Our Journey
Established in 1993 at Kalady, Kerala, the birthplace of Sree Sankaracharya, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit (SSUS) is a distinctive centre of higher education, research and innovation rooted in India’s rich intellectual traditions. Established under the Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit University Act of 1994 of the Kerala Legislature, the University seeks to bring together classical knowledge and contemporary learning across Sanskrit, Indian knowledge systems, languages, humanities, social sciences and fine arts.
Over more than three decades, SSUS has evolved into a multidisciplinary University with 23 academic departments and five interdisciplinary research centres, supported by six Regional Campuses across Kerala. The University is committed to widening access to quality higher education and fostering inclusive and socially responsive learning.
Academic Excellence and Transformation
SSUS currently offers 24 PhD programmes and 28 Postgraduate programmes, including the Dual Main Master's Programme in Disaster Management and Mitigation. At the undergraduate level, the University offers 15 programmes under the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) along with the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA).
The University also offers the Integrated B.A. B.Ed. Programme under the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) in five specializations, along with five Postgraduate Diploma programmes and eight Certificate programmes. Through the Sree Sankaracharya Centre for Online Learning (SCOL), the University also offers two online courses.
The University introduced the Choice Based Credit and Semester System (CBCSS) in 2005 and adopted Outcome Based Teaching, Learning and Evaluation (OBTLE) at the postgraduate level in 2018.
In line with NEP 2020, SSUS introduced the Four-Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) in 2024–25 and the Integrated Teacher Education Programme (ITEP) from 2025–26, strengthening its commitment to flexible, multidisciplinary and learner-centred education.
Global Engagement and New Frontiers
SSUS is steadily expanding its international academic engagement. Under an Erasmus+ Inter-Institutional Agreement with Central European University (CEU), Vienna, research scholars from SSUS received opportunities in 2024–25 and 2026–27, with European Union financial support, to pursue academic coursework in areas related to History, Humanities, and Social and Behavioural Sciences.
As part of its continuing internationalisation efforts, SSUS has also joined the consortium comprising the University of Groningen (Netherlands), Jagiellonian University (Poland), and the National University of Mexico (UNAM) for the Erasmus Mundus Joint MA proposal, “Religion and Critical Heritage Studies: Towards an MA in Responsible Cultural Leadership (RELIC)”.
At the state level, the Kerala Institute for Gender Equity (KIGE), envisioned by the Kerala State Higher Education Council (KSHEC) as a Centre of Excellence, was established at SSUS and inaugurated by the Hon'ble Minister for Higher Education on 20 June 2025.
A Legacy of Quality
Recognised by the University Grants Commission under Sections 2(f) and 12(B), SSUS has consistently pursued academic quality and institutional excellence. The University received NAAC A Grade in its first cycle in 2014 and was reaccredited with A+ Grade in 2021.
Today, SSUS stands at the intersection of heritage and innovation, scholarship and creativity, tradition and emerging knowledge. As it moves forward, the University remains committed to advancing knowledge, nurturing talent, strengthening global partnerships and creating meaningful educational opportunities for a changing world.