phd in islamic philosophy

Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies

• Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies with a concentration in Qur’anic Exegesis and Sciences
• Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies with a concentration in Hadeeth
• Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Jurisprudence and its Foundations
• Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Creed
• Doctor of Philosophy in General Islamic Studies
• Completion of the Application Procedure.
• Baccalaureate and Master’s degree in Islamic Studies (or equivalent validated by a transcript) or a comprehensive test.  
• Two recommendation letters by two recognized scholars.
• Five years of accumulated experience in religious work within the Muslim community. 
• Students are expected to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the Student Handbook of the year of their acceptance with particular focus on their particular degree program.  Students are bound by the academic and financial requirements of the Handbook in use at the time of their acceptance.  The current Student Handbook, as well as past years’ Handbooks, can be viewed here .
• Total of eight courses (24 credit hours) required for graduation.  GTF will accept as transfer credit up to four courses taken at any recognized school in the same field with the approval of the head of the department, Dr. Omar Shahin.
• Ph.D. program students need to submit a Ph.D. thesis (6 credit hours) of a minimum of 175 pages total (35,000 words or more) with at least 25 bibliographic references.
• A minimum of 18 months must be spent to complete the Ph.D. degree unless an exemption is given by the Director of Islamic Studies, Dr. Omar Shahin.
• Successful defense of the thesis before GTF faculty in Indiana or at a location approved by Dr. Omar Shahin, Director of Islamic Studies.  Any student whose doctoral thesis is rejected more than once by the Islamic Studies Department will be ineligible for continuance in the degree program.  (Students in the Ph.D. program are not required to attend graduation.)  
• Ph.D. graduates, upon successful completion of an interview with the Director of Islamic Studies, will be approved to teach undergraduate-level courses only.
• After three years of teaching undergraduate-level courses, without any legitimate complaint, the tutor will be approved to teach Master’s level courses.
• After two years of teaching Master’s level courses, without any legitimate complaint, the tutor will be approved to teach doctoral-level courses.
• After two years of teaching doctoral-level courses, without any legitimate complaint, the tutor will be approved to serve as M.Th. or Ph.D. thesis supervisor.

• 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.

Banner Credit: Luke Yarbrough. Powell Library, UCLA Campus.

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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

The Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology

The Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology promotes deep engagement with the Muslim intellectual tradition on questions surrounding the nature of God and the world, divine governance, and eschatology, amongst others. The research stemming from the Department covers a broad spectrum of Muslim traditions, time periods, and themes, demonstrating the continued dynamism of the Muslim intellectual tradition. Such scholarship enables a profound comprehension of the Creator, creation, and the connection between the two. As part of its research acitivities, the deparment hosts an biannual international research conference, research seminars, book talks by renowned academics and authors, visiting research fellows, and also produces translations of prominent works within the field of Islamic philosophy and theology.

Head of Department:

Wahid M. Amin , DPhil (2017), University of Oxford, is a Lecturer in Islamic Philosophy and Head of Publications at Al-Mahdi Institute. He is also an Associate Lecturer in Islamic Studies at the University of Birmingham. Dr Wahid Amin completed a BSc in Physics from Imperial College London and a PGCE from the Institute of Education, University College London. He then began his studies at the Al-Mahdi Institute and simultaneously embarked on a BA in Islamic Studies at the University of Birmingham, graduating from both in 2008. He went on to read for an MSt in the Study of Religions at the University of Oxford. His DPhil, also from Oxford, studied the reception of Avicenna’s metaphysics between the 11–13 th centuries with a special focus on the ideas and contributions of Naṣīr al-Dīn al-Ṭūsī (d. 672/1274). His main interests revolve around post-classical Islamic philosophy and theology. He is also interested in the intersection between Islamic philosophy and political theory, Qurʾanic exegesis and modern Shīʿī legal theory.  

Research Conferences

The Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology hosts a biannual international conference, which serves as a forum for scholars and academics from around the world to share and discuss their latest research findings in the field of Islamic philosophy and theology. Below are details of the previous conferences held:

Islamic Perspectives on God and (Other) Monotheism(s)

The two-day conference, held from February 20th to 21st 2023, featured seven panels that delved into Islamic monotheism and the Muslim approach to other monotheistic religions, employing diverse methodological approaches. Seventeen papers were presented by distinguished scholars specialising in theology, philosophy, religious studies, intellectual history, philosophy of religion, and Islamic studies. The workshop’s goal was to examine the concept of divine unity through various lenses, including historical, theological, philosophical, and modern viewpoints, to illuminate both the shared aspects and the distinctions among various groups within Islam. The department, in partnership with AMI Press also intends to compile these papers into a published volume in 2024. Read more.

