phd in islamic studies

• PhD Program

During their first year students who directly enter the Ph.D. program meet quarterly with the program chair, who also serves as the graduate adviser. In consultation with the graduate adviser, students choose a primary faculty adviser. By the end of the first year, students choose three fields of study and the faculty with whom they will work in those fields. Students should consult with these faculty and with the student affairs officer as frequently as needed.

Students who intend to proceed from the M.A. degree to the Ph.D. degree in Islamic Studies must first fulfill all requirements for the M.A. degree and receive a pass to continue from two of the three faculty supervisors.

Student progress is reviewed annually. At the beginning of Spring Quarter, all students meet with their faculty supervisors and provide them with a written summary of their progress toward the degree and their goals for the coming year. The faculty supervisors report to the interdepartmental degree committee which meets to review student progress and advises each student in writing by the end of Spring Quarter as to whether their progress is sufficient to warrant continuation in the program.

Major Fields or Sub-disciplines

Anthropology, art history, comparative literature, history, law, philosophy, political science, religion, sociology, urban planning, world arts and cultures, and the literatures of the following languages: Arabic, Indonesian, Iranian languages, Malay, Swahili, Turkic languages, and Urdu.

Foreign Language Requirement

Intermediate-level proficiency in a second language listed under Major Fields or Sub-disciplines and reading proficiency in a European language other than English that is relevant to the student’s research are required prior to advancement to doctoral candidacy. Students are encouraged to achieve required levels of proficiency in their research languages early in their graduate study so that language skills will be of maximum benefit.

Language proficiency may be demonstrated by (1) providing evidence of being a native speaker; (2) passing a program-administered examination; (3) completing three intermediate-level courses with a grade of B or better (these courses are not counted toward the degree); or (4) submitting evidence of completion of equivalent coursework elsewhere.

Exceptions to the language requirements may be approved in special cases. This is done through submission of a petition that must be approved by the student’s primary faculty adviser, the program chair, and the Graduate Division.

Course Requirements

A minimum of 12 courses (48 units) is required for the Ph.D. degree, including a minimum of three graduate seminars. Students who enter directly into the Ph.D. program must take the three core courses in Category one and at least one course from Category two listed under the master’s degree. Such students may petition the Committee to Administer the Islamic Studies Program to waive courses in Category one. All students must take at least four graduate and upper-division courses, including one graduate seminar, in each of three chosen fields (students should see Major Fields or Subdisciplines above). The three fields must be distributed across more than one division, college, or school. One 500-level course in each of three fields may be applied toward Ph.D. course requirements. Students must also take at least one methodology course, which may or may not be in one of the three fields, and as approved by the primary faculty adviser. All courses applied toward the degree must be taken for a letter grade.

Teaching Experience

Not Required.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass University written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. Also, under Senate regulations the University oral qualifying examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. In addition to University requirements, some graduate programs have other pre-candidacy examination requirements. What follows in this section is how students are required to fulfill all of these requirements for this doctoral program.

After students complete all coursework and foreign language requirements, the chair of the program, in consultation with the student, nominates a doctoral committee that meets university requirements, for formal appointment by the Graduate Division. The committee must include faculty from the student’s three fields plus a methodology examiner if the latter is not from one of the three fields.

Students must write a dissertation prospectus that contains (1) a full statement of the dissertation topic, including any fieldwork that may be required; (2) a historiographical discussion of the literature related to the topic; (3) a statement of the methods to be employed; and (4) a proposed bibliography to be consulted in the course of research and writing.

The doctoral committee conducts four separate written examinations, one in each of the student’s three fields and one in a methodology appropriate to the student’s dissertation. Following the written examinations, the committee conducts the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which covers the three fields, the methodology, and the basis of the dissertation prospectus. Reexamination in any field is at the discretion of the doctoral committee in consultation with the chair of the program. No single written examination shall exceed four hours.

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

Not required for all students in the program. The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Time-to-Degree

For full-time students with no deficiencies upon admission or advancement to the Ph.D. program, the normative time from admission to approval of the dissertation prospectus, completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations, and advancement to candidacy, is two years. The normative time from advancement to candidacy to the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation), if required, and filing of the dissertation, is three years. Overall, the normative time from graduate admission to award of the Ph.D. degree is five years. Students who undertake field research abroad may require an additional one to two years to complete the program.

Termination of Graduate Study and Appeal of Termination

University Policy

A student who fails to meet the above requirements may be recommended for termination of graduate study. A graduate student may be disqualified from continuing in the graduate program for a variety of reasons. The most common is failure to maintain the minimum cumulative grade point average (3.00) required by the Academic Senate to remain in good standing (some programs require a higher grade point average). Other examples include failure of examinations, lack of timely progress toward the degree and poor performance in core courses. Probationary students (those with cumulative grade point averages below 3.00) are subject to immediate dismissal upon the recommendation of their department. University guidelines governing termination of graduate students, including the appeal procedure, are outlined in Standards and Procedures for Graduate Study at UCLA.

Special Departmental or Program Policy

A recommendation for termination is made by the chair of the interdepartmental degree program, upon consultation with the student’s primary faculty adviser and the student’s doctoral committee. A student may appeal a recommendation for termination to the interdepartmental degree committee.

UCLA is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and by numerous special agencies. Information regarding the University’s accreditation may be obtain from the Office of Academic Planning and Budget, 2107 Murphy Hall.

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Alwaleed bin Talal Seminar in Islamic Studies 

Bringing world-class experts on topics ranging from islamic law and theology to contemporary politics and islam in america and west africa to harvard.

Fall 2023 Courses

Explore courses related to islam and the muslim world offered this fall.

Climate Change and Muslim Societies

A hybrid series exploring the impacts of a changing climate on muslim societies with scholars and practitioners from a range of fields. .

History of Islamic Studies at Harvard

An interactive timeline.

Undergraduate and Doctoral Thesis Prizes

Congratulations to farah afify and dr. janan, delgado, winners of the 2022 alwaleed bin talal thesis prizes.

Research Methods in Islamic Studies

A workshop series designed to support the research of harvard students, faculty and visiting fellows.

The Alwaleed Islamic Studies Program at Harvard University is dedicated to furthering the scholarly study of Islam and the Muslim world on an interdisciplinary, global basis.

About the Islamic Studies Program

History of Islamic Studies at Harvard Timeline in the Harvard Gazette

Now accepting thesis prize applications.

Ramadan Karim!

Professor Gülru Necipoğlu Awarded Prestigious 2023 Freer Medal

Named for the National Museum of Asian Art’s founder, Charles Lang Freer, the medal has been awarded since its inauguration in 1956. The Freer Medal honors people who, over the course of a career, have contributed in a substantial way to the understanding of the arts of Asia. In 2023, as part of the Museum’s centennial celebrations, the Charles Lang Freer Medal was awarded to Gülru Necipoğlu, the Aga Khan Professor and Director of the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture at Harvard University’s History of Art and Architecture Department, for her lifetime of work in the arts of the...

