Islamic studies programs focus on the teachings of Mohammed. Students learn how the various branches of Islam developed. They study its history and sacred literature.

Islam is the way of life for over one billion people. In this global era the U.S. is becoming more involved in Muslim regions of the world. And many Muslims live in the U.S. Business, government, and the military have a great need for Americans who are knowledgeable about Islam. In addition, Islam itself has a need for scholars from a variety of backgrounds.

If your goal is to become an imam (prayer leader), you need to earn a bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies or Sharia (Islamic law). You may also seek this degree to become learned in Islam for its own sake. The program usually takes four years. Few such programs are available in the U.S., so to study at this level you may want to go abroad, especially to an Islamic country.

The program includes study of literary Arabic, which you need to know in order to read the Qur'an. You learn the basic principles of faith, such as the oneness and other attributes of Allah, and the practices of fasting, pilgrimage, and charity. You learn the rules of Qur'anic recitation and the traditions surrounding prayer. As you study passages of the Qur'an, you learn the traditional teachings (Hadith) that surround and supplement the text. You also learn how the way of life practiced by Mohammed influenced Islamic law and practice. You learn Islamic law regarding family life, business, inheritance, crimes, and governance. You apply what you have learned about Islam to the study of its history and to current issues. To become a teacher of Qur'an, you study principles of education. You also learn methods of researching Islamic sources.

If you want to study Islam as a non-Muslim, you have very limited options at the undergraduate level. You can take some courses about Islam in a Middle Eastern studies program. About ten universities offer such a program at the undergraduate level. But you should regard such a program as preparation for a graduate program in Islamic studies. A handful of graduate-level programs are available in the U.S. You should expect a master's degree to take one or two years of full-time study. A doctoral degree should take an additional three years.

Study of Islam inevitably begins with the Qur'an. To study the Qur'an seriously, you must read it in Arabic. You also must know Arabic to read many of the important works of historic Islamic scholarship. You will need command of several modern languages to read recent scholarship in this field. You will study the Arabian context in which the Qur'an first appeared and how it immediately played a combined spiritual and sociopolitical role. You will also study the life of Mohammed and the relationship of Hadith to Qur'an.

You will study how Islam spread over three continents. Your review of its history will include sectarian divisions (e.g., Sunni and Shiite). You will study major religious and philosophical figures who developed Islamic thought. You also will look at modern issues, such as political Islamism.