Buddhist Studies

The MA Buddhist Studies is an interdisciplinary programme that engages with Buddhism as a field of inquiry from a historical, philosophical, anthropological and material culture perspectives though a selection of modules together covering most of Buddhist Asia. The programme follows a non-confessional, contextual approach, which highlights the diversity of Buddhism in its historical and geographical developments and appreciates it as a living religion. Attention is given to how scholarship, both in the West and in Asia, has shaped our understanding of Buddhism. The programme benefits from teaching on Buddhist languages and regional cultures across the School.
It caters to students who wish to broaden their knowledge of Buddhism as a whole or of specific Buddhist traditions as well as to students intending to embark on further research or fieldwork among Buddhist communities.
It is supported by an active Research Centre which offers extraordinary opportunities of further engagement with the study of Buddhism.

The MA Buddhist Studies is an interdisciplinary programme that engages with Buddhism as a field of inquiry from a historical, philosophical, anthropological and material culture perspectives.

It caters to students who wish to broaden either their knowledge of Buddhism as a whole or their knowledge of specific Buddhist traditions, as well as to students intending to embark on further research or fieldwork among Buddhist communities. This programme at SOAS follows a non-confessional, contextual approach, which highlights the diversity of Buddhism in its historical and geographical developments. The programme, crucially, appreciates Buddhism as a living religion. Detailed attention is given to how scholarship, both in the West and through Asia, has shaped our understanding of Buddhism.

The MA Buddhist Studies programme benefits from teaching on Buddhist languages and regional cultures across SOAS, and is supported by the SOAS Centre of Buddhist Studies. The Centre offers extraordinary opportunities for further engagement with the study of Buddhism. The Centre is a hub of internationally acclaimed and distinguished Buddhist scholarship that generates synergy among academics and research students, from SOAS and beyond, involved in the study of Buddhism in Asian societies.

The Centre currently comprises 17 permanent members of staff and emeriti, as well as a pool of associate and graduate student members from SOAS and other UK and international institutions.

Why study MA Buddhist Studies at SOAS?

• SOAS is ranked top 30 in the UK for Arts and Humanities (QS World University Rankings 2025)
• SOAS is ranked top 10 in the UK for Theology, Divinity and Religious Studies (QS World University Rankings 2025)
• SOAS is ranked 6th in the UK for Asian Studies (Complete University Guide 2025)
• Theology and Religious Studies scored above sector in the following categories: research culture, community, progression, research skills, and professional development (Postgraduate Research Experience Survey 2023)
• All of our Theology & Religious Studies impact case-studies were world-leading/internationally excellent (REF 2021)
• 85.4% of our Theology & Religious Studies research outputs were world-leading/internationally excellent – 56.3% of our submitted outputs were deemed world-leading (REF 2021)
• Our Theology & Religious Studies research environment score was 85% world-leading/internationally excellent