Program in Buddhist Studies, Deptment of Religious Studies, UCSB
Graduate Concentration
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Program in Buddhist Studies Department of Religious Studies UC Santa Barbara
 

Graduate students opting for the Buddhist Studies concentration for the Ph.D. in Religious Studies will, in addition to the Department 200 series, be expected to complete at least five Buddhist Studies core seminars covering at least two cultural regions, including three in their principal area of focus. 

The student will be expected to gain a high degree of fluency (normally four years of language study or the equivalent) in the language of the area of focus.  In addition, the student will demonstrate reading ability in one other Asian language (normally, two years of language study or the equivalent) and reading ability in either French or German.

The student is also expected to acquire competence in one or more of the non-Buddhist religions found in the area of focus, for example: Hinduism, Jainism, Daoism, Confucianism, Shinto or local indigenous traditions. This can be accomplished through additional seminars, directed reading, a field exam focus, and/or enrollment in upper division courses. 

Students will normally spend at least one academic year in their region of focus: India, Thailand, Tibet, China or Japan. 

Note that it is also possible for a graduate student to make Buddhist Studies a central focus while working in one of the other concentrations within Religious Studies, for example, South Asian Religions or Philosophy of Religion.

Students with minimal or no language skills appropriate to the Asian area in which they plan to focus their graduate study of Buddhism are urged to acquire an Asian language focused  M.A. either at UCSB or elsewhere before entering the Buddhist Studies PhD concentration.  At UCSB this can be accomplished either in the Department of Religious Studies or in the Department of East Asian Languages and Cultures, depending on the language required.


CORE SEMINARS
 
208A, Wallace
Seminar on South Asian Buddhist Traditions
 
208B, Wallace
Seminar on Theravada Buddhist Traditions
 
254A, Cabezón
Seminar on Tibetan Buddhist Traditions
 
254B, Cabezón
The Study of Tibet from the Missionaries to Cultural Studies
 
254C, Cabezón
Seminar on Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Philosophy
 
256, Wallace
Seminar in Jain Studies
 
257, Staff
Seminar in Buddhist Studies
 
259, Powell 
Topics in East Asian Buddhist Thought
 
264, Grapard
Problems in the Study of Japanese Religion
 
265, Powell 
Problems in the Study of Chinese Religion
 

LANGUAGE
 
Chinese 1-6
Mandarian Chinese
 
Chinese 101 A-C
Classical Chinese
 
166F, Powell
Religious Literature in Chinese: Buddhist Texts
 
Japanese 1-8
Modern Japanese
 
Japanese 101 A-C
Pre-Modern Japanese
 
30A-C, Hillis
Elementary Tibetan
 
30D-F, Hillis
Intermediate Tibetan
 
135, Cabezón
Readings in Tibetan Buddhist Texts
 
159A-C, Hillis
Elementary Sanskrit
 
159D-F, Hillis
Intermediate Sanskrit
 
202A, Wallace
Religious Literature in Pali
 
207A-I, Holdrege, Wallace, White
Religious Literature in Sanskrit
 
255A-F, Cabezón
Guided Readings in Tibetan Buddhist Texts
 
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