Sanskrit

Sanskrit is the classical language of the Indian subcontinent and the vehicle of one of the world's oldest and most extensive literary, philosophical, and religious traditions. For more than three thousand years, Sanskrit has been the language of the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Mahabharata and Ramayana, the philosophy of Nagarjuna and Sankara, the poetry of Kalidasa, the treatises on grammar, astronomy, mathematics, and statecraft, and the scriptures of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. It is the common medium through which the diverse classical civilisations of South and South-East Asia communicated, and its study opens a window onto one of humanity's most remarkable intellectual inheritances.

At the University of Oxford, this three-year, full-time degree places the study of Sanskrit within the richest possible scholarly environment. Oxford's Faculty of Oriental Studies is one of the leading centres in the world for Sanskrit scholarship, and you will engage with the language at a high level, developing the grammatical precision needed to read a wide range of texts in the original. You will study the Vedic and classical forms of the language alongside the major literary, philosophical, and religious texts that Sanskrit produced, developing both linguistic competence and interpretive sophistication.

The study of Sanskrit also involves engagement with the modern scholarship, in European and Indian academic traditions, that has built up around these texts. A typical entry tariff of 184 UCAS points reflects Oxford's demanding academic environment.

Studying Sanskrit at this level develops exceptional linguistic precision, historical depth, and the ability to engage with texts of great philosophical and literary sophistication.

Graduates pursue careers in academia, archiving and manuscript studies, South Asian studies, religious scholarship, publishing, and the cultural heritage sector. Many proceed to postgraduate research in Sanskrit, Indology, or comparative religion. The degree is also a foundation for careers requiring deep cultural competence related to South Asia.