The Group in Buddhist Studies is a non-degree granting consortium. Masters students focusing on Buddhist Studies at the University of Michigan are typically affiliated with one of the many centers of the International Institute. The terminal MA provides students with the opportunity to concentrate on language training while focusing on other theoretical and area studies course work. All Buddhist Studies graduate seminars are open to MA students with the requisite training.

Students wishing to pursue a doctoral degree in Buddhist Studies should apply to the appropriate department, Asian Languages and Cultures or History of Art. The PhD programs in these departments are generously funded and highly competitive. The Department of Asian Languages and Cultures guarantees ten terms of funding for all admitted doctoral students, as well as two terms of tuition-only fellowships. Students are also welcome to pursue additional funding for research, projects, program development, and fellowships, such as Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships, Dissertation Fellowships and Research Grants from the Rackham Graduate School, and fellowships/grants at the centers of UM’s International Institute.

PhD students conduct research on the diverse social, cultural, historical, artistic, and philosophical traditions of Buddhism throughout Asia, including India, Tibet, China, Korea, and Japan. In addition to strong language training and rigorous training in field-specific theories and methods, students typically engage in a period of field work in Asia.

Graduates of UM’s Buddhist Studies Program now teach at major research universities around North America and Europe, including Yale, Berkeley, Skidmore, Leiden, Dartmouth, and Linfield.