Depending on the area of study, the Certificate Program in Hindu Studies prepares a student to become a teacher, a public intellectual, a spokesperson, a writer, and an expert ambassador in the ‘public square’. Anyone including, already employed professionals or prospective degree
students may apply to the Certificate Program in Hindu Studies. This Certificate Program is open to all, and there are no prerequisites enforced, other than the consent of the Program Director.
The Certificate Program in Hindu Studies may be earned by taking 6 courses in an area of study, for a total of 18 Quarter Credit hours.
- The Certificate Program in Hindu studies is targeted towards people who wish to develop deeper expertise in a specific area of Hindu thought, without pursuing a degree.
- Students have significant flexibility in the pace at which they complete their course credits i.e., some may take one course per quarter over six quarters, while others may be able to complete the certificate in two quarters
- Some certificate course credits may be transferable towards a Diploma or Degree program at a later stage
The integrated approach to yoga is more than just a physical practice. It is a philosophy-based approach to viewing oneself
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The integrated approach to yoga is a philosophy-based approach to the science and art of yoga, hailing from eastern roots.
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The integrated approach to yoga is a philosophy-based approach to the science and art of yoga, hailing from eastern roots.
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Antaranga Yoga is an important field of yoga study based on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. antaranga means inner faculties, and the
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The Bhagavadgita is a moksa-sastra, a sacred text that reveals the vision of the Upanisads. In that vision one is,
Read More
This course will explore and demonstrate the use of the methods (prakriyas) used in the Upanisads to unfold the non-dual
Read More
Who am I, really? Why am I here? Why do we suffer? Is there any solution to the problem of
Read More
This is the second course in a two-part survey course that provides an overview of dharma literature from the Hindu
Read More
The Brahmasūtras are aphorisms on Brahman. Along with the Upaniṣads and the Bhagavadgītā, they form a triad of foundational texts
Read More
This two-part survey course provides an overview of dharma literature from ancient and medieval texts of the Hindu tradition. The
Read More 
This introductory seminar introduces students to the fundamentals of academic research and writing. A prerequisite for beginning graduate study, it
Read More
In part-II of this two-part course, we shall consider the Mahābhārata’s reception in the commentaries and lived Hinduism, especially the
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To demonstrate how human rights concept and policy could be found in Hindu philosophy, and also how such a linkage
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A unique study abroad course that offers an authentic, transformative and enriching experience. This course is aimed at students of
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To explore methods to bridge the chasm between the practice of international politics and universal moral principles.
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The current mainstream narrative in western academia is that there are two kinds of Hinduism: traditional and neo and that
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In the colonial and postcolonial contexts, there have been many attempts both by Indians and western people to situate the
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In postcolonial scholarship, Edward Said’s work Orientalism can be considered a landmark text. This course helps students understand what Said
Read More
To examine the core ideas such as state, war, and peace in the ancient text Arthashastra, a major treatise on
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To elaborate ideas of good governance and duties of a ruler towards his subjects and Dharma as enshrined in Śānti
Read More
Distilled from the Upaniṣad, the Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā is a fundamental text of Hindu Dharma which has given rise to many
Read More 
This course introduces the theories of various anticolonial and postcolonial writers in order to create a framework for a critical
Read More
Vedānta also known as the Upaniṣad, found at the end of all four Vedas, reveal the goal and purpose of
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The Vedas are the oldest body of sacred knowledge known to man. A bird’s eye view of the four Vedas,
Read More
Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa is a classic story of human self-development focused on the relationship between the macrocosm (the kingdom) and the
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Aimed at intermediate and advanced students, this course provides a comprehensive overview of Mahābhārata scholarship, including textual and historical issues
Read More
Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, the author of numerous commentaries and pedagogical tracts, is the seminal philosopher in Hinduism, especially its “advaita vedānta”
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In religious studies, bhakti is often described as devotion or intense feeling, and presented as “faith” in contrast to “reason.”
Read More
What is the meaning of existence? What is the nature of truth? These were the questions asked by ancient Greek
Read More
The intellectual movement known as historicism dominated the nineteenth century. At its simplest, it is the view that history is
Read More
German Indology, a field of inquiry that emerged in nineteenth-century Germany calls itself the “science of Indian antiquity” and “the
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This course outlines the critical issues involved in the European understanding of Hindus and India, developed within the framework of
Read More
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a foundational text for understanding the world of Yoga. Using this text, the course will
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An overview of the unique programs, areas of study and courses offered by Hindu University of America. Preliminary reflection on
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We usually associate colonialism with political domination and economic exploitation. Colonialism, however, has involved representation, study, classification, and ordering of the colonized through “intellectual” works encompassing translations, commentaries, travelogues, surveys, etc. which were disseminated through the establishment of academic institutions. This intervention systematically destroyed the native worldview of the native ways of positioning and locating themselves in the world.
