Bhakti-sastri Title

In 1977 Srila Prabhupada introduced his Bhakti-sastri essay exam within ISKCON. Students were expected to have become proficient in understanding Bhagavad-Gita-As It Is, Sri Isopanisad, Upadesmrta, Bhakti-rasmrta-sindhu and other smaller paperbacks. This exam was not difficult to pass for the attentive student. At the RVC, students are eligible to take this exam having passed the Associate Degree level requirements. This title is a prerequisite for admittance into the Bachelors Degree Program and the Bhakti-Vaibhava program.

Bhakti-vaibhava Title

To obtain the Bhakti-Vaibhava Title the student must complete the Bachelor's Degree in Vaisnava Philosophy and pass the Bhakti-Vaibhava Examination. This examination includes all the topics required in the Bhakti-Sastri Examination as well the first six cantos of Srila Vyasadeva's Srimad Bhagavatam as rendered by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. This title is a prerequisite for entering into the Masters Degree Program and taking the Bhakti-Vedanta Title examination.

Bhakti-Vedanta Title

To obtain the Bhakti-Vedanta Title, the student must complete a Masters Degree Program and pass the Bhakti-Vedanta Examination. This examination includes all the topics required for Bhakti-sastri and Bhakti-vaibhava as well as cantos 7-12 of the Srila Vyasadeva's Srimad Bhagavatam as rendered by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. This title is a prerequisite for entering into the Doctoral Degree Program and taking the Bhakti-Sarvabhauma Title examination.

Bhakti-Sarvabhauma Title

To obtain the Bhakti-Sarvabhauma Title, the student must complete a Doctoral Degree Program and pass the Bhakti-Sarvabhauma Examination. This examination includes all the topics required for Bhakti-sastri, Bhakti-vaibhava and Bhakti-vedanta as well as Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Goswami's entire Sri Caitanya Caritamrta rendered by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.

Certificates, etc...

The RVC awards its students different certificates upon their completion of the requirements.
They are:

• Introductory Semester in Applied Vedic Culture (AVC)
• Associate Certificate
• Bhakti-Sastri Title
• Bachelors Degree
• Bhakti-Vaibhava Title
• Masters Degree
• Bhakti-Vedanta Title
• Doctorate of Divinity
• Degree
• Bhakti-Sarvabhauma Title

The Prabhupada Award

The Rupanuga Vedic College's award of honor, The Prabhupada Award, is bestowed on individuals who have:

• Excelled in a particular field of bhakti-yoga (devotional service) over a considerable period of time.
• Shown extraordinary dedication to ISKCON.
• Displayed exemplary Vaisnava character and behavior throughout their lives.

The laureates and their fields:

Jayananda dasa Prabhu
Inaugurated Rathayatra Festivals in San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York. Demonstrated an extraordinary departure from this world.

Gauri devi dasi
The first lady in ISKCON to distribute over 100 big books in a single day (108). Demonstrated an extraordinary departure from this world.

Gaur-govinda Swami
Established a major temple in Bhubanesvara, translated many Vedic literatures into the Oriyan language, demonstrated an extraordinary departure from this world.