Upcoming Events

• Film Screening and Q & A: "Two Poets and a River"
• Islam in Africa Series: "Evil Innovation: Sheikh Ibrahim Niasse and the Reception of Islamic Theosophy in Modern Sub-Saharan Africa" by Amadu Kunateh
• Islam in Africa Series: "From Tradition to Transformation: al-Hajj Umar Tal and the Evolution of West African Islamic Political Economy" by Djelimory Diabate
• Islam in Africa Series: "Blackness and Universality: Reshaping Race and Otherness through Art and Sufism" by Francesco Piraino

Past Events

Islam in africa series: "the political economy of islam in nigeria" by faisal hamid, location: .

Seminar: "Islam and Buddhism: Observations from an Emerging Field" by Anna Akasoy

Anna Akasoy, Professor of Islamic Intellectual History, Graduate Center, CUNY

Co-sponsors: Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and the Committee on Inner Asian and Altaic Studies

Islam in Africa Series: "As the Gentle Rain From Heaven: The Effective Power of Language in the West African Sufi Poem Xarnu Bi" by Nicholas Judt

Islam in africa series: "entangled domains: empire, law, and religion in northern nigeria" by rabiat akande, promoting scholarship.

Alwaleed Bin Talal Seminar in Islamic Studies

Bringing experts from an array of fields within Islamic studies to Harvard.

Faculty Research Grants

Supporting the cutting-edge research of Harvard’s early-career faculty in Islamic studies

Alwaleed Bin Talal Thesis Prizes

Recognizing undergraduate and doctoral students who make original contributions to current scholarly discourse on Islam and Muslim societies, past and present.

Research Methods Workshop

A workshop series that allows Harvard students, faculty and visiting fellows to develop skills to enhance their Islamic studies research.  

Religious Studies

You are here, islamic studies.

     Assistant Director of Graduate Studies:  Frank Griffel Teaching Group in Islamic Studies:  Supriya Gandhi, Frank Griffel, Shawkat Toorawa, Travis Zadeh

The Yale University Ph. D. Program in Islamic Studies is devoted to comprehensive research on the religion of Islam and to training superior students for academic careers in that field. Students accepted into the program are offered full scholarships along with a multi-year stipend. Islamic Studies is one of ten fields in the Department of Religious Studies, where students and professors researching different religious traditions interact. In addition to Prof. Gerhard Bowering and Assoc. Prof. Frank Griffel, students also have the benefit of professors in the Near Eastern Studies, History, and Political Science Departments.

Students in Islamic Studies are expected to develop both a comprehensive knowledge of Islamic intellectual history and religious thought, as well as mastery of a field of specialization and the requisite tools for critical scholarship on Islam. They are expected to demonstrate competence in Islamic religious history (focusing on the development of Islamic civilization, law, society and institutions in the period from the origins of Islam to 1500 CE); Islamic religious thought (focusing on Islamic philosophy, theology, Sufism and Shi’ism); Islamic scripture and tradition (focusing on the composition, redaction and interpretation of Qur’an and Hadith); and modern and contemporary Islam (focusing on 16th to 21st century developments in the Arab Middle East, the Turco-Iranian world, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Africa and, most recently, Europe and America). Frank Griffel is responsible for modern and contemporary Islam, Gerhard Bowering for Islamic religious history; and thought as well as Qur’an and Hadith. Arabic language and literature, as well as Persian and Turkish, are taught in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations . Modern Iranian history and Islamic political thought are taught respectively in the Department of History and Political Science .  

Contact Information

Professor Frank Griffel Yale University Program in Islamic Studies 320 York Street P.O. Box 208287 New Haven, CT 06520-8287 frank.griffel@yale.edu  

College of Arts & Sciences

PhD Arabic & Islamic Studies

The PhD Program in Arabic and Islamic Studies offer advanced training in the disciplines of Arabic Linguistics, Arabic Literature (Modern and Classical), and Islamic Studies (Intellectual History, Theology, Law) with an emphasis on the close reading and interpretation of primary sources, whether linguistic or textual, modern or classical. The department strives to educate students in current theoretical, critical and cultural scholarly approaches as tools to explore and analyze primary sources and linguistic data and to evaluate and challenge secondary scholarship. In forming the new generation of research scholars in our fields, we strive to give them the linguistic and critical tools necessary for original and creative scholarship. Our PhD students typically go on to academic careers, often beginning with post-doctoral fellowships, with tenure-track university appointments or in other research institutions.

Entering students are required to have Arabic language competence equivalent to at least that attained by the end of the third year of intensive language study in the undergraduate program at Georgetown University. In the first week of their first academic year, students who are non-native Arabic speakers are required to take an Arabic language exam administered by the department. Students who fail this exam are required to be enrolled in advanced Arabic classes, and to take the exam again at the end of the fall semester. If they still do not score satisfactorily they have until the end of the spring semester to successfully retake the exam. Students must pass the Arabic proficiency exam by the end of August of their first academic year if they are to continue in the program. Arabic language courses taken to enable students to reach the required proficiency level do not count towards the degree credits. Students who desire ACTFL proficiency certification should make arrangements with the department.

Students already enrolled in the master’s program at Georgetown must apply again if they are interested in joining the Ph.D. program; these students are not guaranteed admission, and will be considered by the admissions committee along with other applicants from outside the department.

For more details on the Ph.D. program, please see the  Graduate Handbook.

To apply, please visit the Graduate School  admissions website.

College of Islamic Studies CIS Hamad Bin Khalifa University Hamad Bin Khalifa University

PhD in Islamic Studies

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The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Islamic Studies (DIS) is an interdisciplinary program that cultivates a detailed understanding of Islamic studies and a mastery of a chosen disciplinary pathway. This expertise is acquired by undertaking dynamic and innovative research that facilitates the analysis and production of contemporary Islamic discourses, engages with diverse themes and topics, and supports the human development goals of the State of Qatar and broader global needs. 

The DIS program is highly versatile to accommodate students wishing to apply interdisciplinary research on a variety of specialisms within the field of Islamic studies. Students develop essential contemporary epistemological and methodological skill sets for the analysis of Islamic discourses, while also synergizing with a solid foundation built on the rich and diverse teachings of the Islamic intellectual heritage.

Program Focus

• The DIS program draws on the expertise and skills of the college in an integrated manner, including diverse subjects such as Islamic art, architecture, and urbanism; global affairs; Islamic psychology; and applied Islamic ethics; as well as subjects that are more traditionally conceived under the broad umbrella of Islamic studies. Students develop a mastery of their chosen academic field and its applications to address current issues, advance knowledge, and facilitate positive social progress based on Islamic principles. 
• The program comprises a strong language component, in which the primary languages of Arabic and English are supplemented by one subsidiary research language associated with Muslim societies, including but not limited to Persian, Turkish, Bahasa Indonesia, and Hausa. The multilingual proficiency enriches the undertaking of dynamic and innovative research that can produce high-quality peer-reviewed publications to advance regional and global scholarship in the areas of Islamic studies and cross-cutting disciplines.

A 72-credit degree program taught over four years in English that includes:

Six core courses (18 credits).

