Nagaland University launches Interdisciplinary MA in Language and Culture

The programme is a timely and significant initiative aimed at preserving, promoting, and advancing the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the Naga people

Nagaland University has launched a Master of Arts programme in Language and Culture, an interdisciplinary Master’s degree. The programme is a timely and significant initiative aimed at preserving, promoting, and advancing the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the Naga people.

In keeping with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which stresses on the importance of interdisciplinary/ multidisciplinary approaches that underscores the interconnectedness of knowledge, the course will allow students to learn and explore different courses or curricula from different areas of study, instead of being confined with only one discipline.

Students who graduate from this programme would be equipped to avail NET exams in three papers: 1) Linguistics 2) Folk Literature 3) Tribal and Regional Language

The First Batch will commence classes from the 5th of August, 2025. A total of 20 Students will be admitted to this program.

Speaking about this new program, Prof. Jagadish Kumar Patnaik, Vice-Chancellor, Nagaland University, said, “It gives me immense pleasure to announce the launch of the Master of Arts programme in Language and Culture by the Centre for Naga Tribal Language Studies, Nagaland University. This marks a historic milestone as the first interdisciplinary master’s degree of its kind introduced by our university. The programme is a timely and significant initiative aimed at preserving, promoting, and advancing the rich linguistic and cultural heritage of the Naga people. It reflects Nagaland University’s continued commitment to academic excellence, inclusivity, and the advancement of indigenous knowledge systems.”

Being offered by the Centre for Naga Tribal Language Studies, the course is designed as a four-semester interdisciplinary programme incorporating the core perspectives from various schools of thought underpinning the study of language and culture. By employing such a multifaceted, interdisciplinary lens, the course breaks away from the traditional modes of working in silos to implement a more holistic understanding.