Master in Buddhist Studies MA

Tuition fees are 5,000 USD per year.

The goal of this program is to offer students who are either relative newcomers to or already have taken their first steps in Buddhist Studies by studying a language related to Buddhism or a course related to religious studies. Students will gain comprehensive knowledge and understanding of a cultural phenomenon that once united large parts of Asia (and is still relevant today), cutting through and adapting to very different languages and cultures. The program is language-based and text-centric, with a wide variety of choices left up to personal interests in research topics. Students will be able to choose Sanskrit, Tibetan, Pali, Chinese, and several other languages. Teachers and researchers at our department are experts in, or are able to cover a wide-ranging area and we make every effort to offer in-depth personal guidance. We also maintain excellent working relationships with most major scholarly workshops in Europe and North America. This program is recommended to applicants who would wish to study Buddhism, its scriptures, teachings, and cultural contexts primarily based on its original texts. By the end of the program, students will become able to conduct individual research by handling the chosen languages with confidence and with an in-depth understanding of methodology. Students will be able to gain all this in a friendly, welcoming, and supportive atmosphere in the middle of one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. This program enables students to take their first steps as researchers in Buddhist Studies. Armed with at least one or two languages of classical Buddhism, students will be able to conduct research on their own, to be able to speak and write with confidence and success in their chosen sub-field. Graduates will emerge with a nuanced perspective on Buddhist thought, its impact on a variety of civilisations, and will be able to engage critically with the topic thus contributing to ongoing scholarly discourse.