Doctorate Programs

Sri Aurobindo Studies

Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950) is recognized as one of India’s greatest spiritual figures and teachers, who with a firm grounding in its ancient traditions, boldly reached out towards a greater spiritual realization for humanity’s future. This degree program is designed to give the learner a broad and deep understanding of Sri Aurobindo’s philosophical thought and spiritual practice and its place in the context of Hindu thought. It is offered jointly by the Sri Aurobindo Centre for Advanced Research (SACAR) in India and Hindu University of America.

Doctoral Degree Program Requirements:

Minimum academic requirement for this doctoral degree include 66 credits - 33 academic credits in coursework and another 33 academic credits in doctoral thesis work.  Five courses are completed with IVHU including 2 core courses, 2 electives and 1 course in Research Methodology.

2 Core Courses (to be completed with IVHU)

Course # Course Title
HUC 5001 Principles of Hinduism
HUC 5003 Basic Sanskrit


2 Elective courses (to be completed with IVHU)
Two out of the group of the following six HU academic electives:

Course # Course Title
HIN 5001 Basic Hindu Scriptures
HIN 5002 Universal Themes in Hinduism
HIN 5003 Historical Development of Hinduism
HIN 5900 Message of the Bhagavad Gita
HNP 5001 Vedic Philosophy
HNP 5002 Philosophy of the Upanishads

Four out of the group of the following nine SACAR academic electives:

  • The Philosophy of Conscious Evolution
  • The Psychology of Yoga
  • Mankind on the March
  • Towards the Unification of Humanity
  • India’s Spirit and Form
  • The Process, Form and Substance of Poetry
  • A Psychological Approach to Indian Scriptures
  • Education as Inner Growth
  • Evolution Beyond the Human Species

Two out of the group of the following four SACAR Program Practical Electives:

  • Science of Living
  • Governed by the Soul
  • Purification and Transformation of the Vital
  • Development of our Hidden Powers

Two out of the group of the following nine SACAR Program Advanced Electives:

  • The Philosophy of the Life Divine
  • Integral Yoga Psychology
  • The Human Cycle
  • The Ideal Solution for Human Unity
  • Resurgent India
  • The Five Suns of the Future Poetry
  • Indian Scriptures: Their Vision of Truth
  • Integral Education
  • Vision of the Future

1 course in Research Methodology (to be completed with IVHU)

HUC 5004 - Research Methodology                                       3 credits

(Note: this course replaces one of the SACAR electives listed above)

 

The most important part of this program is-

  • Mentored Research leading to a Doctoral Thesis (30 credits minimum)

Academic Requirements for a Doctoral Degree Program in Sri Aurobindo Studies:

The minimum academic requirement for this doctoral degree includes 36 academic credits in course work and another 30 academic credits in doctoral thesis work.  All of the course credits for the IVHU Master's Degree are directly applicable to the doctoral program:

2 Core Courses                                          6 credits as above

Electives                                                    27 credits as above

Research Methodology Course                     3 credits

Doctoral Thesis                                           30 credits

Candidates for doctoral degree need to go through three examinations related to doctoral research: 1. Doctoral Qualifying Examination to be completed before the candidate is registered for doctoral thesis credit; 2. Comprehensive Examination when the candidate is about half-way through in thesis research work; and 3. Final Thesis Examination after the thesis research is completed and the thesis is formally submitted to IVHU.

To register for this program please contact IVHU at staff@ivhu.edu or call 407-275-0013 or contact SACAR in Pondicherry, India.

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