Undergraduate

Islamic Studies Certificate

The Islamic Studies certificate program is rigorous enough to ensure that students who fulfill its requirements have language skills and a breadth of knowledge about Islam and the Muslim world not possible within other majors or minors.

CERTIFICATE OVERVIEW AND PURPOSE:

DISC’s undergraduate certificate in Islamic Studies will provide students with:

Students who earn an Islamic Studies Certificate will be equipped with knowledge about Islamic cultures, beliefs and practices as well as the linguistic and cultural tools to enable them to pursue graduate education in Islamic Studies or to engage the Muslim world productively in their chosen professions.


The Islamic Studies certificate program is rigorous enough to ensure that students who fulfill its requirements have language skills and a breadth of knowledge about Islam and the Muslim world not possible within other majors or minors. It is also broad and flexible enough to allow students to develop a sequence of courses that will complement their major field of study.

How to Enroll:

To enroll in the certificate program, students should officially declare their intention to pursue the certificate through Academic Advising (first- and second-year students) or through the Registrar (juniors and seniors) and then contact the Duke Islamic Studies Center Program Coordinator.

Requirements in Brief:

Requirements: To earn an undergraduate certificate in Islamic Studies, students must complete six (6) courses:

  • an introductory course (one semester of the two-semester sequence “Introduction to Islamic Civilization”).
  • a Capstone Seminar (Muslims in Global Contexts) as a junior or senior, which will include a significant research component.
  • Four (4) additional elective courses, two of which must be at the 100-level or above.

Participating departments: Asian and Middle Eastern Studies (formerly AALL), Cultural Anthropology, International Comparative Studies, Economics, History, Literature, Political Science, Religion, Slavic and Eurasian Studies (Turkish and Persian), and Sociology.

DUKE-UNC Collaboration:

Duke-UNC Chapel Hill collaboration: A distinctive feature of the Islamic Studies certificate program is that many courses offered at UNC-Chapel Hill have been approved to fulfill language and elective credits. This certificate program allows students to draw on the strength and scope of both Duke’s offerings in Islamic Studies and complementary courses offered at UNC-Chapel Hill, which also has a strong program in Middle Eastern/Islamic Studies

 WHY EARN AN ISLAMIC STUDIES CERTIFICATE?

Islam ia a global presence: We live in a world where knowledge about Islam and the Muslim world has taken on new importance. Islam is a global religion, with over 1 billion practitioners worldwide, and Muslims comprise nearly one quarter of the world’s population. Only twenty percent of the world’s Muslims live in the Middle East, and Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the United States. Muslim nations are playing an increasingly important role in global trade, economic development, and global politics.


Cross-cultural knowledge in a global world: Despite the increasingly important role of Islam and Muslim nations on the global stage, too many Americans are uninformed about basic Muslim beliefs and practices. Americans are often unaware of diversity of Islamic cultures and the history of Muslim contributions to philosophy, science, commerce, and art. Too few U.S. Foreign Service, military, and business leaders who work in majority-Muslim countries are fluent in Islamic languages. Likewise, Muslim leaders and professionals also frequently display only a superficial understanding of Western culture, institutions, and beliefs.


Career options: Students earning an Islamic Studies certificate will be well prepared to pursue graduate degrees in Islamic Studies. An Islamic Studies certificate will also be an asset for students interested in pursuing professional degrees or careers in business, law, public policy, and medicine, fields where there is a critical shortage of people with knowledge of Islamic languages, Islam, and Muslim cultures. 

 WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH AN ISLAMIC STUDIES CERTIFICATE?

An Islamic Studies Certificate can open doors for students interested in careers in:

  • global health
  • energy, global warming and environmental studies
  • international business
  • new technology and media
  • diplomacy and foreign service

Global Health:

The World Health Organization warns that the Hajj pilgrimage, which draws millions of Muslims from around the world to Mecca, is a likely catalyst for a global flu pandemic. Knowledge of the Islamic world an asset for students interested in global health issues.

Energy, Global Warming, and Environmental Studies:

Energy, global warming, and environmental studies: Expanding industrialization, population growth, and urban development in many majority-Muslim countries will contribute to global warming and environmental degradation. National and global economies are impacted by increasing global demand for dwindling oil and fossil fuel resources, and there is a growing demand in the energy industries for workers with Arabic language skills and knowledge of Muslim cultures and business practices. An Islamic Studies certificate will expand career options for students interested in energy and environmental studies.

International Business:

International Business: Islamic banking, finance, and investing is one of the fastest-growing areas of socially responsible investing. Many international banking and investment firms have branches and do business in majority-Muslim countries. For students majoring in economics or pursuing certificates in Markets and Management Studies, an Islamic Studies certificate can open doors to companies that operate in and provide services to the Muslim world.

Diplomacy and Foreign Service:

Diplomacy and Foreign Service: The U.S. Government Accountability Office reports an acute shortage of Arabic speakers at U.S. embassies in the Muslim world. According to a June 2007 ABC News report, only 10 of the 1000 employees at U.S. Embassy in Baghdad had a working knowledge of Arabic. To address this need, U.S. Department of State is funding scholarships for intensive language study in Islamic languages offered Arabic, Turkish, Urdu, and Persian. Islamic Studies certificate recipients will graduate from Duke with language skills that are in high demand.