• Research Methods in Islamic Studies
• Comparative Islamic Theology and Philosophy
• Comparative Theories in the Study of Religion
• Sources and Methodology of Islamic Law
• Comparative Quranic Exegesis
• Sources and Methodology of Hadith

Six elective courses (18 credits) out of eleven options

• Comparative Applied Islamic Ethics
• Family and Society in Islam
• Globalization and Muslim Societies
• Graduate Seminar in Islamic Studies
• Islam and Modernity
• Islam, Environment and Sustainability
• Islamic Manuscript Studies
• Muslim Encounters with Other Societies
• Readings in Usul Al-Fiqh
• The Islamic City
• Translating Arabic-Islamic Texts

Dissertation (36 credits)

• This component includes dissertation proposal seminars, dissertation progress workshops, and dissertation defense seminars, in addition to a pre-dissertation comprehensive examination.

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Islamic Studies engages in the study of Islam as a textual tradition inscribed in history and particular cultural contexts. The area seeks to provide an introduction to and a specialization in Islam through a large variety of expressions (literary, poetic, social, and political) and through a variety of methods (literary criticism, hermeneutics, history, sociology, and anthropology).

Faculty: Mehmetcan Akpinar,   Yousef Casewit , Maliha Chishti ,  Alireza Doostdar ,  James T. Robinson Associated Faculty:  Ahmed El Shamsy Islamic Studies offers opportunities to specialize in fields that include Qur’anic studies, Sufi literature, Islamic philosophy, and Islamic law and theology.

Students without an advanced degree will apply for admission to the MA program of the Divinity School. Students applying from within the University of Chicago MA program will be expected to have completed three courses in the Islamic Studies area or the equivalent (to be established by consultation and petition) by the end of the MA. All applicants for PhD admission should have a strong preparation for the study of Islam. Such preparation should include reading knowledge of classical and Modern Standard Arabic, significant background in the study of the human or social sciences, and previous coursework in Islamic history, religion, civilization, or literature. The application letter should specify the applicant’s background in the study of Arabic. If at the time of application, the applicant has not already completed the equivalent of three years of Arabic, the candidate should indicate the program of current study (including possible summer study) that will demonstrate that at the time of matriculation, he or she will have completed the equivalent of three years of Arabic.

Students at the PhD level are expected to have completed course work in advanced Arabic, in which there is a sustained engagement with Arabic primary sources, or to have carried out significant independent study at an equivalent level, before submission of a dissertation proposal. After consultation with a faculty advisor in Islamic Studies, students may petition to replace either French or German with one of the major languages of literature and scholarship within Islam.  In addition to the courses listed below, students are encouraged to consult related course offerings in other areas of the Divinity School and in other university departments such as History, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and South Asian Languages and Civilizations.

Progress Conference format

The progress (or pre-exam) conference is normally held in the spring quarter of the second year, or the fall of the third year.  In Islamic  Studies,  the progress conference is held with a panel of the area's faculty, and will normally include assessment of coursework to date, cogency of the course of study petition, readiness for qualifying examinations, and development of the dissertation project. A report from the advisor and a timeline for the qualifying examinations is submitted to the Dean of Students following the conference. 

Written Examinations

The PhD qualifying examinations consist of four written examinations and an oral examination based on a research paper submitted for the occasion, in consultation with the student’s advisor in the Islamic Studies area. At least two of the four written examinations should be taken in the Area of Islamic Studies. At least one of the four examinations should be taken in an Area outside of Islamic Studies.  Examinations in Islamic Studies include:

IS1-Qur'anic Studies IS2-Sufi Literature IS3-Islamic Philosophy IS4-Islamic Moderrnities IS5-Islamic Origins IS6-Special Topic

Sample Islamic Studies Courses

• Introduction to the Qur'an
• Introduction to Islamic Law
• What is a Madrasa Education
• Islam and Biomedicine
• Shi'ism: History, Memory, Politics
• Islamic Jurisprudence, Reason, and the State
• A Medieval Menagerie: Animal Spirituality in the Middle Ages
• Comparative Mystical Literature
• Introduction to Arabic and Islamic Studies
• Readings in Philosophical Sufism
• Islam, Welfare, and Neoliberalism
• Religion in Modern Iran
• Islam, Media, Meditation
• Readings in Islamic Theology
• Maimonides, Eight Chapters and Commentary on Avot
• Seminar on `Afif al-Din al-Tilimsani
• Ethnographies of the Muslim World

Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies (PhD)

Program description, dual degree.

The study of the Middle East and Islam at New York University has a long and distinguished history which may well have begun with the university's founding in 1831. It is known that by 1837 the faculty included both a professor of Arabic, Syriac, Persian and Ethiopic, and a professor of Hebrew and Oriental languages; courses were offered in Arabic, Persian, biblical and rabbinic Hebrew, Chaldaic and Syriac. The Department of Near Eastern Languages and Literatures (NELL) was established in 1966; the late Professor R. Bayly Winder served as the department's first chair.

In 1973 the department moved into its present quarters at the corner of Washington Square South and Sullivan Street, in the newly-completed building (designed by Philip Johnson) which also houses the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies. NELL originally included faculty specializing in Hebrew and Judaic studies, but in 1986 the Skirball Department of Hebrew and Judaic Studies was established as a separate department. For some years NYU's Program in Religious Studies also operated under the aegis of NELL. To better reflect its changing composition and orientation, the department changed its name to Middle Eastern Studies during the 1995-96 academic year. In 2004, in recognition of the developing scholarly range of its faculty, its name was changed once again, to Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies – abbreviated as MEIS.

People at NYU and elsewhere often confuse the Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies with the Hagop Kevorkian Center for Near Eastern Studies. In fact, though they share the same building and collaborate closely, the two are distinct entities.

The Department of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies is an academic department with its own faculty and offers an undergraduate major (and minor) as well as a graduate program leading to the Ph.D. In contrast, the Kevorkian Center is an area studies center, funded in part by the federal government through the Title VI program, whose mission is to encourage and coordinate teaching and research on the Middle East at NYU and to sponsor educational, informational and outreach programs for teachers, the general public and other people interested in the region. The Kevorkian Center also administers the Program in Near Eastern Studies (NES) leading to the M.A., as well as master's degrees with business, journalism and museum studies. The Kevorkian Center is not a department and has no tenured or tenure-track faculty of its own.

The Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies Department offers a dual degree with the NYU School of Law: Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies PhD/Law JD.

See Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program.

All applicants to the Graduate School of Arts and Science (GSAS) are required to submit the  general application requirements , which include:

• Academic Transcripts
• Test Scores  (if required)
• Applicant Statements
• Résumé or Curriculum Vitae
• Letters of Recommendation , and
• A non-refundable  application fee .

See Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies for admission requirements and instructions specific to this program. 

Program Requirements

Written comprehensive exams i and ii, language requirements, dissertation.

Students must complete 72 credits of graduate course work, including at least three graduate seminars and Problems and Methods in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, MEIS-GA 1687 Prob & Meth in Mideast Studies .

As early as possible in their graduate studies, students should choose two major fields and begin focusing their studies on them. Subject to the availability of faculty, major fields may include Islamic studies; classical Arabic language and literature; modern Arabic language and literature; Persian language and literature; and Turkish language and literature.

Additional Program Requirements

By the end of their third year of graduate study, students should have taken and passed a written comprehensive examination in each of their two major fields. Students prepare for these examinations by course work and by working through a reading list for each field under the supervision of the faculty member who will examine them; each examination will have a second reader as well. Each written comprehensive examination will be followed by an oral examination, administered by the two readers. Students who do not pass a major field examination may petition the department for permission to take it one more time.

