THE Institute FOR SUFI STUDIES AT USKUDAR UNIVERSITY
The Institute for Sufi Studies was established in July 2014 with the aim of creating a scientific environment where art is appreciated and the sense of beauty is hightened in order to serve humanity to reach peace and happiness, based on interdisciplinary studies in which the comprehensive and in-depth view of Sufism is used. As a specialized Institute in Sufism, the designed programs aim to raise individuals who place great effort to increase their knowledge about the science of Sufism, themselves, and the world at large. Individuals who internalize humanist and ethical values, appreciative of art, creative thinkers and studious researchers, understanding the value of time, and empathetic. According to Sufism, the purpose of science is not only to gain knowledge of these values, but also to put them to use for the happiness and progress of humanity.
The Sufi Culture and Literature Graduate Programs
The content of Sufi Culture and Literature graduate programs has been designed to integrate the subjects of Sufi thought, Sufi history and Sufi literature with the basic Islamic sciences, along with various disciplines of social sciences, especially the subjects of Islamic thought and civilization history. The program also aims to contribute to the production of interdisciplinary cultural studies based on the perspective of "Islamic civilization, Sufi thought and culture", which is originated in our own cultural geography. Taking a closer look allows us to see that almost every study related to civilization and culture in this geography is somehow related to the field of Sufism. Thus Sufism can offer new opportunities for Turkey in the fields of Area Studies and Religious Studies. Studies on Sufism can also bring new perspectives to those who are interested in sociology and human psychology today.
Sufi Culture and Literature Master's Programs
The Institute for Sufi Studies started its master's program titled "Sufi Culture and Literature" in February 2016 and admitted its first students in the Spring semester of the 2015-2016 academic year. The program provides students from all branches with the opportunity to do postgraduate degrees on Sufism and related subjects. The program is organized as thesis and non-thesis master's programs.
Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program
The education provided by the Institute within the scope of Sufi Culture and Literature Master's Programs has been enriched with the opening of the Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program, which from a scientific perspective will offer deeper and wider opportunities. In our country, there are hardly any independent interdisciplinary doctoral programs in basic fields such as literature, history, religious sciences, anthropology and psychology. This program aims to contribute to the development of interdisciplinary studies and the search for new methods in the field of Humanities. The program accepted its first students in the 2019-2020 Fall Semester.