A Mission-Rooted Evolution in Buddhist Graduate Education

We are transforming our MA and MDiv programs into a high-quality low-residency model that expands access while deepening our commitment to lineage, contemplative practice, and academic excellence.

Why We Are Transforming

Rooted in Lineage, Responsive to the Times

Maitripa College is evolving to a low-residency delivery model to strengthen accessibility, sustainability, and the long-term vitality of our mission. This change aligns our programs with best practices in graduate education while preserving the integrated training in scholarship, meditation, and service that defines Maitripa.

Our Commitment to Current Students

Your Pathway to Graduation Is Secure

  • All currently enrolled onsite degree students will be fully supported to complete their programs as planned.
  • Students will receive individualized advising to ensure clear, stable pathways to graduation.
  • Teach-out commitments ensure continuity for every promised curricular component.
  • Faculty and staff remain fully available to support each student’s academic, contemplative, and personal formation.

What Will Change

Launching a Low-Residency MA and MDiv (Fall 2026)

  • Courses will blend asynchronous learning, synchronous online sessions, and short in-person residencies.
  • Updated course design follows national standards for quality distance education.
  • Technology, LMS tools, and digital resources will be expanded.
  • Faculty workload, mentoring expectations, and course templates will reflect best practices for online and hybrid instruction.

What Will Not Change

Our Heart and Mission Remain the Same

  • Lineage-based teachings from Tibetan Buddhist tradition.
  • Contemplative pedagogy grounded in meditation, inquiry, and service.
  • Close mentorship, community, and relational learning.
  • The integration of scholarship, meditation, and service as the foundation of every degree program.

Transformation Timeline

A Structured, Multi-Phase Pathway

A clear, multi-phase process guides this transformation, including curriculum design, modality planning, faculty readiness, student support, accreditation filings, and a program launch in Fall 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Messages From Leadership

A Vision for the Next Era of Buddhist Education

For twenty years, Maitripa College has been guided by a single, clear mission: to offer an education grounded in authentic Tibetan Buddhist lineage, contemplative practice, and service to the world. This vision brought Maitripa into being, and it continues to shape every aspect of who
we are and what we do.

As we evolve our MA and MDiv programs into a low-residency model, we do so not as a departure from our mission, but as an expression of it. This transformation strengthens our ability to make the Dharma accessible, to support the formation of students wherever they are, and to ensure the long-term vitality of the College for generations to come.

We remain fully committed to the integrity of our lineage, to the depth of contemplative education, and to the warm, supportive community that has defined Maitripa from the beginning. We see this moment as a meaningful opportunity—one that allows us to carry our work forward with renewed clarity, compassion, and purpose.

— Yangsi Rinpoche, Founder and Resident Teacher
— Namdrol Miranda Adams, President

We Will Walk This Path Together

  • Updates on our process will be communicated regularly
  • Maitripa faculty and leadership are always available for questions and conversation around this issue.
  • Alumni and donors will receive periodic updates on our process.