The Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Hindu Studies, builds on the foundations already developed by the Master’s Degree in Hindu Studies and offers students opportunities for deep specialization within a tradition or knowledge-system (also called Sampradāya a) and cross-disciplinary study, both across Hindu traditions and knowledge-systems as well as contemporary disciplines in the liberal arts, social sciences and humanities. Students can access courses offered both by HUA as well as its affiliate institutions and are developed for professional careers in teaching, writing, and scholarship, as well as public service, leadership and global engagement with religious organizations, social service and non-profit organizations and educational institutions.
- For students who already possess a Master’s Degree in Hindu Studies, 60 Quarter Credit hours, or 20 courses are required to earn a Doctoral Degree
- Students who do not have a Master’s Degree in Hindu Studies but possess an equivalent of 2-years of post-bachelor’s degree education in the liberal arts, humanities or social sciences, may also apply. They may receive partial equivalency credit for courses they have taken as part of the Master’s Degree they have.
- Students who do not have a Master’s Degree already may apply for an accelerated MA-PhD Degree program.
- Typically, 90 Quarter Credit hours, or 60 Semester Credit Hours are required to earn an integrated Master’s and Doctoral Degree
- Once admitted into the accelerated program, students will have the option of completing their study with a terminal Master’s Degree or continue with their Doctoral Degree.
- To earn a Doctoral Degree, students will have to take a set of Research level “Core Courses” and specialize in one or two Areas of Study, at the Doctoral Seminar level
- All Students must pass a Doctoral Qualifying Exam, (DQE), and demonstrate an adequate level of proficiency in Sanskrit, in order to qualify for the Doctoral Thesis phase of the Program
- Students must write a Doctoral Dissertation based on original research as part of the Thesis Phase of their program. Ordinarily, the Doctoral Dissertation may take at least two years or more.
- Special Students with prior experience in religious, social work or community service, may be eligible to participate in a “Thesis Only” Doctoral Program, provided they qualify by successfully taking the Doctoral Qualifying Exam and can establish equivalency with the course work requirements.
- This “Thesis-Only” Option will require the student to write a Thesis over 36 months (or longer) and establish the equivalency for 60 Quarter Credit Hours.
The Philosophy of History
HAM6402- This course introduces students to the philosophy of history, i.e., the philosophical inquiry into the meaning, nature, and validity
Postcolonial Theory
PHS6300 - This course provides a full spectrum on thinkers, writers, and theorists who have commented on the colonial occupation
Reason and Revelation in Hindu Philosophy
HSF6006 - This basic course in Hindu philosophy introduces the theory of knowledge and valid criteria for obtaining knowledge (i.e.,
James Mill and the Rise of Liberal-Left in Britain
PHS6303 - This course shows that the noxious discourse on Hindus and Hinduism which emerged through the writings of James
Race and Hindu Reform
HAM6405 - This course is the second part of a two-part course sequence that begins with HAM6403-Race and Modern Hinduism.
Mahābhārata V: Bhakti and Contemporary Hinduism
TAT7205 - This is Part V of the 6-part Mahābhārata certificate program. The Mahābhārata is the founding text of classical
Hinduism and Conflict Resolution
CPS5502 - The course explores Hindu ideas and their relevance for conflict resolution. Click here to check if you are
Mahābhārata VI: Methods and Scholarship
TAT7206 - This course is the sixth of a 6-part Course Sequence that explores the great epic of India, The
Mahābhārata IV: Epic Philosophy
TAT7204 - This course is the fourth of a 6-part Course Sequence that explores the great epic of India, The
The Bhagavadgītā and the West
HAM6404 - This course traces the history of the Western reception of the Bhagavadgītā, a central text of classical Hinduism.
