Masters Program

in Socially Engaged Buddhism

The MA in Socially Engaged Buddhism is a multi-sited program in Asia that seeks to integrate spiritual and social transformation, grounded in Buddhist traditions. Students learn from monastics, community activists, meditation teachers, professional academic scholars, group facilitators and each other. They learn through observation, reflection, textual study, lectures, interviews, group challenges, exposure trips, personal practice, and joint work on social action projects. Medium of instruction is English.

Highlights of the Program

  • Learn from a qualified, international panel of academic-practitioners.
  • Meet and work with spiritual leaders, thinkers, organizers, activists and educators representing different Buddhist traditions.
  • Gain a student-centered, accredited qualification with a high academic standard.
  • A comprehensive curriculum that captures the complexity of contemporary social issues and offers mainstream and alternative approaches to understanding these.
  • Study at different locations and learn from the history, culture and people at each location.
  • Study with a small, dynamic group of future leaders who are equally committed to personal, spiritual, and societal transformation.

Application Requirements

Applicants must have completed an undergraduate degree from a recognized institution. Applicants whose first language is not English will need to submit official English proficiency test scores from a recognized testing company.  We accept a variety of standardized tests, the most common being TOEFL and IELTS.

The minimum scores required for full acceptance into the MA program are:

TOEFL (PBT) – 575

TOEFL (iBT) – 89

IELTS – 6.5

We especially welcome your application if:

  • You are committed to developing a work practice that integrates spiritual and social transformation.
  • You have engaged in social work or volunteer service.
  • You are resilient, love travelling, and are passionate about intellectual and inner inquiry.
  • You enjoy living, working and learning together with a small, diverse group of students.

How to Apply

Application deadline is 11 April 2017, or, passing that, until all places are filled.

Download and fill out the application form here Application Form MA in Socially Engaged Buddhism 2017-2018. Email softcopies of the completed application to registrar@inebinstitute.org with the subject line ‘MA Application_2017_YOURNAME’.

If unable to submit a softcopy, post a hardcopy of the completed application to the INEB address below. We will make an appointment with selected candidates for a Skype interview.

Campuses

Sites planned for academic year 2017-2018 reflect the diversity of Buddhist traditions:

  • Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts in Bangkok as well as training institutes, temples, and alternative communities in Chiang Mai, Nakhon Nayok, Chaiyaphum, and elsewhere in Thailand, in late August, September, and December of 2017; January, February, and May of 2018; and finally in early August 2018 for completion of the program. (Theravada Buddhism).
  • Buddhist temples or university campuses in Hsinchu City, Hualien City, and/or Taipei, Taiwan, in October and November of 2017 (Mahayana Buddhism).
  • Nagaloka and the Nagarjuna Institute in Nagpur and the Manuski Institute in Pune, India, in February and March of 2018 (Ambedkarite Buddhism).
  • The Deer Park Institute in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India, in March and April of 2018 (Vajrayana/Tibetan Buddhism).

Mosaic Design

Many of the courses in the master’s program will be constructed using a mosaic design. Such courses will consist of a single consistent theme that unfolds in a variety of sites and through workshops, seminars, and other learning formats of varying durations. In some cases, the shorter learning opportunities will also be open to enrolment by the wider public. Mentors will work to create a cohesive student cohort, but one that is also opened up at times in this way to new students who bring fresh sources of companionship, thought, and experience.

Assessment

Faculty mentors use a variety of methods to assess student work, including written essays, presentations, journals, performances or other creative work, as well as examinations and one-on-one interviews where appropriate. Students participate through self-assessment and by helping determine the forms of assessment.

Calendar

  • Term 1: 6 August – 20 December, 2017
  • Term 2: 11 January – 16 May, 2018
  • Term 3: 23 May – 5 August, 2018 (Thesis, or Internship, & Seminar)

Fees

25,000 USD for tuition, living expenses, and in-program travel.

Accreditation for the MA in Socially Engaged Buddhism

The INEB Institute is developing a curriculum hand-in-hand with the Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts in Bangkok that will meet the requirements for full accreditation by the Thai Ministry of Education. Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts is a small and innovative university that combines holistic approaches to education with an emphasis on Buddhist principles and values.