Non-Credit Study
As an institution of higher learning committed to helping students to deepen their understanding of Buddhist philosophy and practice, we are happy to welcome students into our classes who wish to supplement their practice, or for personal or professional development. Students who wish to study without earning credit should submit an application for Non-Credit Study.
Visit our admissions page for application details and program-specific dates
All of our undergraduate language classes are running both online and on campus, although students planning to join during a spring semester should note that, except for Nepali, our first-semester language classes are offered only in the fall, so if you are a beginner in Tibetan or Sanskrit, you won’t be able to start those languages until the Summer Program or during the upcoming fall semester. Non-Credit Study students may take any undergraduate course for which they have the proper prerequisites.
Students enrolled in Non-Credit Study are by default registered non-credit and always receive an NC grade. Non-Credit Study students studying on campus are not eligible for a study visa through RYI.
Spring 2024 online course offerings:
- NLAN 101: Beginning Nepali I
- NLAN 102: Beginning Nepali II (second semester)
- SLAN 102: Beginning Sanskrit II (second semester)
- SLAN 202: Intermediate Sanskrit II (second semester)
- SLAN 302: Advanced Sanskrit II (second semester)
- TLAN 104: Beginning Colloquial Tibetan II (second semester)
- TLAN 204: Intermediate Colloquial Tibetan II (second semester)
- TLAN 102: Beginning Classical Tibetan II (second semester)
- TLAN 202: Intermediate Classical Tibetan II (second semester)
- TLAN 302: Advanced Classical Tibetan II (second semester)
- BSTD 312: Buddhism and Science
- TSTD 102: Buddhist Philosophy and Hermeneutics II (second semester)
- “The Way of the Bodhisattva” by Śāntideva བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་ (Tibetan with English translation)
- TSTD 202: Advanced Buddhist Philosophy and Hermeneutics II (second semester)
- “The Gateway to Knowledge” by Ju Mipham མཁས་པ་ལ་འཇུག་པ་ (Tibetan with English translation)
- TSTD 306: Buddhist Philosophical Discourse II (second semester)
- “Words of My Perfect Teacher” by Dza Patrul (Tibetan only)
Non-Credit Study Student Application and Admission
Students who have completed Higher Secondary School (through grade 12) and students from Nepali high schools with a minimum score of second division/45 percent are eligible to apply for the program at the admissions section of this website. In rare cases, we may accept students for Non-Credit Study who have not completed Higher Secondary school or the equivalent. Please explain your qualifications for Non-Credit Study in the Application Statement of Purpose if you wish to be considered for this exception.
For more information, please refer to the Eligibility Requirements and Admissions Process for the Non-Credit Study.
English Language Proficiency
All applicants who are not native speakers or do not hold a BA degree from a university in an English-speaking country must have a TOEFL score of at least 550, a score of 80 on the iBT, CEF/CERF/GeR level in English is B2 or higher, or IELTS score of at least 6.0 and no score lower than 5.0 on any one band.
The one exception is for applicants who wish to take only courses taught by our Khenpos and Lopons (TSTD classes). In this case, an international test of English language proficiency is not required, although applicants must have sufficient English (or Tibetan) to understand the translator (English) or the Khenpo or Lopon (Tibetan).
Fee Request
In accordance with University guidelines, RYI course fees are determined by each student’s home base and nationality. A three-tier system is in effect which covers (i) Nepali students, (ii) SAARC students, and (iii) other international students. Please select below to find out the fee structure for your particular circumstances.
You will find the Tuition Fee List for all programs linked on the right-hand side of the admissions page.
