The Centre offers a programme of study leading to the degree of M.Phil. in Educational Studies and Ph.D. in Sociology of Education, Social Psychology of Education, History of Education and Economics of Education. The Centre focuses on the study of education from the social science perspective. Its teaching and research programmes are structured around social science disciplines of Economics, History, Sociology and Psychology. Accordingly, there are four streams of research and the curriculum for the M.Phil. / Ph.D. Programme is geared around them.

Economics of Education: Students are introduced to economic issues in education and a theoretical foundation for handling and analysing of problems related to human resources development. Wider issues of education from the development economics perspective receive special attention. Other topics include investment decisions in education, financing of education, social choice dilemmas, international labour market, educational policy issues, migration of knowledge workers, trade in education services and WTO, etc.

History of Education: This stream addresses issues underlying the emergence of systems of education in India from a socio-historical perspective, including the the development of education in colonial India, the rise of the modern university, science education, science-society interface and the social history of knowledge and its transmission.

Social Psychology of Education: Under this stream, students are introduced to major approaches and issues in psychology and their relevance to the field of education. Special emphasis is laid on the psychological aspects of human development within social and cultural context. Areas such as learning, cognition, personality, motivation, etc., and their implication in educational settings are analysed. The dynamics of educational system in terms of the principles of organizational behaviour and multicultural processes with emphasis on pluralistic socio-cultural realities in India are also dealt within this stream.

Sociology of Education: Special emphasis is placed on issues relating to equality of educational opportunity, social development and socio-cultural dimensions in education. Basic concepts and approaches in sociology, interlinkages of education with socialisation, stratification, social change and mobility are some of the areas discussed in detail. Exclusion and inequality in education, campus diversity and multi-cultural education, gender and education, social implications of globalisation, and context and processes of educational policy form a significant part of this stream.

The scheme of teaching is as under :

a) A compulsory core course in Research Methods in Social Sciences as applied to Educational Studies,      focussing on quantitative and qualitative techniques of data collection.
b) Introductory courses in Economics of Education, Sociology of Education, History of Education and Social      Psychology of Education. Each student is required to opt for three out of these four courses in the first      semester.
c) Advanced-level courses in Economics of Education, Sociology of Education, History of Education and Social      Psychology of Education. Each student chooses one out of these four, in the second semester, usually by one’s      specialization / stream.
d) A dissertation on a selected theme in one's specialisation / stream as per the choice of the advanced-level      course out of those mentioned in (c) above to be completed over the third and the fourth semesters.

The Centre has been recognized by the UGC as a Department of Special Assistance.