Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Buddhist Studies

With the sole intention of providing a comprehensive knowledge in the scope of Buddhist Studies, the Faculty of Buddhist Studies of the institute conducts Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Buddhist Studies Degree Programmes. The Degree consists of units representing various scopes and new trends related to Buddhist studies including its major disciplines – Buddhist Philosophy, Buddhist Culture and Pali. The honours degree consists of four (04) academic years. The freshmen (the first-year students) have to do all the main course units relevant the semesters and the prescribed Compulsory Subjects. The sophomores (second year students) may apply for the honours degree programme following their success in the first-year exam, or else to follow a general degree.

The students of 2nd and 3rd years have three main course units in common (for both the general and the honours degree) for each semester, while there are two main course units to be done for completing their general or honours degree separately as prescribed by the Institute. The fourth-year students have to complete four main course units during the first semester and two main course units during the second semester. Meanwhile, they have to complete their independent study throughout the year while having the internship during the second semester.

Approved by the University Grants Commission under the Universities Act

Recognized by the Ministry of Higher Education under the Universities Act

Entry requirements

Applicants must have a minimum of three (before 2000, four) Simple Passes (S) at the G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) examination in any stream with General Common Test (30) or Having a pass for Prācīna Prārambha Examination Conducted by OSS or Academic qualifications equal to Sri Lankan G.C.E. Advanced Level (A/L) accepted by the senate of the Institute or Other qualifications approved by the Ministry of Higher Education.

Applications for BA (Hons.) Degree shall be called after releasing the 1st year – 2nd semester examination results from eligible students. A student who obtains B or higher grades for 70% of main course Units (Except Compulsory and Optional Course Units) offered at the 1st Year examinations is considered to be eligible to be selected for the Honors degree.

Course outline

Year 01

Year 02

Year 03

Year 04

Semester 01

Module Code	Module	Status
BUST 11013	Fundamentals of Early Buddhism	MCU
BUST 11023	Principles of Buddhist Social Philosophy	MCU
BUST 11033	Introduction to Theravāda Canonical Literature	MCU
BUST 11043	Principles of Buddhist Communication	MCU
BUST 11053	Pre-Buddhist and Contemporary Religious and Cultural Background of India	MCU
COML 11011	Critical Thinking and Logic – I	CCU
COME 11011	Compulsory English – I	CCU
COMI 11011	Compulsory ICT	CCU

Semester 02

Module Code	Module	Status
BUST 12063	Introduction to Buddhist Social Work	MCU
BUST 12073	Buddhist Meditation	MCU
BUST 12083	An Approach to Theravāda Literary Sources	MCU
BUST 12093	Principles of Buddhist Management	MCU
BUST 12103	Principles of Buddhist Civilization	MCU
COML 12021	Critical Thinking and Logic – II	CCU
COME 12021	Compulsory English – II	CCU

Module Code	Module	Status
BUST 21113	Cultural Background of Pre-Buddhist Sri Lanka	MCU
BUST 21123	Syntactic and Semantic Study of Theravada Sutta Literature	MCU
BUST 21133	Buddhism and Six Indian Philosophical Traditions	MCU
BUST 21163	Buddhist Psychology and Counselling	MCU
BUST 21173	Buddhism in Colonial Sri Lanka and Renaissance	MCU
COME 21031	Compulsory English – III	CCU
PALI 21011	Pali Grammar – I	OCU
BUSA 21011	An Approach to Buddhist Sanskrit – I	OCU

Module Code	Module	Status
BUST 22183	Buddhist Schism and Expansion of Buddhist Traditions	MCU
BUST 22193	Buddhist Thought in Pali Nikāyas	MCU
BUST 22203	Expansion of Buddhist Culture in Asia	MCU
BUST 22233	Buddhism and Western Theories of Knowledge	MCU
BUST 22243	Syntactic and Semantic Studies on Abhidhamma Piṭaka and Vinaya Piṭaka	MCU
COME 22041	Compulsory English – IV	CCU
PALI 22021	Pali Grammar – II	OCU
BUSA 22021	An Approach to Buddhist Sanskrit – II	OCU

Module Code	Module	Status
BUST 31253	Buddhism and Modern World	MCU
BUST 31263	Theravāda Abhidhamma Studies	MCU
BUST 31273	Buddhist Ethics	MCU
BUST 31303	Buddhist Education Philosophy	MCU
BUST 31313	Mahāyāna Philosophy	MCU
COME 31051	Compulsory English – V	CCU
PALI 31031	Pali Grammar – III	OCU

Module Code	Module	Status
BUST 32323	Buddhist Art and Architecture	MCU
BUST 32333	Reading Comprehension of Pali Commentarial Literature	MCU
BUST 32343	Buddhism and World Religions	MCU
BUST 32373	Buddhist Legal and Ethical Philosophy	MCU
BUST 32383	Buddhist Logic and Western Logic	MCU
COME 32061	Compulsory English – VI	CCU
PALI 32041	Traditions of Pali Grammar	OCU

Module Code	Module	Status
BUST 41393	Buddhism and Western Thought	MCU
BUST 41403	Buddhist Studies in the West	MCU
BUST 41413	Research Methodology for Buddhist Studies	MCU
BUST 41423	Buddhist Sanskrit Literature	MCU
BUST 40436	Independent Study	MCU
PALI 41051	The Linguistic Approach to Pali Grammar	OCU

Module Code	Module	Status
BUST 42443	Studies on Buddhist Manuscripts and Inscriptions	MCU
BUST 42453	Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist Literature	MCU
BUST 42466	Internship	MCU
BUST 40436	Independent Study	MCU
PRAK 42011	An Approach to Prakrit Language	OCU

Career opportunities

University Lecturer
Government School Teacher
International School Teacher
Buddhist Tour Guide
Administrative Officer
Program Coordinator
Content Writer or Editor
Clerical Staff
Researcher
Project Manager
Policy Advisor for government bodies on religious and cultural policies
Cultural Ambassador
Writer or Editor in academic journals or Buddhist literature publications
Counsellor specializing in Buddhist therapeutic practices
High-level Manager in NGOs or programs integrating Buddhist values for community development

Duration: 4 Years (120 Credits)
Levels: SLQF Level 6
Medium of Instruction: Sinhala / English
Study mode: On-site
Delivery: Weekdays / Weekend

Embark on a transformative journey with a Bachelor of Arts (Hons.) in Buddhist Studies. Apply today to gain foundational knowledge.

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Course Fee

The course fee is presently Rs. 260,000 (65000 x 4) for local Students and USD 2910 for Foreign Students. This all-inclusive fee is charged to cover lectures, tutorials, and examinations, as well as access to computer laboratory facilities and the library.

The fees should be credited to, Account No 0207 1000 0760 of the Sampath Bank in favour of Nāgānanda International Institute for Buddhist Studies, at the Sampath Bank Makola Branch or any branch of Sampath Bank. Normally, fees paid will not be refunded. However, requests for refund of fees may be considered if made before the expiry of one week from the date of commencement of lectures for each semester. Your attention to these details will help facilitate seamless financial transactions. If you have any questions or require further assistance regarding these bank details, please do not hesitate to contact our dedicated team for guidance and support.

Account No 0207 1000 0760Sampath Bank - Makola Branch