Go Deep to Go Far
MA/PhD in Wisdom Studies
Our combined MA/PhD program is open to a spectrum of disciplines and interests. It aims to address a range of challenges and opportunities in virtually every area of human and ecological life. This specific program is dedicated to helping you to find your unique and well-researched contribution to shaping and co-creating a new global civilization in which the human species acts as responsible and respectful stewards of our larger planetary ecosystem.
The MA/PhD in Wisdom Studies encourages you to draw on the insights from the world’s wisdom traditions, find their relevance to today’s world and add your unique perspective to the field.
Upon completion of Ubiquity’s Masters/Doctoral Program, you will be awarded the title combined Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy degree. This is one of the highest honors society bestows and indicates respect and acknowledgement for an expertise that the larger community can count on for integrity and professional competence. (Please note that you do not get a separate Master’s and Doctor of Philosophy degrees. For that you would need to complete a separate Master’s thesis.)
At every level in the combined Masters/Doctoral process, you will be supported. You will be required to take certain core courses and will have the freedom to design the rest of your program in consultation with your mentors and the Dean of Graduate Studies.
You can select courses from either inside Ubiquity or outside Ubiquity. This means that if there is a course you need to take that is offered through another institution, you are free to do so. Ubiquity’s in-person courses are also available for doctoral credit.
This combined MA/PhD Degree is composed of 80 credits:
- Core and elective courses (44 Credits)
- Dissertation (36 Credits)
2 Core courses at the Master’s level (8 Credits):
- The Creative Journey to Dissertation: Finding Your Voice, Making Your Mark (Gyorgyi Szabo, PhD – UU – online) (4 credits)
- Chartres Academy (UU – in-person/Virtual 1 or Virtual 2) (4 credits)
An additional 12 credits must be earned through coursework approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.
3 Core courses at the Doctoral level (11 credits)
- Great Books (3 credits)
- Select any Ubiquity university courses for 8 credits
An additional 13 credits must be earned through coursework approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.
The rules guiding our assignment collection and grading process can be found here: Ubiquity University Grading Policy
Admissions Process: Complete an initial interview with our Dean of Graduate Studies, then submit all materials prior to registering for courses.
All MA/PhD students must submit:
- Transcript of completed Bachelor’s Degree that clearly displays title of your major, date of graduation, list of courses taken and grades received
- Essay indicating your educational goals and the area of research you want to explore
- Your most recent resume/CV
Pre-requisites
The Prerequisite for the combined MA/PhD is a Bachelor’s Degree in any field. We will need to see a transcript with proof of graduation (a copy of a diploma page only is not sufficient).
Tuition and Fees
Total MA and PhD Credits and Fees for the whole Program is approximately $22,000 for 80 credit fees ($200 per credit for 20 course credits and $300 per credit for 24 course credits, $300 per credit for 36 dissertation phase credits), Dissertation fee, Major Advisor fee, and External Examiner fee. You pay course fees as you go for the courses, whether they are Ubiquity courses or courses from another institution*. The dissertation fees must be paid in full prior to dissertation defense. Payment plans for the dissertation fees portion are available. For more information about the dissertation process itself, please see our Dissertation Manual.
Learn more about the program in our Ubiquity University Student Handbook
Information about how we process refund or cancellation requests can be found here: Refund and Cancellation Policy.
*In addition to the cost of credits for each course, students will need to pay the basic cost for courses. This amount will vary if courses are taken from outside Ubiquity as Independent Study.
Ubiquity University is a global University for inner and outer regeneration. Our mission is grounded in the reality that history has reached a critical moment and people everywhere need to be nurtured to develop new, conscious mindsets, skillsets and toolsets to solve global challenges.
Ubiquity University is different. We are built for people who understand that the current global paradigm is unsustainable. We believe that meeting systemic threats such as climate change depends on the creation of empowered individuals who have done the inner work needed to prepare them to do right and do well in the world.
What our students say
I enjoyed the MA so much that I completed the whole course within a year and I would highly recommend it to anyone that is seeking an intellectual challenge in a supportive and global learning environment.
The aim is to create something significant that will stand alongside the work of previous scholars as well as affect and influence
humankind’s evolution towards a more coherent, conscious, peaceful and just world for all.
I got my start with Ubiquity when I attended Chartres Academy for several summer sessions, which I found to be stimulating, and transformational. The teachers, and lectures were quite profound, and were very accessible to the students. Through my course work, and interactions with many people attending Chartres Academy I began to be interested in the programs of study offered by Ubiquity University, especially Integral Transpersonal Psychology. My career had been in music, yet I was looking for ways to integrate my skills incorporating Integral Transpersonal Psychology. I grew immensely, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally under the guidance of my teachers, and fellow students from all over the world.
I loved working on my dissertation and highly valued working on something that I was very passionate about. In this process I found my own voice to be able to fully express my truth in the world.
I chose Ubiquity University’s PhD program because of the flexibility and freedom to concentrate on coursework that would support my research on ancient wisdom. The Chartres pilgrimage was a profound and transpersonal experience. The faculty was very supportive and I especially enjoyed the diverse community, and like-mind connections – many of which I am still friends with today.
My initial motivation to engage with a Ph.D. program at Ubiquity University was that Ubiquity’s educational model is grounded in the world’s wisdom traditions. Therefore I pursued my passion for engaging in in-depth research into the field of study involving the Early Buddhist approach to developing wisdom. The process allowed a deep dive into this topic from multiple angles, including practice, study, and textual exegesis. It was a life-transforming challenge filled with many rewards and insights.
Entering into a PhD Program at Ubiquity in Wisdom Studies was an incredible experience and supported the ways that I learned best. This was absolutely the right program for me. I felt seen, heard, connected, and supported throughout my educational journey.
Co-directors
Examples of Dissertations from our Students
Thomas Huebl - A New Paradigm for Healing Collective Trauma: A Process Based on the Mystical Principles of Healing
In this dissertation, IDr Thomas Huebl examines both the phenomenon of collective trauma and a group process for integration and healing of individual, ancestral, and collective trauma that focuses on an embodied, relational approach rooted in mysticism and self-reflection.
Reflections of Children of Holocaust Survivors in their Second Half of Life on their Life Experience by Ronnie Dunetz
The Creative Journey to Dissertation
Finding Your Voice, Making your Mark
The “Creative Journey to Dissertation” is a 1-week intensive designed by our Dean of Graduate Studies Dr. Gyorgyi Szabo. The course is a critical part of the dissertation writing process and is a requirement for all MA candidates.
Faculty: Gyorgyi Szabo
