MA in Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions
Rajgir, India
MA
DURATION
2 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
About: Nalanda University's MA in Buddhist Studies, Philosophy and Comparative Religions is a research-focused postgraduate programme established by an act of Parliament in 2010. The interdisciplinary curriculum examines Buddhist thought alongside Vedic, Sankhya, Yoga, Tantra and broader Asian/Indian philosophy. Core topics include Buddhist philosophy, comparative religion, meditation theory and practice, Buddhist archaeology and art, and languages such as Sanskrit, Pali and Tibetan.
Career Outcomes: Graduates gain practical transferable skills for roles in scholarship, teaching, cultural heritage and policy. Potential careers include archivist/librarian; researcher/scholar (buddhologist, archaeologist); teacher; peace practitioner; international organisations/NGOs; policy advisor in peace and conflict; journalist/news analyst; cultural administrator.
The School of Buddhist Studies, Philosophy & Comparative Religion offers an M.A. in Buddhist Studies, Philosophy & Comparative Religion (SBSPCR) and an M.A. in Hindu Studies (Sanātana). The program in Buddhist Studies emphasizes a deep and distinctive study of Buddhist ideas and values and historically contextualizes those ideas about other proximal philosophical and religious traditions such as Vedic, Sankhya, Yoga, and Tantra. The program in Hindu Studies is designed to enable the students to grasp the rich spiritual as well as intellectual system of Hinduism – a distinctively interdisciplinary system where the textual and the oral, the verbal and the visual, the scientific and the metaphysical, the transcendental and the functional are interlocked as parts of a whole. Through an interdisciplinary/ comparative curriculum, the School examines the wider social-historical-cultural contexts of the development of Hindu and Buddhist traditions and the concurrent philosophical systems of Asia in general and of South and Southeast Asia in particular.
Focus areas of the Programme
- Buddhist Studies
- Buddhist Archaeology and Art
- Nālandā Tradition
- Interaction of Religious Traditions
- Asian/Indian Philosophy
- Vedic Studies
- Philosophy of Yoga
- Theory and Method of Religious Studies
- Meditation Theory and Practices
- Dhammapada
- Languages: Sanskrit, Pali, and Tibetan
- Suggestive areas integrating Buddhist Studies, Philosophy & Comparative Religion & Hindu Studies
- Comparative Religions
- Theory and Methods of Religious Studies
- Asian/Indian Philosophy
- Buddhist Philosophy
- Nalanda Tradition in Buddhism
- Philosophical Tenets of Buddhism: Mādhyamika Traditions
- Visual Traditions: Mahayana and Buddhist Tantra
- Buddhist Archaeology
- Buddhist Psychology
- History and Philosophy of Yoga
- Theory & Practice of Meditation
- Ethics in Hindu Philosophy
- Itihāsas: The Rāmāyaṇa & the Mahābhārata
- Philosophy of Language
- Nātyaśāstra
- Nāgārjuna
- The Yogasūtra of Patañjali
- Comparative Religions
- Theory and Methods of Religious Studies
- Asian/Indian Philosophy
- Buddhist Philosophy
- Nalanda Tradition in Buddhism
- Philosophical Tenets of Buddhism: Mādhyamika Traditions
- Visual Traditions: Mahayana and Buddhist Tantra
- Buddhist Archaeology
- Buddhist Psychology
- History and Philosophy of Yoga
- Theory & Practice of Meditation
- Ethics in Hindu Philosophy
- Itihāsas: The Rāmāyaṇa & the Mahābhārata
- Philosophy of Language
- Nātyaśāstra
- Nāgārjuna
- The Yogasūtra of Patañjali
Students are required to complete 64 hours of course work (16 credits per semester) and submit a thesis towards the fulfillment of a Master’s degree, all the courses of have in-class written exams (Midterm and Finals).
- Buddhist Studies
- Buddhist Archaeology and Art
- Nālandā Tradition
- Interaction of Religious Traditions
- Asian/Indian Philosophy
- Vedic Studies
- Philosophy of Yoga
- Theory and Method of Religious Studies
- Meditation Theory and Practices
- Dhammapada
- Languages: Sanskrit, Pali and Tibetan
Suggestive areas integrating SBSPCR & HS:
- Comparative Religions
- Theory and Methods of Religious Studies
- Asian/Indian Philosophy
- Buddhist Philosophy
- Nalanda Tradition in Buddhism
- Philosophical Tenets of Buddhism: Mādhyamika Traditions
- Visual Traditions: Mahayana and Buddhist Tantra
- Buddhist Archaeology
- Buddhist Psychology
- History and Philosophy of Yoga
- Theory & Practice of Meditation
- Ethics in Hindu Philosophy
- Itihāsas: The Rāmāyaṇa & the Mahābhārata
- Philosophy of Language
- Nātyaśāstra
- Nāgārjuna
- The Yogasūtra of Patañjali
Training in Buddhist, Religious Studies, and Philosophy imparts transferable skills enabling graduates to pursue careers in many directions:
- Archivist / Librarian
- Researcher/ Scholar (Buddhologist, Archaeologist)
- Teacher
- Religious Commentator
- Peace Activist
- International Organizations
- NGOs
- Policymakers in the field of Peace and Conflict Resolution
- News Analyst/Journalist
- Cultural Administrator
- Advice Worker
- Social Worker
Students can apply for external funding/scholarships offered by the Government of India
- ICCR Scholarship: http://a2ascholarships.iccr.gov.in (select Nalanda University as a first choice)
- Study in India: https://www.studyinindia.gov.in/ (select Nalanda University as a first choice)
The University has scholarships for the ASEAN countries, BIMSTEC nations, Bhutan limited scholarships for students from Developing Countries, and Monks/Nuns students. To be considered for a scholarship, the student has to submit an online application and attend an online interview.
