Yangsi Rinpoche, Founder and Professor

The Educational Mission of Maitripa College : Developing the Wisdom to Sustain Compassion

Maitripa College's educational program is based in the conviction that Buddhist thought and practice has significant contributions to make to American society and culture. On the basis of a worldview that emphasizes the interdependence of individual, society, and the environment, Buddhism encourages the cultivation of wisdom to create compassionate individuals with a sense of responsibility for the community and world they live in. Maitripa College seeks to do this through the powerful medium of higher education, through the offering and development of degree programs for adults. The core program at Maitripa integrates rigorous training in Buddhist thought and philosophy with the application of those ideas through contemplative practice and active community service. In the process, Maitripa combines aspects of a modern liberal arts education with traditional tools from Tibetan Buddhist scholarship.

MASTER OF ARTS IN BUDDHIST STUDIES/
CERTIFICATE IN ADVANCED BUDDHIST STUDIES

The MA in BUDDHIST STUDIES PROGRAM is a 44 credit graduate degree program under the direction of Yangsi Rinpoche. The program focuses on combining rigorous academic study with meditation and community service requirements to offer a superior, integrated education in Buddhist Studies. (See also the Learning Outcomes for this program below and the Mission statement to the left).

The program may be completed as a full- or part-time student. Full-time students must take a minimum of 7 credits per semester, and are eligible for scholarship funds. Part-time students may take as few as 3 credits per semester, but are not eligible for scholarship funds, and may take up to 5 years to complete the degree. (See below for part-time student details.)

This program can also be taken as a CERTIFICATE IN ADVANCED BUDDHIST STUDIES, where no college credit is awarded for work done. Tuition costs & time requirements remain the same for students pursuing this option. >more on the Certificate Program

The MA program is designed for students seeking an in-depth and critical understanding of Buddhist thought in the context of both traditional and academic scholarship, coupled with meditative experience of the path and training to integrate Buddhist principles into active service in partnership with the students' communities. Flexible weekend and evening class times accommodate all schedules.


PART-TIME STUDENTS

Part-time student enrollment is available to students not seeking degrees or certificates at Maitripa College. Part-time students are not formally admitted to the program at Maitripa College, but are free to enroll in up to 8 credits per semester. Click here for complete information on how to become a part-time student at Maitripa.


>>>COURSE CATALOG:
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE COURSE DESCRIPTIONS FOR THE BUDDHIST STUDIES PROGRAM

>>>DEGREE REQUIREMENTS:
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE PROGRAM OF STUDY & DEGREE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MA IN BUDDHIST STUDIES PROGRAM

>>>SPRING 2010 APPLICATION TO THE MA PROGRAM: NEXT SEMESTER APPLICATION MATERIALS WILL BE AVAILABLE OCTOBER 12; APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED BEGINNING NOVEMBER 1; part-time students only need to register for classes/no pre-application necessary
>>>SPRING 2010 CLASS LIST will be available October 12
>>>ONLINE CLASS REGISTRATION FOR FULL AND PART-TIME STUDENTS
will open December 1
>>>FEES AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

>>>
MAKE A TUITION PAYMENT
CLICK HERE TO MAKE AN ONLINE PAYMENT


BUDDHIST STUDIES PROGRAM:
IMPORTANT FALL 2009 DATES

Sept. 8: Fall 2009 Semester begins

Oct. 12:
Spring 2010 Course Lists available

Oct. 12: 2010 MA Program Curriculum available

Nov. 1: MA Program Applications for 2010 will be accepted beginning 11/1/09

Nov. 22-29: Thanksgiving break

Dec. 1
: Online registration for all Spring 2010 classes begins (part & full-time students)

Dec. 20: Fall 2009 Semester ends


MAITRIPA COLLEGE MASTERS OF ARTS IN BUDDHIST STUDIES: LEARNING OUTCOMES (Rv. August 2009)

Philosophy & Language
Students will have a sophisticated understanding of the fundamentals of Buddhist philosophy, the issues at stake for Buddhist philosophers, and the approaches Tibetan and Western scholars take toward understanding this body of work. Students will be familiar with the history, authors, and texts significant in the development of Buddhist thought in India and Tibet.

Students will be qualified members of the community of Buddhist scholars, and able to understand, participate in, and contribute to ongoing dialogue with their peers in the field of Buddhist Studies. Students will be knowledgeable of and comfortable using current methodologies in Buddhist Studies.

In keeping with Maitripa’s broad aim of making Tibetan knowledge available to Western world, students will have basic proficiency in Classical Tibetan and, if they choose to pursue advanced Tibetan studies, be able to read, understand, and work within a wide range of classical genres from the tradition. Students will have the ability to refer directly to sources written in Classical Tibetan, and will have familiarity with philosophical, historical, and literary genres. Students will also possess mastery of the fundamentals of translation methodology.

Meditation
Students will have solid awareness and fluency in the terminology of the vast corpus of techniques and practices of Buddhist meditation. Students will be able to identify appropriate meditation practices to combat specific psychological problems and apply them to their own minds.

Social Service
Students will be able to assess community needs, develop strategies for meeting those needs, and actively work to bring concrete benefit to their communities through the practice of social service. Students will be able to integrate Buddhist concepts of compassion, patience, joyous effort, and so forth into their work in the world.

Maitripa College | 1119 SE Market Street | Portland, Oregon USA 97214 | phone: 503-235-2477 | email: info@maitripa.org | fax: 503-231-6408