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The program in Islamic Studies will undertake to train graduate students in the study of Islamic tradition from its origin through the period of the introduction of modernization under the impact of Western political hegemony and secular thought in the Islamic world. For the study of Islamic tradition in this period the program will combine historical and philological methods to prepare the students to undertake rigorous textual and contextual analyses of the source materials in various Islamic languages, most particularly, Arabic and Persian, the two primary languages of religious thought in Islam.

Thus the basic areas of concentration in the program will constitute:

1. Qur'anic studies (text and exegesis; classical; medieval, modern).

2. Hadith studies (transmission; compilation; authentication; legal utilization of the "traditions" attributed to the Prophet).

3. Juridical studies (ancient schools of Sunni legal thought; Shi'i schools; theoretical basis of the Shari'a; "traditional" versus "innovative" schools; modernism and fundamentalism in Shari'a).

4. Theological studies (early development of "traditionalist" and "rationalist" theological debates; Hellenism in medieval Islamic theology; heresiography; dialectical theology [kalam]; development of Islamic ethics; Shi'i-Sunni theological schools; Christian-Muslim and Jewish-Muslim theological debates).

5. Mystical studies (Sufi concepts and their development; Sufi analysis of religious experience; Sufi literature; Sufi brotherhoods and their organization).

The selection and sequence of courses will vary in accordance with concentration elected and with previous work, special needs, and so on. Normally, 72 hours of graduate credit (12 hours per semester for 6 semesters) will be required. However, depending upon the academic background, if a student has completed higher level work before entering the program, the course requirement may be reduced to 48 hours (12 hours per semester for 4 semesters).

The course allocation will be according to the following plan:

a. Field of concentration (e.g. Qur'anic studies; Juridical studies, and so on), (6-8 courses)

b. Subsidiary field (e.g. Christianity, Judaism, Religious Ethics, History, and so on), (4-6 courses)

c. Language Studies, (4-6 courses)

d. Primary Sources Studies, (2-4 courses)

Students will be able to take relevant courses in other fields (Comparative Religious Ethics, Judaism, Christianity, History of Religions,) or departments (mainly in Philosophy, History, Government, Anthropology, Sociology, and Oriental Languages) which will count towards the fulfillment of course requirements.

Rigorous academic analysis in Islamic studies depends on the ability of a student to read classical materials primarily in Arabic, and secondarily in Persian. Therefore, a student in this program will be expected to take a course in Arabic or Persian during every semester of course work. Special courses in reading and analyzing technical language of theological, juridical, and other relevant texts will be offered regularly in Religious Studies (or, upon availability of such courses from Oriental Languages).

A student electing to work on Qur'anic studies might work only in Arabic; but, a student concentrating on Shi'ite studies related to Iran would be required to master Persian besides Arabic.

Besides the Islamic languages, a student will be expected to read one of the two European languages: French or German.

On completion of coursework, each student will sit for comprehensive examinations in the appropriate areas of the program. Comprehensive examination will be administered in all the four areas allocated in the course plan (primary area of concentration, subsidiary field, languages, and primary sources studies). Other exams will be set in accordance with a student's course work and specialized interest.