Institute of Buddhist Studies is accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC), 1001 Marina Village Parkway, Suite 402, Alameda, CA 94501, 510.748.9001, www.wscuc.org.
Institute of Buddhist Studies’ listing on the WSCUC website.
WSCUC Commission Action Letter, February 2026.
Statement of Educational Effectiveness
Educational effectiveness is the capacity of a school, and its programs, to deliver instruction and enable students to reach institutional goals and programmatic learning outcomes (PLOs). The Institute of Buddhist Studies conducts on-going assessment of IBS’s Master of Divinity PLOs and Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies PLOs to identify institutional opportunities for improving outcomes across all programs.
As part of educational effectiveness, the Institute of Buddhist Studies additionally measures student achievement. Data for this includes completion rates, the median length of time that students take to complete their degrees, and placement after graduation in positions appropriate to their vocational objectives.
Completion Numbers and Median Time to Degree
The tables below show the number of awards completed and the median time to completion for all program and certificate students who completed their program in the five most recent calendar years.
| Degrees and Certificates Conferred | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
| M.Div. | -- | 2 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| M.A.B.S. | 3 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Shin Buddhist Studies Certificate | 6 | 1 | 9 | 7 | 3 |
| Buddhist Chaplaincy Certificate | -- | -- | -- | 2 | 2 |
| Soto Zen Buddhist Studies Certificate | -- | 1 | 1 | -- | 5 |
| Buddhist Studies Certificate | -- | 2 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| Median Time to Completion (in years) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | |
| M.Div. | -- | 7.25 | 5.5 | 4 | 5 |
| M.A.B.S. | 4 | 5.5 | 3 | 3.75 | 4.5 |
| Shin Buddhist Studies Certificate | 3.5 | 2 | 2.5 | 3 | 4.5 |
| Buddhist Chaplaincy Certificate | -- | -- | -- | 2.5 | 3.75 |
| Soto Zen Buddhist Studies Certificate | -- | 1.5 | 3 | -- | 3.5 |
| Buddhist Studies Certificate | -- | 1.75 | 1 | 2 | 1.5 |
Percentage of Students Awarded Degrees or Certificate
The table below shows the percentage of students who successfully completed a certificate or degree program.
| Entrance Year | Completed | Did not complete | Total | Completion Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 54.5% |
| 2019-20 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 80% |
| 2020-21 | 11 | 6 | 17 | 64.7% |
| 2021-22 | 12 | 6 | 18 | 66.7% |
| 2022-23 | 13 | 1 | 14 | 92.9% |
| 2023-24 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 50%* *Data not yet fully complete -- students still in progress |