PhD in Religious Studies - Islamic Studies in Santa Barbara United States | University of California, Santa Barbara

Students pursuing the Islamic Studies specialization explore diverse historical eras spanning from Islam's emergence to contemporary times across multiple cultural contexts, particularly the Middle East, South Asia, and North America. Faculty promote the examination of Islam's varied manifestations and environments, along with Muslim communities' historical, social, and cultural complexities, while investigating Islam's engagements with other faiths and non-Muslim populations. The program requires students to master multiple academic methodologies employed in the discipline, encompassing textual philology, socio-political history, comparative analysis, gender studies, and anthropological fieldwork. UCSB's Islamic Studies doctoral program mandates proficiency development in these key domains:

Islam's core scriptures (Quran, hadith) and principal literary traditions (including tafsir, fiqh, kalam, falsafa, Sufi writings, balagha).
The historical, social, political, and cultural developments of Islam, including modern transformations.
Theoretical frameworks and research methodologies essential for conducting specialized, independent scholarship in Islamic studies.
Each student's specific focus area will organically emerge from their evolving research pursuits during the program. Applicants must articulate their research interests in their admission essay, demonstrating familiarity with contemporary Islamic studies scholarship.