Summer Intensive Program
8-Week Courses from June 7 – August 3, 2023
On Campus and Online

Rangjung Yeshe Institute’s Centre for Buddhist Studies is pleased to announce that we’ve returned to campus for our 20th Annual Summer Intensive Program in 2023. This program is for students who are looking for rigorous language immersion courses or a Buddhist studies intensive. We will also be offering a select number of courses online. You can find out more information about online offerings here.
Students complete the equivalent of two academic semesters of their course in the span of eight weeks. Courses run Monday through Friday for 3-4 hours per day. Additional features and services include:
- Orientation program with introduction to Nepal
- All classes held in a traditional monastic setting near the Boudhanath Stupa
- Opportunities to meet and receive teachings from resident Buddhist teachers
- Cultural visits to ancient sites of the Kathmandu Valley
- Efficient medical referral system
- Access to full facilities of CBS campus including wireless internet access at selected campus locations, assistance from our full-time Student Services Coordinator, and on-site library facilities.
The level of intensity of the Summer Program is high, however, students who successfully complete the summer courses will leave having made great strides toward a high degree of proficiency in the language studied, and with a solid introduction to the fundamentals of the Buddhist tradition.
Application details here
“I am very happy that this year I can come to Nepal and study on campus. It was so touching for me to meet all of my Professors, Instructors, and friends after two years of studying online….I am very happy that RYI offers such great education in both classical language and Buddhist Studies.” – Trung Nguyen, a BA student
Calendar:
- June 7 Orientation
- June 13 Classes begin
- July 6-9 Midterm break
- August 3 Final exams
Accredited Program
The Summer courses are accredited by Kathmandu University (KU). Credits earned from the Summer courses are recognized by other universities, at their discretion. Credits earned from the Summer courses are only accepted towards a KU degree if the student is already enrolled with KU. For a list of affiliate universities see this page.
Students are also welcome to participate in the courses on a non-credit basis.
Eligibility
- A good command of spoken and written English as the university level. Non-native speakers must submit proof of sufficiency in the form of TOEFL/IELTS or personal references.
- Completion of high school level studies or equivalent
- Students applying for intermediate and advanced language courses must present documentation of prior studies at a university or from a similarly recognized program. E.g. students applying for Intermediate Tibetan must show proof of having studied Beginning Tibetan.
Program Fees:
In order to provide increased access, RYI offers a special fee scale for local Nepali students and students from SAARC countries. All other students are grouped into the “International” category. Please see the links under the “Tuition Fee List” in the sidebar to the right.
Courses:
The language programs offer an immersive learning environment for the Tibetan, Sanskrit, and Nepali languages. The Buddhist Studies program provides a practical introduction to the richness of personal meditation training as well as an introduction to Buddhist philosophy and history.
Summer Buddhist Studies
This course is a full immersion into the theory and practice of Buddhism. Students are introduced to both classical and modern Buddhist scholarship and meditation training. In this way, the course offers students first-hand experience of many key aspects of Buddhist training which are otherwise rarely accessible to lay students. Read more…
Summer Colloquial Tibetan Course
The colloquial Tibetan summer program is offered at three levels: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. Completing the equivalent of two semester’s worth of coursework over the span of 8 weeks, students are well on their way towards a high degree of proficiency of Tibetan in both its written and spoken forms. Read more…
Summer Classical Tibetan Course
The Classical Tibetan summer program is offered at three levels: Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced. Completing the equivalent of two semester’s worth of coursework over the span of 8 weeks, students are well on their way towards a high degree of proficiency in Classical Tibetan. Read more...
Summer Sanskrit Course
The Sanskrit summer program is offered at two levels: Beginning and Intermediate. The program includes Master classes focusing on grammar according to Western pedagogical methods supplemented by Traditional Sanskrit classes which include study of Devanagārī as well as recitation and chanting. Read more…
Summer Nepali Course
The Nepali summer program is offered at the Beginning level for students with no prior formal study of Nepali. The course features classroom lectures, drill sessions, and daily individual practice sessions with native Nepali speakers. Read more…