Universities and Tibetan Studies

<p>Which universities have undergraduate programs in Tibetan Studies?</p>

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<p>Columbia is the only school that offers a program like that I think.</p>

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<p>Emory has a well-known Tibetan Studies program abroad, although I’m not sure what on-campus resources it offers. </p>

<p>According to the LCTL database, over 30 colleges offer Tibetan. </p>

<p>[LCTL</a> Course Offerings](<a href=“http://www.carla.umn.edu/lctl/db/]LCTL”>The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA))</p>

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<p>Thanks!! that helps alot</p>

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<p>Hampshire and Smith host a Five College Program in Tibetan Studies (Smith’s is inside the Philosophy Department.) They take 15 students to India each year for further studies.</p>

<p>Last year, they hosted the Dalai Lama.</p>

<p>[Smith</a> College & Hampshire College: Wisdom, Compassion, Peace, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama](<a href=“http://www.smith.edu/dalailama/tibetan.php]Smith”>http://www.smith.edu/dalailama/tibetan.php)</p>

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<p>The Dalai Lama has made several trips to Madison. They also teach the language and have a number of programs covering Tibet including a major in east asian studies.</p>

<p>[Madison</a> to host Dalai Lama | Article from Telegraph - Herald (Dubuque) | HighBeam Research](<a href=“http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-16858614.html]Madison”>http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-16858614.html)</p>

<p>[Brain</a> and Emotions Research at UW-Madison](<a href=“http://www.news.wisc.edu/packages/emotion/6205.html]Brain”>http://www.news.wisc.edu/packages/emotion/6205.html)</p>

<p>[Dalai</a> Lama returns to Madison May 4 (Feb. 14, 2007)](<a href=“http://www.news.wisc.edu/13468]Dalai”>Dalai Lama returns to Madison May 4)</p>

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<p>If the goal is to prepare for graduate work in this field and eventually earn a Ph.D., you’re going to want to learn not only Tibetan but probably also Sanskrit (if your emphasis is on traditional Tibetan religion and culture), and maybe Chinese (Modern Standard, Classical). So language-learning will be one of your biggest challenges. There won’t be too many American schools that teach at least 2 of those well, especially among small colleges. Maybe Berkeley, Michigan, or Chicago, in addition to Columbia? Fire off some emails (or phone calls) to some of the contact people in the LCTL links IBclass posted, to ask about what’s involved and what the school offers.</p>

<p>If you want to be a Philosophy major in a terminal BA program with a few Tibet-related courses, that’s a different story (you’ll just have to satisfy the school language requirement, if any).</p>

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<p>thanks everyone. you all have been a big help</p>

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<p>Also, check out Indiana U. Dept. of Central Eurasian Studies</p>

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<p>Wisconsin offers a HUGE list of languages. It’s not always just UCB and Michigan (which has fewer)</p>

<p>[The</a> University of Wisconsin-Madison Language Institute](<a href=“http://languageinstitute.wisc.edu/]The”>http://languageinstitute.wisc.edu/)</p>

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<p>Agreed. UWisconsin has always been the gold standard. (Some day, if I can ever get the time off from work, I will go to their summer institute in Tamil. They did, however, end their 40 year old study abroad program in Madurai this year. I’m friends with the now-unemployed director.)</p>

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<p>I know U Va. has a graduate program in it because one of my friends got accepted to that for the fall. Check to see if they have an undergrad program.</p>

<p>I also know that Wesleyan has a top scholar in the Tibetan language, but I don’t know if they have a program in Tibetan studies.</p>

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<p>UW still offers several programs in India and Joe Elder is still running them. Your friend must have been on the ground in Madurai.</p>

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<p>Joe Elder is an old friend of mine for 35 years (fellow Quaker). Friend is indeed in Madurai - but he actually makes a pretty good living as a 55-year-old Tamil rock star.</p>

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<p>These are my stats: 'm white, from Virginia, and am nervous about getting into the colleges am plan applying to.
Please give me some perspective on what is reality vs fantasy.</p>

<p>Academics:</p>

<p>Honors Courses To Date- 5 (1 freshmen year, 1 sophomore year, and 3 Junior Year)</p>

<p>GPA- 3.54 UW, 3.84 W</p>

<p>Senior Schedule:</p>

<p>AP Lit
AP Environmental
AP Psychology
Honors Journalism
Gov’t
Trig</p>

<p>SAT: Best composite- 1770
Best Combined- 1830 (620 CR, 600 M,610 Writing) (waiting for results from june)</p>

<p>Extras-</p>

<p>200+ hours of community service which includes serivce trips to India working with Tibetan Refugees</p>

<p>Founder of the Meditation Club (11)
Astronomy Club (9,10,11)
French Club (9,10,11)</p>

<p>Was inducted into Quill and Scroll and Beta Club this year</p>

<p>Wrestled 10th, Lacrosse 11,…</p>

<p>Which of these schools with TIbetan programs would be realistic for me?</p>

<p>Columbia is out of reach, unless your SATs go up a lot (and even then it’s a reach), or you can persuade the Dalai Lama to write you a strong Letter of Recommendation addressed to Robert Thurman (actress Uma Thurman’s father and the big Tibetan Buddhism scholar at Columbia).</p>

<p>But don’t lose heart on that score. Having a well-defined interest, a passion, matters MUCH more than your SATs.</p>

<p>I don’t know how competitive Wisconsin or Indiana might be for OOS applicants. One alternative you might want to consider is Earlham College, a small Quaker school in Indiana. No, they do not have a Tibetan Studies program, but I bet you could put your own program together within their strong Religion department, or within their Peace and Global Studies program. Then plan to spend time learning Tibetan elsewhere, like in India. That’s really the best way to learn the language anyway. </p>

<p>You should have a good chance of acceptance to Earlham. They have an excellent record of preparing students for grad school. Shoot for Columbia at that point if you want an advanced degree.</p>

<p>thanks ill look into it</p>

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