Online Social Science Courses & Certifications

Sociology in India course helps the citizens of India to understand various social processes that drive the country. This course establishes norms on which the Indian society functions and its structural comprehension with regard to various institutions.

This course teaches students how sociology plays an important role in the development of the nation. It also helps participants in the course to realize how caste, sex, creed, religion, tribe, and other social classes play a role in the transformation of society.

This course makes the participants aware as citizens of the country on issues like migration, communalism, gender bias, environmental degradation, industrialization, secularism, industrialization, and other social movements. This course also ensures that participants are engaging themselves in understanding the history of the country which now shapes social behavior and thinking in India. 

Sociology of development programmes give the candidate an in-depth knowledge regarding the sociology of development; it covers the dynamics, direction, and imprecation of development in our society. It is a well-defined course which clarifies the concepts of development and talks about development under various aspects such as human, Growth-oriented, Social, sustainable, and its perspectives. 

It addresses the alternative perspectives in terms of micro development and ethical development along with the process of sustainable development. In this course, the candidates will see descriptions of development across the globe in countries like the UK, USA, India, and Brazil.

Other than making the understudy familiar with the expansive cycles of recorded advancement and improvement of human social orders, it additionally draws in the understudies with the new energy of advancement. The development of industrialist, communist, and the blended models of advancements are likewise talked about in this course. 

MSO-003: Sociology of Development is taught by the faculty of the sociology school of social science of Indira Gandhi National Open University. It is available in the language English and Hindi.

Apart from learning about the Tribal Society in India, candidates will also be learning about the issue of their identity and the transitional tribal society in this Tribal Society programme. In this programme, there are four blocks, containing 16 units prepared by experts on the subjects. The total duration of the programme will be 16 weeks.

Block 1 discusses 'Introduction to Tribal Society and Culture'. It will try to highlight the tribal religions and social structures as well as their passage rituals, which are unique to each tribal group. 'Tribal Society in Transition' is in Block 2. It provides details on how India's tribal communities have been shifting from government to the economy to gender and class change within the tribal society. 'Tribal Identity and Ethnicity I and II' is explored in Block 3 and Block 4. The two blocks illustrate the idea of separation and disparity between the tribes and the modern world's tribal identity.

This Tribal Society programme discusses everything related to the tribal society of India. Candidates will be well aware about the problems experienced by them and will be ready to work for society.

The Indian Culture & History online course is a 15 weeks program offered by Swayam. In this course, Students can obtain program credits through a written examination at the student's Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth or the examination centre designated by it. The credits will be transferred by Shri Lal Bahadur Shastri Rashtriya Sanskrit Vidyapeeth to their institution which can be combined in their exam results.

This Indian Culture & History training by Swayam majorly covers the indian culture because culture is the consciousness element of any nation, without culture any nation is like a lifeless body and history is the awakening element of any nation. Unless we are able to get acquainted with our culture and our history, we will not be able to define the nationality of our nation in the true sense.

The aim of the Indian Culture & History syllabus is that such elements should be included which are capable of defining the Indianness of India in the true sense. That is why the topics that have been included under Indian culture include Vedic introduction, introduction to Puranas, introduction to Ashtakavya, information about Ramayana, Mahabharata and a special introduction to Indian philosophy.

Shakespeare remains the most staged, filmed, studied, and translated author amidst world literature. Stages, books, and other media from various cultures have localised, domesticated, and adapted this icon in several languages. To shed a holistic light on this writer, the Central University of Kerala has curated the Shakespeare Across Cultures programme, explaining how the world’s varying languages and cultures have influenced him and how he’s influenced them.

India’s numerous Shakespeare experts teach the Shakespeare Across Cultures certification syllabus, which deals with analysing Shakespeare through language discourses, geopolitics, identities, gender, race, how he’s negotiated on pages, screens, stages, classroom discourses, outlining his adaptations, etc. The training also touches upon vital concepts such as how Shakespeare’s adaptations evoke diverse cultures' responses, how they transfigured him in their cultural and literary terrain, and many more.

 A four-credit, elective programme for 15 weeks, the Shakespeare Across Cultures course by Swayam belongs to the ‘Humanities and Social Sciences’ purview. It’s intended for English literature postgraduates, featuring internal assessments and an external proctored test. Clearing these, the candidates can also obtain the curriculum certificate. 

The ‘Basic Course in Literary and Cultural Theory’ certification course is a massive open online course developed for the students to gain a detailed understanding of the concepts of culture and literary theory. This program is provided by the Swayam education platform in association with the Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC). This online program is categorized under the language domain and is conducted for fourteen weeks.

