Academic Calendar

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

• Spring semester will begin in mid-January and conclude in mid-May
• Fall semester will begin in late August and conclude in mid-December
• Summer semester will begin in mid-June and conclude in mid-August

To view the Spring 2010 calendar, please click here.

Prior sample fall and summer calendars are also available here to give you a sense of semester structure. 

Complete finalized calendars for each term will be posted here as they are confirmed.  Book-end program dates are usually available earlier under the pre-departure section for India.

Semester Structure

The 16–17 week semester begins with an on-site orientation at a retreat location outside Pune. Students are acclimated to their new environment through introductory lectures on Indian culture, training on health and safety, and language classes. Orientation sessions are supplemented with treks to nearby folk shrines and a tribal village.  After transferring to Pune and settling into their new homes, students begin their coursework and internships. The semester concludes with a final two-day seminar where research is presented and discussed, and students are prepared for their return home.

Field visits during the semester include a long-weekend urban field visit to Mumbai to imbibe this sprawling, diverse megalopolis, as well as a three or four-day stay in a rural village, still representative of how a majority of Indians live. In addition, there are several day-outings to various points of interest in and around Pune. One weekend is set aside for independent travel, and students may choose to travel elsewhere on the subcontinent after the program’s conclusion.