Students must also demonstrate proficiency in one of Arabic, Persian, or Turkish as well as a reading knowledge sufficient for research purposes of at least one European language. A student may be required by his or her dissertation adviser to learn additional languages, in keeping with the student’s specific research needs.

After completing the major field requirements, the student should formulate a dissertation proposal, in consultation with his or her primary dissertation adviser as well as the faculty members on the student’s dissertation committee. On completion of all course work and the fulfillment of all language requirements, the student must successfully defend the dissertation proposal, with the student’s adviser and two other faculty members serving as examiners. The completed dissertation must conform to departmental and Graduate School of Arts and Science standards, be read and approved by the student’s supervisor and two other faculty members, and be defended in a public oral defense in which those three readers and two additional examiners participate.

Sample Plan of Study

Following completion of the required coursework for the PhD, students are expected to maintain active status at New York University by enrolling in a research/writing course or a Maintain Matriculation ( MAINT-GA 4747 ) course.  All non-course requirements must be fulfilled prior to degree conferral, although the specific timing of completion may vary from student-to-student.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will have acquired:

• The ability to make a significant and original contribution to the field.
• Proficiency in one or more of the disciplinary perspectives offered in the department, and in the theories and methods of inquiry associated with that discipline.
• Proficiency in the language(s) relevant to the student's specific area of inquiry.
• Ability to produce written work of publishable quality based on the standards of the discipline.
• Proficiency in basic pedagogical approaches and classroom techniques appropriate to the field.

NYU Policies

Graduate school of arts and science policies.

University-wide policies can be found on the New York University Policy pages .

Academic Policies for the Graduate School of Arts and Science can be found on the Academic Policies page . 

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PhD Program Information

 The Institute of Islamic Studies offers two (2) PhD programs: a general PhD in Islamic Studies, and a PhD in Islamic Studies – Gender and Women’s Studies Concentration .

As per Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Ph.D. students must have a supervisory committee consisting of at least one faculty member in addition to the supervisor(s).

The PhD supervisory committee of students in the Institute of Islamic Studies (IIS) will consist of a supervisor (or two co-supervisors) and one additional faculty member, who is a member or associate member of the IIS. This additional committee member meets with the student on a regular basis to provide guidance and constructive feedback on the student’s research. The selection of this additional committee member is done with the mutual agreement of the student, the supervisor(s), and the GPD.

A) PhD Degree in Islamic Studies

To be granted a PhD degree in Islamic Studies all students must meet the following degree requirements :

Islamic Studies: Exploration of research materials in Islamic Studies, including intellectual output of Islamic civilization, compositions, Arabic nomenclature, Arabic script and transliteration systems, published and unpublished materials (theses, manuscripts, books printed by lithography, facsimile editions, monographic, serial, e-publishing), websites, databases; major reference books (bibliographies, encyclopedias, handbooks, online/published catalogues, language/biographical dictionaries).

Offered by: Islamic Studies

• Compulsory for M.A. students; recommended for Ph.D. students
• This course is not scheduled for the 2024 academic year
• There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024 academic year
• Completion of 3 years of Arabic or Persian language study at the Institute, unless proficiency is proven via a test administered by the academic staff. * Note: If an introductory-level course is taken, it will not count toward the 30 credits.
• In addition to Arabic or Persian, 2 years of language study at the IIS of another Islamic language, unless exempt.
• Reading knowledge of one non-Islamic research language (usually European) at a level of scholarly competence.
• Comprehensive examinations in three specified fields ( ISLA 701 Comprehensive Examination , no credits).
• A dissertation judged to contain original research.
• Upon approval of the dissertation, a "Pass" must be received at the final oral defense examination.

With the permission of the Institute, up to 6 credits could be taken in other departments at McGill or other institutions.

With the approval of the student's supervisory committee, courses taken with an IIS faculty member in other departments (i.e., History, Anthropology, Political Science) can count toward the coursework requirements in the same way as ISLA courses.

To avoid over-specialization, a maximum of 9 credits of content courses (i.e., courses that are not primarily devoted to language instruction) can be taken with a single Institute professor.

B) PhD Degree in Islamic Studies – Gender and Women’s Studies Concentration

The Graduate Option in Gender and Women’s Studies is an interdisciplinary program for students who meet degree requirements in Islamic Studies (and other participating departments and faculties) who wish to earn 9 credits of approved coursework focusing on gender and women’s studies, and issues in feminist research and methods. The student’s PhD thesis must be on a topic centrally relating to issues of gender and/or women’s studies.  

To be granted a PhD degree in Islamic Studies – Gender and Women’s Studies Concentration all students must meet the following degree requirements :

1. 30 credits of courses (beyond the MA level), including:

• Two 600- or 700-level seminars offered by the Institute

Women's Studies: Examination of feminist theories and research methods from a variety of disciplinary perspectives.

Offered by: Inst for Gender, Sex & Fem St

Women's Studies: Discussion and development of participants' research in gender and women's studies.

• Prerequisite: WMST 601 .
• Restriction: Must be enrolled in the Option in Gender and Women's Studies.
• One 3-credit course with a substantive focus on women and/or gender

Application for PhD degree click here for more details.

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Ph.D. (Interreligious Studies)

Hartford International University’s Ph.D. program provides advanced study in the knowledge and practical application of relations between religious traditions. Current areas of study include  Christian-Muslim Relations , Contemporary Muslim Studies , Islamic Studies, Jewish Studies, and Christian Studies.  Ph.D. graduates gain rigorous research skills and comprehensive knowledge in their field(s) of study, culminating in a dissertation that makes an original contribution.

Our Ph.D. program continues this long legacy of educating and training experts in various fields by providing exceptional candidates with the opportunity to complete a research-driven, highly customizable program of study under the method of interreligious studies. Students will acquire:

• comprehensive knowledge in their chosen discipline of study
• skills and competence to teach in these subjects in religious communities and academia
• ability to produce original research and written works to advance the scholarship for the benefit of religious communities, academy, and society

Program Structure

The curriculum is comprised of two first-year seminars; a first-year initial literature review; four tutorials, three methods/language courses, two comprehensive exams, a teaching portfolio, a dissertation proposal exam, a final dissertation, and oral defense. Each of the tutorials and methods/language requirements are customizable to the particular research needs of the student, under the guidance of a faculty mentor. This program has limited classroom instruction and places high emphasis on rigorous, supervised research and academic writing.

Residency is only required for two weeks each semester for Stage One. The remainder can be completed via synchronous online tutorials.

F-1 International Students who are legally residing in the US and need to meet residency requirements, must live within 50 miles of the campus and demonstrate through their tutorial contracts that they are meeting in person with their advisor.

Stage One: First-Year Seminars and Literature Review (18 Credits)

Students will complete four, 3-credit seminars during the first year of the program, and two, 3-credit literature reviews with their advisor. These courses are offered in a hybrid manner, with Fall and Spring semester two-week face to face intensive sessions, followed by hybrid synchronous sessions throughout the semester. For the hybrid synchronous format, students may be present in the classroom or remote.

The Research Methodology and Scholarly Development I and II seminars are focused on research design and culminate in the creation of a program research plan. 

