Program Overview

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Program Overview

The Islamic Studies PhD program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive education in the field of Islamic Studies. Students who directly enter the PhD program meet quarterly with the program chair, who also serves as the graduate adviser, during their first year. In consultation with the graduate adviser, students choose a primary faculty adviser and three fields of study, as well as the faculty with whom they will work in those fields.

Advising and Progress Review

Students should consult with their faculty advisers and the student affairs officer as frequently as needed. Student progress is reviewed annually, and at the beginning of Spring Quarter, all students meet with their faculty supervisors to provide a written summary of their progress toward the degree and their goals for the coming year. The faculty supervisors report to the interdepartmental degree committee, which reviews student progress and advises each student in writing by the end of Spring Quarter as to whether their progress is sufficient to warrant continuation in the program.

Major Fields or Sub-disciplines

The program offers a range of major fields or sub-disciplines, including:

• Anthropology
• Art history
• Comparative literature
• History
• Law
• Philosophy
• Political science
• Religion
• Sociology
• Urban planning
• World arts and cultures
• The literatures of the following languages:
  • Arabic
  • Indonesian
  • Iranian languages
  • Malay
  • Swahili
  • Turkic languages
  • Urdu

Foreign Language Requirement

Intermediate-level proficiency in a second language listed under Major Fields or Sub-disciplines and reading proficiency in a European language other than English that is relevant to the student’s research are required prior to advancement to doctoral candidacy. Students can demonstrate language proficiency by:

• Providing evidence of being a native speaker
• Passing a program-administered examination
• Completing three intermediate-level courses with a grade of B or better
• Submitting evidence of completion of equivalent coursework elsewhere Exceptions to the language requirements may be approved in special cases through submission of a petition that must be approved by the student’s primary faculty adviser, the program chair, and the Graduate Division.

Course Requirements

A minimum of 12 courses (48 units) is required for the PhD degree, including a minimum of three graduate seminars. Students who enter directly into the PhD program must take the three core courses in Category one and at least one course from Category two listed under the master’s degree. Students may petition the Committee to Administer the Islamic Studies Program to waive courses in Category one. All students must take at least four graduate and upper-division courses, including one graduate seminar, in each of three chosen fields. The three fields must be distributed across more than one division, college, or school.

Teaching Experience

Teaching experience is not required for the PhD program.

Written and Oral Qualifying Examinations

Academic Senate regulations require all doctoral students to complete and pass University written and oral qualifying examinations prior to doctoral advancement to candidacy. The University oral qualifying examination is open only to the student and appointed members of the doctoral committee. After students complete all coursework and foreign language requirements, the chair of the program, in consultation with the student, nominates a doctoral committee that meets university requirements, for formal appointment by the Graduate Division.

Doctoral Committee and Dissertation Prospectus

The doctoral committee conducts four separate written examinations, one in each of the student’s three fields and one in a methodology appropriate to the student’s dissertation. Following the written examinations, the committee conducts the University Oral Qualifying Examination, which covers the three fields, the methodology, and the basis of the dissertation prospectus. Students must write a dissertation prospectus that contains:

• A full statement of the dissertation topic, including any fieldwork that may be required
• A historiographical discussion of the literature related to the topic
• A statement of the methods to be employed
• A proposed bibliography to be consulted in the course of research and writing

Advancement to Candidacy

Students are advanced to candidacy and awarded the Candidate in Philosophy (C.Phil.) degree upon successful completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations.

Doctoral Dissertation

Every doctoral degree program requires the completion of an approved dissertation that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research and constitutes a distinct contribution to knowledge in the principal field of study.

Final Oral Examination (Defense of Dissertation)

The decision as to whether a defense is required is made by the doctoral committee.

Time-to-Degree

The normative time from admission to approval of the dissertation prospectus, completion of the written and oral qualifying examinations, and advancement to candidacy is two years. The normative time from advancement to candidacy to the final oral examination (defense of the dissertation), if required, and filing of the dissertation is three years. Overall, the normative time from graduate admission to award of the PhD degree is five years. Students who undertake field research abroad may require an additional one to two years to complete the program.