The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Islamic Studies (DIS) is an interdisciplinary program that cultivates a detailed understanding of Islamic studies and a mastery of a chosen disciplinary pathway. This expertise is acquired by undertaking dynamic and innovative research that facilitates the analysis and production of contemporary Islamic discourses, engages with diverse themes and topics, and supports the human development goals of the State of Qatar and broader global needs.
The DIS program is highly versatile to accommodate students wishing to apply interdisciplinary research on a variety of specialisms within the field of Islamic studies. Students develop essential contemporary epistemological and methodological skill sets for the analysis of Islamic discourses, while also synergizing with a solid foundation built on the rich and diverse teachings of the Islamic intellectual heritage.
Program Focus
The DIS program draws on the expertise and skills of the college in an integrated manner, including diverse subjects such as Islamic art, architecture, and urbanism; global affairs; Islamic psychology; and applied Islamic ethics; as well as subjects that are more traditionally conceived under the broad umbrella of Islamic studies. Students develop a mastery of their chosen academic field and its applications to address current issues, advance knowledge, and facilitate positive social progress based on Islamic principles.
The program comprises a strong language component, in which the primary languages of Arabic and English are supplemented by one subsidiary research language associated with Muslim societies, including but not limited to Persian, Turkish, Bahasa Indonesia, and Hausa. The multilingual proficiency enriches the undertaking of dynamic and innovative research that can produce high-quality peer-reviewed publications to advance regional and global scholarship in the areas of Islamic studies and cross-cutting disciplines.
Curriculum
A 72-credit degree program taught over four years in English that includes:
Six core courses (18 credits)
Research Methods in Islamic Studies
Comparative Islamic Theology and Philosophy
Comparative Theories in the Study of Religion
Sources and Methodology of Islamic Law
Comparative Quranic Exegesis
Sources and Methodology of Hadith
Six elective courses (18 credits) out of eleven options
Comparative Applied Islamic Ethics
Family and Society in Islam
Globalization and Muslim Societies
Graduate Seminar in Islamic Studies
Islam and Modernity
Islam, Environment and Sustainability
Islamic Manuscript Studies
Muslim Encounters with Other Societies
Readings in Usul Al-Fiqh
The Islamic City
Translating Arabic-Islamic Texts
Dissertation (36 credits)
This component includes dissertation proposal seminars, dissertation progress workshops, and dissertation defense seminars, in addition to a pre-dissertation comprehensive examination.