Bachelor of Religious Studies

Program Description

The Bachelor of Religious Studies program is designed to provide students with a broad base of knowledge in Buddhism and other religions. The basic Buddhist principles will help to guide the students to grow, physical, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually into dynamic citizens of the world. This program will help the student to see how spirituality has an important part in the development of a holistic person.

 

Program Objectives

The objectives of the Bachelor of Religious Studies program are to:

1. Provide students a comprehensive knowledge about the origin, development, and the spread of Buddhism in the world.
2. Introduce students with the various aspects of Buddhist teachings, philosophies, ethics, and meditation traditions.
3. Acquaint students with the history of Buddhist Pali, Sanskrit, and classical Chinese literatures.

 

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the Bachelor of Religious Studies program, the students will:

1. Develop substantive knowledge of Buddhist history, thought, texts, and practices.
2. Demonstrate analytical skills through specialist and comparative work.
3. Assess multiple theories and methods of Buddhist Studies.
4. Develop critical thinking, writing, and research skills.

 

Admission Requirements

1. Submit a completed and signed Application Form: The application form can be requested from the Admission’s Office or downloaded from the University website: www.iueast.org.

2. Submit the $100 Application Fee (non-refundable).

3. Submit all documents that are required by the admissions office:

• a. Proof of Graduation: Applicants must provide proof of completion of high school in order to qualify for admissions, such as official transcripts or certificate of graduation.
• b. International Students Only:
  • Copy of valid passport
  • Copy of valid visa
  • Copy of I-94, if available
  • Previous institutions Form I-20
  • Bank Statement, or Affidavit of Support

4. Personal Identification: All applicants are required to submit a photocopy of personal identification such as state driver’s license, government issued identification card, and passport or any government issued photo identification.

 

Graduation Requirements

Successful completion of 180 quarter units of study is required with minimum of 2.0 cumulative grade point average. The normal time necessary to complete the program is 4 years.

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Course Requirements

General Education Course Requirements (20 Courses: 80 Quarter Units)

Course Number	Course Title	Quarter Units
ANT 101	Introduction to Anthropology	4
COM 101	Intro. to Computer & Information Processing	4
ECO 101	Introduction to Economics	4
ENG 101	Developing Communication Skills	4
ENG 102	Creative Writing	4
ENG 103	Literature of the West	4
ENG 104	Literature of the East	4
ENG 105	Public Speaking	4
ENG 106	Cross Cultural Communication	4
ENG 107	English Composition and Reading	4
HIS 101	United States History through 1876	4
HIS 102	United States History since 1876	4
HIS 103	Asian History	4
HIS 104	World Civilization I	4
HIS 105	World Civilization II	4
HUM 101	Civilizations of the West	4
HUM 102	Civilizations of the East	4
HUM 103	Critical Thinking in the Twenty-first Century	4
HUM 104	Logic	4
HUM 105	The Intimate Lives of the World’s Most Famous Artists	4
HUM 106	Lives of Extraordinary Women	4
MAT 101	College Mathematics	4
PHI 101	Introduction to Philosophy	4
POL 101	Introduction to Political Science	4
POL 110	International Relations	4
PSY 101	Introduction to Psychology	4
SOC 101	Introduction to Sociology	4
SCI 101	Human Health and Development	4
REL 101	Religions of the East	4
REL 102	Religions of the West	4
REL 103	Foundations of Buddhism	4
REL 104	Foundations of Christianity	4
REL 105	Foundations of Islam	4
REL 106	Foundations of Judaism	4
REL 107	Foundations of Hinduism	4
REL 113	Comparative Philosophy of Religion	4
REL 114	Comparative Religious Ethics	4
REL 115	Spiritual Counseling and Care	4
REL 116	Religion and Psychology	4
REL 117	Comparative Religion Seminar	4
REL 120	Religion, Conflict and Peace	4
REL 130	Introduction to the World’s Religions	4
REL 131	Christian Doctrine	4
REL 135	Bible Hermeneutics	4
REL 140	Survey of Old Testament	4
REL 150	Survey of New Testament	4
REL 155	Early and Medieval Church History	4
BUD 201	Introduction to Buddhist Meditation	4
BUD 202	Intermediate Buddhist Meditation	4
BUD 203	Advanced Buddhist Meditation	4
BUD 204	Fundamentals of Buddhism	4
BUD 301	Buddhism and Culture	4
BUD 302	Ethics in Buddhism	4
BUD 303	Practicum in Buddhist Ministry I	4
BUD 304	Practicum in Buddhist Ministry II	4
BUD 305	Buddhism in East Asia	4
BUD 306	Cultural and Social Aspects of Buddhism	4
BUD 307	Buddhist Commentaries	4
BUD 401	Pastoral Counseling for Buddhist Ministry	4
BUD 402	Individual Study for Buddhist Ministerial Students	4
BUD 403	Profiles of Buddhist Leadership	4
BUD 407	Buddhist Sutras in English	4
BUD 408	Buddhist Philosophy	4
BUD 409	Buddhism in South and Southeast Asia	4
BUD 410	Buddhist Psychology	4
BUD 411	Buddhist Sociology	4
BUD 413	Early Buddhism and the History of Theravada	4
BUD 420	Buddhism and Cognition	4
BUD 421	Mindfulness and Cognitive Process	4
BUD 430	Buddhism Meditation Traditions	4