THE UNIVERSITY of Mumbai has started a Master’s course in archaeology. A proposal to start the course was passed at a meeting of the academic and management councils earlier this week. Vice- Chancellor Sanjay Deshmukh confirmed that the two-year course would be offered from the coming academic year.
Until now, the closest option for archaeology aspirants in Mumbai was the Deccan College in Pune. The university has now decided to start a full-fledged Department of Archaeology to run the course. The course beginning in July will have an intake capacity of 60. Admissions will be done online.
The syllabus will introduce students to pre-history apart from teaching them about the ancient economic systems of India as well as the archaeology of Southeast Asia in the first term.
A senior MU official said the fee of the course would be as approved by the university’s governing bodies and policies. The department will be instituted under the Centre for Archaeology of the University, which in turn comes under under the Centre for Extra-Mural Studies.