Self-Paced Online Courses (SPOC)

Our entire Foundation and Intermediate curricula offer a gradual path of study and are available as self-paced, online courses. These are complete versions of courses that were previously taught by Nitartha faculty.

You can take these classes online in the comfort of your own home through streaming video or downloadable audio. By taking advantage of these self-paced online courses, you can progress through the Nitartha Institute curriculum on a flexible time schedule that suits your circumstances.

The courses also include study questions as well as the option to contact a distance learning advisor with questions to deepen and clarify your understanding.

Each one concludes with an exam, which is aimed at helping you to check your understanding of the material studied. These exams are required for students who would like to request a Nitartha completion certificate, for those seeking academic credit at other institutions, or for those wishing to enter the teacher-in-training program.

We recommend that you take the courses in sequence, beginning with the Foundation curriculum. It is particularly important to begin with the Foundation course Mind and Its World I: Valid Cognition and its companion course Clear Thinking before proceeding through the rest of the Foundation curriculum.

Students are given 9 months to complete self-paced online courses.

Complete List of our Self-Paced Online Courses

  • BUD 500 Analytical Meditation I (SPOC)
  • BUD 501 Mind and Its World I: Valid Cognition (SPOC)
  • BUD 502 Clear Thinking (SPOC)
  • BUD 510 Mind and Its World II: Modes of Engagement & Mental Events (SPOC)
  • BUD 520 Mind and Its World III: Vaibhashika Philosophical Tradition (SPOC)
  • BUD 530 Mind and Its World IV: Sautrantika Philosophical Tradition (SPOC)
  • BUD 601 Cittamatra Philosophical Tradition: Appearances Are Mere Mind (SPOC)
  • BUD 610 Madhyamaka Philosophical Tradition: Not Even a Middle (SPOC)
  • BUD 620 Paths and Bhumis: The Path to Enlightenment (SPOC)
  • BUD 630 Buddha Nature: Luminous Heart of the Tathagata (SPOC)
  • BUD 692 Treasury of Valid Cognition and Reasoning – Chapter 1 (SPOC)
  • BUD 700 Madhyamakavatara I (SPOC)
  • BUD 701 Madhyamakavatara II: Entrance to the Middle Way – Semester 1 (SPOC)
  • BUD 701 Madhyamakavatara II: Entrance to the Middle Way – Semester 2 (SPOC)