Master of Buddhist Studies
The Master of Buddhist Studies degree (MBS) is a graduate programme that offers philosophical, cultural, and historical perspectives to the fundamental questions and insights of Buddhism. It is intended for anyone interested to study the rich history of Buddhist communities, their philosophy, scriptures, values, and rituals and to systematically explore Buddhism for its applications in the fields of personal and spiritual development. The curriculum consists of 60 credits that serve as a foundation for further academic research at the post-graduate levels (MPhil, PhD). The MBS is open to applicants from any professional background and undergraduate major.
The degree is awarded through the Faculty of Arts recognised under the Qualifications Framework*.
Graduate Sharing
Why MBS in HKU?
Studying Buddhism provides an opportunity to learn deeply about the workings of mind, the path to inner peace and harmony, and the purpose of human existence. Come and explore with us the teachings of the Buddha and his insights on the human condition. You will learn how Buddhism spread around the world, how it evolved and how it influenced modern cultures.
- Join a programme that was the first taught Master degree in Buddhist Studies in Hong Kong and the region and complete a well-established academic programme offered via the HKU Faculty of Arts, ranked to be number one in Hong Kong.
- Enjoy the freedom to design your own programme of study from a pool of over 25 courses with a great variety of themes and topics and receive quality training in different Buddhist traditions from historical, doctrinal and interdisciplinary perspectives.
- Connect with students from various nationalities and backgrounds and join a strong network of graduates from wide range of sectors such as business, finance, government, education, non-profit organizations, etc.
Entrance Requirements
The basic qualification necessary for admission to the MBS programme is a good Bachelor’s degree from The University of Hong Kong or an equivalent qualification from comparable accredited institutions.
Applicants from all disciplines are welcome.
If the medium of instruction of your undergraduate or postgraduate degree is NOT English, English proficiency test is required:
Test | Minimum requirement |
TOEFL: Paper-based test (PBT) | Overall score of 550 or above; or |
TOEFL: Internet-based test (iBT) | Overall score of 80 or above; or |
IELTS | Overall band 6 with no subtest lower than 5.5 |
Note: The TOEFL or IELTS result should be obtained within the two years before the date of application. IELTS Indicator and TOEFL Special Home Edition are not accepted.
Medium of Instruction
English
Mode of Study
Full-time: 1 year
Part-time: 2 years
Classes are mainly conducted on weekday evenings and weekends.
Applicants who are interested to take only particular courses in the MBS programme may consider enrolling as Occasional Students. Please refer to the related item below.
Duration and Study Load
Students are required to take 8 courses to complete the whole programme. Therefore, full-time students normally need to take 4 courses per semester, part-time students may need to take 2 courses per semester.
Each foundation/elective course usually consists of three consecutive teaching hours per week. The number of teaching weeks in each semester varies, but normally there should be around 10-13 teaching weeks per semester.
Coursework
Candidates will complete 8 courses by selecting 2 compulsory foundation courses, 5 elective courses, and 1 course for capstone experience. Courses offered cover a wide spectrum of areas which include:
2 FOUNDATION COURSES
Early Buddhism
Mahāyāna Buddhism
5 ELECTIVE COURSES
Buddhist Traditions
Indian Buddhist Philosophy
Chinese Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism
Buddhist Texts, Thought and Culture
Buddhist meditation texts
Yogācāra
Buddhist art
Buddhist ethics
Applied Buddhism
Buddhist counselling
Buddhist psychology
Buddhist liturgy and rituals
Buddhist Languages
Pāli language
Tibetan language
Sanskrit language
*The courses offered vary each year and the list above is subject to change
The course information for the current academic year is available HERE for your reference.
Our Teachers
Teachers for MBS 2025-26 are listed below:
Prof. Georgios T. Halkias
Prof. Klaus-Dieter Mathes
Prof. Catherine E. Hardie
Prof. Shen Weirong (Visiting Professor in Semester 1)
Ven. Sik Hin Hung
Dr. Guang Xing
Dr. G.A. Somaratne
Dr. Tsui Chung Hui
Ven. Dr. Sik Fa Ren
Ven. Dr. Sik Hin Yan
Dr. Dipen Barua
Dr. Amrita Nanda
Dr. Gao Mingyuan
For the profile of individual teacher, please click HERE.
Course Fees
Course fee for 2025-26:
Full-time: HK$170,000 (Pay in 2 equal installments)
Part-time: HK$170,000 (Pay in 4 equal installments)
Financial Support
Scholarships
Scholarships are available for application. Please be reminded to submit scholarship application separately after you have submitted programme application. More information can be obtained HERE.
Closing date of scholarship application
February 28, 2025 (12 noon HKT)
(Late application will not be considered. Please make sure you have completed online application for admission before applying for scholarship.)
Continuing Education Fund (For local students ONLY)
This programme (CEF course code: 37M130200) has been included in the list of reimbursable courses under the Continuing Education Fund. More details are available at:
http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/cef/index.htm.
Application
Please read the information HERE carefully before you submit an application.
Applications for 2025-26 should be submitted online through the following links:
Supporting documents should be submitted online to the University’s document submission system as soon as possible after you have completed the online application. Please click HERE for more information on submission of supporting documents.
The Regulations and Syllabuses of the programme in 2024-25 can be found HERE for reference.