Research Seminars

Research Seminars welcome academics and dedicated researchers specialising in Islamic Philosophy and Theology to present their latest research findings. These seminars serve as a confluence of expertise and innovative perspectives, designed to benefit students, scholars, and individuals who are passionate about staying abreast of the latest advancements within this field. Some of the most recent seminars held include:

Before “After Virtue”: The Philosophy of Muhammad Baqir al-Sadr

Mr Mehdi Ali

Fārābī on the Future Contingent Propositions and God’s Knowledge of them

Dr Mohammad Saleh Zarepour

God’s Relation to Body and Space in the Theology of Ibn Taymiyyah

Dr Jon Hoover

Book Talks feature renowned academics and authors from the field of Islamic philosophy and theology to deliver insightful reviews and discussions of their most prominent works, to enrich the global community of researchers, scholars, and individuals with an interest in this specialist field. Some of the most recent book talks held include:

Unsaying God: Negative Theology in Medieval Islam

Dr Yaser Mirdamadi

Ash’arism Encounters Avicennism: Sayf al-Dīn al-Āmidī on Creation

Dr Laura Hassan

Transcendent God, Rational World: A Maturidi Theology

Dr Ramon Harvey

Publications

The Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology has produced the following translations in conjunction with AMI Press:

The Way of Nobility: Knowledge of the Imam – ( Minhāj al-karāma fī maʿrifat al-imāma )

Clearing the Soul for Paradise – ( Taslīk al-nafs ilā ḥaẓīrat al-quds )

Kitāb al-Tawḥīd: The Book of Divine Unity

Visiting fellows.

To encourage the development and dissemination of ideas, AMI invites visiting research fellows for 1-3 months to actively participate in the institute’s research activities such as workshops, seminars, book talks and contribute towards teaching/mentoring of students on the Hawza Programme. The visiting fellows hosted by the department include:

Professor Gholamreza Aavani

Professor Gholamreza Aavani is an Iranian philosopher and emeritus professor of philosophy at Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran. A former head of the Institute for Research in Philosophy, Aavani is a member of the Academy of Sciences of Iran and a steering committee Member of the International Federation of Philosophical Societies. He has also served as the Kenan Rifai Distinguished Professor of Islamic Studies at Beijing University, China. During his stay at AMI, he presented his research at the Islamic Philosophy and Theology conference and the Quranic Studies conference in addition to teaching a module on the ‘ Philosophy of Rumi ‘ as part of AMI’s Hawza Programme.

Latest News

Below are the latest news and developments related to the Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology:

The Department of Islamic Philosophy and Theology’s visiting fellow Professor Gholamreza Aavani teaches a new course on the ‘Philosophy of Rumi.’

The Department hosts its innaugural workshop on ‘Islamic Perspectives on God and (Other) Monotheism(s)’ on 20th – 21st February 2023.

Mehdi Ali of the University of Southern California delivers a research seminar on ‘Before “After Virtue”: The Philosophy of Muhammad Baqir Al-Sadr’

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The majority of graduate programs are NOT impacted by recent government announcements about tuition increases. PhD students from the rest of Canada will continue to pay Quebec fees. International PhD fees will see the same 3% increase as Quebec fees.

Islamic Studies (PhD)

Program description.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Islamic Studies offered by the Institute of Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Arts is a research-intensive program that emphasizes innovative and specialized learning opportunities. The program's objective is to equip students with skills in out-of-the-box thinking, literature synthesis, and the presentation of complex topics to pursue professional opportunities in academia or industry.

The program may also be taken as a Gender & Women's Studies option where students focus on gender and women's studies, and issues in feminist research and methods. In this option, the student's Ph.D. thesis must be on a topic centrally relating to issues of gender and/or women's studies.

Keywords: Arabic, Persian, Islamic Studies, Women’s Studies, Middle Eastern, Urdu, Turkish, South Asia, Islamic theology, Islamic philosophy, Anthropology of Islam.

Unique Program Features

• Students benefit from a strongly international atmosphere and low student-faculty ratio provide an opportunity for face-to-face exchange among professors and students at various levels;
• The Institute regularly invites prominent scholars in the field of Islamic Studies to give guest lectures;
• Students may take courses in the Arabic, Persian, Turkish and Urdu languages;
• The Institute houses the Islamic Studies Library (ISL) which is among the largest North American collections in Islamic Studies;
• The Institute has been extremely successful in placing its graduates in top-ranking academic jobs in North America (such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and various Canadian universities). Graduates from the program help to ensure that a plurality of approaches to Islamic civilization is available to the students of today and tomorrow.

University-Level Admission Requirements

• An eligible Bachelor's degree with a minimum 3.0 GPA out of a possible 4.0 GPA
• English-language proficiency

Each program has specific admission requirements including required application documents. Please visit the program website for more details.

Visit our Educational credentials and grade equivalencies and English language proficiency webpages for additional information.

