SKT 501 | Sanskrit Graduate Seminar

Coming in 2025

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. 

Course Structure

The seminar will take place online in a live format for a period of three months. The seminar will meet on Zoom for a total of 7 sessions. The final session will be reserved for a graduate symposium where students will present their final projects.

Readings will be provided which students should complete in advance of each session and be prepared to participate in discussion. 

Note: Live attendance is required for the Seminar. Students can only miss up to 2 live sessions if they have personal exemptions.

Seminar Sessions (2 hours)

In addition to the scheduled Seminars, Dr. Ruppel will also be holding private Office Hours to support students individually with their Sanskrit projects.

Final Exam

A final exam will be issued midway through the Seminar as an opportunity for students to review and solidify their knowledge of the SKT Core Curriculum. 

Final Project

The capstone of the Seminar is a self-directed Sanskrit project carried out in consultation with Dr. Ruppel. Most projects will likely take the form of a Sanskrit-English translation, however, other possibilities may be permitted so long as they are approved by the instructor. 

More details about the Final Exam and Final Project will be discussed within the Seminar.

Dr. Antonia M. Ruppel

Lecturer in Sanskrit, Institute of Indo-European Studies, LMU Munich

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 has recently published the followup volume, An Introductory Sanskrit Reader: Improving Reading Fluency (2021), designed to help students gain reading fluency in an enjoyable and straightforward way.

Language pedagogy is at the heart of her life. She has been teaching Sanskrit for 15 years at universities such as Cornell, Oxford, the LMU in Munich, Germany, as well as offering courses in a variety of formats online.

Listen to our interview with Dr. Ruppel on the Yogic 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

Enrollment is currently 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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