The student must acquire a minimum of 18 graduate credits during the three years of coursework. These courses will include Sanskrit 1020 (Religious Literature), 1080 (Mahābhārata), 1100 (Vedic Sanskrit), 1400 (Pāṇini), 1600 (belles lettres, kāvya), and 1800 (Classical Philosophy, darśanas), which courses will provide them first hand experience with major texts of each of those areas of Sanskrit literature and introduce them to the fundamental secondary scholarship in each of those areas. Students will also take the basic proseminar (Sanskrit 2000) and at least three research seminars. The balance of coursework will consist of courses relevant to a student’s research interests that are offered in other departments and programs at Brown (e.g., Religious Studies, Comparative Literature, Classics courses in Latin or Greek Literature, History, English Literature, Ancient Studies, Historical Linguistics, Art History, etc.) and individualized reading courses in a student’s special area of Sanskrit. Normally, four courses are taken each semester in the first year, and then declining numbers in later semesters as the student is additionally managing teaching and service duties. Students entering the program will take a diagnostic placement test in Sanskrit at the outset of their graduate career at Brown. Some students may be required to take Sanskrit 0300 and 0400 during their first year, if the diagnostic test indicates that to be advisable. These courses are not eligible for graduate credit.