Program Website

PhD in Islamic Studies website

Department Contact

Graduate Program info.islamics [at] mcgill.ca (subject: PhD%20in%20Islamic%20Studies) (email)

Available Intakes

Application deadlines.

Note : Application deadlines are subject to change without notice. Please check the application portal for the most up-to-date information.

Application Resources

• Application Steps webpage
• Submit Your Application webpage
• Connecting with a supervisor webpage
• Graduate Funding webpage

Application Workshops

Consult our full list of our virtual application-focused workshops on the Events webpage .

Department and University Information

Graduate and postdoctoral studies.

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  

Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies

Description , curriculum and course description  .

• Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies with a concentration in Qur’anic Exegesis and Sciences
• Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Studies with a concentration in Hadeeth
• Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Jurisprudence and its Foundations
• Doctor of Philosophy in Islamic Creed
• Doctor of Philosophy in General Islamic Studies

Admission Requirements

• Completion of the Application Procedure.
• Baccalaureate and Master’s degree in Islamic Studies (or equivalent validated by a transcript) or comprehensive test.  
• Two recommendation letters by two recognized scholars.
• Five years of accumulated experience in religious work within the Muslim community. 

Program Requirements

• Students are expected to thoroughly familiarize themselves with the Student Handbook of the year of their acceptance with particular focus on their particular degree program.  Students are bound by the academic and financial requirements of the Handbook in use at the time of their acceptance.  
• Total of eight courses (24 credit hours) required for graduation.  GTF will accept as transfer credit up to four courses taken at any recognized school in the same field with the approval of the head of the department, Dr. Shahid Khan..
• Ph.D. program students need to submit a Ph.D. thesis (6 credit hours) of a minimum of 175 pages total (35,000 words or more) with at least 25 bibliographic references.
• A minimum of 18 months must be spent to complete the Ph.D. degree unless an exemption is given by the Director of Islamic Studies, Dr. Shahid Khan.
• Successful defense of the thesis before GTF faculty in Indiana or at a location approved by Dr. Shahid Khan., Director of Islamic Studies.  Any student whose doctoral thesis is rejected more than once by the Islamic Studies Department will be ineligible for continuance in the degree program.  (Students in the Ph.D. program are not required to attend graduation.)  
• Ph.D. graduates, upon successful completion of an interview with the Director of Islamic Studies, will be approved to teach undergraduate level courses only.
• After three years of teaching undergraduate level courses, without any legitimate complaint, the tutor will be approved to teach Master’s level courses.
• After two years of teaching Master’s level courses, without any legitimate complaint, the tutor will be approved to teach doctoral level courses.
• After two years of teaching doctoral level courses, without any legitimate complaint, the tutor will be approved to serve as M.Th. or Ph.D. thesis supervisor.

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Islamic Studies

Mohsen Goudarzi

Mohsen Goudarzi joined the Harvard Divinity School faculty in July 2021, having taught previously at the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities). He is an...

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Malika Zeghal

Malika Zeghal is the Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal Professor in Contemporary Islamic Thought and Life in the Department of Near Eastern...

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Ali S. Asani

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Islamic Philosophy and Theology

This concentration focuses on the systematic study of the Muslim intellectual tradition devoted to explorations of divine revelation, religious belief, and philosophical developments. Rooted in their knowledge of the Qur’an and Prophetic Tradition, students investigate various topics that emerge from the pillars of faith, articles of faith, jurisprudence, ethics, spirituality, and philosophy.

Core Doctoral Faculty

Marianne Farina, CSC

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Postgraduate Study - PhD and Research Degrees

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Research topics and degrees

MPhil/PhD students work alongside researchers within the following research centres:

Centre for Gulf Studies

Centre for Persian and Iranian Studies

Centre for Kurdish Studies

• European Centre for Palestine Studies
• Centre for the Study of Islam
• Centre for Islamic Archaeology
• Centre for Middle East Politics

Centre for Magic and Esotericism

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Phone: Phone: 0300 555 6060 (UK) +44 (0)1392 723044 (non-UK)

Largest Centre for Middle East Studies in a UK university

Home to Europe’s most important research collection on the Arab world

Our Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies research is No2 in the UK for world-leading research.

Based on 4* research submitted to REF 2021, Submitted to UoA25 Area Studies

Part of the South West Doctoral Training Partnership (SWDTP) – a hub of world-class social science research

Research overview

The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies is an Area Studies department grounded in multidisciplinary approaches to research and training. Within a purpose-built space, it brings together anthropologists, archaeologists, literary scholars, linguists, political scientists, historians, sociologists and scholars of religion. Researchers collaborate within the Institute, as well as within disciplinary networks at Exeter, alongside their contributions at national and international levels. We strongly believe that the presence of a variety of disciplines, along with geographic and temporal specialisms, within one building enriches the work we produce as a collective.

Staff and postgraduate research students are affiliated to one of our research centres, where they can share their research findings, participate in seminars, lectures and research projects.

