The Aga Khan University’s Institute for the Study of Muslim Civilisations

Master of Arts in Muslim Cultures

Teaching and Learning

At AKU-ISMC, you will cover an extensive curriculum ensuring that you leave us with excellent knowledge of Muslim cultures, including historical, political, economic and religious institutions, beliefs and contexts. Our faculty are engaged in world-leading research, and you will have the opportunity to benefit from their extensive knowledge of their subjects. Within the disciplines of social sciences and humanities, you will be introduced to relevant theories and concepts. You will also study a number of subjects including development studies, economics, political science, art, architecture, history, literature, linguistics, comparative religion and law within Muslim contexts.

Throughout the two semesters of coursework, students enhance their research skills through two dedicated courses that include a series of practical workshops that give students first-hand experience in producing, analysing and writing up primary and secondary data. The research skills that students develop at AKU-ISMC are designed not only to help them produce excellent research theses but also to enhance their career prospects through careful training in transferrable analytical skills. Our faculty take advantage of the enormous range of opportunities on offer in London to stretch and challenge our students, and you are strongly encouraged to attend lectures, discussions and performances which will enhance your learning and understanding.

Programme Structure

The MA in Muslim Cultures offers core and elective courses as well as fieldwork opportunities that might take place in collaboration with AKDN, which can contribute to your thesis. Our courses offer you the chance to engage with interdisciplinary approaches to the study of Muslim cultures. We offer courses that draw on social sciences and humanities disciplines including anthropology, archaeology, gender studies, history, international relations, political science as well as religious studies.

The research methods courses provide critical knowledge and skills that not only equip you to produce high-quality original research theses but also enhance your employability and opportunities to pursue further research studies at the doctoral level.

Core Courses

Semester 1:

• Muslim Societies in a Changing World
• Research Methods in the Social Sciences and Humanities I (Concepts and Questions)
• Arabic or Persian

Semester 2:

• Research Methods in the Social Sciences II (Practical Workshops)
• Arabic or Persian

Semester 3:

• Thesis

Elective Courses

• Emperors, Prophets and Caliphs, 500-900
• Gender and Sexuality in the Middle East
• Religion, Law and Society in Muslim Contexts
• Development Challenges in Muslim Contexts
• Paths in Sufism
• Islam and Creativity
• Authority and Legitimacy in Islamic History
• Art and Architecture in Muslim Cultures
• Religion, Politics and the State in the Middle East
• The Politics of Modern Muslim Mobility
• International Relations: Race, Racism and Power
• One Hundred Years of Islamic Family Law Reform
• The Islamicate World 2.0: Studying Islamic Cultures through Computational Textual Analysis

Note: The elective courses might vary from one year to another and not all of them will be offered every year. Also, details of the programme are subject to change.

Students take a total of 24 credits of coursework + 6 credits of thesis.

Semester 1: 9 credits core courses + 3 credits from the elective course list.

Semester 2: 6 credits core courses + 6 credits from the elective course list.

Coursework is composed of 15 core credits + 9 elective credits + 6 credits of thesis.

Duration is 1.5 years, unless p/t then they have 6 years (maximum) to complete

AKU-ISMC’s MA programme is a truly global qualification, which opens doors to many different career paths. Our alumni work and study around the world, including Tunisia, the USA, Egypt, Canada, Pakistan and UK.

Our graduates are a diverse group and are now following careers in journalism, teaching and business, working for national and international organisations and NGOs, including AKDN.

Some graduates choose to pursue further studies and have entered establishments such as the University of Oxford and Harvard University. Many go on to pursue an academic career, teaching in universities and continuing their own research into specific areas of expertise.

Gulbenkian Museum Academy will be collaborating with us, in this two-day workshop, an Introduction to Islamic Manuscripts and Digital Codicology. Exploring the esteemed manuscript collection of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, this 2-day short course is an