A Comparative Analysis of Graduate Curricula in Buddhist Counseling in South Korea : Focused on Dongguk University Graduate School of Buddhist Studies, Dongbang Culture University, and Joongang Sangha University Graduate School
Kum-yoon Lim
Humanities and Meditation Research Institute June 30, 2026 DOI: 10.60140/mche.2026.4.1.25 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Comparative curricular analysis Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | Graduate courses from three Buddhist counseling-related programs at Dongguk University, Dongbang Culture University, and Joongang Sangha University |
| Topics | Buddhism |
| Key points | The three programs share an orientation toward integrating Buddhist thought with psychological counseling but differ in curricular emphasis and structure. Dongguk (33 courses) balances Seon and Vipassanā practice with clinical practicum; Dongbang (36 courses) offers third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies as standalone courses and the most diverse research methodology coverage; Joongang Sangha (21 courses) uses a biennial rotating schedule with partial master's/doctoral separation. Counseling ethics coursework was insufficient or absent across all three. |
Abstract
This study comparatively analyzes the course structures of three domestic graduate institutions offering Buddhist counseling-related curricula: the Department of Meditation, Psychology, and Counseling at Dongguk University Graduate School of Buddhist Studies; the Meditation Counseling program at Dongbang Culture University; and the Counseling Studies track within the Department of Buddhist Studies at Joongang Sangha University Graduate School. Data for Dongguk University and Dongbang Culture University were collected from information publicly available on each institution’s official website, while data for Joongang Sangha University Graduate School were based on officially provided records of courses offered from the 2020 to 2026 academic years, including year-by-year syllabi. The collected courses were categorized and analyzed across nine domains: Buddhist thought foundations, meditation and practice, counseling and psychotherapy theory, practicum and supervision, psychological assessment and evaluation, developmental, psychopathological, and specialized counseling, family and group counseling, research methodology, and ethics and spirituality. The findings reveal that while all three institutions share a common orientation toward integrating Buddhist thought with contemporary psychological counseling, they differ notably in curricular emphasis and structure. Dongguk University Graduate School of Buddhist Studies (33 courses) offers a balanced arrangement of Seon (Zen) practice, Vipassanā meditation, and clinical practicum. Dongbang Culture University (36 courses) treats third-wave cognitive behavioral therapies - including ACT, DBT, and MiCBT - as distinct, standalone courses and offers the most diverse coverage of research methodology. Joongang Sangha University Graduate School operates a biennial rotating schedule with a total of 21 courses; it also features partial separation between master’s and doctoral programs, as seen in courses such as Psychological Diagnosis and Assessment, which is offered in the second semester of odd-numbered years for doctoral students. Across all three institutions, coursework in counseling ethics was either insufficient or entirely absent.