Doctor of Education in Islamic Studies (Ed.D.)

The Foundation has established a variety of relationships with such institutions as the North American Imams Federation (NAIF) in Washington, D.C., and the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) in Indianapolis, for the purpose of cooperating in providing educational opportunities relevant to the Foundation's degree requirements. Imam Omar Shahin, Ph.D., President of the Executive Committee of the North American Imams Federation, has been appointed both Director of Islamic Studies and Professor of Islamic Law at the Foundation. With the collaboration of ISNA, the Foundation has put in place three degree programs in Islamic studies: the Doctor of Philosophy, the Doctor of Education and the Master of Theology. In addition to the Foundation’s special relationship with the Islamic Society of North America and the North American Imams Federation, a formal arrangement has been made with the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies so that Muslim doctoral students of the Foundation may take advantage of the Centre’s hospitality during their time of study in Oxford. This arrangement provides the opportunity for Muslim students of the Foundation to utilize the research library, the place of worship, and a community of fellowship while in England.

Description

This program has been designed specifically for those who are directly involved in educational service within the Muslim community and particularly Imams attached to a mosque. This program is for Muslim religious leaders who are interested in pursuing further study in the advancement of their understanding of the social and cultural environment within which Muslims live and work in America. It deals with practical issues of social and religious life affecting the family and the individual and provides an opportunity for Muslim religious leaders and Imams to spend significant time working and studying with Muslim leaders at the Islamic Centre of the Islamic Society of North America in Plainfield, Indiana, just outside Indianapolis, or at an approved comparable educational institution. It is important to note that the written work may be completed in English or Arabic.

Time Frame and Tuition

The Ed.D. takes a minimum of eighteen months and a maximum of forty-eight months for completion.

Tuition: $7,250.00
Project Processing: $250.00
Graduation: $100.00

Admission Requirements

Baccalaureate degree or equivalent validated by a transcript.
Graduate degree in a cognate field or equivalent training validated by documentation or employment as an Imam functioning within a Muslim community.
Five years of accumulated experience in religious work within the Muslim Community.
Completion of the Application Procedure.

Orientation

Residency and Response Papers

The student completes eight Units of Study at approved educational venues. Each Unit of Study must consist of 40 contact hours or three semester credits. All courses must be graduate-level, and sponsored by a graduate, professional, or denominationally approved institution with academically qualified faculty. A response paper of 1,750-2,500 words (7-10 pages) must be submitted for each Unit of Study. Response papers should be analytically reflective regarding the relevance of each Unit’s content to the exercise of the student’s ministry. Papers are evaluated by the Foundation’s faculty and an acknowledgement letter is sent to the student. If further development of the paper is deemed necessary, the student will be notified. All academic work must be completed by February 1 of the intended year of graduation.

NOTE: For Paper Guidelines, please Click Here.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit does not require a paper.

Project Consultant

Option A: Students may select a faculty member of the Foundation to serve as Project Consultant. This option enables the student to receive helpful and pragmatic evaluative feedback from a member of the faculty in the developmental process of producing the Exit Project. The role of the faculty Project Consultant is responsive and suggestive rather than “supervisory” as is the case with academic thesis writing. The faculty person is encouraged to limit feedback to pragmatically helpful hints and suggestions and not to attempt any censorship of the project. The exercise of discretion with respect to time demands is very important for both the student and faculty member. The faculty Project Consultant must give final approval of the student’s work by submitting the Project Consultant’s Report Form. The assessment from the Project Consultant is due by February 1 of the intended year of graduation.

Selection of Faculty Consultant and Nomination Procedure:

The student peruses the Faculty Details page and makes a selection.
The student completes the Faculty Project Consultant Nomination Form 107 (Forms).
Student Services provides the nominated faculty member with Form 107.
The selected faculty member notifies Student Services of acceptance of student nomination.
Student Services informs the student and faculty member of relationship approval and contact information is provided.

Option B: Students are at liberty to select a Project Consultant who is not on the faculty of the Foundation. In that event, the Project Consultant must hold a comparable degree to that being pursued by the student. The 82 Graduate Theological Foundation student must nominate the Project Consultant by submitting a letter of nomination to the Foundation along with a C.V. of the nominee. The student is notified upon approval of the Project Consultant by the Academic Affairs Committee. The Project Consultant must give final approval of the student’s work by submitting the Project Consultant’s Report Form. The assessment from the Project Consultant is due by February 1 of the intended year of graduation.

Doctoral Project

The Doctoral Project is conceived of as a translation into practice of the insights, values and creative concerns developed during the course of the units of interactive learning and the intervening periods of reading, reflection, and application. The project should directly relate the implications of the evolving educational needs within the Islamic faith community. Students wishing to discuss their Doctoral Project should feel free to contact the Foundation.

The Doctoral Project is a demonstration of praxis. Its structure, focus and content, therefore, allows for a wide range of differing forms appropriate to the actual area of the practice of ministry addressed. The form may range, for example, from newly developed educational courses to a research manuscript or instructional video. A note about the length of the project is impractical when speaking of video and audio cassettes, workbooks and manuals, as well as other hands-on praxis-based projects. For manuscript-style doctoral projects, however, the length would normally run from 35,000-40,000 words (140-160 pages), double-spaced, footnoted, and with significant bibliographical references of at least 35 sources. It is also a recommendation for the bibliography to include an annotated listing of the 10-12 sources that were key to the development of the project.

In keeping with the nature of the entire Doctoral Program as an open interaction with fellow professionals, the project is a demonstration of practice, an exploration of applied reflections, or creative work rather than a test submitted to prove competency.

One copy of the Doctoral Project, in its final form, must be submitted to the Foundation by February 1 prior to graduation.

Non-Project Option

The NPO is available for this degree program. For information on the NPO, please Click Here.

Graduation Requirements

Viewing of the Foundation's instructional Orientation video. The Orientation video is available in English and Arabic.
Completion of eight Units of Study at any approved educational institution.
Submission of eight response papers of 1,750-2,500 words (7- 10 pages) on topics related to the units completed.
Selection of a Project Consultant.
Completion of the Doctoral Project (or NPO) and submission of one copy including the Project Consultant’s evaluation forms. All academic requirements must be met by February 1 prior to graduation.
Attendance at the Convocation and Graduation. (Non-US residents are exempt from this requirement.)

Resources in Islamic Studies

Council on Islamic Education (CIE)
International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT)
Islamic Society of North America (ISNA)
Islamic Studies and Research Association (ISRA)
Muslim American Society (MAS)
North American Imams Federation (NAIF)
Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies (OCIS)