Minor in Global Studies with Islamic Studies Specialization

Photo of mosque illuminated with blue lights in front of a sunset.

Stanford undergraduates can minor in Global Studies with a specialization in Islamic Studies and acquire a global and interdisciplinary lens to explore Islam & Muslim societies and cultures.

The minor in Stanford Global Studies, Islamic Studies specialization, offers students an interdisciplinary and global exploration of Islam and Muslim societies and cultures. Focus is on knowledge of Islam in all its internal complexity, the history of Islam from its beginnings to the 21st century, Islamic social contexts, and the diversity of human experience as seen in literature and the arts originating in societies affected by Islamic civilizations. Students explore the global extent of Islam and the growth of its diasporas by taking courses on geographical regions such as the Middle East, South Asia, Eurasia, Africa, Western Europe, and Americas) and from disciplines such as anthropology, art and art history, comparative literature, history, political science, international relations, and religious studies.

For questions, please contact Associate Director Dr. Halil Yenigun (yenigun [at] stanford.edu (yenigun[at]stanford[dot]edu)).

Visit the Global Studies Minor page to view all of the specializations.

Learning Outcomes

The SGS minor, with a specialization in Islamic Studies enables students to:

  1. organize their studies in a coherent and mentored minor.
  2. gain exposure to the past and present of Islam in diverse social, political, and cultural settings around the globe.
  3. prepare for or follow up on involvement in a Bing Overseas Studies Program such as in Paris or Berlin.

Upon completion of requirements, final certification of the minor is made by the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies. The minor and the specialization appear on the transcript but they do not appear on the diploma.

Requirements

 

  1. Completion of 28 units that includes GLOBAL 101 Critical Issues in Global Affairs (3 units)
  2. A minimum of 25 units of Islamic studies-related courses.
  3. At least one course must be an area-specific entry course focusing on the Islamic world.
  4. At least one course must be from each of the following areas:
    • Islamic Arts, Literatures, and Cultures
    • Islam, History, and Politics
    • Religion of Islam
  5. Completion of three courses in a relevant language such as Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Ottoman Turkish, Urdu, Pashto, Kazakh, or Swahili.
  6. (Optional) Students may work with the subplan advisor to develop a capstone project to count towards the unit fulfillment of the minor. Projects may include (but are not limited to)
    1. Research with units through directed reading under the supervision of the subplan advisor.
      1. Research may take place at Stanford or during a relevant study abroad program, and options may include regional fieldwork, creative arts projects, short films, etc.​​
    2. Advanced language study beyond the subplan minimum requirement with units through directed reading under the supervision of the subplan advisor.
      1. Intensive language training may take place at Stanford, off-campus, or overseas

Students may propose other projects related to their subplan.

 

Declaring the Minor

To declare the Global Studies minor with Islamic Studies specialization, students must:

 

  1. Set an appointment with Dr. Halil Yenigun (yenigun [at] stanford.edu (yenigun[at]stanford[dot]edu)), Associate Director for the Sohaib and Sara Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, to discuss your academic plan. 
  2. Declare the Global Studies minor with the Islamic Studies subplan in Axess.