Buddhist Studies Graduate Programs in Canada

This list aims to provide an overview of current graduate programs in Buddhist Studies across Canada’s universities. While most programs offer degrees in Religious Studies with a specialization in Buddhist Studies, some have faculty members who can supervisor your work in the field. It is a work-in-progress and will be updated periodically. We do not have any affiliations to these institutions. If you have any questions about a specific program, please contact their representatives directly. If you wish to share your program’s information or find the listed information incorrect, please leave a comment below and/or contact us.

Latest update: October 2021

Alberta

University of Alberta

MA East Asian Studies

• Research areas: East Asian Religions
• Scholarships: Recruitment Scholarship Competitions, Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Competition (CGS-M)

University of Calgary

MA in Religious Studies

PhD in Religious Studies

• Research areas: Eastern Religions – Buddhist Studies; East Asian Religions; Chinese philosophy; Indian philosophy; South Asian Religions and Nature of Religion – Comparative religion; comparative philosophy and religion; religious pluralism; science and religion; women and religion; religion and film; religion and place studies; new religious movements; hermeneutics; theory and method in the study of religion
• Faculty Research Interests
• Awards

Organizations & Institutes in Buddhist Studies:

•  Numata Chair in Buddhist Studies

University of Lethbridge

MA in Religious Studies

• Research areas: The Nature of Religiosity, New Religious Movements in North America, Asian Religious Teachers & Spiritual Seekers, Japanese Religion & Culture, Modern Buddhism, Buddhism in the West
• Faculty with research interest in East Asian religions, Buddhism in the West, Theory and method in the study of religion
• Award Opportunities

British Columbia

Simon Fraser University

• Faculty with research interests relating to Buddhist Studies:
• Dr. Heesoon Bai, Faculty of Education: Her current research interests cluster around examining and deconstructing ontological and epistemological assumptions that underlie our cultural practices, our ethics and aesthetics. In her work she calls for reanimation of our selves within all spheres of human beingness in the service of living ethically and in beauty. Ethics and aesthetics are one. Through contemplative inquiry and practices, such as Zen, she offers ways to experiment with replenishing, nourishing, and animating our being.
• Dr. Luke Clossey, Department of History, Centre for the Comparative Study of Muslim Societies and Cultures: Dr. Clossey currently has two major research projects. Global Jesus: Cross-Cultural Cults of Christ in the Late Traditional World takes a big-data approach (including 10,000 images) to consider the role of Muslim and Christian Jesus in the making of the modern world. The community-oriented project Thai Forest Buddhism Enters the British Columbian Forest uses oral history to recreate the Canadian establishment of a highly traditional branch of Buddhism in the 1990s, which looked to ancient India to develop “new” old pathways to well-being.
• Dr. Paul Crowe, Department of Humanities: His primary area of research is Song (960-1279) and Yuan (1279-1368) dynasty traditions of self-cultivation with a focus on Golden Elixir alchemy (Jīndān 金丹). This necessarily entails study of associated Buddhist and Confucian (Rú 儒) textual traditions, as there was continual exchange of ideas between all three domains of praxis. His interest in the classical Chinese world has extended to contemporary Chinese religious institutions in Canada (Buddhist and Daoist), and from there to matters related to migration, religion, and identity. He is also keenly interested in intercultural discussions of ethics, and philosophy more broadly, and the European construction of “philosophy” (zhéxué 哲學) and “religion” (zōngjiào 宗教) in the context of China’s evolving intellectual history.

University of British Columbia

MA in Asian Studies

• Interested applicants can apply to have their studies supervised directly by scholars specializing in Buddhist Studies. See the department’s list of prospective supervisors here

PhD in Asian Studies

• In special cases, PhD degree programs can be arranged jointly between Asian studies and other departments. For interdisciplinary programs, please contact the Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Program directly http://www.isgp.ubc.ca/. Interested applicants can apply to have their studies supervised directly by scholars specializing in Buddhist Studies. See the department’s list of prospective supervisors here

Organizations & Institutes in Buddhist Studies:

• From the Ground Up: Buddhism and East Asian Religions
• Glorisun Global Network for Buddhist Studies
• RHNHFF Program in Buddhism and Contemporary Society

