Bachelor

Aims and objectives

As a major aim of the Islamic sciences programmes, the faculty attempts to advance the knowledge and understanding of the cultures and societies where Islam can either have a majority or a minority status (i.e., Asia, Africa, Europe and America), through instruction and research. Knowledge of Islam in both their historical and modern forms is delivered through well established research programs and from the perspectives of the social sciences and humanities, including such academic disciplines as law, political studies, economics, anthropology and sociology, art and archaeology, music, religious studies, linguistic, geography and development studies, to mention but a few. In addition to these broad objectives, the Faculty of the Sciences of Islam aims at the following:

·         Developing new approaches to the Islamic education. Such approaches should be based on sound and scientific methodology, combining theoretical and practical perspectives, ensuring, thus, the platform necessary for conducting research;

·         Exploring crucial aspects of the life of immigrant Muslim groups living outside the Islamic world, and more particularly those living in the Netherlands and Europe, taking account of their socio-economic and religious characteristics as close-knit groups;

·         Training and retraining Imams according to the cultural specifics on the country where they are operating, in this case the Netherlands. In developing such Imam Training Project (ITP), the University is developing and establishing collaborative relations with a number of religious associations and councils in the Netherlands.

Education and Research

For the Faculty of the Islamic Sciences, “Knowing Islam” as a major theme is designed to acquaint the students with the central historical, socio-political and religious issues of Islam and Islamic culture within and outside the Islamic world through a sustained interdisciplinary mode of analysis. Comparative perspectives are very important; and students may opt to concentrate in Islamic/Arab or Islamic/Christian and/or Islam and other religions studies, or combine the study of these religious cultures as a whole. With reference to research within the framework of “Knowledge of Islam”, the Faculty of the Islamic Sciences has an active research program. Students benefit from the University's staff's wide-ranging expertise within the field of the Islamic Studies, and the University's commitment to the creation of a supportive research environment.

The IUR has shifted from the old (1+3) into the new (3+2) programme structure. According to the new system, the degree programmes are divided into two parts: the bachelor's phase, which lasts three years, and the master's phase lasting one or two years depending on the degree programme. University students operating within the new system are expected first to take a three-year Bachelor programme (the undergraduate). After the Bachelor, students can enter a Master programme (the graduate). After three study years and examinations students are awarded with the title of Bachelor of Arts (BA) title and after the successful completion of the five year programme, they are then entitled to use the title of Master of Arts (MA) title.