From this department, we offer four majors: Psychology, International Studies, Sociology and Public Policy.
PSYCHOLOGY
The Psychology program focuses on the study of diverse aspects of human behavioural patterns and functioning of the mind. It guides students through various empirical approaches to understand the complexities and processes of the human mind. It enables students to develop a critical understanding of the major concepts, themes, theoretical frameworks and methodology of the discipline, leading to the study of specialized areas such as Personality, Social, Clinical, Industrial, Developmental, Educational and Experimental Psychology.
The Program introduces students to basic concepts and varied fields of Psychology, focusing on a few significant areas of the discipline such as Biological Basis of Behaviour, Social and Personality Psychology. The intermediate courses focus more closely on refining the student's critical abilities by providing training in synthesis and critical analysis. The advanced courses train the students in methods of psychological testing and counselling that help them to analyse individual cases. The students are also trained in research methods that enable them to conduct research-oriented studies.
The Major Program will prepare students to pursue graduate studies in any specialized field of Psychology. Moreover, the knowledge and skills acquired through the course of the program will equip them to work as part of a team in a variety of professions including but not limited to community health, support groups, NGOs, human resource management, recruitment etc.
INTERNATIONAL STUDIES
The International Studies Program aims to provide students with a firm grasp on the theoretical and operational underpinnings of the international system. Being grounded in the discipline of International Relations, the program draws from the disciplines of Political Science, History, Sociology, Anthropology, Economics and Culture Studies to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of ‘the political’. Students rationalize through analytical frameworks, evaluate empirical evidence, appreciate varied standpoints and develop a critical approach to not just inter-state relations, but also intra-state and supra-state issues and how each of these levels of analysis impact each other.
The introductory courses ground students in political theory, international relations theory, the history and politics of the international system. Intermediate courses span issues of international political economy, Indian government and politics, and train students in the aspects of research methodology. Advanced courses introduce the peace and conflict studies approach to international relations, politics of international organizations, and India’s foreign relations, and finally to issues of security and non-traditional security. While retaining its primary focus on India and South Asia, the area studies undertaken in the three final semesters offer competency in Europe, the United States of America, West Asia, China, as well as Latin America, Africa and Central Asia.
The International Studies Major Program prepares students for advanced graduate study in international relations, political science, history, peace and conflict studies, public policy, and related social sciences. Further, it equips students for pursuing careers in the Civil Services, the Foreign Services, Media, Think-Tanks, Academia, International Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations.
SOCIOLOGY
Sociology as a social science discipline deals with a systematized study of society, using macro and micro approaches towards understanding societies; social relationships, institutions, processes, issues, policies, movements; and business organizations. As sociologists, it is imperative to engage in critical inquiry and hence deconstruct/debunk realities than accepting them as givens.
The Sociology Major Program endeavors to establish a firm foundation of the discipline. Students will traverse through a wide range of specialized branches to understand the relevance of the discipline in contemporary society. An approach to different aspects of life based on a diversity of theoretical perspectives will serve to enhance an understanding of ‘social life’.
This Program equips students to engage in critical synthesis of existing literature, collection and analysis of data to validate information and logical presentation of the same with clarity and conviction. A series of courses will introduce students to the basic concepts, theoretical models and issues of the discipline with a focus on Indian scenario. The subsequent courses will focus on thematic studies of gender, culture, tourism, and Diaspora. Students will be trained in critical and analytical inquiry in various domains through writing response papers, reflective essays, case studies, review papers, and presentations.
The Sociology Major Program will enable students to engage in advanced learning of different sub-areas. It will also hone their professional competencies equipping them to enter different fields such as teaching, research, journalism, policy analysis, program development, human resource management, public relations and cultural affairs.
PUBLIC POLICY
India’s rapid economic growth and growing weight in the world has created an urgent need for a class of scholars, development professionals, administrators and entrepreneurs who can understand the Indian government’s policy ecosystem, programs and processes and help solve the most pressing problems. The Public Policy department at FLAME aims to help produce the next generation of policy theorists and practitioners with an innovative program structure that focuses on interdisciplinarity through a sustained engagement with the foundational disciplines, and pragmatic problem-solving through a mix of quantitative and qualitative analytic methods.
As a discipline, Public Policy is the study of what governments choose to do in response to public concerns, how they arrive at those choices, and how we may improve the tools, processes and institutions involved. In academic terms that translates into a set of very specific skills, from being able to define a policy problem and assess it from social, legal, political and economic perspectives to imagining and offering solutions within a set of constraints.
The public policy program at Flame has a strong interdisciplinary focus and draws from several disciplines including political science, economics, public administration, sociology and law. The introductory courses acquaint students with the disciplinary threads mentioned above, from thought and theory to the basic and applied aspects in each discipline. Intermediate courses concern practical skills that call for elementary cross-disciplinary knowledge, such as those on Policy Evaluation, an emerging field in India. Finally, the advanced courses dive into specific sectors such as Urban Development, Education Policy, Environmental Policy, Behavioral economics and Public Policy, and Gender and Development.
The program envisages graduates who will either join a coveted Masters in Public Policy (MPP) or make competent interns for government, intergovernmental or non-governmental agencies alike (Government of India, United Nations, World Bank, foreign governments). Public Policy graduates are also sought in public and private think tanks, civil service, advocacy groups and CSR divisions.