University of Victoria

MA Pacific and Asian Studies

• Research areas: A multidisciplinary program, with an emphasis on analytical approaches to language, literature, history, theatre, film, religion, philosophy, politics, cultural and social issues, and more.
• Fellowships and Awards
• Faculty Research Interests

Manitoba

University of Manitoba

MA in Religion (Joint Master of Arts program with the University of Winnipeg)

• Research areas: Buddhism, Religion in Canada, Ethics; Body History; Critical Theory
• Financial assistance: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Research Grant, University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF), Manitoba Graduate Scholarships, and other opportunities
• Award & Fellowships: The Ruth and Gordon Harland Fellowship, The August Dyck Fellowship, The Donald Snider Fellowship, The Moshe Stern Award
• Faculty Research Interests

PhD in Religion

• Research areas: Religions of South and East Asia, esp. Hinduism and Buddhism; Methodology, Hermeneutics and Critical Theory
• Financial assistance: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Research Grant, University of Manitoba Graduate Fellowship (UMGF), and other opportunities
• Awards & Fellowships: The Ruth and Gordon Harland Fellowship, The August Dyck Fellowship, The Donald Snider Fellowship
• Faculty Research Interests

University of Winnipeg

JMP in Religion (Joint Master of Arts program with the University of Manitoba)

• Research areas: The Joint Master of Arts Program in Religion prepares students to undertake advanced study in the interdisciplinary field of religious studies.
• Funding
• Graduate students are also eligible for financial assistance program at University of Manitoba

Nova Scotia

Saint Mary’s University

MA in Theology and Religious Studies

Research areas: While the M.A. in Theology and Religious Studies will provide basic graduate education in traditional subjects in Theology and Religious Studies, it will encourage the engagement of students in research and practical training focused on the growing religious diversity within Canada and especially the Maritime region.

Faculty with research areas in Buddhist Studies

Ontario

Brock University

MA in Philosophy

• Research areas: 1) Eastern Philosophy: Indian and Upanishadic Philosophy: texts from the six orthodox schools of Indian philosophy, especially Vedanta, Early Indian Buddhist traditions, especially Madhyamika schools and Yogacara Buddhism; Bhakti traditions, Gandhi; Chinese Philosophy, especially Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese Buddhism; 2) Comparative Philosophy: Comparison of Eastern and Western traditions with respect to problems of being, knowledge, person, values, and philosophical method.
• Scholarships, Bursaries & Awards

Carleton University

MA in Religion and Public Life

• Research areas: The MA in Religion and Public Life offers you the opportunity to examine the social, cultural, and political aspects of religion in a variety of historical contexts from antiquity to the 21st century. While the degree focuses on religion, its inherent interdisciplinary approach provides numerous engaging avenues of exploration. From a practical perspective the course work of the MA concentrates on case studies related to how aspects of religion interact with the “public sphere”. These case studies address how religious ideology and discourse have interacted with institutions such as the law, the state, the economy, the media, and many others
• Scholarships, Bursaries & Awards

Emmanuel College of victoria university, University of Toronto

Master of Pastoral Studies – Buddhist Studies

McMaster University

MA in Religious Studies

• Research areas: Asian Field – Buddhism
• Faculty Research Interests
• University scholarships: Standard Graduate Scholarships, Harry Lyman Hooker Senior Scholarship, the Ashbaugh and the Dalley Fellowship
• External awards: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Award and Ontario Graduate Scholarships (OGS)
• Department-nominated awards and travelling scholarships are also available
• Student Assistantships Bursaries

PhD in Religious Studies

• Research areas: Asian Field – Buddhism
• Faculty Research Interest
• Scholarships and Awards: See information under MA in Religious Studies

Organizations & Institutes in Buddhist Studies:

• Centre for Buddhist Studies

Queen’s University

MA in Religious Studies

• Research areas: The program focuses on the relationship between religion and culture (ancient or contemporary), and places an emphasis on contemporary theories and methods in the study of religion.
• Faculty Research Interests
• Funding & Award: Ontario Graduate Scholarship, Canada Graduate Scholarship – Masters (CGS-M) Competition, Teaching Assistantships

