Muslim students this week are making efforts to educate the
campus about their religion. But for some, the study of Islam is
the focus for their entire academic and career plans.
Each year, approximately 20 graduate students pursue
master’s and doctoral degrees in Islamic studies. The
interdepartmental Islamic studies program is one of two in North
America ““ the other is at McGill University in Canada. The
program prepares students for university teaching positions in
fields related to Islam, as well as other careers.
“It is not the study of Islam just from a religious point
of view,” said Michael Morony, the Islamic Studies Program
Chair, referring to the uniqueness of the program.
Students can study Islam from a social science or literature
angle, he said.
Participants can also take classes in different departments and
are only required to take one core course offered through the
program.
The Islamic studies program attracts applicants from various
backgrounds, including students from the Middle East, Indonesia,
Egypt and other foreign countries. At least 50 percent of the
students in the program are not Muslim, said Diane James, the
program counselor.
Recent applications to the program reveal a growing interest in
Islam among American students since the terrorist attacks of Sept.
11, 2001, James added.
In light of the current political climate, students applying to
the program are stressing their desire to promote coexistence and
peaceful cooperation, she said.
While the program, sponsored by the UCLA International
Institute, has lasted since its establishment in the late 1950s, it
has faced financial and administrative difficulties. One of the
main problems is that the program lacks necessary funding, which at
times prevents it from competing with other institutions, Morony
said.
“We lose some of the best applicants to other universities
that can give them multi-year packages,” he said. “We
have rich possibilities here, but we don’t have the resources
to support the students.”
Funding problems are also preventing the establishment of
teaching assistant positions for Islamic studies students, Morony
said. Because the program does not offer its own courses, Islamic
studies graduate students need to compete with graduate students in
other departments for TA positions.
Last fall, the Graduate Council of the Academic Senate reviewed
the program and called for revisions, Morony said. In response to
this review, the implementation of a core curriculum of three
courses is under consideration.
The current lack of a core curriculum and the amount of
flexibility in the program, first-year Islamic studies doctoral
student Ayman Shabana said, are drawbacks that particularly affect
students who are not clear as to what direction they want to pursue
with their research.
Though Shabana is still finalizing his research plans, he knows
he wants to complete his dissertation on a topic relating to
Islamic law.
Shabana, who applied to other institutions as well, said he
chose to come to UCLA because of its prestigious ranking and
faculty.
“I feel that (the Islamic studies program) is unique, but
in order to keep that status, you need a lot of support and
investment so that this investment will translate into good support
for the students and the hiring of … specialized
professors,” he added.
One encouraging factor for Islamic studies students is the
growing job markets for specialists in Islam and related
fields.
“There are more jobs out there in the last 10 years than
there ever were before,” Morony said.
This increase in job opportunities may make it possible for the
program to train and graduate more students each year, Morony
added, though he stressed that an increase in financial support is
his primary concern.
Resources are also available on campus for undergraduates who
want to study Islam. The Middle Eastern and North African Studies
program, also sponsored by the International Institute, allows
students to study the history, languages and cultures from that
region.
In addition, the Department of Near Eastern Languages and
Cultures offers an undergraduate minor in Arabic and Islamic
studies.
Muizz Rafique, a fourth-year business and economic student,
completed an Arabic and Islamic studies minor because studying
Arabic fulfilled his personal interests.
“Since the Koran is revealed in Arabic, I myself was
motivated to learn Arabic,” he said.
While he could read Arabic because certain religious blessings
are done in Arabic, he didn’t understand it prior to taking
courses at UCLA.