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Studies & Degrees in Urdu

Urdu is a major language of South Asia. It is the national language of Pakistan and one of the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution. Linguistically it is an Indo-Aryan language that developed on the Indian subcontinent and is very close to Hindi. India's National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language explains that the two are so close in sounds and grammar that they appear to be one language. They differ in vocabulary, since Urdu borrowed from Arabic and Persian and Hindi from Sanskrit, and above all in writing. Hindi uses the Devanagari script. Urdu uses a script of Arabic and Persian origin, written from right to left.

Students of Urdu learn that script first, then grammar, reading and conversation. At degree level the subject is mainly literary: poetry such as the ghazal, prose fiction, criticism and the history of the language. Many programmes pair Urdu with Persian, Arabic or Hindi.

Qualifications and levels

Urdu can be taken as a short course, as a language option inside a wider degree or as a postgraduate degree.

  • Certificates and diplomas. The National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language, a body of India's Ministry of Education, runs a one-year Diploma Course in the Urdu Language taught through Hindi or English. It starts on 1 April each year and is open to anyone who can read and write Hindi or English. The council reports 887 Urdu Study Centres in 26 states, and lists a fee of Rs. 350 for a direct individual learner. Universities offer short courses too: the Department of Urdu of the University of Delhi announces admission to short-term courses, and the University of Madras offers certificate and diploma programmes.
  • Language sequences in a US degree. At The University of Chicago, Urdu is one of the languages of the BA major in South Asian Languages and Civilizations. The first-year sequence lasts three quarters and covers all the major grammatical structures. A second-year sequence continues from there. First-year Hindi at the same university also introduces the Urdu script.
  • Master's degrees. The Department of Arabic, Persian and Urdu of the University of Madras offers an M.A. in Urdu. Applicants need a degree that included Arabic, Persian and Urdu as a foundation course, or a degree taken in Urdu medium, among other routes.
  • Research degrees. The same Madras department lists M.Phil. and Ph.D. programmes in Urdu.

Credit systems differ between countries, so ask the university how credits and grades are documented if you plan to continue elsewhere.

Where to study it

Our directory lists five active schools for Urdu: three in India, one in Pakistan and one in the United States.

  • India. The University of Delhi, the University of Madras in Chennai and the University of Calcutta in Kolkata. The National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language calls Delhi the major centre of Urdu literature and publishing. For 2026-27, candidates for the University of Delhi's two-year postgraduate programmes must apply through CUET (PG), a national entrance test.
  • Pakistan. AIMS Springhill Cambridge International School in Multan.
  • United States. The University of Chicago.

Urdu is also taught where its speakers have settled. In the 2021 census, Urdu was the main language of 270,000 people in England and Wales, 0.5% of usual residents. The largest share in England was in the North West, at 0.8%.

Careers

Graduates in Urdu work as teachers, translators and interpreters, journalists and editors, and in broadcasting, publishing and research. The University of Madras, for example, adds job-oriented diplomas in Urdu desktop publishing and journalism to its degree programmes. In countries with large Urdu-speaking communities, courts, hospitals and local government use interpreters who know the language.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, interpreters and translators typically need at least a bachelor's degree, and most US states require certification for court interpreters. The bureau projects that employment in the occupation will grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, slower than the average for all occupations. A university career in Urdu normally requires a doctorate.

Frequently asked questions

Is Urdu the same language as Hindi?

They are very close in sounds and grammar, and speakers understand each other in everyday conversation. They differ in script and in formal vocabulary: Urdu uses an Arabic-Persian script and many Arabic and Persian words, while Hindi uses Devanagari and draws on Sanskrit.

Can I start Urdu without knowing the script?

Yes. Beginner courses start with the script. The first-year sequence at The University of Chicago and the one-year diploma of India's National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language both begin there.

How long does a basic Urdu course take?

About one academic year. The Indian national diploma lasts one year, and the first-year sequence at The University of Chicago covers the main grammar in three quarters.

Where can I take a master's degree in Urdu?

Among the schools in our directory, the University of Madras offers an M.A. in Urdu and requires earlier study of the language. Ask the University of Delhi and the University of Calcutta directly about their current postgraduate programmes.