Undergraduate studies. The Department of Religious Studies offers several undergraduate major and minor options within which the student may design a concentration on Buddhism. For information, see Religious Studies or contact the undergraduate secretary at 650-723-3322.

Students may also design a concentration on Buddhism within the East Asian Studies major. For information, see Center for East Asian Studies or contact the center administrator at 650-723-3362.

Masters degree program. The Department of Religious Studies offers an M.A. program within which the student may concentrate on Buddhism. For information on this program, see Religious Studies or contact the department's graduate secretary at 650-723-2548. Students may also design a concentration on Buddhism within the M.A. program of the Center for East Asian Studies. For information, see Center for East Asian Studies or contact the center administrator at 650-723-3362.

Doctoral degree program. The Department of Religious Studies offers a concentration in Buddhism within its graduate field of East Asian religions. The program is focused on China and Japan, with an emphasis on historical and cultural contexts, and supports a wide range of approaches to the understanding of Buddhism. Students are encouraged to design their own course of study, to explore a variety of academic disciplines, and to undertake independent research. In addition to work with faculty at Stanford, students may draw on the curricular and library resources of the nearby University of California, Berkeley, and participate in Stanford's graduate student exchange program with other universities. The Buddhism doctoral program emphasizes research in primary sources, and students are expected to acquire reading knowledge of both Japanese and classical Chinese. (Students interested in a specialization in South Asian and/or Tibetan Buddhism should contact Paul Harrison for information).

Requirements. The doctoral program at Stanford requires three years of course work plus the dissertation. In addition, students in Religious Studies work closely with a faculty member to develop and teach a course in the department and to prepare a paper in their field for publication. For further information on general requirements of the Religious Studies doctoral program, see Religious Studies.

Admission. Admission to the doctoral program in Buddhism does not require the M.A. degree; it does require background in either Japanese or Chinese language. Applicants to the program compete with those in the other fields of religious studies for approximately four openings in the department each year. Applications for admission in the following September must be filed by January 5. For further information on admission, contact the Department of Religious Studies; for application forms, contact the Office of Graduate Admissions, Old Union 141, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (phone: 650-723-4291). Prospective applicants in Buddhist studies are encouraged to contact the relevant faculty to discuss their plans: Carl Bielefeldt; Paul Harrison.