The students of this online training program are guided by the instructor, Dr. Josepheni Joseph from St. Mary’s College, Thrissur. The course modules are focused to deliver knowledgeable insights on the cultural theories and principles that help one understand the social, cultural, and literary aspects with a better perspective.

The ‘Basic Course in Literary and Cultural Theory’ online certification program ensures that the students receive a course certificate and credit points after completing the course and assessments successfully. This is a core course for undergraduate-level students.

The basics of theory and literary criticism are covered in Literary Criticism Certification along with a brief discussion of their differences. Certain falsehoods are debunked in Literary Criticism Classes, certain misunderstandings are clarified, and every effort is made to allay any reservations you may have concerning theory.

Literary Criticism Certification Syllabus has been broken down into sections, and literary works like essays and books have been broken down into smaller units so that students may easily understand the theories and the accompanying study materials.

All students get a Literary Criticism Certification by Mercy College, Palakkad, Kerala (Affiliated to University of Calicut) under the Swayam Initiative by the Government of India. 

The Methodology and Pedagogy of Teaching Social Sciences program by Swayam introduces Teaching and Learning Social Sciences, focusing on skills and methods for teaching social science, and instructional strategies. This program is based on student-teachers and working teachers in Social Science. The University of Calicut delivers the 15-week course.

The Methodology and Pedagogy of Teaching Social Sciences training will help learners to study the theoretical framework of Instructional plan in social science and how to implement it in classrooms. Learners will successfully understand all the fundamental ideas of Teaching Social Sciences. They will also learn relevant psychological theories and learn how to apply them in Social Science. 

Moreover, the Methodology and Pedagogy of Teaching Social Sciences certification course can be studied by any individual at any level of teacher education, including working educators to magnify their teaching skills. The syllabus combines practical and theoretical teaching to give a holistic learning experience.

The State and Local Governance: Machinery & Processes online programme is a postgraduate-level core course in the category of humanities and social sciences. It is a 15 weeks academic programme, equivalent to one semester of a regular university course. The mode of instruction will be through video lectures and e-texts, along with reading material. Candidates may participate in group discussions and frequent interactions with the teaching team to clear up any uncertainties.

The State and Local Governance: Machinery & Processes training will explore topics related to democratic, decentralized institutions and government-based agencies established at sub-district, district, and state levels and their procedures. It also includes the domains of the state legislature, administration, and essential institutions. Candidates will be familiarised with the evolution of local governance and its present system of municipal bodies, panchayat institutions along with their constitutional models.

The Government of India initiated the Swayam programme to provide a free education platform. They strive to achieve the three major principles of education policy, i.e. equity, quality, and access. To assure superior study material in the State and Local Governance: Machinery & Processes online course, UGC has been appointed by Swayam for non-technical postgraduate education.

The Solid and Hazardous Waste Management online programme is a four-credit, postgraduate-level course. It offers a chronological syllabus structure that includes various aspects of waste management, such as definition, characterisation, classification, collection, management, and transportation. Candidates will be instructed by Prof. V. K. Garg who is a dean at the School of Environment and Earth Sciences.

The purpose of the Solid and Hazardous Waste Management training is to educate candidates about solid waste which includes biomedical, radioactive, plastic, and electronic waste, along with MSW, fly ash, and others. Candidates also acquire a holistic understanding of the legal framework associated with waste management, as well as several recovery options.

Moreover, Swayam is an education platform initiated by the Government of India to provide courses free of cost. After completing the Solid and Hazardous Waste Management postgraduate course, candidates are required to pay a fee for the final proctored exams and attend the same at the given centre.

With the Top 10 Social Issues for the President’s First 100 Days course, candidates get to thoroughly understand the depth & intricacies of the social policy issues constantly facing the newly elected US President & congress. The course, in detail, describes the whole funnel behind a President working with congress to pass new laws and implement social policies that are of very high concern and have a severe impact on human lives and community.

Top 10 Social Issues for the President’s First 100 Days certification course taps into the vast knowledge and ideas of the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Social Policy and Practice (SP2) faculty and helps candidates examine and understand the most pressing social justice & policy issues which impact the overall population. The pertinent articles concerning the real-time national level issues are regularly provided & the course material is updated after regular intervals to ensure maximum relevance among the candidates related to the course content. 

