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
To elaborate ideas of good governance and duties of a ruler towards his subjects and Dharma as enshrined in Śānti ...
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Who is a Hindu? Why are they called a Hindu? Who started the Hindu “religion”? When did it start? What ...
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To examine the core ideas such as state, war, and peace in the ancient text Arthashastra, a major treatise on ...
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The very title “Mahābhārata” conjures up images of a great war in which 18 armies were annihilated. Using divine weaponry, ...
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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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In postcolonial scholarship, Edward Said’s work Orientalism can be considered a landmark text. This course helps students understand what Said ...
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This course is the first of a three-part course sequence in the Hindu Musical Traditions – Shastriya Sangeet. Hindu Musical ...
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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, ...
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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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This Course is the second in the 3-Course Sequence in the Hindu Musical Traditions – Shastriya Sangeet. Hindu Musical Traditions ...
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An exploration of Hindu thought, particularly those elements which are relevant from a conflict resolution perspective ...
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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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This course is the third in a 3-Course sequence in the Hindu Musical Traditions – Shastriya Sangeet. Hindu Musical Traditions ...
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The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali is a foundational text for understanding the world of Yoga. Today, Yoga has a worldwide ...
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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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This course explores the history and impact of Vedic Wisdom on America’s Spiritual Landscape. Hindu Dharma has irrevocably altered 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 ...
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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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This course provides online classroom training under the guidance of senior yoga therapists so that students can learn to practice ...
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The intellectual movement known as historicism dominated the nineteenth century. At its simplest, it is the view that history is ...
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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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This course is the first of a two-quarter course sequence that examines the scientific evidence emerging in contemporary times, in ...
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What is the meaning of existence? What is the nature of truth? These were the questions asked by ancient Greek ...
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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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This course is the second of a two-quarter course sequence that examines the scientific evidence emerging in contemporary times, in ...
Read More
In religious studies, bhakti is often described as devotion or intense feeling, and presented as “faith” in contrast to “reason.” ...
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This two-part survey course provides an overview of dharma literature from ancient and medieval texts of the Hindu tradition. The ...
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Registrations still open please feel free to Register into the course. This course explores the contributions of the Hindus to ...
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Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, the author of numerous commentaries and pedagogical tracts, is the seminal philosopher in Hinduism, especially its “advaita vedānta” ...
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This is the second course in a two-part survey course that provides an overview of dharma literature from the Hindu ...
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Gita Vidya Sadhana is the first part of a three-part sequence of courses titled Sadhana, Sodhana, and Vadana that help ...
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Aimed at intermediate and advanced students, this course provides a comprehensive overview of Mahābhārata scholarship, including textual and historical issues ...
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Who am I, really? Why am I here? Why do we suffer? Is there any solution to the problem of ...
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Gita Vidya Sodhana is the second part of a three-part sequence of courses titled Sadhana, Sodhana and Vadana that help ...
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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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This course will explore and demonstrate the use of the methods (prakriyas) used in the Upanisads to unfold the non-dual ...
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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 Bhagavad Gita is a moksha-shastra, a sacred text that reveals the vision of the Upanisads. In that vision one ...
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This course introduces the theories of various anticolonial and postcolonial writers in order to create a framework for a critical ...
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Antaraṅga yoga course is designed to use the itihasa-purana Mahabharata as a mirror to explore oneself. The Mahabharata, the longest ...
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Distilled from the Upaniṣad, the Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā is a fundamental text of Hindu Dharma which has given rise to many ...
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How is this Coronavirus pandemic going to end? Will we return to our 'old selves' and our 'familiar normal' after ...
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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:
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 ...
Read More
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 traces the construction of “race” in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe, beginning with the theological, political, and scientific source ...
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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.
Gita Vidya Sodhana is the second part of a three-part sequence of courses titled Sadhana, Sodhana and Vadana that help
Gita Vidya Sadhana is the first part of a three-part sequence of courses titled Sadhana, Sodhana, and Vadana that help
This course traces the construction of “race” in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe, beginning with the theological, political, and scientific source
This course provides in-depth experience of holistic yoga, that integrates asana, pranayama, and meditation techniques for a sustained yoga practice.
This course provides online classroom training under the guidance of senior yoga therapists so that students can learn to practice
This course explores the impact of ancient Vedic Wisdom on the modern questions of environmental sustainability and global regeneration. It
Registrations still open please feel free to Register into the course. This course explores the contributions of the Hindus to
This course is the second of a two-quarter course sequence that examines the scientific evidence emerging in contemporary times, in
This course is the first of a two-quarter course sequence that examines the scientific evidence emerging in contemporary times, in
This course provides online classroom training under the guidance of senior yoga therapists so that students can learn to practice
This course is the third in a 3-Course sequence in the Hindu Musical Traditions – Shastriya Sangeet. Hindu Musical Traditions
This Course is the second in the 3-Course Sequence in the Hindu Musical Traditions – Shastriya Sangeet. Hindu Musical Traditions
This course is the first of a three-part course sequence in the Hindu Musical Traditions – Shastriya Sangeet. Hindu Musical
Who is a Hindu? Why are they called a Hindu? Who started the Hindu “religion”? When did it start? What
How is this Coronavirus pandemic going to end? Will we return to our 'old selves' and our 'familiar normal' after
This course provides an introduction to holistic yoga, that integrates yoga philosophy from classical scriptural texts and sustained yoga practice.
This course will explore and demonstrate the use of the methods (prakriyas) used in the Upanisads to unfold the non-dual
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
This two-part survey course provides an overview of dharma literature from ancient and medieval texts of the Hindu tradition. The
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
This course outlines the critical issues involved in the European understanding of Hindus and India, developed within the framework of
The Yoga Sutras of Patañjali is a foundational text for understanding the world of Yoga. Today, Yoga has a worldwide
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.