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Studies & Degrees in Islamic History and Culture

Islamic history and culture is the study of Muslim societies from the rise of Islam in the seventh century to the present: their states and dynasties, law and religious thought, literature, art and architecture, and their contacts with neighbouring worlds. Courses typically cover the early caliphates, al-Andalus, and the later Ottoman, Safavid and Mughal empires, and they use that history to explain the modern Middle East, North Africa and South Asia.

It is seldom the name of a full degree. Students usually meet the subject inside a programme in Islamic studies, Arabic and Islamic studies, Middle Eastern studies or history, and most programmes combine it with a language of the region, above all Arabic.

Qualifications and levels

  • Bachelor's degrees in Spain. Spanish universities teach the subject within the Grado en Estudios Árabes e Islámicos. At the Universidad de Granada the degree has 240 credits, 48 of them optional, and the first year includes Árabe Moderno Estándar I and an introduction to the history and culture of the Arab and Islamic world. At the Universidad de Cádiz the same degree lasts four years (240 credits), is taught in Spanish and Arabic, and can be combined with English Studies in a double degree.
  • Undergraduate and graduate programmes in North America. The Institute of Islamic Studies of McGill University in Montreal was founded in 1952 together with its Islamic Studies Library. Its undergraduate programmes in World Islamic and Middle East Studies give language-based interdisciplinary training, and the institute offers two MA and two PhD programmes in Islamic Studies.
  • Master's degrees in Europe. The MA Middle Eastern Studies of Leiden University is a one-year, full-time programme taught entirely in English. It covers the history, politics, religions, languages and cultures of the Middle East, North Africa and parts of Central Asia, and students can study abroad at partner institutes in Cairo, Rabat or Istanbul.
  • A department of its own. In India the subject can be a discipline in its own right. The Department of Islamic History and Culture of the University of Calcutta dates from 1944 and, according to its page as archived in February 2019, teaches medieval history together with the history of Islam and Muslim politics, with a two-part M.A. for holders of an honours bachelor's degree.

Language study often continues outside the university. Arabic schools in the region, such as Dar Loughat in Tetouan, Morocco, an Arabic language centre founded in 2004, offer immersion courses that students combine with their degree.

Where to study it

This directory lists 34 active schools for the subject. The United States has nine and Spain seven, followed by Australia with three and India and the United Kingdom with two each. Countries with one school each include Canada, the Netherlands, Japan, Denmark, Pakistan, the Philippines and Iraq.

The Spanish schools listed include the Universidad de Granada, the Universidad de Cádiz, the Universidad de Alicante, the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Spain is a natural place for the subject because of al-Andalus, and the degrees there are taught mainly in Spanish, with Arabic as the language studied. In the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia teaching is in English, as is the Leiden master's degree. Before choosing, check how much language study the programme requires and whether a period abroad in an Arabic-speaking country is included.

Careers

Graduates work in teaching and research, museums, archives and libraries, translation and interpreting, journalism, diplomacy and international organisations, and in companies and non-governmental organisations active in the Middle East and North Africa. Knowledge of Arabic or another language of the region is often what employers look for first.

For those who want to work as historians, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the occupation typically requires at least a master's degree and that historians work in museums, archives, historical societies and research organisations. It is a small profession: about 3,800 jobs in the United States in 2025, projected growth of 3 percent from 2025 to 2035 and about 300 openings a year.

Frequently asked questions

Is Islamic history and culture a degree in itself?

Rarely. It is normally part of a degree in Islamic studies, Arabic and Islamic studies, Middle Eastern studies or history. The University of Calcutta is an example of a university with a separate department for it.

Do I need to learn Arabic?

In most programmes, yes. The Spanish degree in Estudios Árabes e Islámicos starts Modern Standard Arabic in the first year, and McGill University describes its undergraduate programmes as language-based.

How long does the degree take in Spain?

The Grado en Estudios Árabes e Islámicos has 240 credits; the Universidad de Cádiz gives its length as four years.

Can I study the subject in English?

Yes. Programmes in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia are in English, and the MA Middle Eastern Studies of Leiden University is taught entirely in English.