Students will be required to:

  • Have taken the Precepts
  • Have taken the Foundational Teachings class that is offered every fall
  • Be a Dharma Rain member
  • Complete an enrollment form (see below)
  • Meet with the Seminary Registrar

How to Enroll in Seminary

Fill out the enrollment form and schedule a meeting with the Seminary Registrar. The purpose of the meeting is to review the program with prospective students and to clarify any questions.

After enrollment, students register for specific classes. See the website calendar.

Seminary Classes

Part 1: Five required classes

  • Lotus Sutra
  • History Through Texts
  • Lineage
  • Wisdom Sutras
  • Dogen Studies

The five core classes in Part 1 meet weekly or bi-weekly on Tuesdays as a group. Instruction is a combination of lecture and group discussion. Weekly reading assignments are required as are writing assignments that vary, depending on the teacher, from one long paper to four or five smaller papers. Students are often required to make a class presentation on a topic of their choosing. Presentations can be in various media in order to express understanding.  Fees are a sliding scale of $25-$50.

Part 2: Four required classes

The Part 2 classes prepare students to express their understanding of the Dharma as speakers, team leaders, and instructors. Students must complete and pass the five required core classes in Part 1 before taking classes in Part 2.

  • Instructor Training (workshop)
  • Methods of Practice (cohort independent study)
  • Issues of Leadership (workshop)
  • Our Daily Liturgy (cohort independent study)

The classes in Part 2 are either an all-day Saturday workshop (with a fee of $100) or a cohort-based independent study that meets three times over the course of the term (fee is $50).

Requirements to Graduate

To graduate from seminary, students will complete Part 1 and Part 2 and make a public presentation. The public presentation is a chance to experience expressing the Dharma in a public setting. This can be assisting with workshops, assisting with classes, giving a student talk, or doing some type of public outreach. Details of this public presentation will be worked out between the student and a Teacher.

Fees Payment

Tuition fees are due and payable in full by the first class. A one-week grace period is allowed for late payments until the second class. After the second class, the official class roster is finalized and registration is closed. Any prospective student who cannot meet the tuition payment deadline for a particular class should contact the Seminary Registrar before the first class to arrange a mutually agreeable fee payment plan or apply for a scholarship.

Distant Students

Distant students may take seminary classes for the same tuition fees as required for in-person participation. Distant students are required to register, listen to lectures, and do the class projects in the same way as other members. They are encouraged to stay in regular contact with the instructor and to make comments to the class through letters or e-mails. Links to audio recordings will be made available to distant students after tuition fees requirements are satisfied.

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