• Introduction
• Faculty
• Curriculum
• Course Delivery Format
• Admission
• Graduation Requirement

Introduction

The Master of Arts (M.A.) in Islamic World Studies program is designed to prepare graduates to become distinguished researchers on the Islamic world in the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf region, and beyond. This master degree program is a step towards establishing a Zayed University doctoral program on Islamic world studies.

Instruction is in Arabic and English.

The Master of Arts in Islamic World Studies program aims to:

Upon successful completion of the program, graduates will:

• Understand the most recent and important economic, political, social, and cultural developments in the Islamic world;
• Learn how to analyze and assess conditions of the Islamic world in order to achieve its developmental goals;
• Understand the norms and ethical system of the Islamic world;
• Understand the obstacles against the fair understanding of the Islamic world, and the methods of overcoming such obstacles;
• Learn how to think creatively; and
• Learn the importance of the commitment to the highest degree of objectivity, and the avoidance of biases.

Faculty

The graduate program courses are taught by select professors of Zayed University who have doctorate degrees and significant relevant professional experience and expertise. In addition to Zayed University faculty, professionals holding these qualifications are recruited locally or internationally to deliver all or part of some courses.

Curriculum

At the beginning of the program, students take an intensive one-day orientation seminar. The orientation offers a number of workshops to introduce students to the program including Blackboard (virtual classroom software), case study and analysis, library resources, and the writing of reports and reference citations. The curriculum of the Master of Arts in Islamic World Studies program consists of the following courses: 

• MIWS 610 Epistemology and Research Methodology
• MIWS 615 Turning Points in Modern Islamic History
• MIWS 620 State Formation in the Islamic World: Comparative Colonialism
• MIWS 625 Forms of Economic and Social Development in the Islamic World
• MIWS 630 Islamic Cultures: Anthropological Approaches
• MIWS 635 Islam and Other Faiths: Patterns of Relationships
• MIWS 640 Politics of Sectarianism in the Islamic World
• MIWS 645 Contemporary Islamic Movements
• MIWS 650 Conflict Resolutions in Deeply Divided Muslim Societies
• MIWS 655 Women and Gender in Islamic Societies: Comparative Approaches
• MIWS 699 Research Project

Course Delivery Format

The Master of Arts in Islamic World Studies program employs proven techniques for imparting training at the graduate level, which include classroom lectures by faculty, scholars, and experts, supplemented by panel discussions, scenarios, simulations, problem solving  and case studies with reference to paramount problems in the Islamic world.

The in-class room instruction for each course is conducted during two evenings on weekdays over an eight week period.

The Master of Arts in Islamic World Studies program is delivered over a period of 15 months at Zayed University in Abu Dhabi and/or Dubai.

For more information on the admission deadline, please visit the Key Dates section of our website.

Admission

• Admission is open to males and females of all nationalities.
• Candidates holding an undergraduate degree in any humanities or social sciences discipline and proving reasonable experiences in any Islamic world region may apply to pursue the degree. However, while this program is open to graduates of different disciplines of social sciences and humanities who are interested in studying the social, economic, cultural and political phenomena in the Islamic world, it caters primarily for two groups of students. First, to qualified adults who, for professional or personal development, would benefit from a deeper and more focused understanding of political, social, economic, cultural and other related issues pertaining to the Islamic world. Second, to future researchers and academics who will be conversant with prevailing epistemological, theoretical, and methodological issues in their specific fields of study and who can contribute to a better understanding of key questions of scholarship and policies on Islamic societies. Applicants may be requested to complete an admissions test during the interview.
• Applicants must have earned a baccalaureate degree with a grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 or higher from an accredited university.
• The Arabic track of the program is delivered in Arabic with designated English language components. The standard English language proficiency requirements for admission is waived as an entry requirement, but English language proficiency must be proved as an exit requirement for students admitted in the Arabic track. Graduates in the Arabic track must, at the exit of the program, have:

          An IELTS score of 5.0

          A TOEFL paper-based score of 500

          A TOEFL computer-based score of 173

          A TOEFL internet-based score of 61

• The English track of the program is delivered in English with designated Arabic language components. Candidates in the English track must have:

          An IELTS score of 5.5

          A TOEFL paper-based score of 550

          A TOEFL computer-based score of 213

          A TOEFL internet-based score of 79

• Candidates in the English track must have at least:

          An IELTS score of 5.5

          A TOEFL paper-based score of 550

          A TOEFL computer-based score of 213

          A TOEFL internet-based score of 79

• Candidates in the English track will be tested for their proficiency in Arab reading.

For more information on the admission requirements, application procedure and program cost, please visit the Admissions and Fees section of our website.

Graduation Requirement

Graduate students must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in course work taken in fulfillment of the requirements of the master's degree.