Study online
The Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies offers online courses in Hinduism.
These courses give a thorough grounding in the beliefs, practices, and traditions of Hindu culture and their impact on Hindu identity.
No previous qualifications or knowledge of Hinduism is required.
Materials
The materials for the online courses have been developed over years of teaching them to "live" courses throughout the UK since 2003.
Each of the seven sessions of each course contains class notes, video, and mp3 recording.
The course also has a forum for discussion between students and tutors.
Supplementary materials are also made available from lectures and seminars at the Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies.
Assessment
Assessment is optional and is on the basis of successful completion of a single essay of 2000 words.
How the course works
The course is taught online via your web browser.
All materials are delivered via the web and your tutor will always be available for by email. You will also be able to communicate online with your fellow students.
Don't worry about technical skills – if you can handle email then you're ready to go.
The course can be completed in as little as seven weeks. There is a final deadline for essays of twelve weeks from the beginning of the course.
Course delivery includes:
- Student forums with tutor participation
- Recorded lectures available in video and mp3 format
- Extensive lecture notes available online and as pdf
- Audio interviews with specialists in Hindu Studies at Oxford University
How to enrol
Enrolment is simple. Simply select your course form the list at right.
After enrolment, introductory background material is available until the course begins.
Future courses
Tutors
Dr Nicholas Sutton, received his Phd from Lancaster University (1995). His thesis was on the religious teachings of the Mahabharata. Dr Sutton has been teaching Hinduism for two decades. He lectures in Religious Studies for the Open University, and in Hinduism for the University of Nottingham. He is the author of Religious Doctrines in the Mahabharata and is currently working on a translation and extended study of the Mahabharata’s Moksha-dharma-parvan.
Rembert Lutjeharms holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Oriental Studies (Indology) from the University of Ghent, Belgium, 2003. His masters thesis was, "Hamsaduta of Rupa Goswami. A Study in Translation". He is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Theology at Oxford University. Rembert's main area of research is in Sanskrit poetry and poetics.