MA – Engaged Jain Studies Curriculum
The Master of Arts in Engaged Jain Studies is a graduate program offered by Claremont School of Theology (CST), a leading institution in theological education. This program provides students with the unique opportunity to study with expert faculty from both CST and Arihanta Institute. Arihanta Institute faculty are engaged at CST as Adjunct Faculty members under an academic agreement, contributing their specialized expertise and teaching courses in this collaborative program.
The 48-credit, 16-course program is structured to include 8 courses taught by Arihanta Institute faculty and 8 courses taught by CST faculty, ensuring a comprehensive and diverse educational experience accessible to students worldwide.
The 48-credit, 16-course program is structured to include 8 courses taught by Arihanta Institute faculty and 8 courses taught by CST faculty, ensuring a comprehensive and diverse educational experience accessible to students worldwide.
The 8 courses completed with CST faculty encompass 4 courses in Other Religions/Interreligious topics, 2 core courses, 1 elective course, and 1 MA Thesis preparation course.
Students may choose a specific area of focus within the Other Religions/Interreligious and Elective courses. Additionally, students have the option to pursue a concentration in either Yoga Studies or Veganism, Animals, and Ecology. This concentration, which consists of 3 courses (9 credits), can be tailored in collaboration with their advisor to align with the student’s academic and professional goals.
Students may choose a specific area of focus within the Other Religions/Interreligious and Elective courses. Additionally, students have the option to pursue a concentration in either Yoga Studies or Veganism, Animals, and Ecology. This concentration, which consists of 3 courses (9 credits), can be tailored in collaboration with their advisor to align with the student’s academic and professional goals.
Graduates from the MA-Engaged Jain Studies program will be able to:
- Develop scholarly knowledge about collective practices in the field of Engaged Jain Studies that include multiple religious or cultural expressions, or interreligious or intercultural perspectives.
- Practice compassion, attention or commitment to justice, and capacities for widening belonging in their academic and vocational endeavors, as rooted in Jain philosophy.
- Articulate the significance of their academic and vocational work about Jain philosophy for the nourishment of their broader communities.
- Demonstrate academic competence in Jain literature, and ancient and modern South Asian languages, with attention to interdisciplinary and contemporary fields of study.
Core Courses 15 credits
(covering sacred texts, history, philosophy/theology, ethics)Languages 6 credits
Other Religions/Interreligious Courses 12 credits
Electives 12 credits
MA Thesis Prep 3 credits
Curriculum Details
Curriculum – Core (15 credits/5 courses)
Introduction to Jainism: Non-violence as a Way of Life (taught by Arihanta Institute or CST faculty)Engaged Jainism and Animal Advocacy (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
Social Justice and Modern Yoga (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
Studies in Jain Karma and Ethics (taught by CST faculty)
Theories and Praxis of Non-violence and Jainism (taught by CST faculty)
Languages (6 credits/2 courses)
Languages I (Classical Sanskrit taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)Languages II (Classical Sanskrit taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
Languages I (Modern Gujarati taught by CST and Arihanta Institute faculty)
Languages II (Modern Gujarati taught by CST and Arihanta Institute faculty)
Other Religions/Interreligious Courses (12 credits/4 courses)
January Interreligious Dialogue Course (taught by CST faculty)Other religions/Interreligious courses as available (taught by CST faculty)
Electives (12 credits/4 courses)
Jain Yoga (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)Bhagavad Gītā: A Jain Perspective (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
Jain Philosophy (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
Engaged Jainism: Jain Professional Ethics (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
(Additional elective courses offered by CST faculty are also available.)
Concentrations
Students have the option to pursue a concentration in either Yoga Studies or Veganism, Animals, and Ecology. Each concentration consists of 3 courses (9 credits), which can be tailored in collaboration with their advisor to align with the student’s academic and professional goals. Students may complete their chosen concentration by selecting 3 courses from the following list of courses for each area of focus:Yoga Studies Concentration
Foundations of Jain Yoga Studies (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
Jain Yoga (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
Haṭha Yoga and Jain Yoga (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
Social Justice and Modern Yoga (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
(Additional relevant courses, including those from CST faculty, are available through advisor consultation.)
Veganism, Animals, and Ecology Concentration
Veganism, Climate Change, and Environmental Justice (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
Food Politics in South Asia and Beyond (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
Jain Veganism in the History of Global Veganism (taught by Arihanta Institute faculty)
(Additional relevant courses, including those from CST faculty, are available through advisor consultation.)
MA Thesis Prep Course (3 credits, taught every Fall by CST faculty)
Apply Today!
To schedule an appointment with a faculty advisor from Claremont School of Theology (CST) and learn more about the program, please email: admission@cst.edu.
Additionally, you may contact Arihanta Institute faculty advisors, who serve as Adjunct Faculty at CST, at: study@arihantainstitute.org.
Additionally, you may contact Arihanta Institute faculty advisors, who serve as Adjunct Faculty at CST, at: study@arihantainstitute.org.