Islamic Studies, Major

This is an archived copy of the 2021-2022 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit https://hbook.westernsydney.edu.au.

  • Western Sydney University Major Code: 0020

Previous Code: M1056.1

Available to students in other Western Sydney University Programs:  Yes.  Check that your program has the available credit points required to complete the subjects in this field of study. Any requisite requirements must also be met. Consult your Program Advisor for further advice.

Students engage in interdisciplinary study essential to an understanding of Islam, past and present. The area of study balances historical and modern Islamic studies and research methods. One of the keys to Islamic Studies is ‘relevance’ to contemporary Australian society but relevance can only come from a sound comprehension of past traditions in Islamic scholarship and their socio-historical contexts. Preparation for graduate study is also a key objective of this program, with its focus on developing critical and interdisciplinary research skills through a combination of approaches. Students are encouraged to undertake a minor in Arabic to complement the Islamic Studies major.

Location

Campus Mode Advice
Bankstown Campus Internal enquiriesHCA@uws.edu.au

Major Structure

This major may be able to be studied entirely online, depending on student subject selection.

Students must successfully complete 80 credit points from the subjects listed below, with no less than three Level 3 subjects.

Students must complete the following compulsory subjects.

Subject Title Credit Points
PHIL 1002Hadith: The Prophetic Tradition10
LAWS 3040Islamic Law in a Changing World10
HUMN 1061Islam: Past, Present and Future10
PHIL 2011The Qur'an: An Introduction10
Total Credit Points40

 Students must also complete four subjects from the following pools with a minimum of two subjects at Level 3.

Note: Not all units will be offered each year. Units will be offered on a rotational basis.

Subject Title Credit Points
Level 2 Subject Pool
Islam in the Modern World
Women with Muslim Identity
Level 3 Subject Pool
Ethical Traditions in Islam
History of Muslim Civilisations and Ideas
History of Religion
Islam in the West
Islam in Southeast Asia
Islam, Media and Conflict
Islamic Revivalism in the Globalised World
Mystical Islam: The Emergence of Sufism in World History
Sociology of Religion
The International Relations of the Middle East Since 1945

Equivalent Subjects

The subjects listed below count towards completion of this major for students who passed any of these subjects in 2020 or earlier.

LANG 3008 - Applied Critical Methods, no longer offered.
HUMN 3025 - Conceptualising Islam, no longer offered.
LANG 2017 Great Texts of Islam: Quran and Hadith, replaced by PHIL 2011 The Qur'an: An Introduction
HUMN 2063 New Ethnicities, Old Racisms, replaced by HUMN 2056 The Racial State
BEHV 3013 Humanities Internship, no longer offered as part of this major.
HUMN 3055 - Islam in the Modern World, replaced by HUMN 2031 Islam in the Modern World
HUMN 1047 - Understanding Islam and Muslim Societies, replaced by HUMN 1061 Islam: Past, Present and Future