Find out about the individual staff members in the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, their research interests, publications and current projects in our  staff profiles area .

Research centres

• Centre for Middle East Politics  

Founded in 1978, Exeter’s Centre for Gulf Studies is an inter-disciplinary team of international researchers in humanities and social sciences interested in all aspects of anthropology, sociology, modern and contemporary history, politics and international relations, political economy and material culture of the Arabian Peninsula. The Centre provides a world recognised environment for research, hosting PhD students, visiting researchers and externally funded projects. For a decade, it has been the fertile incubator of new critical Gulf Studies contributing to drastically reshape research on the region.

The Centre has been hosting the longest-running conference series on the Gulf region and Arabian Peninsula since 1979. One of the largest in the world, Exeter's Gulf Collection totals over 100,000 items on Yemen and the Gulf monarchies and is housed in the  University's Arab World Documentation Unit .

In addition, our staff plays an active role in advising on the Gulf political and economic affairs and the preservation of cultural heritage.

Find out more

The Centre for Persian and Iranian Studies was founded back in 2008 and has been active in research on modern Iranian history from 1800 and in the broad areas of Persian literature and its relationship to Sufism. In order to avoid the assumption that Persian and Iranian can be conflated into one, we have insisted on keep the two categories distinct in our name and practice, albeit while recognising their overlaps. We have hosted a number of major international conferences such as Hafez and the Religion of Love in 2012, Iran in the 18th Century in 2015, and Sufis and Mullahs in 2016 all of which resulted in published volumes that have shaped the field. The Centre also hosted important projects such as poets in the Timurid period and the Golha project digitising songs and music from Iranian radio in the 1970s.

Unfortunately following the loss of the founding directors, Leonard Lewisohn and Michael Axworthy in 2018 and 2019 respectively, and then with the lockdown, we have been less active but are in the process of rebuilding, especially with the work on contemporary Iran led by the new director. We have had an important community of research students working primarily in Iranian intellectual history and look forward to developing it with the revival of our MA programme in Iranian Studies as well as a renewal of interest in innovative research topics and approaches to modern Iran and other Persophone contexts and the study of Persian and Iranian literatures and cultural studies with further workshops, invited lecture, and online engagements and events. We also welcome students looking to study the connected histories and practices that link Iran to other Persian speaking communities and beyond in what sometimes has been described as the Persian cosmopolis.

Those interested in studying the MPhil/PhD Kurdish Studies will& work alongside researchers from the Centre for Kurdish Studies. Exeter is the only British university to have developed a strong research focus in the field of Kurdish Studies, with the two main Kurdish dialects being taught. As such, we are the leading centre of research in the field in the UK, and one of the global centres of excellence. The Centre has built cooperation with scholars worldwide and aims to develop further this current collaboration and to launch further research initiatives. With our programme of international conferences, workshops and seminars, we also provide a forum for the discussion of topics relevant to Kurdish Studies.

Our focus on Kurdish Studies places the Kurds at the centre of our research and teaching activities, and offers a chance to consider Kurdish society, culture and politics holistically in all its complexity and variation, across and within established nation-states and the global diaspora community.

The European Centre for Palestine Studies

The European Centre for Palestine Studies (ECPS) was the first of its kind in the world. It is dedicated to researching and teaching the modern history and current affairs of Palestine and the Palestinians. Professor Ilan Pappe and Dr Ghada Karmi founded the ECPS in 2009, building on the work already done in the university, by the Palestine Studies Trust founded by Dr Uri Davis in the early 1980s.

It focuses on post graduate studies and offers special programs, lectures and workshop on Palestine in the past and in the present. It is now part of a network of similar centres around the world, all working together to build a solid scholarly infrastructure on Palestine and the Palestinians that has already benefited anyone involved in the search for peace and justice in this part of the world.

ECPS draws upon the expertise of a distinguished group of scholars in Middle Eastern Studies, both from IAIS and from various departments in the university.

The Centre for the Study of Islam

The Centre for the Study of Islam is perhaps the leading collection of researchers in Britain in Islamic studies covering a range of areas with a strong focus on intellectual history as an approach and the study of Islamic law and legal theory, philosophy and theology, Sufism, classical Islamic history and belles-lettres as areas of inquiry. It is a well-established area of research at Exeter dating back to the study of Islam in the Theology department in the 1970s with major figures like M.A. Shaban, Aziz al-Azmeh, Ian Netton, and Gautier Juynboll. We approach the study of Islam broadly beyond the traditional Arabic and Persian contexts and welcome research students working on other parts of the Muslim world, with interests both in history and in the contemporary world. As such our students often have a broad supervision with our colleagues in other centres and indeed in other departments. The centre has hosted a number of research projects especially in Islamic law, life and practice in the contemporary Muslim world, the nature of the seminaries, and philosophy in the Muslim world.