CERTIFICATE REQUIREMENTS

Students interested in earning a certificate in Islamic Studies are encouraged (but not required) to declare it by their fifth semester.

REQUIRED COURSES: To earn an undergraduate certificate in Islamic Studies, students must complete six (6) courses:

  • an introductory course (one semester of the two-semester sequence “Introduction to Islamic Civilization”).
  • a Capstone Seminar (Muslims in Global Contexts) as a junior or senior, which will include a significant research component.
  • Four (4) additional elective courses, two of which must be at the 100-level or above.

DISC plans to regularly offer a “Muslim Cultures” Focus cluster in the spring semester (open to both first- and second-year students), and the two Focus seminars will count toward the Islamic Studies certificate.
Students enrolled in the certificate program may take up to two (2) of their required electives for the certificate at UNC-Chapel Hill.

Course distribution: To insure that students develop an understanding of Islam as a global, networked tradition and an interdisciplinary Islamic Studies course sequence, the following requirements must be met:

  • At least three departments must be represented in the elective courses selected to fulfill certificate requirements
  • The elective course sequence must include at least one religion course and one social science course
  • No more than two courses may be used to fulfill requirements for the certificate and the student’s major, minor, or other certificates.
  • Language and study abroad: In addition to fulfilling the course requirements, Islamic Studies certificate recipients must:

Students with enough language proficiency to place into a higher than elementary level language course must take at least one applicable language course at the 100 level. Muslim languages include Arabic, Turkish, or Persian (available at Duke) or Persian, Urdu, or Swahili (available at UNC).

Approved elective courses: Students may select courses from the list of approved elective courses. New courses, special topics courses, or independent study courses with at least 50 percent of course content on Islam or the Muslim world may also fulfill certificate requirement. To determine if specific courses meet requirements for the certificate, students should consult the DISC Program Coordinator or Director.

Certificate News Briefs

REQUIRED CERTIFICATE COURSES 2009 - 2010

ISLAMIC STUDIES CERTIFICATE CAPSTONE COURSES 2009 - 2010

There will be two courses offered in 2009-2010 that meet the Capstone Course requirement.

FALL 2009: ECON 134S: Islam and the State. Professor Timur Kuran. This class meets Monday, 8:30 - 11:20 AM, 327 Social Sciences. (Cross-listed POLSCI 119)

SPRING 2010: Muslim Networks: From Haj to Hip Hop. Professors Bruce Lawrence and miriam cooke. This course will be cross-listed in Religion and AMES. Schedule TBD.

INTRODUCTORY COURSE: ISLAMIC CIVILIZATION

Introduction to Islamic Civilization will be offered in SPRING 2010. It will be taught by Professor Mona Hassan.

HOW TO ENROLL IN THE CERTIFICATE PROGRAM

To enroll in the certificate program, students should officially declare their intention to pursue the certificate through:

* Academic Advising (first- and second-year students)

* the Registrar (juniors and seniors)

Then contact the Duke Islamic Studies Center Program Coordinator.

SPOTLIGHT ON CERTIFICATE STUDENTS

ANDREW SIMON (T10) participated in the DukeEngage Yemen program in 2007 and is earning an undergraduate Islamic Studies certificate. He received a Boren Scholarship and spent this summer studying Arabic in Cairo. In August, he returned to Sana'a, Yemen to help the Democracy School organize a soccer tournament to promote childrens' rights. He has been selected to the student organizing committee for the Education Without Borders biennial student conference, which he will attend in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, March 29-31, 2009. 

CERTIFICATE ELECTIVE COURSES AT UNC

Click here to see a list of approved certificate electives offered at UNC. the schedule of courses at UNC.

DUKE-UNC CONNECTION EASY ON ROBERTSON BUS

The Robertson Scholars Bus provides free, convenient transportation between Duke and UNC. Click here for the Robertson bus schedule.

FULFILLING CERTIFICATE STUDY ABROAD REQUIREMENT

DukeEngage

DISC has been involved with the DukeEngage program since it began in 2007. Our DukeEngage programs in Yemen and Cairo are designed to immerse students in the local community, use and develop their language skills, introduce them to local and national leaders, and encourage critical and self-critical reflection about their experiences. Participation in one of our DukeEngage programs fulfills the study abroad requirement for the Islamic Studies certificate.

Study Abroad

DISC encourages all Islamic Studies students to spend time in a majority-Muslim country. See our Study Abroad page, where you can read more about the many study abroad options available."

Why I'm Earning an Islamic Studies Certificate: David Graham (T'09):

 "Beyond Burkas," Duke Chronicle (7/8/08):

The need to get involved in the Middle East is "obvious", President Richard Brodhead wrote to me via e-mail. "The Islamic world contains over a billion people," he says. "In a globalized society, many more Americans must learn to appreciate and navigate Islamic cultures. I trust many Duke students will be included in the list."
And that's why I'm here. In May, I hope to graduate in Duke's first crop of certificate recipients." Read more of David's Chronicle article . . .