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Extended Studies Certificates

Through the Extended Studies program, the University of the West offers certificates aimed at educating men and women in the development of their skillsets so that they may better serve their communities. The following is a list of certificate programs we have available. For more information please feel free to contact us.

Religious Studies
Certificate in Buddhist Thoughts and Traditions
Certificate in Foundations in Lay Dharma Leadership

Religious Studies

This program is currently suspended and under revision and review. We are currently doing surveys and studies about the viability of this program and others like it. If you are interested in Certificate study in Buddhist Studies with credit earned from a WASC Accredited institution, or in non-credit study, please take a few minutes to fill out our survey. Your answers help us provide the most suitable programming to suit your professional and personal needs!

Certificate in Buddhist Thought and Traditions

The Religious Studies Certificate in Buddhist Thought and Traditions gives students an opportunity to learn about the vast and rich areas of Buddhist thought and history. The curriculum for this certificate is designed to improve one’s understanding of Buddhist belief and context.

- Fundamentals of Buddhism
- Buddhist Psychology
- The Perfection of Wisdom Sutra
- Tibetan Buddhism

The Certificate in Buddhist Thought and Traditions is designed for students who are not interested in the baccalaureate degree program but who desire to be more knowledgeable about Buddhism. Students admitted to the certificate program are not required to be officially enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program. Courses may also be taken by Continuing Education students through Open Enrollment without formal admission to the Certificate Program.

400 level courses can be applied to MA study at University of the West and are transferable (see specific institution criteria for acceptance of transfer credit).

The Certificate requires students to complete a total of 12 units:

- XSREL 301 Fundamentals of Buddhism (3)
- XSREL 460 Buddhist Psychology (3)
- XSREL 402T Buddhist Sutras in English: The “Perfection of Wisdom” Sutra (3)
- XSREL 435 Tibetan Buddhism (3)

We are currently doing surveys and studies about the viability of this program and others like it. If you are interested in Certificate study in Lay Dharma, please take a few minutes to fill out our survey. Your answers help us provide the most suitable programming to suit your professional and personal needs!

Certificate in Foundations in Lay Dharma Leadership (Pilot, non-credit)

Foundations in Lay Dharma Leadership is a program designed as a tool with which an individual can build skills during their preparation and training to become a study group leader or Lay Dharma teacher. Completion of this program is a stepping stone towards acceptance into or continuing with approved Lay Dharma Training and ideally will augment their study under the guidance of Monastic teachers and lineage holders.

This Post-Pilot program is comprised of two sessions:

Fall 2010 Aug 23 – Dec 14, 2010 (tentative)
Spring 2011 Jan. 10 - May 20, 2011 (tentative)

Who will benefit from attending this program?

Individuals who wish to would like to do one - or all - of the following:

Improve their knowledge of Buddhism.
Improve their knowledge of Buddhist vocabulary in English.
Deepen their appreciation and practice of Humanistic Buddhism.
Discover and explore new resources to assist in the study of & sharing in the Dharma
Develop and refine skills in teaching and leadership.

Time Considerations

Course design allows for time to process the experiences of daily life (mental and emotional states) guided by the topics being taught, so that each participants returns to the online environment for sharing and further exploration with other participants. To participate, you should be prepared for the following time commitments:

10 Months
Ability to maintain involvement beginning in Fall 2010 (Aug 23 start) to Spring 2011 (May 20 end)
An average of 2-3 hours per week.
Some weeks require less time than this average
Select weeks (A total of 4 weeks distributed throughout the schedule) during the program require 3- 5 hours to participate fully and experience maximum benefit.
Able to maintain a regular practice of Meditation
Strongly Recommended, thought not required: Ability to attend Orientation Weekend Activities (site to be determined)

Knowledge Requirements

A basic knowledge of fundamental Buddhist beliefs and concepts
Familiarity with Buddhist Meditation, ideally with some form of regular practice
Familiarity with Humanistic Buddhism, ideally as taught by Venerable Master Hsin Yun

Other Important Skills

Capable of communicating in English both speaking and writing at a conversational level
Able to independently manage their time for study, activities and practice
Ability to use email to communicate with others and navigate the internet
Capable of watching and listening to online audio and video media
Comfortable with Microsoft office/Open Office (word processing, PowerPoint etc.) or willing to learn

The program guides the learner at a reasonable pace to be able to assess situations on their own supported by various resources available both conventionally and online such as recommended readings & resources, reflective writing, conversations (either in-person and/or in online discussion forums), glossaries, video, etc.

This Certificate is a limited enrollment Program. Members of IBPS Temples may participate by contacting their local Abbess/Abbott to inquire about Registration Forms and Payment. To ensure a quality experience for the participants in this program, the number of enrollees accepted will be restricted.

Registration dates are still being determined.
For more info, contact William Owen: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it