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Islamic Studies Program

Certificate in Islamic Studies

Students on Summer 2020, Fall 2020, or Spring 2021 requirements ISLMSACRT1

The Certificate in Islamic Studies provides students with comparative and interdisciplinary training needed to prepare them for careers in government, non-government organizations, and business where knowledge of Islam and the Muslim world is beneficial, and for graduate-level work in both disciplinary and area studies units.

Requirements

The certificate requires at least 24 credit hours, including the requirements listed below.
  1. Islamic Studies Core. One (1) course:
    • HIST-C 205 Islamic History and Civilization
    • MELC-M 265 Introduction to Islamic Civilization
    • REL-A 270 Introduction to Islam
  2. Geographic Regions. One (1) course from two (2) of the following geographical regions (2 courses total):
    • Sub-Saharan Africa.
      • AFRI-L 100 Topics in African Society and Culture (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • AFRI-L 202 Occultism in Africa
      • AFRI-L 231 African Civilization
      • AFRI-L 232 Contemporary Africa (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • ANTH-E 300 Culture Areas and Ethnic Groups (approved topic: "Islam in and out of Africa")
      • ARTH-A 255 Topics in African Art History (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • ARTH-A 355 Art, Craft, and Technology in Sub-Saharan Africa
      • ARTH-A 453 Art of Sub-Saharan Africa I: Arts of Africa's Western Sudan
      • ARTH-A 454 Art of Sub-Saharan Africa II: Arts of the West African Coast
      • HIST-E 300 Issues in African History (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • HIST-E 338 History of Muslim West Africa
      • HIST-H 227 African Civilizations
      • HIST-J 300 Seminar In History (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
    • Middle East and North Africa.
      • ANTH-E 386 Performance, Culture, and Power in the Middle East and North Africa
      • ANTH-E 397 Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East (Approved topics: "PEOPLES & CULT OF THE MID EAST" (TPC 1))
      • CEUS-R 292 Introduction to Turkic and Iranian Civilization when taken Summer 2024 or later
      • CEUS-R 292 Introduction to Turkic and Iranian Civilization (approved topics only; see academic advisor) when taken prior to Summer 2024
      • CEUS-R 351 Prophets, Poets, and Kings: Iranian Civilization
      • CEUS-R 352 Peoples and Cultures of the Middle East
      • CEUS-R 354 Persian Literature in Translation
      • CEUS-R 380 Literature of the Ottoman Court in Translation
      • CEUS-R 382 Cultural History of the Ottoman Empire and Modern Turkey
      • CEUS-R 386 Islam, Islamism, and Modernity in Turkey
      • CEUS-R 389 Topics in Turkish Studies (Approved topics: "HISTORY OF TURKISH REPUBLIC" (TPC 1))
      • CMLT-C 291 Studies in Non-Western Film (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • CMLT-C 370 Comparative Studies in Western and Middle Eastern Literatures
      • FOLK-F 215 Folklore, Health, and Illness
      • FOLK-F 307
      • FOLK-F 308 Middle Eastern and Arab Mythology
      • FOLK-F 377 Popular Culture and Politics in the Middle East
      • HIST-C 210 History of the Modern Middle East
      • HIST-C 305 Issues in Near Eastern History (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • JSTU-C 334 What is Middle Eastern? Perspectives Gained through Comparison with Israel
      • JSTU-J 304 Social and Historical Topics in Jewish Studies
      • MELC-M 233 The Golden Age of Islamic Civilization
      • MELC-M 304 Issues in Middle Eastern Culture and Society (Approved topics: "WOMEN AND GENDER IN THE MIDDLE EAST" (TPC 3))
      • MELC-M 305 Issues in Middle Eastern Literature (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • MELC-M 334 What is Middle Eastern? Perspectives Gained through Comparison with Israel
      • MELC-M 339 Middle Eastern Politics
      • MELC-M 350 Modern Iran
      • POLS-Y 339 Middle Eastern Politics
    • Central and Inner Asia.
      • ANTH-E 251 Post-Taliban Afghanistan and the War on Terror
