Overview

The IOU Master of Arts in Islamic Studies (research) is a two-year degree for students who already possess substantial knowledge of the field and who are able, without further Arabic language training, to work with pre-modern Arabic primary sources as appropriate to their particular research interests. As a student entering this degree, you will already possess substantial general knowledge of Islamic Studies. The MA Islamic Studies (research) programme offers students the opportunity to concentrate on a sub-field of Islamic Studies in their research projects. The degree is designed to benefit academics and researchers, teachers of Islamic Studies, translators of Islamic material into English, and researchers at government departments and Da’wah centres. You will be supported with research training and supervision throughout your journey in this degree. This programme adopts a research approach that provides methodological training in the first semester, and then guided supervision of your research project in the dissertation. The dissertation is completed in the second, third and fourth semester of the programme. You will undertake independent research under the supervision of a faculty member. The dissertation must demonstrate sound scholarship and make a contribution to the existing body of knowledge in the field. Upon completion of the programme, the student will be awarded the Master of Arts degree in Islamic Studies. Career paths for graduates of this programme include: Islamic studies lecturer/professor, teacher, researcher, writer, and translator.

PROGRAMME LEARNING OUTCOMES 

Upon completion of the programme, students would be able to

PLO1   conduct research competently and responsibly on advanced levels

PLO2   produce a research report/manuscript/dissertation in the the field of Islamic Studies

PLO3   demonstrate advanced familiarity with classical Islamic literature

PLO4   demonstrate advanced familiarity with specialised fields in Islamic Studies

PLO5   demonstrate mastery of Islamic Studies

PLO6   demonstrate professional and effective oral and written communication skills

PROGRAMME ALIGNMENT WITH IOU’s VISION & MISSION

The MA in Islamic Studies programme aligns with the vision and mission of IOU by:

• providing facilitated access to quality higher education to all students around the world, particularly in the field of Islamic Studies,

• promoting the Islamic values of peace, harmony and tolerance, embedded in the curriculum, pedagogical practices and teaching approaches of this programme,

• contributing to the establishment and strengthening of knowledge-based communities globally through the teaching and learning activities of the programme, and

• committing to creating diverse, scholarly communities, where students are encouraged to engage in intellectual rigor, high ethical standards and critical evaluation

Semesters