Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS)

The Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS) is a National Institute of higher learning established for the purpose of providing, promoting and developing higher education in the Humanities and the Social Sciences. It conducts postgraduate degree and diploma programmes and short-term training courses in disciplines and specializations falling under the Humanities and the Social Sciences. At present, the annual intake of the PGIHS is about 1200 students and about 500 students complete their respective study programmes annually.

The Postgraduate Institute of Humanities and Social Sciences (PGIHS) is National Postgraduate Institute affiliated to University of Peradeniya and functions under the University Grants Commission. Though the Ordinance establishing the PGIHS was issued in 2013 December the formal operations of the new Institute commenced only in 2015 when the new Director and the Board of Management was appointed by the UGC and took over the Postgraduate Programme until then managed by the Postgraduate Unit of the Faculty of Arts. The Institute is housed in a building on Galaha Road adjoining the main Arts Faculty complex of the University.

The PGIHS presently conducts postgraduate degree and diploma programmes and short-term training programmes in 20 different disciplines under five Boards of Study. Students have the option of choosing either a programme in their preferred discipline or one that is interdisciplinary in content. The disciplines that the PGIHS provided training include: Arabic, Accounting, Archaeology, Buddhist Studies, Economics, Education, English, Fine Arts, Geography, Greek and Roman Studies (formerly known as Western Classical Culture), Hindu Civilization, History, Islamic Civilization, Management, Pali, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Sanskrit, Sinhala, Sociology and Tamil. At present, the Institute caters to around 1500 students annually. About 500 students complete postgraduate diploma, masters and doctoral degrees annually at the PGIHS.