Online Learning: Frequently Asked Questions
Is it possible to start taking online classes for credit towards a BA degree at Rangjung Yeshe Institute?
Yes, if you first apply to the BA, are accepted, and then complete an online course for-credit, you can use the credits earned toward your BA degree at the Kathmandu University Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute (KU-CBS). The full BA is not available online, so to earn a BA at KU-CBS, you will need to do most of your study on campus in Nepal.
Are online students expected to hand in assignments?
Quizzes and homework assignments are required only if you are studying for-credit, although we recommend that interactive students participate fully in order to get the most out of their online study experience. Self-study students will not have their assignments graded, except for the quizzes, which are graded automatically.
Is a local rate offered for Internationals working in Kathmandu?
We do not offer a “local” tuition rate for Internationals studying through online learning who live and work in Kathmandu.
Is there a local rate for Nepalese people?
Our online courses are designed for those who cannot study here in Nepal, so we do not provide a local rate for our online learning courses. We encourage people who live in Kathmandu, Nepal, or one of the SAARC countries to come to study at the institute in person. Contact the administration to learn about our rates for on-campus study.
What is LearnDash?
LearnDash is an e-learning environment or “Learning Management System” (LMS). It is where you will login to take your asynchronous online course. You will be able to interact with all the course materials (video and audio lectures, review classes, PDF files, quizzes, exams, homework assignments, and discussion forums) through this environment, offering you a dynamic way to study from your desk or the nearest coffee shop.
What are the computer system requirements for taking an online course on LearnDash?
LearnDash works well in the following browsers: Microsoft Internet Explorer, Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome, Apple Safari, and Mozilla Firefox. We recommend ensuring that your browser version is up to date.
LearnDash supports iOS and Android and should work well on most phones and tablets.
What are the different formats for the Classical Tibetan Online Learning Courses?
All three formats feature video and audio lectures, visual lectures, the textbook, PDF handout materials, and external links to Tibetan language learning materials.
| For Credit: | Interactive | Self-Study |
| Moderated by an experienced Tibetan instructor | Moderated by an experienced Tibetan instructor | Un-moderated |
| – Enrollment during the month before each semester start ensures time to complete the course and receive credit at the end of that semester. Late enrollment may mean grades and credits will not be received until the following semester. – Course moderators are available for live, online weekly Q&A sessions during three semester periods: Fall Semester: September 1 – December 15 Spring Semester: January 15 – May 1 Summer Semester: June 15 – August 15 During each active semester, moderators hold weekly live online office hours. In the semester breaks, communication is limited to written correspondence once a week. | – Enrollment during the month before each semester start ensures time to complete the course during that semester. – Course moderators are available for live, online weekly Q&A sessions during three semester periods: Fall Semester: September 1 – December 15 Spring Semester: January 15 – May 1 Summer Semester: June 15 – August 15 During each active semester, moderators hold weekly live online office hours. In the semester breaks, communication is limited to written correspondence once a week. | Year-round enrollment |
| Feedback from the moderator includes weekly Q&A sessions, answering posted and emailed questions, grading homework, and grading exams. | Feedback from the moderator includes weekly Q&A sessions, answering posted and emailed questions, grading homework, and grading exams. | NA |
| Course earns 3 university-level academic credits (equivalent to 6 ECTS credits). | NA (No credit received) | NA |
What are the different formats for the Buddhist Studies Online Learning Courses?
Currently we offer the full-semester Buddhist Studies asynchronous online learning courses in the self-study, interactive, and for-credit formats. These formats feature video and audio lectures in English and Tibetan, visual lectures in English, review classes, and English language transcripts of the lectures. For the Interactive and For-credit formats, a moderator is available to answer questions in the discussion forum and to provide weekly Q&A sessions. For-credit students take quizzes, write reflection papers, and take exams. Interactive students have the option of taking exams and writing papers, and all students may take quizzes.
Is there a specified length of time to complete a course?
The interactive and for-credit courses are offered as one-semester courses with a 14-week schedule to follow for completing reflections, quizzes, exams, and homework assignments (for Classical Tibetan). You will have access to the course for a total of 12 months so that you can review material after you’ve completed the course.
The Self-Study courses offer the same course material, with automated quizzes only, which can be completed at your own pace over the period of 12 months that the course is open to you.
With the Self-Study courses, does the student receive a certificate upon completion?
RYI offers a certificate to show the completed study of a Self-Study course. Students must complete all aspects of the course to receive the certificate.
Can I make a payment via bank wire transfer if Stripe is not accessible?
Yes, bank wire transfers are accepted. However, please note that banks typically charge fees for wire transfers. To help minimize costs for our students, we recommend using Stripe. You don’t need a Stripe account to make a payment—simply use a debit or credit card. For future transactions, you can even choose to pay quickly using your mobile phone number.
Why is a High School transcript necessary to register a for-credit course? Can’t I just submit my graduate transcript?
