The Master’s Degree in Islamic Law and Theology is an interdisciplinary graduate program designed to equip students with advanced proficiency in Islamic theology (uṣūl al-dīn) and legal methodology (uṣūl al-fiqh). The program prepares students to engage classical Arabic source texts fluently, conduct rigorous academic research, and apply Islamic legal and theological principles to contemporary contexts.
Students undertake advanced coursework in comparative Islamic theology and law alongside in-depth training in Arabic semantics, syntax, and rhetoric. Emphasis is placed on close textual analysis of primary Arabic sources, particularly the prophetic precedent as preserved in ḥadīth literature.
The curriculum balances subject-matter mastery with research methodology, integrating selective memorization, analytical reasoning, and critical inquiry. A core pedagogical focus is the foundational relationship between Islamic legal derivatives (furūʿ) and their primary sources (uṣūl), enabling graduates to address modern challenges with scholarly depth and contextual awareness.
Graduates of the program will be able to:
Attain advanced competency in Islamic theology and legal theory
Read, analyze, and interpret classical Arabic scholarly texts
Apply Islamic legal and theological frameworks to contemporary issues
Conduct independent academic research grounded in primary sources
Upon graduation, students will be able to:
Represent and rearticulate the Islamic oral tradition within diverse contemporary contexts
Articulate Islam through a sound understanding of its foundational sources
Re-present living sources of Islamic guidance in response to modern challenges
Serve as an imam or religious leader at a national level
Deliver lectures and seminars for broad and diverse audiences
Serve as academic advisors to Muslim educational and religious organizations
Develop strategies to coordinate initiatives within the wider U.S. Muslim community
Conduct academic-level research on issues impacting Muslim life in the United States
Graduates are prepared to serve the diverse needs of Muslim communities in the United States and beyond. At a macro level, this includes work in estate planning, professional ethics, contemporary legal verdicts, curriculum development, Islamic guidance for Muslim businesses, and professional training for educators.
At the community level, graduates are equipped with the Islamic knowledge to serve as imams, lecturers, directors, youth coordinators, counselors, and scholars—providing religious services, educational leadership, marital counseling, and Islamic education for children and adults.
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
A bachelor’s degree (preferably in Islamic Studies) from a recognized institution, evidenced by official transcripts
Completion of prerequisite Islamic studies coursework with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7
Submission of official transcripts from all prior undergraduate and post-baccalaureate institutions (unofficial transcripts accepted temporarily for evaluation)
Transfer & Placement Assessment
Applicants transferring from another institution must complete an on-campus placement assessment demonstrating proficiency in:
A commentary on al-Manār of al-Nasafī (or equivalent) in legal methodology
The first two volumes of al-Hidāyah by al-Marghīnānī (Islamic law)
Tafsīr al-Jalālayn (Qur’anic exegesis)
Sharḥ al-ʿAqāʾid by al-Taftāzānī (theology)
Mishkāt al-Maṣābīḥ (ḥadīth)
Complete the online application at www.darulqasimcollege.org/apply
Schedule an appointment with the Office of the Registrar for program advising and a campus tour (optional class observation available)
Complete the on-campus placement assessment and personal interview
If accepted, sign the enrollment agreement and receive an individualized degree plan by email
Attend mandatory new-student orientation prior to the first day of classes
Transfer Credit Evaluation
Transfer credit requests must be indicated on the application
Only M-ARAB511 / M-ARAB512 equivalent credits are transferable
Official sealed transcripts must be submitted by the end of the first semester
Students must complete an approved thesis in Arabic or English under faculty supervision. The thesis must demonstrate integration of program knowledge and be formally presented and defended before a panel of scholars.
Full-Time Track
13 courses / 43 credit hours
Completed over 1 year (Fall, Spring, Summer)
Thesis submitted by end of Summer term
Part-Time Track
13 courses / 43 credit hours
Completed over 2 years (Fall, Spring, Summer)
Thesis submitted by end of second Summer term
Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.7 in each course.
Application Fee: $100 (non-refundable)
Tuition: $550 per credit hour
Tuition rates are the same for in-state and out-of-state students
Technology & Resource Fee: $125
Payment Policy
Tuition must be paid in full or installment arrangements initiated within seven days of the first day of class
All balances must be cleared to receive transcripts, grades, or diploma
International Students
Darul Qasim College does not accept international students without U.S. permanent residency or a valid student visa.
Dr. Muhammed Volkan Yildiran Stodolsky is a scholar of Islamic law, theology, and Arabic. He earned his B.A. summa cum laude from Bates College, an M.Phil. from Oxford University as a Beinecke Fellow, and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago. A former Fulbright Fellow in Syria, his research focuses on Islamic legal history, Ḥanafī law, theology, and the Islamic intellectual sciences. He has studied classical texts with leading scholars in Turkey and the Arab world and holds multiple ijāzāt. Dr. Stodolsky teaches Arabic, Islamic Law, and Islamic Theology. (Read more)
Dr. Choukri Heddouchi is a scholar of Arabic and Islamic history, holding both a Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Chicago. He previously lectured in Arabic at the University of Chicago for over a decade. His research and publications focus on Islamic archaeology, with special emphasis on Egypt, West Africa, and medieval Islamic coinage in Morocco. (Read More)
Dr. Mohammed Pervaiz holds graduate degrees from the University of Chicago and an interdisciplinary Ph.D. from Virginia Tech. He has taught courses in religion, political science, and history, and brings a strong liberal arts foundation to the study of Islamic thought, power, and modernity. Alongside his academic training, he studied classical Arabic and the Islamic sciences in Amman, Istanbul, and Chicago, and teaches in Darul Qasim College’s Islamic Studies programs. (Read More)
Dr. Firas Alkhateeb has taught at Darul Qasim College since 2014. He holds a Ph.D. in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and an M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Chicago, along with a B.A. in History from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Trained in both academic and traditional Islamic studies, his research focuses on Ottoman intellectual history, philosophical Sufism, and Muslim political thought. He is the author of Lost Islamic History: Reclaiming Muslim Civilization from the Past. (Read More)
Email: registrar@darulqasim.org
