Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in Kannada

Kannada is a Dravidian language of southern India and the main language of the state of Karnataka. It is one of the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, and it is on the list of classical languages for which India's Ministry of Education has set up a Centre of Excellence at the Central Institute of Indian Languages in Mysore. Kannada is written in its own script.

Studying Kannada at university means more than learning to speak it. Students read literature from different periods, study the grammar and history of the language, and usually add linguistics, folklore or translation. The Kannada University at Hampi, in Karnataka, shows the range of the field in the way it is organised: its Faculty of Language has separate departments for Kannada literature studies, Kannada language studies, Dravidian studies, manuscriptology and translation studies.

Qualifications and levels

Most degree programmes in Kannada are in India, where the subject is taught from bachelor's level to the doctorate.

  • Master of Arts (M.A.). The usual postgraduate degree. At the University of Madras, applicants need a bachelor's degree with Kannada under Part-I or Part-III, that is, Kannada must have been one of the subjects of the first degree.
  • M.Phil. and Ph.D. Research degrees for students who want to work on a specific author, period or linguistic question.
  • Certificate and diploma courses. Shorter courses for people who did not study Kannada before. At the University of Madras they are open to a graduate of that university or of any other university recognised as equivalent.
  • Language courses abroad. Outside India, Kannada is normally offered as a language course inside an Asian or South Asian studies department, not as a degree of its own. The University of Texas at Austin, for example, lists Kannada among the ten Asian languages in which its Department of Asian Studies currently offers courses.

The department pages consulted do not state how long each programme lasts or what it costs; the University of Madras publishes its fee structure and eligibility conditions separately for each academic year, so check the current documents before applying.

Where to study Kannada

SpainExchange lists one active school for Kannada: the University of Madras, in Chennai (Madras), India. Its Department of Kannada was started in 1927 and, according to the university, was the first Kannada department in India. It began as a research department; the M.A. course was added in 1976, when the university decided to start postgraduate teaching in all departments. The department is in the Oriental Research Institute on the Marina Campus and belongs to the School of Tamil and other Dravidian Languages, together with the departments of Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu. Its activities are the M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D., certificate and diploma courses, endowment lectures, seminars and interdisciplinary teaching. The department has also published more than 30 works, among them a revised and enlarged edition of Kittel's Kannada-English Dictionary.

International students can apply to Indian institutions through Study in India, the Indian government's portal for foreign students. The student visa is requested separately, on the Indian visa portal, after receiving an offer letter. Many Indian institutions ask for an English test: according to Study in India, IELTS or TOEFL scores are generally considered, but each institute sets its own criteria. For a Kannada programme, also ask the department which language is used in class and in examinations, and what level of Kannada is expected on entry.

Careers

Graduates in Kannada typically work in teaching, in research, in translation and interpreting, in publishing and the media, and in cultural institutions that work with manuscripts and literary heritage. An academic career normally requires a research degree.

For translation work, a second strong language matters as much as Kannada. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that interpreters and translators typically need at least a bachelor's degree and must be proficient in at least two languages, and that students who also know a technical field, such as engineering or medicine, may be able to provide a higher level of service. It projects employment of interpreters and translators in the United States to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035. These figures cover all languages, not Kannada specifically.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study Kannada without knowing the language?

Yes, but not at master's level. An M.A. at the University of Madras requires a bachelor's degree that included Kannada; beginners should look at certificate or diploma courses, or at university language courses such as those listed by the University of Texas at Austin.

Where is Kannada taught as a degree subject?

Mainly at universities in India. SpainExchange lists the University of Madras, whose Department of Kannada offers the M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D. as well as certificate and diploma courses.

How do international students apply to study in India?

Through the Study in India portal, where students register, apply to institutions and receive offer letters. The student visa is applied for separately on the Indian visa portal.

What can I do with a degree in Kannada?

Typical paths are teaching, research, translation and interpreting, and work in publishing, media or cultural institutions. Translators usually need a bachelor's degree and proficiency in at least two languages.