If you apply to the BA or the MA Prep program and are accepted and then you later complete an online course for-credit, you can use the OL credits earned toward your BA degree or your MA Prep requirements. In this case, KU-CBS will already have your high school transcript—a requirement for enrollment at Kathmandu University. In addition, if you are enrolled at another university, you may be able to use the credits you earn online at KU-CBS toward your degree at your home school, if your university allows that. Students who wish to be virtual visiting students in this way also need to submit a high school transcript, per KU’s requirement. KU is the accrediting institution for KU-CBS coursework.
What is the time commitment for online study?
The time commitment per week for classical Tibetan online study is estimated in the table below.
| Classical Tibetan | Self-Study | Interactive | For-Credit |
| 3-credit courses: Introduction to Classical Tibetan I and Classical Tibetan II | Approximately two hours per week listening to the lectures and taking the quizzes. Study and review time will vary depending on one’s interest. | Approximately two hours per week listening to the lectures and taking the quizzes. Weekly homework assignments and study for the quizzes are expected to take five to seven hours per week, although study and review time will vary depending on one’s interest. If you choose to take the exams, plan for additional study time for the mid-term and final exams. | Approximately two hours per week listening to the lectures and taking the quizzes. Weekly homework assignments and study for the quizzes are expected to take five to seven hours per week, although study and review time will vary depending on one’s interest. Plan for additional study time for the mid-term and final exams. |
The time commitment per week for the Buddhist Studies is estimated in the table below and depends on the number of credits for the course.
| Buddhist Studies | Self-Study | Interactive | For-Credit |
| 3-credit courses: Mūlamadhyāmaka-kārikā I | Approximately two and ½ hours per week listening to the lectures and taking the quizzes. Study and review time will vary depending on one’s interest. | Approximately two and 1/2 hours per week listening to the lectures and taking the quizzes. Preparing for and writing reflection papers along with study for the quizzes and exams are expected to take six to eight hours per week, although study and review time is optional and will vary depending on one’s interest. | Approximately two and ½ hours per week listening to the lectures and taking the quizzes. Preparing for and writing reflection papers along with study for the quizzes and exams are expected to take six to eight hours per week, although study and review time will vary depending on one’s interest. |
| 6-credit courses: Bodhicaryāvatāra I and II | Approximately four hours per week listening to the lectures and taking the quizzes. Study and review time will vary depending on one’s interest. | Approximately four hours per week listening to the lectures and taking the quizzes. Preparing for and writing reflection papers along with study for the quizzes and exams are expected to take ten to twelve hours per week, although study and review time is optional and will vary depending on one’s interest. | Approximately four hours per week listening to the lectures and taking the quizzes. Preparing for and writing reflection papers along with study for the quizzes and exams are expected to take ten to twelve hours per week, although study and review time will vary depending on one’s interest. |
What is the schedule of classes?
For Interactive and For-Credit courses, you will find the weekly schedule included in the course syllabus (or study plan), at the beginning of the course. If you are taking the course for credit, you’ll need to follow the schedule in the syllabus, and the same schedule is recommended for the Interactive students. If you are a Self-Study student, you may set your own pace, within the 12-month period of your access to the course. Note that all students have the same 12-month period of access to the course, even if they have completed the coursework within one semester.
Will the teachings be sent out by e-mail, and will a registered person have access at all times?
When you sign up for the course, you will get an email with a password that gives you access to the course material on our LearnDash platform. Once the email is sent, this password is active, and you have access to your course. From that time, you have access to the material online for our semester-long courses for 12 months, and access to our short courses for four months. (The Tibetan Alphabet and the Bodhicaryāvatāra: Chapter 6).
I see you offer a for-credit and a not-for-credit version of the moderated courses. Can you tell me what the credit is for?
If you are enrolled as a BA student at the Kathmandu University Centre for Buddhist Studies at Rangjung Yeshe Institute you may use the credits from your online course toward a BA degree in Buddhist Studies from KU-CBS, but note that most of your study will need to be done in Nepal. You may also use the credits earned as part of your study in our MA Preparatory program to help meet the prerequisites of our MA Buddhist Studies and our MA Translation, Textual Interpretation, and Philology programs.
You may also be able to use your credits toward a degree from another university. You will need to contact your department head or the university’s registrar yourself to inquire about whether they will accept the credits from our accredited online learning courses.
What are the rules for withdrawing from a course?
You may withdraw from any interactive or for-credit course by the Monday following the first week of classes for a full refund. If you withdraw from the course after that, your course fee will not be refunded. No refunds will be offered for Self-Study courses. This withdrawal policy applies only to online learning asynchronous courses studied through LearnDash, and not to RYI’s synchronous online learning courses, nor to any of the graduate or undergraduate programs, nor to the summer program and the translator training program.
What Kathmandu University course will I get credit for when I take a for-credit course?
These asynchronous online courses earn the following credits at Kathmandu University:
Classical Tibetan I earns credit for TLAN 101 (3 credits)
Classical Tibetan II earns credit for TLAN 102 (3 credits)
Bodhicaryāvatāra I earns credit for TSTD 101 (6 credits)
Bodhicaryāvatāra II earns credit for TSTD 102 (6 credits)
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā I earns credit for TSTD 103 (3 credits)
Mūlamadhyamakakārikā II earns credit for TSTD 203 (3 credits)
Dharmadharmatāvibhāga earns credit for TSTD 201 (6 credits)
