Advising

Student advising begins with admission to the program, at which time students are matched with one or more faculty members whose specialties relate to the student’s areas of interest.

During the first year, students meet quarterly with the program chair, who also serves as the graduate adviser. By the end of the first year, students must secure the agreement of a faculty member to serve as their supervisor and notify the student affairs officer of this arrangement. For the following terms of graduate study, students meet quarterly with their faculty supervisors and, as needed, with the student affairs officer.

Student progress is reviewed annually. At the beginning of Spring Quarter, all students meet with their faculty supervisors and provide them with a written summary of their progress toward the degree and their goals for the coming year. Students will be advised by the end of the Spring Quarter as to whether their progress is sufficient to warrant continuation in the program.

Areas of Study

These areas of study are the same as listed under Major Fields or Sub-disciplines for the doctoral degree.

Foreign Language Requirement

Other than the language proficiency required for admission to the program, there is no foreign language requirement to attain the Master’s degree. Students who plan to go on for a Ph.D. in Islamic Studies are strongly advised to continue their foreign language study to achieve the required levels of proficiency in their research languages early in their graduate study so that language skills will be of maximum benefit. Students should see the doctoral language requirement under Doctoral Degree.