      • ANTH-E 398 Peoples and Cultures of Central Asia
      • CEUS-R 110 Central Asia: Cultures and Customs
      • CEUS-R 199 Introductory Topics in Central Eurasian Studies (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • CEUS-R 213 Islam in Central Asia
      • CEUS-R 251 Post-Taliban Afghanistan and the War on Terror
      • CEUS-R 281 Turkish Literature in Translation
      • CEUS-R 291 Inner Asian Religious Beliefs
      • CEUS-R 292 Introduction to Turkic and Iranian Civilization
      • CEUS-R 299 Intermediate Topics in Central Eurasian Studies (Approved topics: "SOCIETY & POLITICS IN CONTEMPORARY IRAN" (TPC 8))
      • CEUS-R 310 Introduction to Central Asian History
      • CEUS-R 311 Travelers and Explorers in Central Asia
      • CEUS-R 312 Shrine and Pilgrimage in Central Asian Islam
      • CEUS-R 313 Islam in Soviet Union and Successor States
      • CEUS-R 314 Islamization in Inner Asia
      • CEUS-R 315 Politics and Society in Central Asia
      • CEUS-R 316 Peoples and Cultures of Central Asia
      • CEUS-R 322 Jews of the Muslim East when taken Summer 2024 or later
      • CEUS-R 329 Topics in Central Asian Studies
      • CEUS-R 330 Politics in Modern Xinjiang
      • CEUS-R 332 History of Xinjiang to 1911
      • CEUS-R 333 Cultures and Civilization of Xinjiang
      • CEUS-R 389 Topics in Turkish Studies (Approved topics: "ISLAM ISLAMISM MODERNITY TURKEY" (TPC 22))
      • CEUS-R 395 Politics of Identity in China and Inner Asia
      • CEUS-R 411 Ethnic History of Central Asia
      • CEUS-R 412 Central Asia under Russian Rule
      • CEUS-R 413 Islamic Central Asia, Sixteenth-Nineteenth Centuries
      • CEUS-R 414 The Yasavi Sufis and Central Asian Islam
      • CEUS-R 415 The Naqshbandi Sufi Tradition in Central Asia
      • CEUS-R 416 Religion and Power in Islamic Central Asia
      • COLL-C 103 Critical Approaches to the Arts and Humanities (Approved topics: "SAINTS OF THE SILK ROAD" (TPC 40))
      • POLS-Y 401 Topics in Political Science (Approved topics: "IDENTITY POLS/CHINA-INNER ASIA" (TPC 133); "POLITICS IN XINJIANG" (TPC 307))
    • South and Southeast Asia.
      • ANTH-A 200 Topics in Anthropology of Culture and Society (approved topic: "Post-Taliban Afghanistan and the War on Terror")
      • CEUS-R 251 Post-Taliban Afghanistan and the War on Terror
      • HIST-G 300 Issues in Asian History (approved topic: "Islam and Empire in South Asia")
      • HIST-J 300 Seminar In History (approved topic: "Indian Ocean Cradle of Globalization")
      • INST-I 380 Women in South Asian Religious Traditions
      • POLS-Y 490 Senior Seminar in Political Science (approved topic: "War and Peace in South Asia")
      • REL-A 470 Topics in Islamic Studies
      • REL-B 330 Women in South Asian Religious Traditions
    • Russia and East-Central Europe.
      • ANTH-E 400 Undergraduate Seminar (approved topic: "Islam in the Balkans")
      • CEUS-R 313 Islam in Soviet Union and Successor States
      • EURO-W 405 Special Topics in European Studies (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • POLS-Y 200 Contemporary Political Topics (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • POLS-Y 401 Topics in Political Science (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
    • Western Europe and America.
      • EURO-W 405 Special Topics in European Studies (approved topic: "Muslims in Western Politics")
      • JSTU-J 260 Literary Masterpieces of Muslim Spain
      • JSTU-J 360 Muslim Spain and Portugal: History and Memory
      • MELC-M 305 Issues in Middle Eastern Literature (approved topic: "Muslims in Western Poltics")
      • POLS-Y 401 Topics in Political Science (approved topic: "Muslims in Western Politics")
      • POLS-Y 490 Senior Seminar in Political Science (approved topic: "Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X Civil Rights")
      • REL-C 320 African American Religions
      • REL-C 335 New Religious Movements in the Americas
      • REL-C 420 Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X in American Religion
  3. Additional Geographic Region or Thematic Area. One (1) of the following:
    • Thematic Area Option. One (1) course:
      • ARTH-A 281 Introduction to Islamic Art and Visual Culture
      • ARTH-A 327 Survey of Modern and Contemporary Islamic Art
      • ARTH-A 426 The Medieval City
      • ARTH-A 459 The Painted Image in the Islamic World
      • ARTH-A 489 Topics in Islamic Art (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • CEUS-R 359 Topics in Iranian Studies (approved topic: "Shi"ism Debates and Discourses")
      • COLL-C 103 Critical Approaches to the Arts and Humanities (approved topic: "Jesus, Alexander and Other Heroes of Islam")
      • COLL-C 104 Critical Approaches to the Social and Historical Studies (approved topic: "Oil, Islam and Geopolitics")
      • HIST-C 205 Islamic History and Civilization
      • HIST-W 200 Issues in World History (approved topic: "Muslim-Jewish Relations in the 20th Century")
      • INTL-I 426 Advanced Topics in International Studies (approved topic: "Shi"ism Debates and Discourses")
      • JSTU-J 204 Social and Historical Topics in Jewish Studies (approved topic: "Muslim-Jewish Relations in the 20th Century")
      • MELC-M 265 Introduction to Islamic Civilization
      • MELC-M 307 Issues in Islamic Studies (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • MELC-M 361 Islamic Feminisms
      • MELC-M 365 Islamic Philosophy
      • MELC-M 370 Koranic Studies
      • MELC-M 391 War and Peace in the Islamic Tradition
      • MELC-M 392 Islam and Modernity
      • PHIL-P 301 Medieval Philosophy
      • REL-A 270 Introduction to Islam
      • REL-A 275 Sex and Gender in Islam
      • REL-A 380 Knowing the Will of God in Islam I: Law
      • REL-A 470 Topics in Islamic Studies (approved topics only; see academic advisor)
      • REL-A 480 Knowing the Will of God in Islam II: Theology
      • REL-A 485 The Life and Legacy of Muhammad
      • REL-R 152 Jews, Christians, Muslims
    • Additional Geographic Region Course Option. One (1) course from an additional Geographic Region (see course lists above).
  4. Electives. Additional courses, as needed, to fulfill remaining requirements:
    • Up to six (6) credit hours from the Islamic Studies Approved Languages list.
      • Arabic
      • Azerbaijani
      • Bamana
      • Bengali
      • Dari
      • French
      • Indonesian
      • Kazakh
      • Kurdish
      • Kyrgyz
      • Ottoman
      • Pashto
      • Persian
      • Swahili
      • Turkish
      • Urdu
      • Uyghur
      • Uzbek
      • Wolof
    • Additional courses from the Geographic Regions course lists
    • Additional courses from the Thematic Area course list
  5. 400–499 Level Requirement. At least three (3) credit hours of courses taken to fulfill certificate requirements must be at the 400–499 level.
  6. Certificate GPA, Hours, and Minimum Grade Requirements.
    1. Certificate GPA. A GPA of at least 2.000 for all courses taken in the certificate—including those where a grade lower than C- is earned—is required.
    2. Certificate Minimum Grade. Except for the GPA requirement, a grade of C- or higher is required for a course to count toward a requirement in the certificate.
    3. Certificate Upper Division Credit Hours. At least 9 credit hours in the certificate must be completed at the 300–499 level.
    4. Certificate Residency. At least 9 credit hours in the certificate must be completed in courses taken through the Indiana University Bloomington campus or an IU-administered or IU co-sponsored Overseas Study program.

Certificate Area Courses

Unless otherwise noted below, the following courses are considered in the academic program and will count toward academic program requirements as appropriate:

  • Any course contained on the course lists for the academic program requirements at the time the course is taken—as well as any other courses that are deemed functionally equivalent—except for those listed only under Addenda Requirements
  • Any course directed to a non-Addenda requirement through an approved exception

Exceptions to and substitutions for certificate requirements may be made with the approval of the unit's Director of Undergraduate Studies, subject to final approval by the College of Arts and Sciences.