In short, colonialism has involved the conquest of culture through what is now being recognized in academia as “epistemic violence.” India, Hindus, and Hinduism were the victims of the epistemic violence, where reams were written to disconnect them from their epistemological and cosmological underpinnings. The effects have been twofold: 1) In current mainstream academia, the same distorted and demonized discourse continues in politically correct ways. 2) Postcolonial India has not systematically analyzed the sinister and distorted discourse, which was unleashed on its culture and traditions in general, and Hinduism in particular. The Certificate program in “Postcolonial Hindu Studies” will systematically explore colonialism as a discourse, i.e. the literary, representational, and ideological component of its political and material dominance. It will carefully examine how Hindus reading colonial texts assimilated and internalized westerns theories and hypotheses about themselves and took on western ways of looking at themselves as the “truth” about their own culture and civilization. It will seek to penetrate the mystical amnesia of colonial aftermath and understand the ways in which the living Hindu culture and civilization have been denounced and marginalized as a consequence of colonial rule in contemporary discourse. It will explore ways of decolonization, i.e. the process of calling into question European categories and epistemologies and seeking freedom from colonial forms of knowledge and thinking. Finally, it will examine and facilitate modes of retrieval, recovery, and rejuvenation of the precolonial Hindu culture and knowledge.
In order to complete the Certificate Program in Postcolonial Hindu Studies, six courses comprising of 18 credit hours will have to be completed. Students will have to first complete the Orientation to Hindu Studies course (1 Credit Hour) and then the following 6 courses:
In the colonial and postcolonial contexts, there have been many attempts both by Indians and western people to situate the
Read More
The current mainstream narrative in western academia is that there are two kinds of Hinduism: traditional and neo and that
Read More
This course outlines the critical issues involved in the European understanding of Hindus and India, developed within the framework of
Read More
This course introduces the theories of various anticolonial and postcolonial writers in order to create a framework for a critical
Read More
In postcolonial scholarship, Edward Said’s work Orientalism can be considered a landmark text. This course helps students understand what Said
Read More 
Orientalism employs a technique termed “deconstruction.” In order to effectively and critically examine a colonial and postcolonial discourse, it is
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As part of Hindu University of America’s commitment to ongoing community education, most courses available at the university including Graduate Division courses are open for registration from members of the community as continuing education students. Anyone including already employed professionals and prospective degree students may apply to any single course as a special student if they can demonstrate that they have the prerequisite preparation. They may discuss their preparedness to take any course with the course faculty or instructor.
- The continuing education stream of courses is targeted towards people who wish to learn ongoingly, without pursuing a specific degree or certificate.
- There are no prerequisites enforced, other than those required by the faculty, and anyone may register. We invite prospective students to try out a course or two and come back for more
- Courses taken as part of community education can be bundled together to earn certificates at a later stage.
The Bhagavadgita is a moksa-sastra, a sacred text that reveals the vision of the Upanisads. In that vision one is,
This course will explore and demonstrate the use of the methods (prakriyas) used in the Upanisads to unfold the non-dual
Who am I, really? Why am I here? Why do we suffer? Is there any solution to the problem of
The central problem of human life is twofold: morality and mortality. Given the certainty of death, is there a meaning
This is the second course in a two-part survey course that provides an overview of dharma literature from the Hindu
The Brahmasūtras are aphorisms on Brahman. Along with the Upaniṣads and the Bhagavadgītā, they form a triad of foundational texts
This two-part survey course provides an overview of dharma literature from ancient and medieval texts of the Hindu tradition. The
This introductory seminar introduces students to the fundamentals of academic research and writing. A prerequisite for beginning graduate study, it
An exploration of Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy and select writings with a focus on the intersection of spirituality and practicality towards
In part-II of this two-part course, we shall consider the Mahābhārata’s reception in the commentaries and lived Hinduism, especially the
To demonstrate how human rights concept and policy could be found in Hindu philosophy, and also how such a linkage
A unique study abroad course that offers an authentic, transformative and enriching experience. This course is aimed at students of
An examination of the concept of nonviolence, its evolution and practice in various cultures and traditions.
Inspired by neo-humanism, the research university was to facilitate self-cultivation, aesthetic appreciation (especially through knowledge of classical antiquity), and a
To explore methods to bridge the chasm between the practice of international politics and universal moral principles.
