Bachelor of Islamic Studies

What is this course about?

CSU's Bachelor of Islamic Studies provides students with an advanced level of knowledge of Islam, including theological, jurisprudential, historic, practical, contemporary and spiritual aspects of islam.

CSU's Bachelor of Islamic Studies was developed in response to a growing need for an understanding of the Islamic faith in Australian communities, as well as a lack of formally recognised training education in Islamic traditions.

It aims to provide Islamic education within the Australian context, while staying true to Islamic traditions.

Students in this course will study from a classical and contemporary perspective, developing an advanced level of understanding of Islam that can be beneficial in a diverse range of professions.

Students in this course will cover Islamic theology, Islamic jurisprudence, spirituality, Qur'anic studies, hadith, history and contemporary issues, as well as Arabic language.

Graduates of this course will be able to:

• demonstrate an advanced knowledge of Islam in theology, Islamic practices, history, spirituality and contemporary issues
• demonstrate in-depth knowledge of the specialised fields of Qur'anic exegesis (Tafsir) and Prophetic Narrations (Hadith)
• demonstrate an advanced knowledge of Islamic legal theory, jurisprudence and its application, particularly in financial and family law
• demonstrate an intermediate level of proficiency in the Arabic language
• demonstrate proficiency in reading and understanding the Qur'an in its original Arabic language
• demonstrate knowledge of traditional and contemporary resources on Islam
• demonstrate an understanding of the expectations and requirements of successful university study
• exhibit a level of academic writing and information literacy appropriate to university study.

The University Certificate in Islamic Studies and Associate Degree in Islamic Studies are exit point degrees, should a student decide to withdraw from the Bachelor of Islamic Studies.

These courses are offered by distance education through the Islamic Sciences and Research Academy of Australia (ISRA) in Sydney. In each session there is a compulsory two-day residential school, and optional lectures are held at the ISRA centre each week.

Academic expectations

For each 8 point subject at CSU, students should normally expect to spend between 140-160 hours engaged in the specified learning and assessment activities (such as attending lectures or residential schools, assigned readings, tutorial assistance, individual or group research/study, forum activity, workplace learning, assignments or examinations). The student workload for some subjects may vary from these norms as a result of approved course design.

Students will be assessed on the basis of completed assignments, examinations, workplace learning, or other methods as outlined in specific subject outlines.

Where applicable, students are responsible for travel and accommodation costs involved in workplace learning experiences, or attending residential schools (distance education students).

Expectations relating to academic, workplace learning, time and cost requirements for specific subjects are provided in the subject abstracts and in course materials.