A Global History of Architecture Certification Course equips learners with limitless opportunities to acquire a larger-than-life experience of looking through the lens of history and historical architecture with its variations. Beginning with First Societies and proceeding with the 16th century, the curriculum enwraps all the valuable learnings of architectural history. This course is not intended to run as a linear narrative but with a more global adaptation of concepts with a stressed focus on different architectural instances.

Through the programme pedagogy, course participants will learn about the impact of the introduction of iron in the 9th century BCE on the development of architecture and regional politics. They will also acknowledge how newly found and developed religions like Hinduism and Buddhism bore new architectural understandings by and large in society. The course is self-paced but can be accessed only for a limited period during the audit track.

Each lecture imparted by an experienced pedagogue deals with architectural transformation arising from a dynamic cultural symbolism. The course material covered in lectures will be supplemented by additional readings from the textbook- "A Global History of Architecture" which would hone the textual knowledge of candidates and help them revisit what they have learned through modules. Lastly, the verified certification would make up a great addition to the learner's resume.

In the Macroeconomics for a Sustainable Planet programme, you will learn about the challenges that modern economies face, namely, inflation, unemployment, fiscal deficits, trade berries, protectionism, etc. You will also learn about the threat that these challenges pose for billions of people all over the world, and how to overcome these challenges and pursue economic growth when life on this planet is becoming increasingly fragile. 

The Macroeconomics for a Sustainable Planet course will rewire the candidates’ understanding of Macroeconomics in the context of sustainability in an interdependent world. It explores all the traditional macroeconomic tools and principles and how they play out in the age of globalisation and the current wave of sustainable development. The course is led by Professor Jeffrey D. Sachs from Columbia University, who is also a senior UN advisor, and Felipe Larraín, former Chilean Minister of Finance. 

Macroeconomics for a Sustainable Planet is a 13-week, self-paced learning programme wherein you need to invest no more than 2-4 hours every week, as per their convenience. The learners can take the course in the paid or free audit mode. In the free audit mode, they will have the access only for a limited period. 

The Strategies and Models for Sustainability Certification course is a subset of the discipline of sustainability science that helps students acquire a deep understanding of the topic. The course will equip students in achieving socially acceptable economic development with the help of both scientific and technological tools.

The Strategies and Models for Sustainability Online Course is a 4 credit course offered by Swayam. The course is taught for a period of 12 weeks by expert professors from Indira Gandhi National Open University. The course will provide a comprehensive and theoretical understanding of the social, economical and ecological aspects of sustainability along with its basic principles and features.

The Strategies and Models for Sustainability Training course provides valuable insights into the working of sustainable development in the rural sphere. The course discusses the existing sustainable development models in India in the form of case studies, allowing them to critically view the functioning of different models and their contribution to nature. The final assessment is made through assignments and an end-term examination.

The Challenge to Sustainable Development Certification Course is a massive open online course that discusses the vital threats to attaining sustainable development. The course will make learners aware of the crucial environmental changes taking place around the world and their potential causes and consequences.

The Challenges to Sustainable Development Online Course is a 4 credit course offered by the Swayam portal. The course is coordinated by Dr. Deeksha Dave; Dr. Y.S.C. Khuman, Assistant Professors at the School of Interdisciplinary and Transdisciplinary Studies of the Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi.

The Challenges to Sustainable Development Course is particularly apt for people working in the field of sustainable development. The course will help them understand the scope for alternative methods to reduce the socio-cultural and ecological impacts of the conventional models of development.

Education for Sustainable Development Certification will discuss the details of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) which is primarily based on UNESCO’s 17 sustainable development goals. 

Education for Sustainable Development Classes will cover key concepts like what is sustainability, sustainable development, UNESCO sustainable development goals, and education for sustainable development.

In order to address educational challenges and create systems that are inclusive, equitable, and relevant to all, sustainable development requires political will, global and regional collaboration, and active engagement of educational institutions, civil society, youth, the corporate/private sector, and other multilateral agencies.

All students get an Education for Sustainable Development Certification from the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) under the Swayam Initiative by the Government of India. 

The course on Designing and Running Randomised Evaluations by MITx is a part of the MicroMasters track. During the course, you will get graduate-level knowledge of randomised controlled trials (RCT), including step-by-step training in how to design and implement an RCT in the field. Using this policy-relevant study, you can boost your ability to draw causal inferences and conduct impact evaluations.

The Designing and Running Randomised Evaluations MicroMasters programme comes under the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Data, Economics and Development Policy (DEDP) department. The curriculum uses material from MIT’s JPAL lab, used by social science researchers from all over the world. 

