Where to study and learn Buddhism? Here is a complete list of Buddhist study programs in the United States.
As interest in Buddhism continues to grow around the world, many people are choosing to deepen their understanding of this tradition through higher education. If you are considering learning Buddhism, one of the first things to examine is your motivation to pursue higher education in this field.
Is it to complete a Buddhist practice? Is it to have a career in academia? Most graduate programs in Buddhism are not a substitute for the faith and practice of Buddhism. Rather, they approach Buddhism from an analytical point of view: history, sociology, philology, philosophy, religious studies and cultural studies.
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There are a number of degree programs that encourage or support Buddhist practice and scholarship among students. These "practitioner-friendly" programs typically offer one of three options: the opportunity to earn a degree in Buddhist priestly training, courses in the practice of Buddhism that complement university studies, or emphasis on the study of Buddhism from a normative perspective.
Remember, however, that if you are interested in pursuing an academic career, institutions that offer these practice-integrated programs often do not have the same status as secular universities.
At most universities, professors of Buddhist studies tend to be far fewer in number than their Christian or Jewish counterparts. Therefore, very few programs can be considered comprehensive: most have strength in a particular geographic or cultural region (South Asia, Tibet, East Asia), a particular tradition (Ch'an/Zen, Theravada , Tibet) or a particular approach (philological, historical, apologetic).
While a comprehensive program may be optimal, many graduate students have also been successful in departments that have strength in an area of specialization. In such smaller contexts, working closely with a faculty member whose interests coincide with yours can compensate for the more limited scope of the program.
Most Buddhist studies teachers are enrolled in a religious studies program or a regional studies program (East Asia, South Asia). Religious studies departments generally require courses and exams in other religious traditions as well as a good knowledge of the theoretical literature of the study of religion in general. In contrast, area studies programs place more emphasis on the study of Asian languages (Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Tibetan) and the study of Buddhism in its various historical and cultural contexts.
The following Buddhist study programs are divided into several categories designed to help you choose the school best suited to your interests and goals. The professors whose names appear in parentheses are not specialists in the study of Buddhism per se, but because their expertise is closely related to Buddhism, they have taught or directed graduate students in the past.
Complete list of Buddhist study programs in the United States
Practitioner-friendly institutions*.
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CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF INTEGRAL STUDIES
- Master in Philosophy and Asian Cultures
- Master’s degree in East-West psychology
- Master's degree in ecology, spirituality and religion
- Master in Philosophy Cosmology and Consciousness
- Doctorate in Asian Philosophies and Cultures
- Doctorate in East-West Psychology
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GRADUATE THEOLOGICAL UNION
- Master in Buddhist Studies
- Doctorate in Buddhist Studies
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WESTERN UNIVERSITY
- Master of Psychology (Buddhist Psychology Concentration)
- Master's degree in Religious Studies (concentration in Comparative Religions or Buddhist Studies)
- M.Div. in Buddhist chaplaincy
- Doctorate in Religious Studies (concentration in Comparative Religions or Buddhist Studies)
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INSTITUTE OF BUDDHIST STUDIES
- Certificate in Buddhism and Contemporary Psychology
- Certificate in Buddhist Chaplaincy
- Certificate in Theravada Buddhist Studies
- Master in Buddhist Studies (with Higher Theological Union)
- M.Div. in Buddhist Studies
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NAROPA UNIVERSITY
- Master in Religious Studies
- Master's degree in religious studies in Sanskrit and/or Tibetan language
- Master's degree in Contemplative Psychotherapy and Buddhist Psychology
- Master in Contemplative Education
- M.Div. in Buddhist Studies
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MAITRIPA COLLEGE
- Master in Buddhist Studies
- M.Div. in Buddhist Studies
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BUDDHIST UNIVERSITY OF THE REALM OF DHARMA
- Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Arts
- Master of Arts Program in Buddhist Classics
Most complete programs
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HARVARD UNIVERSITY
- M.Div. in Buddhist Studies (Harvard Divinity School)
- M.T.S. in Buddhist Studies (Harvard Divinity School)
- Doctorate in Religion (Concentrations in Buddhist Studies, East Asian Religions, and South Asian Religions)
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INDIAN UNIVERSITY
- Master in Religious Studies
- Doctorate in Religious Studies (concentrations in Buddhist Studies, Chinese Thought, South Asian Religion)
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UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
- Master in Religious Studies
- Doctorate in Religious Studies
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UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA
- Master in Religion
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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
- PhD in Asian Languages and Cultures (Concentration in Buddhist Studies)
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UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
- Master in Religious Studies
- PhD in Religious Studies (Concentrations of East Asian Buddhism, Indio-Tibetan or Sino-Tibetan Buddhism, and Theravada Buddhism in the History of Religions)
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PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
- Doctorate in Religion (concentration in Asian religions)
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STANFORD UNIVERSITY
- Doctorate in Religious Studies (concentration in Buddhist Studies)
- Faculty
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UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA
- Master in Chinese Studies
- MA in East Asian Studies
- MA in Japanese Studies
- PhD in Chinese Studies
- PhD in Japanese Studies
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES
- PhD in Asian Languages and Cultures (Concentration in Buddhist Studies)
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT SANTA BARBARA
- Doctorate in Religious Studies (concentrations in Buddhist Studies, East Asian Religions, and South Asian Religions)
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UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA
- Doctorate in Religious Studies (concentrations in Asian Religions and Buddhist Studies)
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YALE UNIVERSITY
- Doctorate in Religion (concentration in Asian religions)
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CORNELL UNIVERSITY
- MA in Asian Studies
- PhD in Asian literature, religion and culture
Strong institutions in Indo-Tibetan Buddhist studies
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HARVARD UNIVERSITY
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UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
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UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA
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WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- Master in Buddhist Studies
- Doctorate in Buddhist Studies
Strong Institutions in Southeast Asian Buddhist Studies
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HARVARD UNIVERSITY
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UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Other programs worth mentioning
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COLOMBIAN UNIVERSITY
- Master in Religion
- Doctorate in Religion (Concentrations in Buddhism, East Asian Religions, and South Asian Religions)
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT BERKELEY
- PhD in East Asian Languages and Cultures
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UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- Master's degree in Asian cultures and languages
- Doctorate in Asian Languages and Cultures
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RUTGERS UNIVERSITY
- Master of Religious Studies (Concentration in Buddhist Studies)
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FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY
- Master's degree in Religious Studies (concentration in Buddhist studies - in the field of history of religions)
- Doctorate in Religious Studies (concentration in Buddhist studies in the field of history of religions)
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