Starts September 13, 2026

Where following a teaching in Tibetan stops being a distant goal

Six modules move you from Intermediate Tibetan into essential Dharma vocabulary: the spread of Buddhism, the life of the Buddha, the three turnings of the wheel, taking refuge, alongside new advanced grammar. For most of us, this is the first course where that vocabulary turns from a hope into something you're actually practicing.

Join 300+ students, guided since 2021

At a glance

Advanced 301 at a glance

Over six modules (Lessons 21–25, plus a review of key Intermediate grammar), you'll begin working with essential Dharma vocabulary in colloquial Tibetan: the spread of Buddhism, the life of the Buddha, the three turnings of the wheel, taking refuge. You'll keep meeting one-on-one with your tutor every week, inside the same kind of small group that's carried you this far. It's the level where that vocabulary finally becomes something concrete: words on your flashcards, phrases in your notebook, sentences you start to recognize in a teaching.

Modules 6 (Lessons 21–25 + review)

Format Live + Tutor + Moodle

Time Commitment ~11–13 hrs/week here's how it breaks down ↓

Starting point You've completed Intermediate 201 & 202 or have equivalent skills

Small groups of ~4
Weekly 1:1 with a native tutor
A method that finally clicks

What you'll achieve

What You'll Achieve

By the end of Advanced 301, you will:

A learner reviewing Tibetan grammar at home

Review key Intermediate grammar, then build into new tools: temporal connectives, additional nominalizers, and modal verbs

A learner speaking with a Tibetan monk in Dharamshala

Begin working with essential Dharma vocabulary in colloquial context: the spread of Buddhism, the life of the Buddha, the three turnings of the wheel, how to listen to the Dharma, taking refuge

A live Zoom session with many students learning Tibetan together

Spend more class time working in Tibetan itself, with English reserved for the Live Forum's logistics and reflection

A small group studying Tibetan together in a café

Practice the core skill of this level: following what's said in a teaching, one step at a time, with a Small Learning Community that often carries over from Beginner

A peek inside

A Peek Inside Advanced 301

Watch a webinar snippet and meet your non-human classmates before you even sign up.

What's included

What You'll Get in This Course

Students from around the world together in a live SINI class call

Live Learning

Weekly live classes, small-group support, and one-on-one time with a native speaker: this is where Dharma vocabulary starts sounding like something you'd actually hear in a teaching.

One-on-one tutor sessions with a native Tibetan speaker The single feature our students call a game changer.

Weekly live classes, in two time slots (9 AM and 4 PM CE(S)T), all on Saturdays, taught by Franziska Oertle, Lhakpa Tsering, and Bhargavi Viswanath
Live Forum discussion (in English) on soft skills, logistics, and clarifications
Small Learning Communities (SLCs), the backbone of our courses, often the same group since Beginner
White Wednesday Talks (optional), featuring contemporary female Buddhist teachers

Study Resources

One webinar per lesson, explaining grammar and Dharma vocabulary through your non-human classmates' questions (15–25 minutes per segment)
Dialogues, songs, and end-of-module challenges
Rubrics for reflection and self-assessment

The non-human classmates who make games, songs, and practice stick

Digital Tools

Anki and Memrise flashcards
Digital language-lab style speaking practice and self-paced Moodle activities

The Moodle learning platform, where you follow your progress on any device

Support & Progress

E-Portfolio with personalized feedback from your teacher
Moodle platform, with class recordings for every session (shared via YouTube or posted to Moodle)
Send your questions ahead if you'll miss a class

Our methodology

A Method Built to Finally Make Tibetan Click

Advanced 301 continues the course Franziska Oertle designed, the teacher her students say "cracked the code" of teaching Tibetan. She teaches the live classes herself, alongside Lhakpa Tsering and Bhargavi Viswanath. Instead of forcing Tibetan into Latin-style rules, it teaches the language from the inside out, and always explains why. It's rigorous, and there are no tests and no pressure.

Dr. Fink's Taxonomy

Underneath, we draw on Dr. Fink's 6-fold Taxonomy of Significant Learning, which brings together knowledge, application, integration, the human dimension, caring, and learning how to learn.

Balanced Pedagogy

Classes blend traditional Tibetan grammar with modern, interactive teaching. Grammar and Dharma vocabulary are balanced with songs, stories, cultural exchange, and playful activities, so the material stays approachable even as it gets more advanced.