Apart from regular weekly research seminars for the research community in Exeter, workshops and conferences relating to the projects of the faculty, the CSI also runs lectures with leading visiting academics in the field and hosts a termly research afternoon where we convene to discuss an issue of research relevant to us with an invited keynote speakers and early career researchers. One of our most interesting recent developments – running into the third year – is the hosting of a visiting Al-Qasimi Professor of Islamic Studies who plays a critical role in the life of the centre but also acts as the interface with the wider world through outreach activities. CSI has played an important role in the digital strategy of the IAIS taking our research and its dissemination online through the effective use of social media and streaming platforms to bring cutting edge conversations on the nature of Islamic studies to a global audience. Our faculty have consistently been engaged in advising institutions outside of academia on matter relating to Islam in the world and in Britain in particular and continue to play an active role in the media in shaping our debates on Islam.

The Centre for Islamic Archaeology

Founded in June 2017, the Centre for Islamic Archaeology in the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter is a centre for teaching and research on all aspects of Islamic archaeology and Islamic material culture studies across the World, and for all periods. Adopting an anthropologically informed and historically aware approach, staff expertise encompasses epigraphy, maritime archaeology, ethnography, and archaeology. Cross-disciplinary research and teaching is a core strength of the Centre through active links with university departments in Europe, Africa, Egypt, and the Arabian Peninsula, as well as across the University of Exeter. Fieldwork is one of our core activities, and in which many students participate either through their own projects, or as part of staff-led fieldwork.

The Centre hosts several major externally funded research projects and a thriving PhD student community. Public engagement and presentation of research results is a further key activity of the Centre, through Exhibition curation in the Street Gallery in the Institute, and elsewhere, and via conferences such as Indian Ocean World Archaeology (Exeter, 2020) or Islamic Archaeology in Global Perspective (Bahrain, 2017) lectures, and seminars.

An interdisciplinary centre at the University of Exeter, the Centre for Magic and Esotericism explores topics related to the history of magic, occult, and esoteric literatures using a ground-breaking approach by studying many different cultures and languages all in dialogue with one another.

The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies hosts a diverse and thriving research community

The Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies hosts a diverse and thriving research community,  and the  Centre for Islamic Archaeology  where I am situated has been particularly dynamic and prosperous since its founding in 2017. The Centre is home to an inclusive and motivational Ph.D. community, supervised and supported by Prof. Timothy Insoll and Dr. John P. Cooper, who are active in working collaboratively with each other as well as local stakeholders and archaeologists in the regions in which we research.

I have found the Centre and IAIS to be encouraging of my research endeavours and uniquely resourced, providing and facilitating opportunities that I would not have found elsewhere, resulting in a truly holistic doctoral experience.

Read more from Hannah

PhD in Islamic Archaeology

Entry requirements

Before you apply you must meet the Entry requirments of this programme:

Applicants are normally expected to have, or be working towards, a Master's degree at Merit level or above in a subject area that aligns with the expertise of our staff. We also consider applications from candidates who can demonstrate professional or other relevant experience that would make them suited to undertake an MPhil/PhD with us.

Requirements for international students

If you are an international student, please visit our  international equivalency pages  to enable you to see if your existing academic qualifications meet our entry requirements.

English language requirements

International students need to show they have the required level of English language to study this course. The required test scores for this course fall under Profile E : view the required test scores and equivalencies from your country .

PhD and Research Programme application process

The information below applies to self-funded PhD, MPhil and Masters by Research applicants, but if you are applying for a funded PhD studentship, please follow the specific instructions related to that application.

• Pinpoint your PhD research area
• Investigate whether this area is available at Exeter
• Ensure that you meet our English language entry requirements (international students only)
• Construct and refine your PhD research proposal
• Approach your potential supervisor(s)

PhD studentships pages can be accessed in our Funding lists on Finance tabs under each research topic page, and are also available from the Postgraduate Research search results pages on this site, on the PhD projects tab.

Full details of the application process can be found on our  Apply now webpage .

Fees and funding

Fees 2024/25

Tuition fees per year 2024/25

• Home : £4,786 full-time;   £pro-rata part-time
• International : £22,600 full-time

For those studying for more than one year, our fees are expected to increase modestly in line with Consumer Price Inflation measured in December each year. More information can be found on our   Student Finance webpages .

Fees 2023/24

Tuition fees per year 2023/24

• Home : £4,712 full-time;   £pro-rata part-time
• International : £20,500 full-time

Current funding opportunities

Our Postgraduate Funding webpage  provides links to further information. If you are considering a PhD in the future, in addition to University of Exeter funding, we have been successful at securing postgraduate funding for PhD research through our  Funded centres .

Current available funding

Supervision.