The Methodological Studies in Jewish/Christian/Muslim Relations I and II seminars provide the necessary scriptural, historical, and theoretical foundations to support student identification of issues directly related their specific research interests.

Literature Review I and II are taken under the direction of the student’s faculty mentor. This requirement is intended to demonstrate broad mastery of the literature relevant to the student’s specific research and the identification of an opportunity for an original contribution to research along with the theoretical or conceptual framework(s) the student expects to use in making this contribution.

Stage One culminates in a program research plan and two comprehensive exams based upon the chosen field of research and methods of approaches to the religious traditions, which can be completed in the Spring of Summer sessions. All students are expected to register for a full-time course load in the first year and residency during this stage is recommended, but not required. However, all students are required to be present on campus for two weeks in the Fall semester and two weeks in the Spring semester for the required seminar intensive sessions and for face-to-face advising sessions with faculty.

Stage One Curricular Overview

• Research Methodology and Scholarly Development I (PHD-900, 3 credits)
• Methodological Studies in Jewish/Christian/Muslim Relations I (PHD-906, 3 credits)
• Literature Review I (PHD-908, 3 credits)
• Research Methodology and Scholarly Development II (PHD-901, 3 credits)
• Methodological Studies in Jewish/Christian/Muslim Relations II (PHD-907, 3 credits)
• Literature Review II (PHD-909, 3 credits)

Stage Two (39 Credits)

In stage two, students refine their research plan and conduct the building blocks of their research projects, including completing four tutorials and three methods/language courses, and compilation of their teaching portfolio.

Tutorials (24 credits) are directed writing projects that are customized to fit the student’s specific research focus and are supervised by HIU faculty or external faculty whose expertise matches the focus of the tutorial. Students will complete four tutorials (6 credits each). These tutorials represent the building blocks of the student’s research. Tutorials provide the opportunity to engage the wider literature and use the research methods appropriate to their research plan. The final outcome of a tutorial is usually a final paper between 40-60 pages in length.  When appropriate to the student’s research plan, and with the agreement of their advisor, students may substitute one tutorial with credited, graduate courses at HIU or another accredited graduate school that equal 6 credit hours; courses may be taught face-to-face or synchronously online

The Methods/Language Courses (9 credits) are customized to fit the students research plan and pre-program language competency. Scholars need linguistic tools to deal with primary sources and secondary scholarly literature to pursue the research. Students are required to acquire or demonstrate linguistic proficiency at the needed level of advanced level research in at least two languages. Students may take language courses at partner institutions (usually at the intermediary level) or pass a language comprehension exam. Those students with prior language skills and knowledge and will not need to complete one or more language requirements and may petition for Advanced Standing. The language requirements must be completed before the student’s research proposal defense.

In some cases, the student may choose to pursue focused and extensive engagement with a particular method or analytical approach related to their research. In these cases, the methods courses are expected to go beyond the methods literature and give students the opportunity to put their research skills into practice. Both the focused methods and language courses can be fulfilled via independent study or through graduate classes offered at HIU or the BTI in particular methodologies or languages.

The teaching portfolio  (3 credits) will consist of a written teaching philosophy, evidence of pedagogical training, sample course syllabi, and experience as a TA or instructor.

Stage two can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis with a maximum of four years; full-time students can expect this stage to take two years. Stage two culminates in the submission and defense of a PhD dissertation proposal.

Stage Two Curricular Overview (2-4 years)

• Tutorial I (PHD-920, 6 credits)*
• Language/Methods I (PHD-930, 3 credits)
• Tutorial II (PHD-921, 6 credits)*
• Language/Methods II (PHD-931, 3 credits)
• Comprehensive Exams I and II (PHD-910 & 911, 0 credits, P/F). Must pass before registering for Tutorial III.
• Tutorial III (PHD-922, 6 credits)*
• Language/Methods III (PHD-932, 3 credits) –if needed due to student’s research plan.
• Tutorial IV (PHD-923, 6 credits)*
• Teaching Portfolio (PHD-933, 3 credits) (Should be registered for in the semester prior to the defense)

                 * or two 3-credit graduate level courses

• Dissertation Proposal Defense (PHD-940, 3 credits). Must pass before entering stage three.

Stage Three (15 credits)

After passing the proposal defense, the student will move on to the dissertation stage of the program. Dissertations should be approximately 80,000-100,000 words, excluding bibliographies. Students will register 6 dissertation credits each the first and second semester and will register for a 3-credit dissertation defense. Students who have not defended their dissertation by the end of the second semester will need to register for a dissertation continuation as they continue to work on the dissertation until it has been defended. Students are allowed up to a total of two years to complete and defend their dissertation. Students are allowed up to a total of seven years to complete the program.

Stage Three Curricular Overview (1-2 years)

• Dissertation (PHD-995 & 996, 6 credits)
• Dissertation (PHD-997 & 998, 6 credits)
• Defense (PHD-999, 3 credits)

Students will acquire:

These learning objectives will be assessed through a Ph.D. portfolio which includes supervised teaching at the graduate level and significant engagement with a community of scholars.

Application Deadline:

Completed applications are due by January 31st.   

Admission Requirements:

All completed applications will be reviewed by the Ph.D. Committee. Applicants are required to have earned the Master of Arts in Religious Studies, Master of Theology, Master of Divinity, or an equivalent post-graduate degree from an accredited institution, prior to their enrollment into the program.

The following materials are required:

• Prior Education: Official transcripts from all previous institutions must be submitted to the Admission's Office.  Applicants are required to present transcripts in English or accompanied by a certified English translation. NOTE: Admitted students with non-U.S. transcripts are required to submit evaluated transcripts completed by a credential evaluation service. We recommend Spantran as the most economical option for transcript evaluation. HIU will be notified directly when the transcript evaluations are completed.  
• Writing Sample: a sample scholarly paper, thesis, or other publication.  
• Research Proposal: an approximately 2,000 word proposal that includes the topic and scope of a proposed research project, including the proposed faculty member with whom the applicant wishes to undertake advanced level research.  
• References: three academic letters of recommendation.  
• English Language Proficiency: Students who do not have English as a first language, or as a primary language in previous academic studies, are required, prior to application, to take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) examination and achieve a minimum score of 550 (written version), 213 (computer version) or 80 (internet version), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and achieve a minimum score of 6.5, or the Duolingo English Test (DET) and achieve a minimum score of 110 (or demonstration of completion of a previous degree in the English language).

Where Your Journey May Lead

Ph.d. in interreligious studies.

Teaching in a college, university, or seminary

Serving as a specialist for your religious community

Providing public leadership in non-profit, business, and interreligious settings

The Value of Experience

Hartford International University Ph.D. candidates have immediate access to mentors and advisors among our faculty. They have been where you are, and they are more than happy to share their experiences, their guidance, and their encouragement.

Why choose Hartford International University’s Ph.D. program? Because you’ll have access to come of the best minds in the field of Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim relations. We have, for example, the only faculty chair in North America devoted to Shi’a studies.

Research opportunities

Our Ph.D. candidates have access to our excellent library, along with online platforms around the globe. Learn with faculty members who regularly publish and present at conferences, including those of the American Academy of Religion and the Middle East Studies Association.

Admission Information

Completed applications are due by Jan. 31. The committee will accept students into the program by cohort for the 2022, 2024, and 2026, etc. academic years.

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• Islamic Studies

The Ph.D. program in Islamic Studies at Duke covers the study of Islam as a religious and intellectual tradition as well as the study of Muslim societies past and present. Rigorous emphasis on the humanities and social sciences requires students to explore the classical Islamic sciences at the same time that they examine the cultural and historical expression of Islamicate civilization in its various historical phases.

Areas of strength include: history (medieval, modern and postmodern; intellectual, cultural and social) and Islamic thought (also medieval, modern and postmodern; legal, philosophical and theological), with special attention to global and comparative history, law and society, Islamic political thought, ethics, and gender studies.

Convener: Mona Hassan

Major Field Requirements

• At least 3 advanced courses each semester for 2-3 years.
• Students entering directly from an undergraduate program ordinarily will complete six semesters of course work
• Students entering with advanced degrees, such as M.Div. or M.A. in religion ordinarily will complete four semesters of course work
• All course work will be in doctoral seminars that result in major papers
• Among the core courses all students are required to take are: Methodology and Pedagogy, Text and Society in Formative and Classical Islam, Hermeneutics, History and the Making of Authority in Islam, Modern Islamic Thought and Muslim Societies, and Theorizing Religion
• Demonstration by course-work and written exam of proficiency in Arabic as well as one other Near Eastern, African or Asian language appropriate to the student's special interests.
• Demonstration by written exam of competency in one modern European language, preferably French or German.
• 12 hours of RCR training in first 4 years of study
• General exam in Islamic thought
• Exam in the dissertation area
• Exam in the internal minor
• Exam in the external minor
• 1 oral exam that takes place after the written exam and reviews all 4 of them
• Dissertation

Inside Minor Requirements

Sam Kigar: "lslamic Land: Muslim Genealogies of Territorial Sovereignty in Modern MoroCco, c. 1900-1990." 2018. Co-advisors: Ebrahim Moosa and David Morgan

Saadia Yacoob: " Hermeneutics of Desire: Ontologies of Gender in Early Hanafi Law." 2016. Co-advisors: Ebrahim Moosa and Leela Prasad

Ali Mian: "Surviving Modernity: Ashraf ' Ali Thanvi (1863-1943) and the Making of Muslim Orthodoxy in Colonial India." 2015. Advisor: Ebrahim Moosa

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Department of Religious Studies

Islamic studies, general description.

For more detailed information on the Islamic studies field, see the remarks of Carl Ernst on “ Graduate Admission Information for Islamic Studies at UNC .”

In addition to the requirement of two modern research languages, all students must develop proficiency in at least one Islamicate language (usually Arabic, Persian, Turkish, or Urdu) before taking the Doctoral Examinations. Additional languages may be required by the faculty in the field, and the student’s advisor, depending on the research trajectory of the student.

Doctoral Examinations

All Ph.D. candidates will be expected to pass a set of four Doctoral Examinations. Program faculty members, in consultation with the student, will determine the topics of the examinations based upon the individual needs and interests of the student. In general, written exams will cover the following areas:

• A formulation and interrogation of a problematic in Islamic studies , which both defines and critically examines a series of issues that connect major categories of Islamic thought and practice (e.g., Sufism and reformism, gender studies and the methodologies of Islamic law, Qur’an and literary theory, Shi`ism and performance theory).
• Theory and methodology of Islamic studies , focusing on the general historiography of the field as well as the ways in which scholars in others disciplines (such as anthropology) and in previously marginalized sub-fields (such as Islam in America or Shi`ism) have sought to reconstruct its boundaries.
• The religious history of one geographic region , usually the region in which the student expects to do field research (including, for example, the Middle East, South Asia, Central Asia, or North America). This exam is implicitly comparative in approach, since it requires dealing with non-Muslim religious traditions in the region of choice.
• A thematic examination , focusing on a particular subfield of Islamic studies (such as Sufism, Islamic philosophical and political thought, Qur’anic studies, or Islamic rituals).

Upon completion of the written exams, the student will take an oral examination based primarily on issues raised in the written exams.

Special Resources

One feature of the program is its close cooperation with the Islamic studies faculty from  The Department of Religion at Duke University , located just ten miles from Chapel Hill. Graduate students from both programs regularly participate in joint graduate seminars and informal reading groups, and ask faculty from both universities to serve on their examination and Ph.D. committees.

Additional resources for the comparative study of Islam in the area include the following:

Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies programs at UNC and in the Triangle are coordinated by the  UNC Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies , housed in the  Global Education Center .  The Middle East Center collaborates with the Duke University Middle East Center to form the Consortium for Middle East Studies  at Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, a federally funded Title VI National Resource Center. Another affiliated resource is the  Duke Islamic Studies Center .

University of North Carolina Press  has launched a  book series  on Islamic Civilization and Muslim Networks edited by Bruce Lawrence and Carl Ernst.

Core Faculty

• Youssef Carter
• Carl W. Ernst
• Juliane Hammer
• Waleed Ziad

Associated Faculty

• Jodi Magness

Affiliated Faculty

• Charles Kurzman , Sociology (UNC)
• Omid Safi , Asian & ME Studies (Duke)

Click here to return to the description of the Ph.D. program.

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Graduate Studies

PhD specializations directly related to the Islamic world are offered through several Graduate Groups at the University of Pennsylvania, such as

• History of Art
• Political Science
• South Asia Studies

Both the Departments of Religious Studies and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations offer doctoral tracks in Islamic Studies. An important and attractive characteristic of doctoral programs in the humanities and social sciences at Penn is that they are truly interdisciplinary and shaped around the interests and goals of individual students. It is extremely common for graduate students to take classes across several departments.

View information on recent PhDs

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Islamic Studies

The Islamic Studies area of study in the Department of Religious Studies is dedicated to the advanced study of Muslim societies and Islamic intellectual history spanning fifteen hundred years. We have particular strengths in both the medieval and early modern religious and philosophical traditions, and in the lived experience of Islam in the contemporary world, with an interest in the connective space between these two fields. Further, out faculty’s research is especially attentive to the interconnections among Muslims and other communities, among them Zoroastrian, Jewish, Christian, Manichean, Hindu, and African traditions. Graduate students will examine in seminars and tutorials such topics as the Qurʾān and its reception, philosophy, theology, Sufism, Shi‘ism, Islamic jurisprudence and law, ethics, belles-lettres, Muslim history, historiography, anthropology, oratory, and literary biography.

PhD students must demonstrate mastery of Arabic by the end of their second year in the program and must demonstrate mastery of other languages relevant to their research by the end of their third year. The Islamic Studies area of study also directly supports the study of Persian and Judeo-Arabic. Other potentially relevant languages such as Hebrew, Greek, Syriac, Sanskrit, Swahili, Urdu-Hindi, and Yoruba are offered across the University. Beyond course offerings in the Department of Religious Studies, the University also provides relevant training through such departments and programs as Classics, Philosophy, History, Middle East and South Asian Languages, German, English, French, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese, Art History, Anthropology, the Carter G. Woodson Institute, and Medieval Studies. The University of Virginia’s library provides a rich resource of Arabic-language books and reference materials on Islamic civilization.

Doctoral Coursework  

PhD students in the Islamic Studies area of study must take two seminars on theory and method. The first is RELG 7360 (“Theories and Methods in the Study of Religion,” required of all PhD students in Religious Studies); the second is RELI 5415 (“Introduction to Arabic and Islamic Studies”). Doctoral students must complete at least 13 additional seminars or tutorials on topics related to their research area(s), the selection of which should be discussed with their advisor(s), in order to fulfill the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) requirement of at least 45 credit hours of graded graduate coursework. Students who enter the PhD program with a relevant prior graduate degree may, in their first year, petition for “advanced standing,” which must be approved by their advisor(s) and the Director of Graduate Studies. Advanced standing would allow a PhD student to obtain up to 15 transfer credits toward their doctoral degree, thereby reducing the graded graduate coursework requirement to 30 credit hours. (Which would mean that, in addition to the two required seminars on theory and method, a PhD student in Islamic Studies would need to take at least 8 further seminars or tutorials.

Language Requirements

Language learning is an essential part of this research area. Islamic Studies PhD students are required to master Arabic as the primary research language to a level that is equivalent to four years of study. Other relevant research languages must be mastered to a level that is equivalent to two years of study. Proficiency in these languages must be demonstrated by a written translation examination by the end of the semester following the completion of a PhD student’s coursework. Reading knowledge of French and/or German may also be required. Each student’s Language Plan of Language study must be determined in consultation with the student’s advisor(s) in their first semester of the PhD program.

Comprehensive Examinations  

PhD students must take three written comprehensive exams covering three different areas of Islamic Studies (e.g., qurʾānic or ḥadīth studies, Islamic history, philosophy, mysticism, anthropology of Islam, or theology), in addition to the required language exams. Students must complete all examinations by the end of the semester following the completion of coursework. (In some cases, it is also possible to take some of comprehensive exams during coursework.) Each exam will be supervised by two faculty members: a primary examiner and a secondary examiner. The reading lists (bibliography) and the format of these exams will be determined by students in consultation with their advisor(s). If the three exams are taken together, they must be taken within one week. Every exam will be followed by an oral defense.

Dissertation and Research Fieldwork

Within approximately three months of completing comprehensive examinations, each candidate will assemble a committee of at least three faculty members and present and defend a dissertation proposal. After the proposal defense, students will conduct intensive primary source research on their chosen topic through textual and/or ethnographic study. Every proposal should include a thorough plan for research, developed in consultation with the dissertation. Students must aim to write, complete, and orally defend the dissertation by the end of their sixth year.

Islamic Studies Colloquium

The Islamic Studies Colloquium (ISC), an interdisciplinary forum based in the Department of Religious Studies, brings together all students and faculty at the University of Virginia whose academic work involves Islam and Muslim cultures—including but not limited to Religious Studies, Medieval Studies, Anthropology, History, and Comparative Literature—to discuss their research in conversation. Presenters alternate between advanced graduate students, who are encouraged to use this forum as an opportunity to receive feedback on their research, and current or visiting faculty, with occasional guest lecturers. Please see the  colloquium website  for further details. 

Department of Religious Studies

Islam, society and culture (isc).

• Doctoral Programs (Ph.D)

This field is devoted, but not limited, to the study of Islamic beliefs and practices within the cultural and historical context of the Middle East and South and Central Asia.

Students in this field will specialize in the texts, traditions, and critical analysis of Islamic society and culture from the medieval (6th century) to the modern era. Students interested in the study of Islam and ethics, or Islam in the US and North America (i.e. from a contemporary perspective) will find intersections with the Department's track in Religion and Critical Thought; those interested in comparative study between Islam, Christianity, and Judaism will find intersections with the track in Religions of the Ancient Mediterranean; and those interested in South and Central Asia will have overlap with Asian Religious Traditions track. Applicants should have advance preparation in the relevant research languages. Students in this field may pursue their graduate work in conjunction with area studies programs (Middle East Studies, South Asian Studies, African Studies, etc.) and will make use of the resources provided by the Departments of History, Comparative Literature, Art History and Anthropology.

Successful applicants to the doctoral program in ISC ordinarily possess an M.A. or the equivalent in a related field of study. Prior language training is also an important factor taken into consideration in the admissions decision. At least two years of a core language such as Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, etc. is required; three or more years is highly recommended. Excellent command of English, both spoken and written, is also required.

Courses should be selected each semester in consultation with the student's primary advisor. In addition to the departmental course requirement in theory and method (RELS 2000), ISC students are expected to complete at least six graduate seminars or the equivalent. Students in this field may pursue their graduate work in conjunction with courses offered by the various area studies programs and may also make use of the resources provided by the Departments of History, Comparative Literature, and Anthropology, among others. Students are also encouraged to cross-register for other specialized courses at Harvard University, as appropriate.

In addition to a) two (usually) pre-modern research languages, ISC students must attain reading competence in b) two modern research-related languages other than English (ordinarily French & German, but this may be adjusted according to field of study). Native speakers of one research language in category a) will be asked to demonstrate mastery of a second as well as in two modern research-related languages other than English.

Graduate students are urged to take intensive language courses in the summer whenever possible, so as to complete their requirements in a timely fashion. ISC students are also encouraged to refine their language skills abroad during summers or other limited periods during the course of their graduate studies. Enquiries about the possibility of financial assistant for language study should be made will in advance of the projected study program.

Pre-Modern Languages

Depending on the area of study, the ability to conduct research in Arabic, Persian, Hebrew, Turkish or other pre-modern language (e.g. Syriac) should be attained as early as possible and students in ISC should be prepared to demonstrate competence in one of these languages by the end of the fourth semester, and in the second, no later than the end of the sixth semester by passing an exam administered by a faculty member.

Modern Languages

Ordinarily, and depending on area of study, reading knowledge of German and French needs to be attained as early as possible (other Modern languages, such as Persian, Turkish, Hindi, or Spanish may be options as well). Students in ISC should be prepared to prove competence in these languages no later than the end of the fourth semester by passing an exam administered by a faculty member or by receiving an honors grade in German 12 ("German for Reading") or a similar course in French when offered. 

Preliminary Examinations

Doctoral examinations are based on bibliographies negotiated by the student and the advisory committee several months in advance. Students will complete three exams in total, one Major Field exam and two Minor Field exams. Minor Field exams may be conducted with a professor outside the department, in consultation with the graduate committee for ISC (Khalek/Bashir).

Ordinarily, Major Fields will cover areas of Islamic intellectual and/or social history, whle Minor Fields will cover more thematically specific areas, such as "Shi'i Thought" or "Islamic Hagriography," for example. A Minor Field may also cover a theoretically relevant area of inquiry such as "Post-Colonial Theory," "Gender Studies," "Mysticism," etc.

Dissertation

Upon successful completion of all courses, language requirements, and preliminary exams, a student shall develop his or her dissertation prospectus and present it to the department according to the standard departmental procedure (see Dissertation Prospectus in the  Grad Handbook , pp 11-12).

Students are generally expected to conduct research using original sources, whether critical editions, primary texts in archives and libraries, works of art in museums, interviews with subjects, or other materials. For research conducted abroad, ordinarily students will apply for fellowships in the fall of the year preceding the academic year in which they play to live in the country of their choosing.

Suggested Timetable

The following schedule is approximate only. Graduate students should consult with their faculty advisors to discuss the courses and requirements they should complete each semester. Students who enter the department with an MA in hand are ordinarily expected to complete 2 years of department course requirements, while those without an MA are expected to complete 3. Therefore the suggested timeline below is a general example only: 

• First year : departmental course requirement (RELS 2000); third year of the first language; first year of the second language; two seminar-level courses in the field.
• Second year : fourth year of the first core language; second year of the second coure language; two seminars in the field; French/German competence certification by the end of thsi academic year.
• Third year : third year of the second core language; advanced readings in the first core language; two seminars (these may be Independent Studies) in the field; first two preliminary examinations.
• Fourth year : grant applications for fieldwork or travel, if applicable; third preliminary examination by the end of the first semester; remaining language work; dissertation prospectus approval and, as possible, beginning of dissertation writing by the end of this academic year.
• Fifth year : dissertation writing (or research abroad).
• Sixth year : dissertation writing.

Core Faculty

Shahzad bashir, nancy khalek, additional programs, asian religious traditions (art), religion and critical thought (rct), religions of the ancient mediterranean (ram).

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American International Theism University is an accredited online distant learning institution that is based in Florida. The Department of Education Commission on Independent Education of the State of Florida has granted us the right to award Master’s Degrees and Doctorate Degrees under Section 1005.06(1)(f).

(941) 841-0682, 1460 s mccall road suite 5 englewood, florida 34223, [email protected].

American International Theism University

AITU offers qualifying degrees in Religious Studies, Islamic Finance, Business and Psychology.

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American International Theism University is a Religious institution that meets the requirements found in Section 1005.06(1)(f), Florida Statutes and Rule 6E-5.001, Florida Administrative Code are not under the jurisdiction or purview of the Commission for Independent Education and are not required to obtain licensure.

The title of AITU-issued degrees incorporates a religious modifier inside any of the accompanying degrees to consent to the Florida Department of Education, Commission for Independent Education Section 1006.06 ((1) (F): For instance, Associate of Arts, Associate of Science, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Science, Doctor of Philosophy, and Doctor of Education.

AITU offers educational programs that prepare students for religious vocations as ministers, professionals, or laypersons in ministry. Our programs include counseling, theism, education, administration, music, fine arts, media communications, or social work.

There are a variety of educational programs available at American International Theism University for students to join. These programs are designed to prepare students in their fields of choice. The majors available include Islamic Studies, counseling, social work, education, banking, finance, or business management. Students can choose to major in Grief Counseling, Education, Islamic Finance, or Business Administration for their degree programs.

American International Theism University is one of the few independent universities in Florida to offer Master’s Degrees and Doctorate Degrees online. By providing such advanced degree programs over the internet, it keeps our overhead costs to a minimum. That way, we can offer our students a much more significant discount on their tuition and other related educational products and services

Employers and future educators will want to make sure your degree is accredited before accepting you into their organization. The Accreditation Service for International Schools, Colleges, and Universities has granted accreditation to American International Theism University. As a result, our degrees include an official accreditation along with them. Once you show a potential employer your degree from American International Theism University, they can verify its accreditation and the value of the knowledge that you have received from our school.

AITU agreement with Hodmas University

American International Theism University is excited to formally announce a significant collaboration with Accord University, a prestigious institution of higher learning Hodmas University College  www.hodmas.edu.so  This partnership marks a pivotal moment in the journey of both universities, offering our students a wealth of new opportunities to accomplish their academic and professional objectives.

Hodmas University College  distinguished reputation, coupled with its official licensing and approval by the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Higher Education in Somalia, underscores the credibility and quality of education that it offers. It’s worth noting that the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Higher Education holds the distinction of being recognized by the prestigious Council of Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)  www.chea.org

AITU agreement with UNIMY

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There are a variety of educational programs available at American International Theism University for students to join. These programs are designed to prepare students for real-life job experiences in their fields of choice. The majors available include Islamic Studies, counseling, social work, education, banking, finance, or business management. Students can choose to major in Grief Counseling, Education, Islamic Finance, or Business Administration for their degree programs.

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Timeline project documents harvard’s long history of islamic studies .

Harry Bastermajian (left) and Meryum Kazmi have compiled an archive project documenting the history of Islamic studies at Harvard. Their archival discoveries show a connection with the Islamic world going back as far as the University’s founding. Below: Kazmi and Bastermajian examine notes from Hamilton Gibb, who taught at Harvard in the 1950s.

Photos by Stephanie Mitchell/Harvard Staff Photographer

When Harry Bastermajian inherited a collection of notes from Sir Hamilton Gibb in 2016, he said it was like viewing a time capsule. He had recently become executive director of the  Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Islamic Studies Program at the time, and the notes from the prominent Islamic studies professor who taught at Harvard in the 1950s and ’60s offered a valuable glimpse into historic debates on the best way to teach Islamic studies.

“It gives a good window into how people thought about the study of the world, and how they wanted to organize what we now call ‘global studies’ or ‘international studies,’” Bastermajian said.   

Bastermajian  and  Meryum Kazmi , the program’s senior coordinator of programming and engagement, recently completed an archival project on the history of Islamic studies at Harvard, featuring an interactive  timeline  that illuminates the eras of scholarship from the earliest days to the present. 

The first era was the University’s 17th century clergy training days, when the study of Arabic was mainly for understanding Biblical Hebrew, according to Bastermajian. Harvard’s first presidents,  Henry Dunster and Charles Chauncy , were “Orientalists” (scholars of Eastern language and cultures). Arabic instruction began during Chauncy’s presidency and was likely taught by Chauncy himself.  

“When I think about colonial New England, the study of Arabic is not something I would have realized existed here,” Kazmi said. “The fact that early Harvard presidents studied and were interested in Arabic and encouraged its study shows Harvard’s connection with the Islamic world is really as old as the University itself.”  

The second era, in the late 19th century, focused on Muslim interactions with Europe. The 1836 arrival of Professor Crawford H. Toy brought a “turning point,” and Harvard’s first Islamic studies course: history of the Spanish Califate. Toy’s courses explored Islamic history in India, Egypt, Sicily and the Barbary States, and the Crusades via Muslim sources.  

“It was introduced to the History Department to get students to think more globally, which is something we still encourage our students to do,” Bastermajian said.  

The third era, post-World War II, was about understanding the Middle East to further U.S. interests abroad. Professors like Gibb aimed, during this time, to move studies beyond “Orientalism” and the European focus, in favor of an interdisciplinary approach. The final era saw robust development of Islamic studies on campus, with the addition of programs like the  Islamic Legal Studies Program ,  the Middle East Initiative  and the Alwaleed program.   

Bastermajian said the archive project reinforces the importance of studying the impact of Harvard scholars like Toy, Gibb and others, in order to understand the resulting scholarship.   

“Doing this kind of research, you get to see the connections that exist between how we approach the study of history, the study of cultures, the study of religion,” Bastermajian said, “how it’s changed over time, but how there are linkages with how we approached it in the past.”  

The  timeline and corresponding  podcast episode , featuring former program directors, can be found on the program’s website . 

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