Soft Skills & Metacognition

We also give real attention to soft skills: reflection, self-awareness, collaboration, and empathy. You'll keep an e-Portfolio and share reflections in forums. Alongside your Tibetan conversations, the Live Forum builds these same skills in English.

Joy and Humor

Joy and humor are built into the method itself. A smile, a little laughter, and curiosity keep learning light while the real progress happens underneath.

Want to Learn More about our Methodology? Here's a Detailed Video

What learners say

What Our Learners Say

A few words from our Advanced 301 cohort.

I'd like to express my thanks to Franziska and everyone else for the truly excellent and helpful course, especially for those who love studying Tibetan but don't have much time. The text, grammar, and content were top-notch.

Advanced 301 student

This has been an excellent learning experience, just as the previous beginner and intermediate courses.

Advanced 301 student

Meet the team

Your Learning Team

Meet the teachers, tutors, and companions who make learning fun.

Franziska Oertle

Lead Teacher & Course Designer

Affectionately known by her students as the one who "cracked the code" of teaching Tibetan. Designed the entire Heart of Tibetan Language program and teaches the live Advanced 301 classes herself, alongside Lhakpa Tsering and Bhargavi Viswanath.

Lhakpa Tsering

Teacher

Nepal-born Buddhist scholar with a Shastri in Buddhist philosophy and an Acharya in Tibetan linguistics. Teaches the live Advanced 301 classes.

Bhargavi Viswanath

Teacher

Holds a master's in Tibetan history from Columbia, and has studied Tibetan at Esukhia, Tibet University, and Rangjung Yeshe Institute. Also teaches Advanced 301, alongside leading Intermediate.

Tutor Team

Native speaker tutors

Kind, patient speakers in India & Nepal.

Meet your non-human classmates

Every class comes with a few extra students — here to keep the pace kind and the grammar playful.

Mr. Sloth

Here to remind you there's always a way to learn at your own pace. The four-week rhythm of every module here follows his lead.

Ms. Giraffe

Nerdy grammar scout.

P.S.

Pets are welcome learning buddies too. They're patient listeners who never complain about a grammar mistake.

Worried you're not "advanced" enough, or that this vocabulary won't stick?

Advanced 301 asks for Intermediate 201 & 202, or an Entrance Presentation if you're coming from elsewhere. Our students include university researchers working in classical Tibetan, long-time Dharma practitioners, and people who've never set foot in a Tibetan-speaking community. Different backgrounds, same reason for being here: wanting to follow a teaching in their own language.

This vocabulary won't come up at the dinner table, and that's the point. The module on how to listen to the Dharma trains a specific skill: following along while someone else speaks. Anki and Memrise decks, in-class repetition, and a Small Learning Community that's often been with you since Beginner do the work of making the vocabulary stick.

A learner reading a Tibetan book in a café

Flexible option

Prefer a lighter commitment? Audit the course

If a lighter commitment suits you better, you can audit the course. Auditors follow the same weekly pace as full students, joining an SLC, a tutor class, and self-study, with full access to Moodle resources and recordings. You won't attend the Saturday live classes (except the Live Forum) or submit assignments, so you won't receive teacher feedback, and tuition is lower.

Practical details

Practical Details

Everything you need to know before enrolling

Prerequisites

Alumni of Intermediate 201 & 202 are qualified
Newcomers: must have studied The Heart of Tibetan Language, Volumes 1 & 2, or equivalent
Entrance Presentation required for new and former auditing students
Module 0 (Learning how to learn online) required if not already completed

Tuition & Financial Support

Sliding scale tuition: $475 minimum
Monastic rate: $325
Auditing version: $300 ($225 for monastics)
Payment plans and scholarships available

Sliding scale

Pay what you can, starting from the listed minimums.

Monastic discount

A dedicated scholarship for monks and nuns.

Payment in installments

Pay in a few installments — just contact us to arrange it before registering.

Sponsor option

Add $108 to support fellow students and help sustain the program.

Refund Policy

Refund depends on withdrawal timing
Up to 55% refund if leaving during Module 1
Reduced percentages as the course continues

See the full refund schedule

Refund by withdrawal timing

Module 1 — 55%
Module 2 — 40%
Module 3 — 30%
Later — no refund

Discover the textbook that accompanies this course

The Heart of Tibetan Language, Vol. 3

Lessons 21–25, with accompanying workbook

Look inside (sample pages) Coming soon Get Textbook on Google Play Get Workbook on Google Play

Why Advanced 301

Why Choose Advanced 301

Advanced 301 puts real content behind why most people start learning Tibetan in the first place. You'll begin working with essential Dharma vocabulary, the spread of Buddhism, the life of the Buddha, taking refuge, while reviewing and extending the grammar you built in Intermediate. The goal at this stage is learning to follow a teaching, at a gentle pace, with weekly tutor sessions, a Small Learning Community, and the same playful, no-pressure method that got you this far.

