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Studies & Degrees in Malayalam

Malayalam is one of the four major Dravidian languages of South India. It is spoken in the state of Kerala and in Lakshadweep and, according to the University of Texas at Austin, has approximately 36 million speakers worldwide. Historically it is connected to both Tamil and Sanskrit and has taken grammar and vocabulary from the two. Malayalam is one of the languages listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution, and it appears 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.

A university course in Malayalam starts with the standard language of Kerala and its script, and then moves on to reading. At the University of Texas at Austin the upper-level topics include contemporary short stories, screenplays and cinema, modern drama, the short novels of Basheer and the reform movements of Kerala. Degree programmes in India go further into grammar, linguistics, folklore and poetics.

Qualifications and levels

  • Language courses within another degree. This is the usual form outside India. At the University of Texas at Austin, First-Year Malayalam I and II each take five class hours a week for one semester, and Second-Year Malayalam I and II three lecture hours a week. Students then choose topic courses in Malayalam language and literature, which may be repeated for credit when the topics vary.
  • Master of Arts (M.A.). The usual postgraduate degree in India. The University of Madras asks for a bachelor's degree with Malayalam under Part-I or Part-III, that is, Malayalam must have been one of the subjects of the first degree.
  • M.Phil. and Ph.D. Research degrees. Recent theses at the University of Madras deal with cognitive linguistics, sociolinguistics, Dalit writing, short stories and the language of the internet.
  • Certificate and diploma courses. The University of Madras lists a Certificate Course in Malayalam, open to a graduate of that university or of any other university recognised as equivalent, and a diploma course.

The pages consulted do not give the length or the price of the Indian programmes. Fees and eligibility conditions are published per academic year, so check the current documents of the university.

Where to study Malayalam

SpainExchange lists three active schools for Malayalam: two in the United States and one in India.

  • The University of Texas at Austin. Malayalam is one of the ten Asian languages taught by its Department of Asian Studies. The university states that it has one of the few regular programmes in Malayalam anywhere outside Kerala; since 2023 the programme has been partly supported by the Rodney F. Moag Malayalam Studies Excellence Fund.
  • University of Madras, in Chennai (Madras). Its Department of Malayalam was established in 1927 and, according to the university, is the first university department for higher studies in Malayalam. It worked as a research department until 1976, when the M.A. and M.Phil. courses were introduced. It belongs to the School of Tamil and other Dravidian Languages.
  • The University of Chicago. The College catalog of its South Asian Languages and Civilizations programme currently names Bangla (Bengali), Hindi, Marathi, Sanskrit, Tamil, Tibetan and Urdu as the languages students can study. Malayalam is not in that list, so ask the department whether it is offered in the year you plan to enrol.

In Kerala itself there is a university devoted to the language: the Thunchath Ezhuthachan Malayalam University, in Tirur, established by the Government of Kerala on 1 November 2012.

The courses in Austin are part of an English-language university. For programmes in India, international students can apply through Study in India, the Indian government's portal; the student visa is requested separately on the Indian visa portal after the offer letter. Ask the department which language is used in class and in examinations.

Careers

Graduates in Malayalam typically work in teaching, in research, in translation and interpreting and in publishing, journalism and film. Others use the language alongside another profession, for example in health care, social work or business with Kerala and its communities abroad.

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. It projects employment in that occupation in the United States to grow 2 percent from 2025 to 2035, a figure that covers all languages.

Frequently asked questions

How many people speak Malayalam?

Approximately 36 million worldwide, according to the University of Texas at Austin. It is spoken in Kerala and Lakshadweep, in South India.

Can I learn Malayalam from scratch at a university?

Yes. The University of Texas at Austin starts with First-Year Malayalam I, which has five class hours a week for one semester; the course list gives no prerequisite for it. An M.A. in India requires a first degree that included Malayalam.

Which degrees exist in Malayalam?

In India the subject is taught up to the doctorate. The Department of Malayalam of the University of Madras offers the M.A., M.Phil. and Ph.D., as well as certificate and diploma courses.

Is Malayalam related to Tamil?

Yes. Both are Dravidian languages, and Malayalam is historically connected to Tamil and to Sanskrit, from which it has taken grammar and vocabulary.