MA · 2 years
MA in Advanced Comparative Islamic Studies
The MA program continues in the spirit of the BA program, combining traditional Islamic Sciences with comparative social sciences in a comprehensive curriculum whose objective is to produce a new generation of Muslim scholars who actualize a systemic/holistic understanding (idrak kulli).
Program Overview
The Advanced Comparative Islamic Studies program offered by Usul Academy is a two-year academic program comprised of two years of coursework and a thesis. The program is designed to immerse students in the time-honored scholarly traditions of Islamic Civilization as well as the comparative Social Sciences. We believe that the challenges of the modern world can be analyzed and answered only by knowing both the traditional scholarly heritage of Islamic Civilization in critical dialogue with modern scientific knowledge. By equipping students with this in-depth multiplex curriculum, the program aims to further the education of young scholars who can tackle contemporary problems facing humanity from an authentic Islamic perspective.
Program Structure
The annual program consists of three 11-week terms, plus a 3-week retreat in Istanbul during the first summer. The weekly schedule consists of 9 hours of online classes. Courses will be a combination of asynchronous and synchronous classes. Recordings will be available for all asynchronous classes, and for synchronous classes only upon request. These online classes will be complemented with an intensive 3-week long Summer Suhba retreat in Istanbul for in-class education, forming ṣuḥbah (fellowship), meeting with our distinguished scholars, as well as visits to historically and culturally important sites throughout Turkey.
Student Profile
We are aiming to accept students with a solid background in both Islamic Studies and Social Sciences, i.e., the equivalent of our own BA graduates.
Components of the Program
Core Islamic Studies courses comprise ʿIlm al-Kalām, Falsafa & Ḥikmah, Fiqh & Uṣūl al-Fiqh, ʿIlm al-Ḥadīth, Tafsīr/ʿUlūm al-Quran, and Taṣawwuf. The courses on Core Islamic Studies will follow the curriculum and methods of traditional education in Islamic Civilization, specifically the Ottoman madrasah system, which consists of reading an advanced classical text (or selections from classical texts) in the original language from each discipline under the supervision of an instructor.
Comparative Social Sciences comprise of humanities and social sciences which critically engage with and comparatively analyze the modern and postmodern narratives. The courses aim at providing the student with the conceptual tools and perspectives of traditional Islamic Civilization combined with critical perspectives in the humanities and social sciences in order to engage with the contemporary challenges of the modern world. The courses are designed to complement that Semester’s Core Islamic Studies disciplines and provide a dialogic space of encounter between the traditional Islamic discipline and cognate contemporary theories and approaches.
Students work with their supervisor(s) on developing research relevant to their chosen fields of specialization. The objective of these courses is to help students develop knowledge in specialized areas of knowledge not offered in the other core courses of the MA program and develop research related to their final year thesis.
The thesis is the jewel in the crown of the MA program. It is the culmination of the student’s two years of research, learning, and writing. It will consist of a relatively original piece of research that brings both strands of the MA program (Islamic and Social Sciences) into critical and creative dialogue.
Usul Academy’s Summer Ṣuḥbah is the culmination of 10 months of online learning, when our students and teachers finally meet face to face, where friendships kindle and ʿilm can flourish, all while being immersed in the aesthetic beauty of Istanbul. The Summer Ṣuḥbah is mandatory for the first-year students of the MA program. The face-to-face component is a crucial element of our curriculum based on the holistic pedagogies of taʿlīm and tazkiyah. It is where our students can build a special bond with each other and ʿilm can come to its full fruition. Students attend classes daily in the morning, while the afternoons are reserved for tours, culturally immersive experiences, and talks with esteemed scholars.
Curriculum
| Term 1 | Term 2 | Term 3 | Summer Suhba | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year I | Comparative Fiqh I · 3 hr/week | Comparative Fiqh II · 3 hr/week | Uṣūl al-Ḥadīth · 3 hr/week | Mandatory |
| Comparative Uṣūl al-Fiqh I · 3 hr/week | Comparative Uṣūl al-Fiqh II · 3 hr/week | Comparative Uṣūl al-Fiqh III · 3 hr/week | ||
| Advanced Comparative Theories and Methods · 2 hr/week | Comparative Social Thought · 2 hr/week | Multiplex Theory · 2 hr/week | ||
| Year II | Ḥadīth · 3 hr/week | Tafsīr · 3 hr/week | Thesis Writing | Thesis Writing |
| Kalām I · 3 hr/week | Kalām II · 3 hr/week | |||
| Multiplex Ethics, Politics and Economics · 2 hr/week | Multiplex Ethics, Politics and Economics · 2 hr/week |
Assessment & Grading
Core Islamic studies
Number Grade
Comparative Social Sciences
Pass/Fail
Self-Guided Study
No grade
Thesis
Number Grade
FAQs
Usul Academy’s MA Program is designed for students who hold a BA degree, upper level knowledge in Islamic Studies and have a solid background in the social sciences. Students may be currently enrolled in a university program or professionals who wish to take the MA in parallel with their other commitments. It has been designed to be flexible and fit the schedule of the average university student or professional.*
*Ideally, you should look at our BA Honours Program in Comparative Islamic Studies and peruse through the courses. If you feel you know or have studied the material in these courses (both the Islamic Studies and Comparative Social Science courses) then you are prepared for our rigorous MA program.
Classes will be a combination of asynchronous and synchronous modes of delivery. Exact schedule will be determined based on the cohort and instructors.
You are expected also to coordinate with your supervisor for the weekly 1-to-1 supervisions.
During the Summer Semester, Usul Academy brings students to Istanbul for three weeks of intensive face-to-face study.
Students are expected to be proficient in both English and Arabic, as the language of instruction may vary depending on the subject, texts, and instructors.
Core Islamic Studies courses are number graded, the Social Science classes are pass/fail. The 1-to-1 supervisions are evaluated based on the recommendation and discretion of the supervisor. There is also the thesis.
The purpose of the summer retreat in Istanbul is to cultivate a sense of ṣuḥbah (fellowship) between peers. The retreat lasts three weeks, and is a chance for students to study, visit historical sites in and around Istanbul, and meet with great scholars.
Yes. It is the only opportunity during the MA program of meeting several of your instructors and all the other students of your cohort. The cost for the three-week retreat is an additional $1,500 each. The cost will cover: accommodation, food, trips and transportation within Turkey.
Faculty
The scholars who teach on this program, and everyone else who teaches here:
Usul Academy is not accredited by any external organization. Usul Academy is self-accredited according to the time-honored tradition of the ijazah system of traditional Ottoman Madrasahs.