Classical Tibetan I & II (Interactive)
Classical Tibetan I
Classical Tibetan I covers the core principles of grammar using textbook materials and textual passages from classical Tibetan Buddhist literature. Grammar comprehension is central to this course, but students will also be introduced to the basic vocabulary of classical Tibetan philosophy and practice. This course can serve as a springboard for students to begin delving into Tibetan texts on their own, and as a foundation for continuing with more advanced language instruction.
The course is designed to be taken in 14 weeks. For-credit students must complete the course in that allotted time. Non-credit students can proceed at their own pace and have access to this course for one year from the date of registration. The course moderator will be available between September 18, 2023, and May 17, 2024. If you are taking the course for credit, you must start the class by February 12, 2024, to ensure the moderator is available to grade your final exam.
*If you are interested in earning academic credit for an online course, you must first be enrolled in one of our academic programs at Kathmandu University (KU). Applications to KU have to be submitted between January 1 and July 1 each year.
For more information on these programs, please visit:
Classical Tibetan II
In Classical Tibetan II, students will continue the study of Classical Tibetan language and its grammar, gaining more experience and confidence in reading and understanding classical Tibetan texts. After completing this course, successful students will be able to approach Tibetan texts by themselves with confidence.
Students will use their knowledge of basic Tibetan grammar and vocabulary to move into the world of Tibetan literature in a guided way. The focus of the course is on learning by doing, so the primary means of instruction is through guided readings of Tibetan classics such as The Jewel Ornament of Liberation (དྭགས་པོ་ཐར་རྒྱན་) and Thirty-Seven Practices of a Bodhisattva (རྒྱལ་སྲས་ལག་ལེན་). Students will also read the highly regarded Mahāyāna Heart Sutra as part of the course. Students are guided through these texts sentence-by-sentence in recorded visual lectures. The readings in the lectures are interspersed with explanations of the grammar found there, which sometimes includes aspects of grammar as explained in the traditional Tibetan style. The course also focuses on the expansion of students’ vocabulary.
The course is designed to be taken in 14 weeks. For-credit students must complete the course in that allotted time. Non-credit students can proceed at their own pace and have access to this course for one year from the date of registration. The course moderator will be available between September 18, 2023, and May 17, 2024. If you are taking the course for credit, you must start the class by February 12, 2024, to ensure the moderator is available to grade your final exam.
*If you are interested in earning academic credit for an online course, you must first be enrolled in one of our academic programs at Kathmandu University (KU). Applications to KU have to be submitted between January 1 and July 1 each year.
For more information on these programs, please visit:
