Islamic Studies

Overview

Islamic studies programs include topics such as:

• Islamic scripture and literature
• Islamic history

Schools

Community colleges and other two-year schools offer associate degree programs in Islamic studies. An associate degree usually takes two years to complete. After earning an associate degree students can transfer to a college or university for further study.

A few colleges and universities offer bachelor's degrees in Islamic studies. A bachelor's degree usually takes about four years of full-time study.

Very few universities offer master's degrees in Islamic studies. A master's degree typically requires two years of study beyond a bachelor's degree.

See schools that offer this program.

Related Educational Programs

• Arabic Language and Literature
• Biblical Language and Literature
• Biblical Studies
• History
• Religious Education
• Religious Studies

Related Careers

Careers to Consider

• Clergy
• University and College Teachers

Program Admission

You can prepare for this program by taking courses in high school that prepare you for college. This typically includes four years of English, three years of math, three years of social studies, and two years of science. Some colleges also require two years of a second language.

Below is a list of high school courses that will help prepare you for this program of study:

• English Composition
• Second Language
• World History

Graduate Admissions

Admission to graduate programs is competitive. You need a bachelor's degree, good grades, and good test scores. Knowledge of literary Arabic and of a Western scholarly language (such as French or German) may not be required for admission, but it is an advantage.

Additional requirements at some schools include:

• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) General
• Letters of recommendation

Typical Course Work

Program Courses

A bachelor's program to prepare you to be an imam typically includes courses such as the following:

• Analytical Tafseer
• Arabic Language
• Fiqh (laws regarding worship, financial contracts, family life, crimes, et al.)
• Islamic Ethics
• Islamic History and Civilization
• Principles of Faith
• Psychology of Education
• Qur'anic Sciences
• Sunnah Sciences
• Teaching Methodology
• Usul al-Fiqh (Source Methodology in Islamic Law)

Graduate Program Courses

Graduate programs typically include courses such as the following:

• Hadith Literature
• Islam and the Modern World
• Islamic Law
• Islamic Philosophy and Theology
• Islamic Religious History
• Mohammed and His Times
• Qur'an
• Sectarian Developments in Islam

In addition, you will usually have to meet the following requirements:

• Languages
• Thesis (master's degree)
• Preliminary exams (doctoral degree only)
• Dissertation and dissertation defense (doctoral degree)

Things to Know

For graduate study of Islam, you need to demonstrate mastery of literary Arabic. You also need to master at least one Western scholarly language such as French or German, and probably at least one Islamic scholarly language such as Farsi, Turkish, or Urdu.

Schools

King-Snohomish Area

University of Washington - Seattle

• Near Eastern Languages and Civilization--Comparative Islamic Studies Option