University of Ottawa

MA in Religious Studies

• Research areas: The programs focus on religions in Canada, including Amerindian and Inuit traditions, and on religions in the comparative cultural context as well as religions in the Graeco-Roman World. The comparative cultural approach provides an opportunity to explore religious phenomena across different religious traditions expressly within their specific cultural contexts. The program favours the methods of anthropology, history, psychology and sociology. The Department participates in collaborative programs in Women’s Studies and in Medieval and Renaissance Studies at the MA level.
• Faculty Research Interests
• Awards and Financial Support

PhD in Religious Studies | PhD in Religious Studies Specialization in Canadian Studies

• Research areas: The programs focus on religions in Canada, including Amerindian and Inuit traditions, and on religions in the comparative cultural context as well as religions in the Graeco-Roman World. The comparative cultural approach provides an opportunity to explore religious phenomena across different religious traditions expressly within their specific cultural contexts. The program favours the methods of anthropology, history, psychology and sociology.
• Awards and Financial Support

University of Toronto

MA Program | PhD Program, Department for the Study of Religion

• Research areas: Field of Study – Buddhist Studies: The field currently highlights a context-sensitive study of Buddhism, focusing on ritual, philosophy, medicine and other intellectual developments and modes of practice in South Asia, the Himalayas, Nepal, Burma/Myanmar, Central Asia, Tibet, China, Korea and Japan.
• Financial Assistance: All doctoral students are offered tuition plus a stipend of at least $15,000 for five years.  Sixth year doctoral students are eligible for the Doctoral Completion Award (values vary from year to year). All students are encouraged to apply for external awards (SSHRC, OGS) and the DSR provides extensive resources in support of external award applications. Other potential sources of funding can be found on the awards page.
• Canadian students should consider applying for OSAP, the Ontario Graduate Scholarship, various SSHRC programs, SGS University Wide Awards and Restricted Departmental Awards. Deadlines are as early as October of the year preceding registration. International students should seek financial support from their home countries and should also apply for the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.
• Faculty’s fields of study

Organizations & Institutes in Buddhist Studies:

• The Robert H.N. Ho Family Foundation Centre for Buddhist Studies
• Teaching Buddhist Studies

University of Waterloo

Joint PhD program in Religious Diversity in North America (with Wilfrid Laurier University)

• Research areas: The program concentrates on the diverse nature of, and interactions among, the religious traditions and movements of Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. The emphasis is largely, although not exclusively, contemporary, in order to understand the religious complexity of the North American continent, essential textual and historical background is provided.
• Funding: Full-time graduate students at both universities are automatically considered for teaching assistantships and scholarships, both of which may be held concurrently. Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis, taking into account grade-point averages, recommendations, and other indicators of academic performance and promise. A student’s financial assistance package may be adjusted to take into account external awards such as Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Doctoral Fellowships and Ontario Graduate Scholarships. Other awards and funding
• Faculty Research Interests

Wilfrid Laurier University

MA in Religion, Culture, and Global Justice

• Research areas: Buddhism in North America, Religion among immigrant and refugee communities, Psychology and religion, Religion and popular culture, Food and religion, Gender, sexuality and religion
• Funding at a glance

Joint PhD program in Religious Diversity in North America (with University of Waterloo)

• Research areas: The program concentrates on the diverse nature of, and interactions among, the religious traditions and movements of Canada, the United States, and the Caribbean. The emphasis is largely, although not exclusively, contemporary, in order to understand the religious complexity of the North American continent, essential textual and historical background is provided.
• Funding at a glance
• Graduate students are eligible for funding and scholarships at the University of Waterloo.
• Faculty Research Interests

York University

MA in Humanities

• Faculty Research Interest for Graduate program field II – Religion, Values and Culture
• Funding & Awards

PhD in Humanities

• Faculty Research Interest for Graduate program field II – Religion, Values and Culture
• Funding & Awards

Quebec

Concordia University

MA in Religions and Cultures

• Research areas: The MA in Religions and Cultures enables an in-depth study of religious traditions and religious phenomena in their social and historical contexts from an interdisciplinary and comparative perspective. The expectation is that students will acquire a sophisticated understanding of the variety of approaches to the study of religion, as well as familiarity with more than one religious tradition. This program serves the needs of a broad range of students, including those working in social services, education, non-profit organizations and development, as well as those interested in continuing on to doctoral studies in Religion.
• Faculty research interests: History of the study of religion, Anthropology of Religion, Social history of Indian Buddhism, Religions of Tibet and China, Tibetan- Buddhism and popular religions of China, Ecology and religion, Contemporary new religious movements, Business ethics and medical ethics, Comparative study of religious ritual, Women in Buddhism
• Graduate Funding

