MASTER OF ARTS IN APPLIED BUDDHISM

Transform Your Life ~ Study Buddhism Deeply

A Low-Residency Cohort-based Graduate Program that Helps You Integrate Buddhist Wisdom into Your Life and Work

The MA in Applied Buddhism offers a rare integration of rigorous academic study and contemplative practice. Learn with lineage-trained faculty, engage deeply with classical Buddhist texts, cultivate self-awareness, and develop skills for teaching, leadership, or further academic study. This is applied dharma for real life and real work—integrating scholarship, meditation, and ethical service.

MAAB at a Glance

  • Credits: 44
  • Length: ~2 years
  • Time commitment: ~21 hours/week (7 credits/term)
  • Learning format: weekday early-evening live sessions (Pacific Time) + recorded + asynchronous
  • Residencies: Two a year (October + May), 4–5 days each, in Portland, Oregon
  • Next start: Fall 2026
  • Application deadline: rolling review until August 15, 2026 (after that, as space allows)
  • Estimated cost: $18,054 — about $752/month over 24 months; travel/lodging/meals separate

What You’ll Learn

Three integrated pillars:
Scholarship, Meditation, & Service

  • Applied Buddhist Knowledge
  • Critical Inquiry & Communication
  • Contemplative Practice & Understanding
  • Reflective Integration
  • Compassionate & Ethical Engagement
  • Self-Reflection, Identity & Social Responsibility

Who This Program Is For

  • Working adults
  • Dharma practitioners
  • Students drawn to applied inquiry through an Action Research capstone
  • Educators & contemplative facilitators

  • Community leaders & nonprofit practitioners

Program Features

Flexible Low-Residency Format
Live/recorded/async + Portland intensives

Cohort-Based & Faculty Mentorship

Spiritual Formation Group, assigned faculty advisor

Affordable Tuition
Est. $18,054 tuition + fees; payment plans available

Transformative In-Person Retreats
Two required intensives per year • 4–5 days • Portland, OR

Action Research Project (Capstone)

The Action Research Project is where the MA in Applied Buddhism comes to life. This capstone integrates students’ development as scholar–meditator–practitioners through a values-based, action-oriented research process.

Spiritual Formation Lab

Spiritual Formation Lab is a small, faculty-guided cohort space where students integrate study, meditation, and ethical development into lived practice. Rooted in the Tibetan Buddhist lamrim tradition, it supports contemplative practice and reflective dialogue.

Next Steps