The Institute of Buddhist Studies (仏教大学院, Bukkyō Daigakuin?) is a Jodo Shinshu-affiliated seminary and graduate school, located in Berkeley, California. It is an affiliate member of the Graduate Theological Union, also located in Berkeley. Its primary mission is to train Jodo Shinshu ministers for service in temples in the United States through the Buddhist Churches of America, the U.S. mainland branch district of the Nishi Hongwanji sect of Japanese Buddhism. The school also accepts graduate students pursuing Master of Arts degrees in general Buddhist Studies. In addition, the school has a chaplaincy training program and has partnered with Sati Center in California and the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care to train Buddhist chaplains.
The Institute of Buddhist Studies originally began as a study group for nisei ("second generation") Japanese-Americans interested in Jodo Shinshu Buddhism during the 1950s. Its original location was at the Berkeley Buddhist Temple, then later relocated to its present location on Durant Street.
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