The aim of the extension curriculum “South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies: An Introduction” is to provide students who are not studying “Languages and Cultures of South Asia and Tibet” with competencies and skills in the field of “South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies”.

The aim of the course is to acquire exemplary knowledge of topics and methods of South Asian, Tibetan and Buddhist Studies:

• History of language
• literature
• philosophy
• religion
• Culture and society
• History and art of South Asia and Tibet (pre-modern/modern)

The aim of the extension curriculum “South Asia: Cultural and Intellectual History” is to provide students who are not studying “Languages and Cultures of South Asia and Tibet” with competencies and skills in the field of “South Asian Studies”. The aim of the course is to provide students with a general overview of the topics and methods of South Asian Studies:

• History of languages
• literature
• philosophy
• religion
• Culture and society
• History and art of the subcontinent

The aim of the extension curriculum “Buddhism and Tibet: Culture and Literature” is to provide students who are not studying ‘Languages and Cultures of South Asia and Tibet’ with competencies and skills in the field of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies.

The aim of the course is to provide students with an overview and exemplary knowledge of the topics and methods of Tibetan and Buddhist Studies:

• Language history
• literature
• Philosophy and religion
• Culture and society
• History and art of Tibet and Buddhism.

This extension curriculum provides you with an introduction to a major cultural language. Using the classical language of pre-modern South Asia, you can tap into the sources of the cultural and intellectual history of the subcontinent and study the literature of the Veda, Hinduism or Indian Buddhism in the original, for example.

In this extension curriculum, you can choose between an introduction to classical Tibetan or an introduction to modern Tibetan. These languages are the key to studying the textual and oral sources of Tibetan Buddhism, which is important worldwide today. They also allow you to delve deeper into the cultural and social developments of the Tibetan cultural area, which extends as far as Central Asia and today's China and Mongolia.

The aim of the extension curriculum “Modern Indian Language” is to provide students with advanced basic knowledge of the phonology, morphology, syntax and lexis of a modern Indian language (in accordance with the courses offered); mastery of the regional script and its scientific transcription; advanced competence in speaking and understanding, as well as the significance of the modern Indian language in the culture and society of modern South Asia.