You can expect:

• High-quality research supervision to develop and nurture your potential
• A tailored supervision approach to help best suit your requirements
• Accessible supervisors who are enthusiastic about working directly with postgraduate research students
• Regular timetabled meetings with your supervisor
• 'Open door' policy to all postgraduate students - instant access to world-leading researchers who will share their expertise and ideas with you
• Regular meetings with your supervisory team, other members of your research group, and mentors

› Arabic and Islamic Studies staff profiles  

You will only be able to pursue a research degree with us if we can offer appropriate supervision. Your supervisors will provide the necessary support and guidance and so need to have expertise in your chosen research field. You may join a research team or work with specific members of staff.

We strongly recommend that you informally approach your potential supervisor(s) with your research proposal before submitting a formal application to study. This will enable you to find out if they feel they would be able to supervise you and whether they believe your research proposal needs further refinement.

Visit our  how to apply page for detailed information on the application process.

The Institute building was constructed in 2001 in an architectural style evocative of the Middle East, and houses superb facilities including:

• computerised language lab
• computing and audio-visual equipment
• lecture theatres and seminar rooms
• lounge with satellite TV for viewing Middle Eastern channels
• a postgraduate centre

The University of Exeter Library is the location of the  Arab World Documentation Unit , one of the major Arab and Islamic Study research collections in the UK. It provides reference materials covering the Gulf Region; Middle East economics, politics, and history; the history of the Gulf wars and the Arab-Israeli conflict; and the history of British and international involvement in the region, from the 18th century onwards.

If you are considering study at Exeter we strongly encourage you to visit the impressive facilities and meet with staff and students in your area of interest.

Arab and Islamic Studies postgraduates have progressed on to a wide range of careers in the UK and internationally, helped by the reputation of the Institute. These positions span both the public and private spheres and have included academia, journalism, security and political roles.

As a postgraduate at Exeter, you will be able to take advantage of the wealth of business contacts, support and training offered by our  Career Zone .

This includes our  Postgraduate Researchers' Programme  for research students which covers a range of topics to help you to succeed during your PhD and to act as a springboard for your research career.

Graduate destinations

Below are some examples of initial jobs undertaken by Arab and Islamic Studies postgraduates who studied with us in 2016/17.

Please note that, due to data protection, the job titles and organisations are listed independently and do not necessarily correspond.

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Streatham Campus in Exeter

The majority of students are based at our Streatham Campus in Exeter. The campus is one of the most beautiful in the country and offers a unique environment in which to study, with lakes, parkland, woodland and gardens as well as modern and historical buildings.

Find out more about Streatham Campus.

St Luke's Campus in Exeter

Located on the eastern edge of the city centre, St Luke's is home to Sport and Health Sciences, the Medical School, the Academy of Nursing, the Department of Allied Health Professions, and PGCE students.

Find out more about St Luke's Campus.

Penryn Campus near Falmouth, Cornwall

Our Penryn Campus is located near Falmouth in Cornwall. It is consistently ranked highly for satisfaction: students report having a highly personal experience that is intellectually stretching but great fun, providing plenty of opportunities to quickly get to know everyone.

Find out more about Penryn Campus.

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.

• Schools & departments

Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations PhD, MPhil

Awards: PhD, MPhil

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations

Discovery Day

Join us online on 18th April to learn more about postgraduate study at Edinburgh

View sessions and register

Research profile

In this research area, you can pursue interdisciplinary study of Islamic thought and practice, and of historical, theological, ethical and political encounters between Christianity and Islam.

Research topics

Staff research interests focus on:

• Islamic theology (kalam)
• law (shari‘a and fiqh)
• Qur’an, Hadith, and Tafsir
• Muslim views of Christianity and Judaism
• Christian theological engagements with Islam
• constructive theology and ethics from a Christian or Muslim perspective
• Arab Christianity, classic and contemporary
• political Islam
• political theology
• comparative theology

Research supervisor

You can find out more and identify a potential supervisor by looking at the School’s staff profiles, which give details of research interests and publications, and email addresses.

• School of Divinity staff profiles

You are encouraged to contact a potential supervisor to discuss your research project before making a formal application.

Research community

At the School of Divinity you will join a community of around 150 research students, drawn from around the world, and from a variety of religious and non-religious backgrounds.

Research reputation

You will study in a stimulating environment. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 ranked the School first in Scotland and fifth in the UK for its research power in theology and religious studies. The majority of the research activity of our colleagues is classed as world-leading, reflecting the vibrancy of the School’s research culture.

Training and support

The ethos of the Graduate School is to promote excellence in postgraduate study, within a stimulating and supportive environment. We value equality and diversity in the School community, and an academic culture that is both critical and constructive.

