PhD in Islamic Studies

Graduates are expected to master the following competencies:

• Integrated Mastery: Develop a comprehensive understanding of diverse subjects including Islamic art, architecture, global affairs, and applied ethics.
• Innovative Research: Acquire the skills to produce high-quality, peer-reviewed research that advances regional and global scholarship.
• Multilingual Proficiency: Supplement primary Arabic and English skills with a subsidiary research language (e.g., Persian, Turkish, or Bahasa Indonesia) to enrich original research.
• Analytical Skill Sets: Master contemporary epistemological and methodological tools for the critical analysis of both classical and contemporary Islamic discourses.
• Social & Global Impact: Advance knowledge that facilitates positive social progress and supports the human development goals of Qatar and the wider world.

Applicants seeking admissions to the PhD program in Islamic Studies should have a master’s degree in a relevant field of study with a strong academic record (minimum 3.0 GPA out of 4.0) from a recognized institution.

All applicants are required to submit a valid IELTS score of 6.5 or TOEFL score of 79 in order to demonstrate their proficiency in English. Applicants may be exempt from this requirement if they provide an official letter confirming that they obtained their degree from a university where the medium of instruction is English.

Applicants, both native or non-native speakers of Arabic, will be required to take an Arabic language proficiency test administered by the College of Islamic Studies at the time of application. Applicants must pass the Arabic language proficiency test with a minimum value of “upper intermediate” to be admitted to the program. Applicants who have completed university studies in Arabic and can provide a letter confirming this are exempt from this requirement.

First Year – First Semester

Research Methods in Islamic Studies – 3 Credit Hours
Comparative Islamic Theology and Philosophy – 3 Credit Hours
Comparative Theories in the Study of Religion – 3 Credit Hours

First Year – Second Semester

Sources and Methodology of Islamic Law – 3 Credit Hours
Comparative Quranic Exegesis – 3 Credit Hours
Sources and Methodology of Hadith – 3 Credit Hours

Second Year – First Semester

Elective Course 1 (Choose One) – 3 Credit Hours
Elective Course 2 (Choose One) – 3 Credit Hours
Elective Course 3 (Choose One) – 3 Credit Hours

Second Year – Second Semester

Elective Course 4 (Choose One) – 3 Credit Hours
Elective Course 5 (Choose One) – 3 Credit Hours
Elective Course 6 (Choose One) – 3 Credit Hours

Third Year – Dissertation Preparation

Dissertation Proposal Seminars – 0 Credit Hours
Comprehensive Pre-Dissertation Examination – 0 Credit Hours

Fourth Year – Dissertation Stage

Dissertation Progress Workshops – 0 Credit Hours
Dissertation – 36 Credit Hours
Dissertation Defense Seminars – 0 Credit Hours

Available Elective Courses

Comparative Applied Islamic Ethics – 3 Credit Hours
Family and Society in Islam – 3 Credit Hours
Globalization and Muslim Societies – 3 Credit Hours
Graduate Seminar in Islamic Studies – 3 Credit Hours
Islam and Modernity – 3 Credit Hours
Islam, Environment and Sustainability – 3 Credit Hours
Islamic Manuscript Studies – 3 Credit Hours
Muslim Encounters with Other Societies – 3 Credit Hours
Readings in Usul Al-Fiqh – 3 Credit Hours
The Islamic City – 3 Credit Hours
Translating Arabic-Islamic Texts – 3 Credit Hours