Besides, Designing and Running Randomised Evaluations by edX provides a professional and academic credential to candidates who complete this course. You can use this credential to gain an accelerated and cheaper Master’s degree from MIT or add it as a professional qualification to your CV. Learn from esteemed Nobel Laureates through an intensive approach involving quizzes, lectures, case studies and exams in this course. 

Geography, in general, is the study of lands, people, and all the phenomena which take place on Earth. In this course, the focus is the country of India. The Geography of India course by Swayam provides a more detailed perspective about the formation of the physiography and the physiographic features situated throughout India. The course also details various details about the natural features of India including its changing topography, the composition of different types of soil, study about various landforms, water bodies such as rivers and their tributaries, basins, and so on. Geography does not only deal with physical features but it also deals with ecological features. 

In this course, the candidate will also gain knowledge about the climate, developments across many regions, irrigation systems, agriculture throughout the country, settlements in rural and urban areas, how the demography is formed, and the presence of migrants, trades, commodities, and industrialization at different scales. The main goal of this course is to gain a very in-depth understanding of Geography as a whole, specifying India.

Agriculture as activity started 10,000 to 12,000 years ago when humans began to domesticate animals and grow plants for their subsistence. Before this, they were hunters and gatherers. Agriculture appeared simultaneously across the world through trial and error methods. Learn about the history of agriculture in Agricultural Geography Training.

The course on Agricultural Geography by Swayam provides the fundamental knowledge on various types of agricultural practices like horticulture, subsistence, specialised, commercial farming, etc. candidates will also undergo training and appear for various assessments throughout the course duration to test their knowledge.

The Agricultural Geography Certification Syllabus traces the history of agriculture from the Neolithic period to the present-day scenario. You will cover topics like the secondary, primary, tertiary, and quaternary activities conducted by man with a keen emphasis on agricultural marketing and statistics in India. Candidates will also learn about geographical tools used in developed nations like GIS, GPS and remote sensing.

The ‘Conservation Geography’ online certification course is developed for the students to discuss the theories of geography in detail to understand the various aspects of conservation and biodiversity that enable development. This biological sciences and bioengineering program of the National Program for Technology Enhanced Learning(NPTEL) is provided by Swayam online education portal. The course classes are offered free of charge and are scheduled for a period of twelve weeks.

The instructor for this elective course at the undergraduate or postgraduate level is an academic and industrial expert, Dr. Ankur Awadhiya from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. The training consists of a virtual mode of learning enabled by videos, online lectures, and other resources that include working on case studies to understand the conservation intended development.

The ‘Conservation Geography’ online training program ensures the participants of the program with a course certificate and credit points after completing the course successfully according to the qualifying criteria.

Literati China: Examinations, Neo-Confucianism, and Later Imperial China course by edX is part of an XSeries Program focused on the exploration of China’s history. This course enables candidates to see China’s awakening in the 19th century through the 21st-century intellect. It gives information about China’s history, neo-Confucianism, the imperial period, and the exam system government. 

The course also lets the participants explore the 8th and 11th-century resources available in China along with urbanization & the state atrocities, China’s reconfiguration of vigor. Literati China: Examinations, Neo-Confucianism, and Later Imperial China focus on imparting information relating to the rich culture and prized moral autonomy of the Chinese. It teaches what changes Tang-Sang brought to China and how a new kind of Confucianism took place.

Hence, this course allows candidates to gain an alternative and exciting worldview and global awareness. It teaches how the key to knowing China today is by unlocking ancient China. There are 2 tracks for this course when opting for enrollment. One is Verified Track which offers unlimited access. The other is Audit Track, the price of which is free but this self-paced version is only accessible for a limited period.

Ancient Greek philosophy has influenced western culture and thinking to a vast extent. Its philosophers have left a wealth of historical information for the present and future generations to learn and decipher. Moreover,  one can also use ancient philosophy to gain insight into modern society and its struggles.

Thus, the Ancient Greek and Medieval Philosophy by Swayam will help you gain an in-depth knowledge of Greek philosophy and its history. The comprehensive curriculum will take you on a journey through different schools of thought and some of Philosophy’s dominant figures. You will also learn about ancient philosophers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and their significant contributions.

Additionally, the Ancient Greek and Medieval Philosophy online course will run for 12 weeks to help you learn numerous complex topics and fascinating theories. Dr Babu M N and the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady will be presenting this programme. Upon completing the course, you can attain Swayam’s Ancient Greek and Medieval Philosophy certification by fulfilling the required eligibility.

