SKT 501 | Sanskrit Graduate Seminar

The next round of SKT 501 will be offered in January 2028

ENROLLMENT OPTIONS

Course Description

The Sanskrit Graduate Seminar is the capstone of the Sanskrit Advanced Certificate Program (SACP). Through a comprehensive curriculum of online courses, students have engaged in 3-4 years of university-level coursework in Sanskrit studies. They have received training in the language in its various forms (Classical, Epic, Vedic, and Modern Spoken Sanskrit) as well as in Sanskrit literature of various genres (epic, narrative, philosophy, poetry). 

The Sanskrit Graduate Seminar is designed to solidify and integrate this vast learning, and is an opportunity to develop and carry out a personalized Sanskrit research or translation project. The Seminar, as the capstone of the Sanskrit Advanced Certificate Program aims to prepare graduates for future Sanskrit studies, graduate school, translation work, and teaching. 

To be eligible for SKT 501, students must have first completed 60 credits of coursework for the SACP. 

Dr. Antonia M. Ruppel

Lecturer in Sanskrit, Greek, and Latin

Antonia Ruppel is a Classicist by training who came to Sanskrit through a series of fortunate accidents. She learnt the language as an autodidact, and one of her reasons for writing her textbook, The Cambridge Introduction to Sanskrit (2017), was to make the experience of studying Sanskrit easier and more pleasant for others. She published the follow-up volume, An Introductory Sanskrit Reader: Improving Reading Fluency (2021), designed to help students gain reading fluency in an enjoyable and straightforward way. She is also the co-editor of the recent Veda-Sätze – Vedic Sentences (2024), a collection of 863 short texts.

Language pedagogy is at the heart of her life. She has been teaching Sanskrit for 20 years at universities such as Cornell, Oxford, the LMU Munich, and online at Yogic Studies. She is also the host of The Sanskrit Studies Podcast.

"I never thought in a million years I'd be back in school doing language studies, but Yogic Studies, and particularly Antonia, have reminded me that we still have capacity to learn and be challenged and grow our skills from the comfort and freedom of being home and working at our own pace. I'm so very grateful for this community, especially as we grow more into our smaller Seminar cohorts over the years. Even though we're all at home, we're not alone, and it's such a tremendous gift."

— SKT 501 Student

"I've been studying Sanskrit with Antonia for the past 3 years. Her precision in preparing the lessons, ability to explain the material, and the depth of knowledge in comparative linguistics always make her lessons super-informative and fascinating. I'm so glad that I started learning Sanskrit with Antonia's guidance."

— SKT 501 Student

"Dr. Antonia Ruppel is an exceptional teacher who introduces the vast world of Sanskrit language literature with openness, discernment and deep expertise. Her lessons are filled with insights, humor, and passion for linguistics. I feel incredibly fortunate to have the opportunity to study under her guidance."

— SKT 501 Student

"The SACP was one of the most memorable learning experiences of my lifetime. When I began learning Sanskrit with Antonia, it never crossed my mind that I would be able to create even a moderately viable reader of a Sarga of Mahakavya within just a few years. Even when I began the SACP, it seemed like a task beyond my abilities. Yet I was able to accomplish it. I could never have done it without Antonia's help."

— Dirk Johnson, Tamaqua, Pennsylvania, USA

Enrollment is now closed.

Regular Tuition

$375

One-Time Payment

  • Lifetime access to SKT 501

Regular Tuition

$125 x 3

Three Monthly Payments

  • Lifetime access to SKT 501

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