Decolonizing the Hindu Condition
PHS6302 - This course will analyze in detail the psychological and sociological consequences of the British colonial narratives on Hindus,
Race & Modern Hinduism
This course traces the construction of “race” in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Europe, beginning with the theological, political, and scientific source
Mahābhārata III: War Books
TAT7203 - This course is the third of a 6-part Course Sequence that explores the great epic of India, The
Introduction to Bhagavadgita
HSF5002 - The Bhagavad Gita is a moksha-shastra, a sacred text that reveals the vision of the Upanisads. In that
Advaita Vedanta: A Method
HSF6004 - This course will explore and demonstrate the use of the methods (prakriyas) used in the Upanisads to unfold
Freedom and Reality: An Introduction to Advaita Vedanta
HSF5004 - Who am I, really? Why am I here? Why do we suffer? Is there any solution to the
Comparative Religion: Death and Meaning
HSF6003 - The central problem of human life is twofold: morality and mortality. Given the certainty of death, is there
History of Dharmaśāstras II
HSF6006 - This is the second course in a two-part survey course that provides an overview of dharma literature from
Brahmasūtras
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History of Dharmaśāstras I
HSF5006 - This two-part survey course provides an overview of dharma literature from ancient and medieval texts of the Hindu
Research and Writing Preparatory Seminar
This introductory seminar introduces students to the fundamentals of academic research and writing. A prerequisite for beginning graduate study, it
Philosophy of Sri Aurobindo
An exploration of Sri Aurobindo’s philosophy and select writings with a focus on the intersection of spirituality and practicality towards
The Mahābhārata II: Dicing and Exile
TAT7202 - This course is the second of a 6-part Course Sequence that explores the great epic of India, The
Human Rights: A Hindu Perspective
CPS6506 - To demonstrate how human rights concept and policy could be found in Hindu philosophy, and also how such
Discover Life by Exploring India
HSF5001 - A unique study abroad course that offers an authentic, transformative and enriching experience. This course is aimed at
Philosophy of Nonviolence
An examination of the concept of nonviolence, its evolution and practice in various cultures and traditions.
The Humanities and the University – II
Inspired by neo-humanism, the research university was to facilitate self-cultivation, aesthetic appreciation (especially through knowledge of classical antiquity), and a
International Politics: A Hindu Perspective
CPS6507 - To explore methods to bridge the chasm between the practice of international politics and universal moral principles.
Contesting Neo-Hinduism
PHS7302 - The current mainstream narrative in western academia is that there are two kinds of Hinduism: traditional and neo
Philosophy of Science and Hinduism
PHS8302 - In the colonial and postcolonial contexts, there have been many attempts both by Indians and western people to
Philosophical Foundations of Orientalism
Orientalism employs a technique termed “deconstruction.” In order to effectively and critically examine a colonial and postcolonial discourse, it is
Orientalism and Hinduism
PHS7301 - In postcolonial scholarship, Edward Said’s work Orientalism can be considered a landmark text. This course helps students understand
Arthaśāstra
CPS 5505 - To examine the core ideas such as state, war, and peace in the ancient text Arthashastra, a
Śhānti Parva
CPS5504 - To elaborate ideas of good governance and duties of a ruler towards his subjects and Dharma as enshrined
The Vision of the Bhagavad-Gītā
HSF5002 - Distilled from the Upaniṣad, the Śrīmad Bhagavad-Gītā is a fundamental text of Hindu Dharma which has given rise
Anticolonialism and Postcolonialism
PHS6301 - This course introduces the theories of various anticolonial and postcolonial writers in order to create a framework for
The Foundation of Vedānta
HSF5004 - Vedānta also known as the Upaniṣad, found at the end of all four Vedas, reveal the goal and
An Overview of the Veda
HSF5003 - The Vedas are the oldest body of sacred knowledge known to man. A bird’s eye view of the
Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa
TAT7203 - Vālmīki’s Rāmāyaṇa is a classic story of human self-development focused on the relationship between the macrocosm (the kingdom)
The Mahābhārata I: From Beginning to End
TAT7201 - This course is the first of a 6-part Course Sequence that explores the great epic of India, The
Ādi Śaṅkara
TAT6202 - Ādi Śaṅkarācārya, the author of numerous commentaries and pedagogical tracts, is the seminal philosopher in Hinduism, especially its
Bhakti and Philosophy
TAT6201 - In religious studies, bhakti is often described as devotion or intense feeling, and presented as “faith” in contrast
Ancient Greek Philosophy
HSF6002 - What is the meaning of existence? What is the nature of truth? These were the questions asked by
Historicism and Its Crisis
HAM8402 - The intellectual movement known as historicism dominated the nineteenth century. At its simplest, it is the view that
Textual Criticism
This course teaches the fundamentals of textual criticism. Alongside a historical survey of scribal and editorial practices, we shall explore
The Humanities and the University – I
Inspired by neo-humanism, the research university was to facilitate self-cultivation, aesthetic appreciation (especially through a knowledge of classical antiquity), and
The Philosophy of History
Building on “Historical Methods and Sources,” this course introduces students to the philosophy of history, i.e., the philosophical inquiry into
Historical Methods and Sources
As a mode of knowing, history has acquired unparalleled prestige. We now think that to know when, where and under
The Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment or, simply, the Enlightenment extended from the late seventeenth to the eighteenth century. This epoch had
Aryanism and Indology
The idea of an Aryan “master race” has an enduring hold on the racist imagination. But when and how did
