Buddhist Studies Concentration
Evaluation Sheet
Student:
Class:
Date:
Advisor:
Major:___________
Minor:____________
Five College Buddhist Certificate Candidate: Yes: __________ No__________
Concentration Approved by Adviser:
REQUIREMENTS
COURSE NUMBER
AND NAME
SMITH COLLEGE
Y/N
If elsewhere, where,
petition
approved or
N/A
GRADE, TO-BE-DONE
(TBD), or IN- PROGRESS
(IP)
1. BUX120: The
Study of Buddhism
2. Capstone Course
(Seminar)
3. Practical Learning
requirement
4. Practical Learning
requirement
5. Elective:
6. Elective:
7. Elective:
8. Elective:
9. Language of
Buddhist country (not a
requirement)
10. Other
06/2012
Buddhist Studies Concentration Requirements
The requirements for the concentration include A) two required courses (a gateway course and a capstone course);
B) four elective courses; and C) two practical learning experiences.
Required Courses
The entrance to the concentration is through a gateway course, which is team-taught by members of the faculty
and guest speakers from the community. It is designed to give students a broad introduction to the many disciplines
and geographic areas of the field, as well as to bring together faculty from diverse departments and programs.
The capstone course consists of a seminar in which a student works closely with a faculty member to design and
implement an independent research project. Since we already offer at least one seminar in Buddhist Studies each
year, collaborative research projects can be carried out in the context of existing courses. If the Buddhist Studies
concentration reaches (or nearly reaches) a total of 15 students each year, we plan to offer a separate capstone
seminar.
Elective Courses
The four elective courses support the student's particular area of interest, distributed across three dimensions:
geographic, disciplinary, and level of study. A student should address at least two of the following regions: South
Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia, Western Buddhism; her courses should be drawn from at least two of the
following disciplines: religious studies, philosophy, history, anthropology/sociology, art history, comparative
literature, the natural sciences; and no more than two of her courses should be at the 100-level. Courses that do not
focus specifically on Buddhism (e.g., courses in East Asian literature, Chinese history, Korean culture, South Asian
anthropology, American Studies) can count toward the concentration if a student does a substantial project related
to Buddhism in the course. Courses should be chosen in consultation with the concentration adviser in order to
ensure a balance between breadth and coherence.
While languages are not part of the concentration, students are encouraged to study languages of Buddhist
countries (particularly in connection with international study and Praxis opportunities), and we note that languages
are essential for graduate admission.
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