Course Commencement:
September 2025
Referee Requirements
Applicants are required to nominate TWO referees. After the online application is submitted, referees will be separately invited by an automated email to complete an online referee survey normally within 2 weeks. Please note the following requirements:
(a) We shall accept E-reference from official institutional/company email addresses only. Referees with personal email addresses (e.g. gmail, 163.com, etc.) will not be considered.
(b) For current students and recent graduates from any academic programmes in the last 5 years (i.e. any degree conferred to the applicant on or after January 1, 2020, including any 2nd degree or postgraduate degree), at least one of the two referees has to come from the corresponding academic institute, with the use of the referee’s institutional email address.
(c) Please make sure that the referees’ information is accurately inputted into the University’s online application system. Any inaccurate information may cause email delivery failure and unavailable access to Faculty’s submission system.
(d) For those who have difficulty providing referees in institutional/company capacity, please write to the Centre and provide an explanation on why you are unable to provide valid referees’ survey reports as soon as possible via email at buddhism@hku.hk
Closing Date of Application
Round 1: December 13, 2024 (12 noon HKT)
Round 2: February 28, 2025 (12 noon HKT)
Applications submitted during Round 1 will be considered earlier. Applicants are therefore highly encouraged to submit their applications in the first round.
Information Session
Date: November 30, 2024 (Sat)
Time: 3:00 – 5:00 pm
To be conducted via Zoom
The recording is available HERE.
Occasional Students
Anyone who is interested to take particular courses from the MBS programme may consider to enroll as Occasional Student (OS).
A Certificate of Attendance will be issued to OS who have attended at least 80% of teaching sessions. If an OS has completed all the required assignments/ examinations with passing grade, the final grade will be printed on the Certificate of Attendance.
* Credits obtained as OS cannot be transferred to future MBS study.
OS applications should be submitted at least one week before the semester begins
(For 25/26: First semester begins on 1 September 2025; Second semester begins on 19 January 2026).
Please refer to below for more information:
– MBS Regulations and Syllabuses
– MBS Course List 2025-26
– MBS Timetable (To be updated)
– Guidelines & Application Form (To be updated)
– Sample Certificate
Frequently Asked Questions
General
- Is there any age limit for the application?
No, we welcome applicants from all age groups. We also have many past students who have retired already. - Is the programme offered online? Can I complete the programme remotely?
Distance learning is not yet available for the MBS programme at the moment. For full-time study, you will only need one year to complete the programme, so if you are not in Hong Kong, you may consider taking a gap year to pursue the programme. We also hear feedback from students that the learning experience for face-to-face learning is far better than online learning. - Do I have to be a Buddhist to apply for the programme? Would it be hard to catch up without an academic background in religious studies?
The programme welcomes applicants from ALL religions and backgrounds. Our students come from all walks of life, many of them don’t have a religious background and are new to Buddhist Studies. No prior knowledge in Buddhist Studies is expected for admission to the programme. If you wish, you may join our mentorship programme and be paired with a graduate mentor who could provide advice on your study. - What would be the schedule of lectures?
All our courses conduct lectures once a week on weekday evening or at weekends at the main campus. It is recommended that full-time students take 4 courses and part-time students take 2 courses in each semester. The timetable of the current academic year can be found HERE for your reference. The actual lecture schedule depends on the schedule of the courses that you have selected.
Application
- What are the supporting documents required?
You are only required to submit scanned copies of your supporting documents during the application stage. Please click HERE for more details. - I am required to obtain a valid TOEFL or IELTS results but I do not have the test result at the moment, can I still submit an application first?
Yes, you may still submit an application first but please arrange a test as soon as possible. If you have already booked a test, please inform us the test date via email right after your application. - Where should I upload my supporting document(s) to?
After submission of your online application, you will receive a link through email within 48 hours which directs you to an add-on system for uploading the supporting documents. - Are there any funds available to support my study?
Scholarship is available for application and needs to be submitted separately from the MBS programme application. For details, please click HERE. The deadline is February 28, 2025 (12 noon HKT) and late application will not be considered.If you are a local student, you may consider applying for the Continuing Education Fund (CEF). Please note that CEF will only be reimbursed after you have fulfilled the CEF requirement and successfully completed the programme. More details are available at: http://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/cef/index.htm
- When will the application result be released?
The application selection will be done on a rolling basis, so offer of admission will be released in different batches. Applicants who do not hear from the Faculty of Arts by August 31, 2025 may assume their applications unsuccessful.
Graduate Sharing
As a pioneer and leading research institution in Buddhist Studies in the region, CBS has groomed over 1,400 MBS graduates from all walks of life.
We have launched a YouTube channel to share with you a series of stories from our graduates on their own life and learning journey! Do stay tuned by subscribing to our channel! Here are some of their shared content:
聯繫 Connection (Sylvia; Dog Lover)
多元化 Diversity (Nic; International Student from Oxford)
包容 Inclusiveness (Cynthia and Arnold; Siblings)
知識之鑰 Key to Knowledge (Janet; Yoga Teacher)
因緣 Conditional Arising (Hei; Composer)
智慧之門 Door of Wisdom (Crystal; Mother of Three)
Please also visit the website of our Alumni Association, CBSAA, to learn more about our graduates and their activities!
Contact Us
Tel: (852) 3917-2847
Email: buddhism@hku.hk
Address: Room 415, 4/F, The Jockey Club Tower, Centennial Campus, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong
*QF Level 6; QR Registration No. 09/001844/6; Validity period: 01/06/2009 – On-going