About the Department
A multidisciplinary department connecting social inquiry, humanities-related fields, practical knowledge and comparative study.
A broad social-science environment with a distinctive comparative outlook.
The Department of Social Sciences and Comparative Studies was established in 1998. Its academic role is to provide students with practical knowledge and research experience across social sciences while encouraging comparative engagement with Buddhist thought and wider scholarly traditions.
Following the establishment of the university’s faculty structure in 2012, the department became part of the Faculty of Languages and Cultural Studies. Today, its academic scope brings together archaeology, history, sociology, philosophy, psychology, library and information science, heritage management and education science.
Department profile
Eight connected disciplines.
Archaeology
Material culture, field methods, heritage and the human past.
History
Sri Lankan, South Asian and European historical inquiry.
Sociology
Society, institutions, applied sociology and social research.
Philosophy
Classical and modern philosophical problems in comparative perspective.
Psychology
Modern, Buddhist, social, cognitive and counselling psychology.
Library & Information Science
Bibliographic control, information services and library technologies.
Heritage Management
Conservation, intangible heritage, tourism and museum management.
Education Science
Educational theory, methodology, measurement and professional practice.