Call for Applications

American Islamic College, Chicago, IL, USA

Application Deadline: December 30, 2018

The MA degree program is designed to provide students with a rigorous background in both traditional and analytical approaches to Islamic Studies. The program offers two distinct areas of concentration: Islamic Theology and Islam and Global Studies. The Islamic Theology concentration will train students in such disciplines as Qur’anic studies, Hadith studies, Islamic Jurisprudence (al-Fiqh), and Islamic Spirituality. The Islam and Global Studies concentration will focus on Islamic history, international studies, and critical theory. Students in both tracks will take the same core courses, thus ensuring that students acquire a well-rounded foundation in both areas.

MDIS students, or MA students who wish to go on for the Master of Divinity in Islamic Studies must select the Islamic Theology concentration.

All MA students are expected to complete 36 credit hours. Students at the graduate level are required to take 21 credit hours as part of the core requirements and 15 credit hours in their concentration. As part of the MA program, students are required to complete a MA Thesis, IS 559 or 589 – which is counted as a 3 credit 500-level course within the chosen area of concentration.

Islamic Studies Core Requirements: 21 credit hours
ARAB 301 – Advanced Arabic I (3 credits)
IS 501 – The Academic Study of Islam (3 credits)
IS 503 – Reading and Interpreting the Qur’an (3 credits)
IS 504 – Prophetic Biography and Hadith (3 credits)
IS 511 – Islamic Ethics and Spirituality (3 credits)
IS 515 – Islam and Gender (3 credits)
IS 516 – Great Debates within Muslim Theology (3 credits)

MA Concentration in Islamic Theology
Select Any Four + Thesis
ARAB 302 – Advanced Arabic II (3 credits)
IS 505 – Ḥadīth Sciences (3 credits)
IS 531 – Islamic Mysticism (Sufism) (3 credits)
IS 532 – Islamic Philosophy and Theology (3 credits)
IS 535 – Advanced Qur’anic Studies (3 credits)
IS 536 – Advanced Hadith Studies (3 credits)
IS 540 – Islamic Jurisprudence (al-fiqh): Theory and Application (3 credits)
IS 545 – Intra-Muslim Diversity and Dialogue (3 credits)
IS 550 – Comparative Religion (3 credits)
IS 555 – Special Topics (3 credits)
IS 557 – Religious Studies: Theory and Method (3 credits)
IS 559 – Thesis (3 credits)

MA Concentration in Islam and Global Studies
Select Any Four + Thesis
ARAB 302 – Advanced Arabic II (3 credits)
IS 560 – History of Muslim-Christian Relations (3 credits)
IS 561 – History of Muslim-Jewish Relations (3 credits)
IS 565 – Islamic Political Thought (3 credits)
IS 566 – Islam and the Media (3 credits)
IS 570 – Islam and the African-American Experience (3 credits)
IS 573 – Islam in Local Contexts: (Variable Regions) (3 credits)
IS 575 – Contemporary Muslim Movements (3 credits)
IS 576 – Islam and Religious Diversity (3 credits)
IS 580 – Literature from the Muslim World (3 credits)
IS 585 – Special Topics (3 credits)
IS 589 – Thesis (3 credits)

More information on: American Islamic College’s Website