The Introduction to Cultural Studies online course deals with culture by drawing on psychology, political theory, and various other disciplines. From defining culture to looking at culture through different lenses, the program approaches cultural identities as socially constructed categories. This course also investigates culture from the perspective of identity, authority, and knowledge. 

The Introduction to Cultural Studies certification syllabus includes essential terms and concepts like Homi Baba'sThe other question’, George Orwell'sShooting an elephant’, Bell Hooks ‘Understanding patriarchy’, Judith Butler'sGender Trouble’ and much more. Students also receive rich downloadable materials and a list of books to use as references for further studies.  

Taught by Dr. Avishek Parui, from IIT Madras, the Introduction to Cultural Studies online course is engaging and helps candidates develop a holistic perspective to the concept of culture. The online program also gives regular assignments to help students improve and evaluate their progress.

Modern Indian political thought is an intriguing topic of academic discussions and arguments. The Introduction to Modern Indian Political Thought program by SWAYAM is a 12-week-long course that aims to teach the concepts related to Indian politics and its society as a whole. Learners will analyze numerous opinions and sets of intellectual conventions in modern India that continue to resonate in our contemporary politics.

The Introduction to Modern Indian Political Thought certification course is crafted by the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. It acquaints the students to some of the most influential Indian thinkers. Also, candidates will understand how their ideas and vision helped define the political and social landscape of modern India, with the help of Professor Mithilesh Kumar Jha.

The Introduction to Modern Indian Political Thought training also discusses some of today’s political challenges, including democracy, nationalism, caste, secularism, and cosmopolitanism. This elective course also provides an e-certificate when candidates undertake SWAYAM’s test and fulfill the specific eligibility criteria.

The Introduction to Political Ideologies: Contexts, Ideas, and Practices online course is designed to teach how political membership, human action, ideas of state, and human nature are rooted in political events and activities. The esteemed Indian Institute of Technology, Madras has put together this program. It is also an FDP course approved by the AICTE.

The Introduction to Political Ideologies certification course also enables learners to form reasoned judgments about political incidents and events. A wide range of ideas and contexts will be discussed throughout the course. These include Marxism, Fascism, Ecologism, Liberalism, Nationalism, and more.

The Introduction to Political Ideologies: Contexts, Ideas, and Practices program by SWAYAM is a 12-week-long online course that delivers knowledge through theories and practical examples. The students will deeply understand the political ideologies in the light of recent or current events like social developments, court rulings, or significant policies. The training is provided at the postgraduate/undergraduate study level.

The Modern Indian Writing In Translation online course belongs to the Department of Humanities and Social sciences and is suitable for undergraduates as well as postgraduate students. The programme covers the information regarding Indian literature, its history, works in different regional languages, modern aspects of Indian literature, etc. Candidates who pursue this course will get to know about modernism, literary traditions, regionalism, and many more relevant topics. The course is offered by IIT, Madras.

Candidates will be provided with reference for external reading and study material by the platform. Participants can appear for the Modern Indian Writing In Translation certification exam if they seek to achieve a certificate upon the completion of the programme. The exam will be conducted in offline mode by the creator of the course and students will have to register themselves for the same by paying the exam fees. Candidates are free to go for a detailed learning experience and take as much time as required to sufficiently complete the Modern Indian Writing In Translation certification syllabus. The course does not require any specific timetable and is a self-paced course. The online programme includes case studies, tests, assignments, discussions, and activities for students to get a better understanding of the topics.

The International Trade - Theory and Empirics certification course provide a theoretical and analytical framework to understand recent policy changes and trade strategies. The programme goes over a lot of empirical evidence, along with topics like the pure theory of trade, gains from trade, and the basis of trade. Various advanced-level ideas on trade barriers and strategies are also incorporated.

Moreover, the International Trade - Theory and Empirics programme syllabus discusses various aspects of trade protectionism in the context of the tariff, quota, and subsidies. The latest non-tariff measures such as SPSs and TBTs are also glossed over. AICTE has approved this programme as an FDP (Faculty Development Programme) course.

The International Trade - Theory and Empirics online training are instructed by Prof. Pratap C. Mohanty, who hails from the esteemed IIT Roorkee. He curates and teaches all the video lectures provided. Lastly, upon completion, you can earn an e-certificate from Swayam, provided that you have submitted all the assignments diligently and cleared the final exam.