Where Dharma vocabulary finally enters your Tibetan Your own native tutor A method that clicks

Next cohort

When Does the Next Course Start?

Opening Ceremony

Sunday, 13th of September 2026

First Class

Saturday, 19th of September

Closing Ceremony

March 2027

Ready to begin

Ready to Advance Your Tibetan Journey?

Join our next Advanced 301 cohort, and start turning years of wanting to understand a teaching into vocabulary you actually know.

Haven't finished Intermediate 202 yet? Start there first →

Before you start

Advanced 301 FAQ

The questions we hear most, answered.

What is Advanced 301?

Advanced 301 is the Lower Advanced Course. It starts with a review of key Intermediate grammar (modal verbs, conditionals, relative clauses) and then covers Lessons 21–25 of The Heart of Tibetan Language, Volume 3.

Who can join Advanced 301?

Alumni of Intermediate 201 & 202 are ready to continue. Auditing students of Intermediate 201 or 202 must submit an Entrance Presentation video to join as full students. New students who studied Volumes 1 & 2 elsewhere can also join by submitting the Entrance Presentation. Other learners with intermediate experience are asked to review Volumes 1 & 2, or purchase access to our Intermediate resources, to prepare.

What is the Entrance Presentation?

Instead of an exam, new and former auditing students submit a short video, part in Tibetan, part in English. It shows your language skills, motivation, and basic tech readiness. Submit it before the course starts.

What will I learn during Advanced 301?

You'll begin working with Buddhist topics in colloquial Tibetan: the spreading of Buddhism, the Buddha's life, the three turnings of the Dharma wheel, how to listen to the Dharma, and taking refuge. Grammar includes temporal connectives, new nominalizers, and advanced modal verbs.

How much time should I plan each week?

Plan for about 11–13 hours a week: live classes, self-study, practice with your learning group, and your weekly 1:1 with a native speaker. See "Worried you're not advanced enough?" above for how it actually breaks down.

How long is each module?

301 follows the "Mr. Sloth" pace: four weeks per module. This slower rhythm gives you time to absorb the new vocabulary and grammar.

When are the live classes?

There are four live sessions per module, on Saturdays, in two time slots (9 AM and 4 PM CE(S)T). One session per module is a Live Forum focused on soft skills, in English. Optional White Wednesday cultural talks are also included. All sessions are recorded.

What if I miss a class?

Send your questions ahead of time, then catch up with the recording. Recordings are posted to Moodle or shared via YouTube with your Gmail login.

Who are the teachers?

Advanced 301 is designed and taught live by Franziska Oertle, alongside Lhakpa Tsering and Bhargavi Viswanath. You'll also work with native speaker tutors and your SLC.

What materials are included?

Live classes with speaking practice, songs, games, and Dharma vocabulary; a grammar and vocabulary webinar per lesson; weekly SLC meetings; weekly 1:1 conversation with a native speaker; a digital practice lab; Anki and Memrise flashcards; an e-Portfolio with teacher feedback; rubrics for self-assessment; end-of-module challenges; and optional White Wednesday cultural talks.

Which textbook do I need?

We use The Heart of Tibetan Language, Volume 3, plus the workbook, both available as eBooks on Google Play.

What platforms and tools are used?

Moodle for resources and assignments, Zoom for live classes, YouTube for recordings, Gmail and Google Drive for sharing, and WhatsApp for tutor classes and conversation partners.

How much is tuition?

Tuition follows a sliding scale. The minimum fee is $475 ($325 for monastics). Auditing is available for $300 ($225 for monastics).

Can I pay in installments?

Yes. Payment plans are available, though not on a monthly schedule. Contact us before registering.

Do you offer scholarships or sponsorships?

Monastics don't need to apply, we offer them the discounted rate directly. Other students can add a $108 sponsorship to help others join.

What is the refund policy?

If you withdraw during Module 1, you'll receive a 55% refund. Module 2, 40%. Module 3, 30%. After that, no refund.

Not sure this is your level?

If you haven't completed both Intermediate 201 and 202 yet, start there first. Advanced 301 assumes you can already hold everyday conversations and are comfortable with Intermediate grammar. For Buddhist philosophy, an interest in following it is all you need to start.