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Studies & Degrees in Punjabi

Punjabi is the language of the Punjab, a region divided between north-western India and eastern Pakistan. It is one of the 22 languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, and the Office for National Statistics of the United Kingdom describes it as widely spoken in India and Pakistan and elsewhere in South Asia. In India it is written in the Gurmukhi script. In Pakistan it is written in Shahmukhi, a script based on the Persian and Arabic alphabet.

Studying Punjabi at university means more than learning to speak it. Students work on grammar and both written forms of the language, read poetry, fiction and drama, and study literary criticism, folklore and the history of the region. Sikh scripture, Sufi poetry and the writing of the Punjabi diaspora are common course topics.

Qualifications and levels

Punjabi is offered at every level, from beginner's certificates to a doctorate. The Department of Punjabi of the University of Delhi is a good example of how the levels fit together. It became a separate department in 1985, when it left the Department of Modern Indian Languages, and it admits students to:

  • a Certificate Course in Punjabi and a Diploma in Punjabi
  • a Diploma in Creative Writing in Punjabi
  • the M.A. in Punjabi, organised in semesters up to a fourth semester
  • M.Phil. and Ph.D. research degrees

The department also supports the teaching of Punjabi at undergraduate level in the university's colleges. It hosts conferences, memorial lectures and an annual series on the Punjabi diaspora.

Certificate and diploma courses suit learners who want the language for family, work or travel. An M.A. works with literary texts at an advanced level. Ask the department which first degree and which level of Punjabi it requires.

Where to study it

Our directory currently lists one active school for Punjabi, the University of Delhi in Delhi, India. For 2026-27, candidates for the university's two-year postgraduate programmes must apply through CUET (PG), an entrance test conducted by the National Testing Agency (NTA). Foreign nationals apply through the Foreign Students' Registry, which the university describes as the single window for foreign applicants. The registry states that English is the most common medium of instruction at the university, but in a language department the texts are read in the language studied.

Outside South Asia, Punjabi is studied mostly where Punjabi-speaking communities are large:

  • United Kingdom. In the 2021 census, Panjabi was the main language of 291,000 people in England and Wales, 0.5% of usual residents. The highest share in England was in the West Midlands, at 1.4%.
  • Canada. Statistics Canada reports that, aside from English and French, Mandarin and Punjabi were the country's most widely spoken languages in 2021. The number of people speaking predominantly Punjabi at home rose by 49% between 2016 and 2021, to 520,000.

In these countries the language is often available as a community course, a school subject or an option inside a South Asian studies degree rather than as a full degree.

Careers

Graduates in Punjabi work as teachers, translators and interpreters, journalists, editors, researchers and cultural officers. Where Punjabi-speaking communities are large, public services such as health care, courts and local government need staff and 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 of interpreters and translators will grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, slower than the average for all occupations. An academic career in Punjabi studies normally requires a doctorate.

Frequently asked questions

Which script will I learn in a Punjabi course?

Courses in India teach Gurmukhi, the script used for Punjabi there. Punjabi in Pakistan is written in Shahmukhi. If you need one script in particular, check with the school before you enrol.

Can I study Punjabi without any previous knowledge?

Yes, at certificate level. The University of Delhi, for example, offers a Certificate Course in Punjabi and a Diploma in Punjabi. For an M.A., ask the department which level of Punjabi it requires.

How do international students apply to the University of Delhi?

Foreign nationals apply through the university's Foreign Students' Registry, which handles admission to all courses. Deadlines change each year and are published on the registry's website.

Where is Punjabi spoken outside India and Pakistan?

Large communities live in the United Kingdom and Canada. The 2021 census counted 291,000 people in England and Wales with Panjabi as their main language, and 520,000 people in Canada spoke predominantly Punjabi at home.