The current mainstream narrative in western academia is that there are two kinds of Hinduism: traditional and neo and that
In the colonial and postcolonial contexts, there have been many attempts both by Indians and western people to situate the
Orientalism employs a technique termed “deconstruction.” In order to effectively and critically examine a colonial and postcolonial discourse, it is
In postcolonial scholarship, Edward Said’s work Orientalism can be considered a landmark text. This course helps students understand what Said
To examine the core ideas such as state, war, and peace in the ancient text Arthashastra, a major treatise on
To elaborate ideas of good governance and duties of a ruler towards his subjects and Dharma as enshrined in Śānti
Distilled from the Upaniṣad, the Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā is a fundamental text of Hindu Dharma which has given rise to many
This course introduces the theories of various anticolonial and postcolonial writers in order to create a framework for a critical
Vedānta also known as the Upaniṣad, found at the end of all four Vedas, reveal the goal and purpose of
The Vedas are the oldest body of sacred knowledge known to man. A bird’s eye view of the four Vedas,
Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa is a classic story of human self-development focused on the relationship between the macrocosm (the kingdom) and the
Aimed at intermediate and advanced students, this course provides a comprehensive overview of Mahābhārata scholarship, including textual and historical issues
Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, the author of numerous commentaries and pedagogical tracts, is the seminal philosopher in Hinduism, especially its “advaita vedānta”
In religious studies, bhakti is often described as devotion or intense feeling, and presented as “faith” in contrast to “reason.”
What is the meaning of existence? What is the nature of truth? These were the questions asked by ancient Greek
The intellectual movement known as historicism dominated the nineteenth century. At its simplest, it is the view that history is
This course teaches the fundamentals of textual criticism. Alongside a historical survey of scribal and editorial practices, we shall explore
Inspired by neo-humanism, the research university was to facilitate self-cultivation, aesthetic appreciation (especially through a knowledge of classical antiquity), and
Building on “Historical Methods and Sources,” this course introduces students to the philosophy of history, i.e., the philosophical inquiry into
As a mode of knowing, history has acquired unparalleled prestige. We now think that to know when, where and under
The Age of Enlightenment or, simply, the Enlightenment extended from the late seventeenth to the eighteenth century. This epoch had
German Indology, a field of inquiry that emerged in nineteenth-century Germany calls itself the “science of Indian antiquity” and “the
This course outlines the critical issues involved in the European understanding of Hindus and India, developed within the framework of
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a foundational text for understanding the world of Yoga. Using this text, the course will
To mainstream the ideas of Mahatma Gandhi towards developing a new and enabling perspective from Hindu philosophical tradition to make
An exploration of Hindu thought, particularly those elements which are relevant from a conflict resolution perspective.
An overview of conflict resolution and peace studies with a focus on the major theories and their application to contemporary
An overview of the unique programs, areas of study and courses offered by Hindu University of America. Preliminary reflection on
Fellowships in Advanced Studies are available to scholars who already possess a Ph.D., in any field, but wish to pursue post-doctoral research in the field of Hindu Studies. Students admitted into the advanced studies program, can expand their research interests, explore many of the available Doctoral level seminars and courses, and augment their knowledge. Most advanced studies fellows are expected to apply with a proposal for writing a book or thesis on a subject that they have already been researching or have an interest in.
We will be soon announcing the programs.
For an analysis to be sound, poignant, and pointed, it is important to understand the philosophical base and container within which the analysis is conducted. One of the techniques that postcolonial discourse uses is deconstruction. Deconstruction essentially means examining the sociological-political-historical-economic contexts within which a given reality or “truth” comes into existence, which over a period of time become eternal, timeless, and context-independent. Though there are many philosophers who have used the technique of deconstruction for various enunciations, this course will introduce the philosophical underpinnings of deconstruction through the writings of Nietzsche and Foucault. There has been a decisive impact of Foucault on Said’s Orientalism and Foucault was widely influenced by Nietzsche. This philosophical container will give a wide base to students to deconstruct the European writings on India and Hinduism.
In this course, the student will
- learn what the technical term widely used in academia today, deconstruction, actually means;
- appreciate the philosophical and historical underpinnings of deconstruction;
- be able to apply the technique of deconstruction in critically examining the colonial and orientalist writings on India and Hinduism.
Area of Study: Post Colonial Hindu Studies, History and Method
Required/Elective: Elective
Prerequisites: Admission into a Program of Study
Instructor: Dr. Kundan Singh