PhD in Religion

• Research areas: Concordia’s Department of Religions and Cultures is one of the largest in Canada, with faculty expertise in the world’s major traditions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.
• Faculty research interests: See information under MA program
• Graduate Funding

McGill University

MA (Asian Religions):

• Research areas: Asian Religions, Buddhism, Bioethics and Comparative Religion, Philosophy of Religion
• Graduate funding: School of Religious Studies Fellowships, Dissertation finishing fellowships
• Faculty Research Interests

PhD

• Research areas: Asian Religions, Buddhism, Bioethics and Comparative Religion, Philosophy of Religion
• Graduate funding: School of Religious Studies Fellowships, Dissertation finishing fellowships
• Faculty Research Interests

Université du Québec à Montréal

Maîtrise en sciences des religions:

• Ce programme non confessionnel est axé sur l’étude du phénomène religieux, au sens le plus large du terme, des croyances et des valeurs sous toutes leurs formes: grandes traditions religieuses et spirituelles de l’humanité, déplacements et transformations de l’expérience du sacré, dimensions éthiques de la culture contemporaine et enjeux de l’éducation dans le domaine de la religion et de la morale. Ce programme propose une approche pluridisciplinaire de l’étude du phénomène religieux d’hier et d’aujourd’hui, notamment au Québec, par une formation critique et en faisant appel à plusieurs domaines comme les sciences humaines et sociales, les études féministes, la phénoménologie, la didactique et la sémiotique. Ce programme vise à initier l’étudiant à la recherche par une méthodologie appropriée et tend également à développer chez l’étudiant un esprit critique à l’égard des phénomènes religieux.
• Soutien financier
• Professeurs réguliers

Doctorat en sciences des religions:

• Ce programme de mène au grade de PhD et vise à développer et reproduire une expertise de haut niveau dans le domaine de l’étude non théologique des manifestations religieuses. Il intègre ses candidats dans l’aire des débats contemporains où se poursuit le projet d’une étude scientifique (multidisciplinaire et interdisciplinaire) de la religion en général et des traditions religieuses particulières. Il favorise une spécialisation dans l’un des domaines suivants : histoire des religions ; phénomènes religieux contemporains ; anthropologie de la religion ; éthique et religion ; théorie de la religion et études juives et islamiques.
• Soutien financier
• Professeurs réguliers

Saskatchewan

University of Regina

MA in Religious Studies

• Research areas: Comparative religious studies – Students are encouraged, but not required, to complete their research on a comparative topic. The comparative emphasis enables students to investigate and analyze the various ways that different religions, at particular times and in particular spaces, have categorized similar phenomena and ‘solved’ similar problems.
• Scholarships & Awards
• Faculty Research Interests

University of Saskatchewan

MA in Religion and Culture

• Research areas: 1) Asian Texts and Contexts: Students opting for this area of concentration will apply an interdisciplinary approach to the academic study of religions in South Asia and East Asia with focused research into the cultural context within which the textual traditions of Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese (Daoism, Confucianism), and Japanese religions developed and continue to thrive today; 2) Culture, Tradition and Society: This area of concentration offers students an opportunity to examine other ways of reflective and/or spiritual engagement in the world that may lie outside of the traditionally defined religious practices. This stream is designed to accommodate students interested in the study of spirituality in its intersections with popular culture, folklore, ritual, language and communication, oral history and storytelling, diasporic and transnational contexts. In addition to South Asian, East Asian, Western and Canadian studies, students can also pursue research in the areas of Eastern European, Ukrainian and Russian studies.
• Scholarships & Awards: Teacher-Scholar Doctoral Fellowships, University of Saskatchewan Graduate Scholarships (UGS), University of Saskatchewan Graduate Teaching Fellowships, University of Saskatchewan Graduate Teaching Assistantships, University of Saskatchewan Graduate Research Assistantships, University of Saskatchewan Graduate Service Fellowships
• Faculty Research Interests

Additional resource: Graduate Programs in Buddhist Studies internationally (via H-Buddhism)