How do Alliance program graduates look back on their experience studying in Asia? What advice can they offer on making the most of your time abroad? Contact these students to ask your questions!

To view graduates from other Alliance programs, click here. Interact with graduates via our Facebook and YouTube pages, too!

Moira Dhaliwal

Public Health and Indian Studies

George Washington University – International Relations Major

mdhali@gwmail.gwu.edu

Hi! I spent an amazing Fall semester studying Public Health in Manipal India. Over the course of the semester I was able to gain a unique perspective on public health and its challenges in developing countries, that I would not have been able to... read more

Hi! I spent an amazing Fall semester studying Public Health in Manipal India. Over the course of the semester I was able to gain a unique perspective on public health and its challenges in developing countries, that I would not have been able to gain at any other point in my life. It was the most amazing semester of my college experience and truly a transformational semester in my life. Studying abroad allowed me to challenge myself to step outside of my comfort zone and discover independence, confidence and self-assurance that I didn't know I had. I can't wait to share my amazing experiences with anyone who's curious! hide

Alexandra France

Public Health and Indian Studies

American University – Public Health Major

af7800a@american.edu

Hey guys! My name is Alexandra and I am a junior at American University in Washington, DC. I just returned from Manipal... read more

Hey guys! My name is Alexandra and I am a junior at American University in Washington, DC. I just returned from Manipal, India where I studied public health. It was the most amazing 4+ months of my life and I wish I could do it all over again! Here at AU I'm a pre-med student majoring in Public Health & International Studies so the courses I took last semester and the field visits/excursions associated them were an incredible way for me to gain some more public health experience. While I was in India I also had the opportunity to begin learning some Hindi which I loved and miss speaking so much! I could go on and on about the things I miss about being abroad so I'll just leave it at that. I'm looking forward to being an ambassador this semester! hide

Miranda Fadden

Public Health and Indian Studies

Wartburg College – Biology Major

miranda.fadden@wartburg.edu

Hey guys! My name is Miranda, I studied at Manipal University in India this past fall. I took classes in public health... read more

Hey guys! My name is Miranda, I studied at Manipal University in India this past fall. I took classes in public health. My homeschool is Wartburg College in Iowa where I study biology and psychology. I had an amazing experience while abroad, and it is something I definitely would do again! My program was able to travel all around the southern part of India which was awesome, probably my favorite part. We were able to see lots of different places. I enjoyed rooming with someone who was also not from India but had ties to India. We got to experience a lot of new things together. hide

Claire Rychlewski

Public Health and Indian Studies

American University – Journalism Major

clairerychl905@yahoo.com

Hey everyone! My name is Claire. I studied at Manipal University in Karnataka, India, and it was completely amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Manipal and learned so much, and I would like to help expand the program and hopefully educate other... read more

Hey everyone! My name is Claire. I studied at Manipal University in Karnataka, India, and it was completely amazing. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Manipal and learned so much, and I would like to help expand the program and hopefully educate other students on its merits. The best part about Manipal was the immersive nature of the program—I was afforded so many authentic opportunities and experiences that I think other abroad programs lack. Since I had such a wonderful and educational experience, I'm excited to share that with other students here at AU! hide

Emily Proper

Public Health and Indian Studies

Arcadia University – International Studies Major

emilyproper@yahoo.com

Hello! My name is Emily and I am back at Arcadia University after spending my last semester in Manipal, India with the... read more

Hello! My name is Emily and I am back at Arcadia University after spending my last semester in Manipal, India with the Alliance. I absolutely loved the program, but one thing I would have liked to have myself was an Ambassador available here on campus before I left, and that's why I'm so excited to have this role! Hopefully I can inspire those who are on the fence to join the Alliance and also help those already decided to know what to expect and how to best prepare. Study abroad is a large component of my school and I think just by getting the word out there about the Alliance programs, I can help students find the adventure that they truely want. hide

Grantis Peranda

Public Health and Indian Studies

Providence College – Health Policy and Management

gperanda@friars.providence.edu

Greetings! This past spring I went to Manipal University with Alliance in their Public Health program. I learned so much while I was in India and I absolutely loved my experience there. As an Ambassador I hope to encourage my peers to go on a study... read more

Greetings! This past spring I went to Manipal University with Alliance in their Public Health program. I learned so much while I was in India and I absolutely loved my experience there. As an Ambassador I hope to encourage my peers to go on a study abroad trip that is more exotic to them. Check out the video I made about campus life in Manipal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R67n7ROA53I. hide

Rebecca Engel

Public Health and Indian Studies

George Washington University – International Relations Major

rengel@gwmail.gwu.edu

Hey there! I’m a junior at The George Washington University majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Public Health and a minor in Geography. My interest in India was set in motion by my mother, who, at about my age, spent time... read more

Hey there! I’m a junior at The George Washington University majoring in International Affairs with a concentration in Public Health and a minor in Geography. My interest in India was set in motion by my mother, who, at about my age, spent time working in an Indian hospital. As I was growing up I heard all sorts of stories about her adventures so I decided to make it a bit of a family tradition. Looking back on my time in India, it’s hard to pinpoint my favorite experience(s) but what I do know is that I gained an immeasurable amount of knowledge that will be beneficial no matter what I decide to pursue in the future. The program offered classes in each of my majors and interests and I was able to tackle public health, politics and geography all at once. Not only was it a valuable experience educationally, it was also a powerful experience emotionally, culturally and personally. While the work and field visits were exhausting and much different from anything I have ever experienced, I could not be happier with the personal growth I underwent. Between the classes, the travel and the relationships I formed, my experience in India was nothing short of amazing and I can't wait to go back. I’d love to chat with anyone who wants to talk about the program, my experiences, or anything India related! hide

Mia Breidenbach

Public Health and Indian Studies

University of Wisconsin Madison – Medical Studies Major

mbreidenbach@wisc.edu

Namaste! I'm a junior at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and studied abroad at Manipal University in India during the fall of 2011. As a pre-med student I decided that what really interested me was the public health aspect of medicine. I had... read more

Namaste! I'm a junior at the University of Wisconsin at Madison and studied abroad at Manipal University in India during the fall of 2011. As a pre-med student I decided that what really interested me was the public health aspect of medicine. I had already decided that I really wanted to go to India to see first-hand what sort of public health issues the country struggles with and when I saw information for the program in Manipal, it was such a perfect fit. When people ask me "How was India?" I have a hard time summing it all up in just one sentence. I think going to India was one of the most eye-opening and important experiences of my life and I definitely hope to go back at least several more times. hide