• At the start of the academic year, you will be invited to Welcome Week, an intensive introduction to study and life in Edinburgh. Some events are especially for international students new to Scotland and the UK, but everything is open to all.
• In the first weeks, the School provides a general orientation to research skills and to wider opportunities for training and support.
• From your first days as a PhD or MPhil student, you will work one-to-one with your primary research supervisor.
• Your progress will be tracked, through regular supervisions and milestone reviews, to ensure that you get the support you need to bring your project to fruition.
• You will be part of the research seminars in Theology and Ethics, and in Religious Studies, to which visiting speakers are invited and to which postgraduates present work-in-progress.
• You will be able to follow taught courses that contribute to your interests and research needs, and can also take advantage of opportunities to learn ancient and modern languages.
• If you are a PhD student, after successful completion of your first year, you will be eligible to apply for tutoring opportunities, to gain teaching experience.

A University review (2015) commended the Graduate School for providing excellent support, such as being:

• responsive to student feedback
• proactive in helping new postgraduates to adjust to their studies and to life in Scotland
• enthusiastic and practical in promoting career development

The postgraduate student committee works closely with the School to make the research student experience the best it can be.

The School of Divinity, one of the largest centres for the study of religion in the United Kingdom, is located in the historic setting of New College, close to Edinburgh Castle and overlooking Princes Street.

Resources for research are excellent. You can draw on the outstanding holdings of:

• New College Library
• University of Edinburgh Main Library
• National Library of Scotland

New College Library has one of the largest theology collections in the UK, with more than a quarter of a million items and a large and rich manuscript collection.

The University library exceeds 2.25 million volumes.

The National Library of Scotland – a ‘legal deposit’ library like the British Library in London and the university libraries of Oxford and Cambridge – is just around the corner.

Research seminars and events

The School provides an extensive programme of weekly research seminars and special guest lectures.

In addition, three research centres provide a special focus for activity:

• Centre for the Study of Christian Origins
• Centre for Theology and Public Issues

Centre for the Study of World Christianity

Find out more about our research

Study facilities

You will have access to excellent study facilities, dedicated to postgraduates. PhD and MPhil students have access 24/7, and can request an allocated desk. Masters by Research students have shared study space. All areas have printing/scanning and computer facilities.

The main postgraduate study wing has a kitchen. New College has an on-site cafe that is open during term time.

Choose your research programme

You can choose from two research programmes: the MPhil or the PhD.

Each takes a different amount of time: the MPhil takes two years; a PhD takes at least three.

Master of Philosophy (MPhil)

Studying for an MPhil commits you to:

• at least two years of full-time study
• write a thesis of up to 50,000 words

You will have regular one-to-one supervision and work with advice from two supervisors.

During the first year, you explore your chosen area of research and refine your research proposal. At around the nine-month mark, you will submit a draft chapter for discussion at a Review Board, together with a developed proposal for the whole thesis. On the basis of your progress and the prospects for your research, the Review Board will make recommendations on the continuation of your studies into the second year.

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Research for a PhD will require you to undertake:

• at least three years’ full-time study
• a thesis of up to 100,000 words

For admission to the PhD programme, you will need to show a proven ability to sustain independent research under supervision, normally in the form of a masters programme that includes a dissertation.

From the beginning, the British pattern of PhD studies focusses on working towards the thesis: there is little or no coursework. This means that from the start you need to be well-prepared in any special skills you need for your research project, including languages. You will also need to be competent in academic writing in English.

During the first year, you explore your chosen area of research and refine your research proposal. At around the nine-month mark, you will submit a draft chapter for discussion at a Review Board, together with a developed proposal for the whole thesis.

On the basis of your progress and the prospects for your research, the Review Board will make recommendations on the continuation of your studies into the second year. After that, you will have an annual review to discuss your progress.

Entry requirements

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

Masters by Research and MPhil: A UK 2:1 honours degree with a mark of at least 65%, or its international equivalent, in a relevant subject. You should also have academic training in the area of your research project.

PhD: A UK 2:1 honours degree, a minimum US 3.25 GPA, or its international equivalent, and a masters degree in a relevant area. The masters degree should demonstrate a high level of attainment, normally with both coursework and a research dissertation marked at 67% or above (or its international equivalent, e.g. US 3.7 GPA). You should also have academic training in the area of your proposed research project.'

We may also consider your application if you have other qualifications or experience; please contact us to check before you apply.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

• Entry requirements by country
• English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.0 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 20 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced ( CAE ) / C2 Proficiency ( CPE ): total 185 with at least 169 in each component.
• Trinity ISE : ISE III with passes in all four components.
• PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 59 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS , TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE , in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

• UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

• Approved universities in non-MESC

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Fees and costs

Tuition fees, scholarships and funding, featured funding.

School of Divinity scholarships

Scholarships are awarded on academic merit. Most are open to all, but some are ring-fenced for applicants from certain parts of the world.

• Awards are made for both masters and PhD programmes.
• Typically, awards are for full or partial fee costs. Fully funded awards are exceptional and highly competitive.

