The graduate program in Buddhist Study and Practice offers students an opportunity to pursue advanced studies in the core texts and practices of the Buddhist tradition. It also provides students with a background in the methodological tools available in the field of Buddhology, including bibliographic research materials and analytical tools. At the graduate level, the students will compare the Buddhist tradition with other religious and philosophical viewpoints, and will be encouraged to integrate insights from other major fields of knowledge in both the sciences and the humanities. The graduate program in Buddhist Study and Practice offers two optional concentrations in Translation and Language Studies and Buddhist Education. The University offers Master’s Degrees in Buddhist Study and Practice at the Ukiah and Berkeley campuses.

The Translation and Language Studies concentration provides students with language skills, academic knowledge and personal practice that will enable them to contribute to the effort of translating the Buddhist teachings. Translation is open to students with requisite language skills. The courses are designed to teach students how to retain integrity of meaning and tone, while bringing the explanation of principles from one language’s grammatical structure, idiomatic expressions, and linguistic connotations into another. The Program offers concentration in translation of the Tripitaka, the Buddhist Canon; Translation of classics pertaining to ethics and moral virtues; and, translation of curriculum materials for elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education.

The concentration in Buddhist Education offers prospective teachers a twofold opportunity: they will learn how to nurture their own humanity and integrity, while at the same time learning to be effective classroom teachers who have the capacity to be both gentle and firm as the need arises. Cutting-edge and alternative, as well as traditional, effective classroom methods will be introduced and explored. Instilling Goodess Elementary School, Developing Virtue Secondary School, and the Sangha and Laity Training Programs, which are all housed on the Ukiah campus, are open to students for classroom observation and teacher training.