Buddhist Studies Certificate Program

Buddhism is a major religion in the world today. From its roots in Asia twenty-five centuries ago, Buddhism now stands alongside the great spiritual traditions of humanity. Its compelling insights into human existence offer an ancient yet very relevant alternative to the materialism of the modern age.

Buddhist Studies covers a wide range of academic disciplines. Through the study of Buddhist philosophy, history, literature, art and meditation, students achieve a greater understanding of this quiet yet compelling religion.

The Buddhist Studies Program offers a solid grounding in the Buddhist path. Knowledge of the path can assist mental health workers, religious professionals, artists, educators, and wisdom-seekers in their endeavors. Buddhism has the power to transform cultures as well as individual lives. When one completes the eight course sequence, a Certificate in Buddhist Studies will be awarded.

Points of Order

1. For course descriptions, refer to the "Buddhist Studies Courses" page on this website.

2. There are no prerequisites for any course. Courses can be taken in any sequence, according to the student's choice. There is no deadline for completion of the curriculum. However, the final course the student takes will be the Master Class in Buddhist Studies.

3. In the Master Class a student demonstrates his or her mastery over the field. Mastery will be assessed in two ways. First, the student will pass a test proving general knowledge of Buddhist Studies. Then, in consultation with the program director (Michael Mullooly), the student devises a specific topic of research. The student presents the fruits of his or her research in a one hour presentation. The research topic can be selected from the entire field of Buddhist Studies, but should focus on the student's particular area of interest, such as Buddhist iconography, Zen poetry, Mahayana philosophy, Tibetan tantra, and the like. The presentation should be as creative as possible, but include an original document of written research results.

4. The Certificate of Buddhist Studies will be awarded during formal ceremony.

History of the Buddhist Studies Program

The Buddhist Studies Program began at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1961. It was the first of its kind in the United States. The founding professors were Robert Robinson, Minoru Kyota, and Geshe Sopa, former abbot of Sera Monastery in Tibet. Geshe Sopa was an examiner of the Dalai Lama XIV when his Holiness Holiness sat for a geshe degree in the 1950s. After the annexation of Tibet in 1959, the Dalai Lama sent Geshe Sopa to the United States to teach Buddhism.

Under the leadership of Geshe Sopa, Robinson (who died in 1968) and Kyota, the Buddhist Studies Program at UW-Madison achieved academic acclaim, graduating many respected scholars. When Geshe Sopa and Minoru Kyota retired in the early 2000s, the professors who replaced them decided to end the program.

Now under the guidance of Michael Mullooly, the Buddhist Studies Program has been resurrected in a new form. Instead of graduating Ph.Ds, it offers a Certificate in Buddhist Studies to members of the continuing education community. The new Buddhist Studies Program gains inspiration from its predecessor. It offers a high quality education in the field, and is still the first and only of its kind in Wisconsin.

The Buddhist Studies Program was authorized as a certificate-granting institution by the University of Wisconsin College System in 2014.

In 2020, the Buddhist Studies Program went online. It offers classes to interested students across the United States and the world.

Please register with the Continuing Education Department, College of General Studies, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Waukesha.