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

• your programme
• the duration of your studies
• your residency status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

• UK government and other external funding

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

• Search for funding

Further information

• Postgraduate Admissions
• Phone: +44 (0)131 650 8952
• Contact: [email protected]
• Dr Joshua Ralston
• Contact: [email protected]
• School of Divinity
• New College
• Mound Place
• Central Campus
• Programme: Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations
• School: Divinity
• College: Arts, Humanities & Social Sciences

Select your programme and preferred start date to begin your application.

PhD Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations - 3 Years (Full-time)

Phd islamic studies and christian-muslim relations - 6 years (part-time), mphil islamic studies and christian-muslim relations - 2 years (full-time), application deadlines.

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

• How to apply

You must submit two references with your application.

You must submit a formal research proposal as part of your application.

• Research proposal guidance

You must also submit a sample of your written academic work (3,000-5,000 words).

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

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Islamic philosophy.

Key information

Module overview, objectives and learning outcomes of the module.

By the end of this module, students should be able to:

• demonstrate a critical understanding of the main traditions of philosophy and systematic theology in the pre-modern islamic world and of their historical development
• demonstrate familiarity with relevant primary sources in translation
• demonstrate a critical understanding of key theories, problems and debates of Islamic philosophy
• demonstrate the ability to examine, contextualise and interpret historic materials
• demonstrate the ability to evaluate critically scholarly interpretations of pre modern Islamic philosophy

This course is taught over 10 weeks with 2 hours classroom contact per week.

Scope and syllabus

This module focuses on aspects of the intellectual history of the medieval Islamic world, above all the history of philosophy and systematic theology. It will examine various thinkers and schools of thought of the classical and post-classical periods, including Aristotelianism, Mu‘tazilism and Ash‘arism, and will introduce key concepts, problems and debates, particularly in metaphysics, natural philosophy, epistemology, ethics and anthropology. These topics will be approached analytically, situated and interpreted within their broader contexts, and read through representative primary texts in translation. Attention will be given to contemporary scholarly methodologies and debates in the field.

Method of assessment

• One essay plan of 750 words, worth 20%
• One essay of 3,000 words, worth 80%

James Caron

Suggested reading

• Adamson, P., and R. Taylor (eds). The Cambridge Companion to Arabic Philosophy. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005.
• El-Rouayheb, K., and S. Schmidtke (eds). The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
• Gutas, D. Greek Thought, Arabic Culture. London and New York: Routledge, 1998.
• Nagel, T. The History of Islamic Theology. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1994.
• Schmidtke, S. (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Theology. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016.
• Taylor, R., and L. López-Farjeat (eds.), The Routledge Companion to Islamic Philosophy. London and New York: Routledge, 2016.
• Winter, T. (ed.). The Cambridge Companion to Classical Islamic Theology. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008.

Important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules

In this section

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The Oxford Handbook of Islamic Philosophy

Khaled El-Rouayheb is Jewett Professor of Arabic and of Islamic Intellectual History at Harvard University. His research focuses on Islamic intellectual history, especially in the early-modern period, and the history of Arabic logic. He is the author of Relational Syllogisms and the History of Arabic Logic, 900-1900 (Brill, 2010) and Islamic Intellectual History in the Seventeenth Century (Cambridge University Press, 2015).

Sabine Schmidtke is Professor of Islamic Intellectual History at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton NJ. Her works include numerous articles and editions, as well as monographs such as The Theology of al-‘Allāma al-Ḥillī (1991), Theologie, Philosophie und Mystik im zwölferschiitischen Islam des 9./15. Jahrhundrets: die Gedankenwelten des Ibn Abī Ǧumhūr al-Aḥsāʼī (um 838/1434-35-nach 905/1501) (2000), and, co-authored with Reza Pourjavady, A Jewish Philosopher of Baghdad: ‘Izz al-Dawla Ibn Kammūna (d.683/1284) and his Writings (2006)

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The study of Islamic philosophy has recently entered a new and exciting phase. Both the received canon of Islamic philosophers and the grand narrative of the course of Islamic philosophy are in the process of being radically questioned and revised. The bulk of twentieth-century Western scholarship on Arabic or Islamic philosophy focused on the period from the ninth century to the twelfth. It is a measure of the transformation that is currently underway in the field that the present Handbook gives roughly equal weight to every century from the ninth to the twentieth. The Handbook differs from previous overviews in another significant way: It is work-centered rather than person- or theme-centered. This format is intended to give readers a better sense of what a work in Islamic philosophy looks like, and of the issues, concepts, and arguments that are at play in works belonging to various periods and subfields within Islamic philosophy.

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Arabic & Islamic Studies

Babak Rod Khadem

Johannes A. Makar

Study of Religion, Mysticism, Islamic Philosophy, Arabic Intellectual History

Benjamin Smith

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