Islamic Civilization to be Considered from an Interdisciplinary Perspective
What is Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program?
Scientific studies and researches are rapidly moving beyond the understanding of 'profession-oriented'. Many disciplines are increasingly engaged with topics and methodolgy of religious sciences. In addition to the basic Islamic sciences, the field of Sufism has a wide range of interests from literature to philosophy, from history to sociology, from music to painting, from political philosophy to popular culture, science and art. We are in a dire need for interdisciplinary Institute programs, which steer away from the restrictive classical job-oriented mentality in order not only to preserve these values, which is the product of more than a thousand years of Islamic civilization, but also to make it viable, to penetrate the textures of daily life, to contribute more to our culture and world of thought. The Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program was structured for this purpose.
The content of the Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature PhD Programme has been structured in association with various disciplines of social and human sciences, and is centered on Sufi thought, especially on the history and literature of Islamic civilization. These programs also aim to contribute to the production of civilization studies in Turkey. Taking a closer look allows us to see that in this geography any research in the field of cultural studies is somehow related to the field of Sufism. Studies on Sufism can also bring new perspectives to those who are interested in sociology and human psychology today.
The education provided by the Institute within the scope of Sufi Culture and Literature master's programs has been enriched with the Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature doctoral program, which from a scientific perspective will offer a deeper and wider opportunities.
Turkey is academically following the research topics of Field Studies, Religious Studies and Civilization Studies, which have been studied in the West and Far East countries for many years. This doctoral program also aims to contribute to the development of these fields in Turkey. In Turkey, there are hardly any independent interdisciplinary doctoral programs in basic fields such as literature, history, religious sciences, anthropology, psychology etc. In addressing and discussing the questions and problems of the society, cultural identity, social responsibility, among many other issues on the table, it is largely based on international references. The number of comparative studies is also insufficient.
In the program, it is aimed to increase the number of qualified disciplinary and interdisciplinary studies and researches on manuscripts and primary sources especially Ottoman Turkish with the support of Arabic and Persian languages, which are the research languages of the field. One of the special aims of the Institute of Sufi Studies is to ensure the international awareness of the works produced in the Seljuk and Ottoman cultural geography. For this reason, programs and studies are carried out to provide English writing and speaking proficiency.
The need for an interdisciplinary diversification in the academic institutions in which Sufi studies can be conducted is much greater than is thought. For this purpose, the Sufi Culture and Literature Master's Programs (2016) that we carry out at our Institute, address a dire need and fill a very important gap in Turkey. The programs allow people with different professional backgrounds and experiences to expand and deepen their professional perspectives through associating existing approaches with the field of Sufism.
The current master's program has a student profile that supports the ability to do interdisciplinary work. The number of students who apply to our programs from the fields of Religious Sciences and Theology increases in number every semester, as well as from different disciplines, due to the opportunities offered by the interdisciplinary approach provided by the Institute and the program's focus on the field of Sufism. Students from the field of Religious Studies and Theology will be able to focus on interdisciplinary research topics in the field of Religious Studies, which are applied especially in America, European countries and Japan, in addition to studies in the discipline of Sufism. In addition, many academics from different disciplines have targeted their second careers because of the opportunities offered by the content of the program. Ten percent of the students enrolled in our current master's programs have a PhD, most of them academics. In addition, a significant part of the students consists of professionals who have already Institute from another master's program.
International students and academics working in the field of Religious Studies and Islamic Studies show great interest in the postInstitute studies carried out at our institute. Although the language of the programs is Turkish, courses can be offered by visiting faculty members from abroad, due to the strong English background of our student profile. Likewise, our Institute academic staff has the language proficiency to teach English and Arabic to international students. The “international postInstitute summer school” organized by our institute has attracted great interest in the international community. Through mutual interaction, not only students but also academicians come to know about Turkish Sufi sources, which are almost unknown, especially in the West. The manuscript libraries in Turkey have the richest collections of manuscripts in the world in the field of Sufism. Many researchers from abroad who want to come to Turkey for certain periods and work in the field of Religious Sciences and Sufism apply to our Institute.
The opened Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program will offer new interdisciplinary opportunities that will produce international scientific studies and projects originating from Turkey. Uskudar University, as a thematic university in the field of Behavioral Health and Sciences, provides an integral unity in the fields of Psychology, Philosophy, History, Health, Genetics, and Engineering. Our institute takes pride in participating in this progressive academic climate with its academic staff employed for this purpose.
What is the Language of Instruction in the Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program?
The language of Instruction in the Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature PhD Program is Turkish. The program also teaches both Arabic and Ottoman Turkish, which is the research language of the Sufi field. Teaching Arabic aims to increase the proficiency of students especially on classical texts. Persian is among the elective courses. Some courses in the elective category are given in English.
The student can also optionally take one year of Arabic Preparatory Education. Arabic Preparatory Education is carried out by ARÖMER within the framework of a special protocol developed by the Institute with the 29 Mayıs University Arabic Teaching Application and Research Center (ARÖMER).
What are the Fields of Study of the Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program?
It offers academic career and professional development opportunities with direct or interdisciplinary relations for those who come from theoretical and applied fields such as theology, literature, history, psychology, psychiatry, sociology, social anthropology, educational sciences, social work.
What are the Courses Taken in the Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program?
Students admitted to the Ph.D. Program are required to take at least seven elective courses and one seminar course (62 ECTS in total) in two semesters, with a minimum of 30 ECTS per semester. Within the scope of this program, the student is required to complete a total of 240 ECTS, including 7 courses, a seminar, thesis proposal, 4 specialization courses and thesis, in accordance with the doctoral course curriculum.
The subjects offered in elective courses are: The Concept of Being in Sufism, Sufism in Islamic Civilization, The Question of Knowledge in Sufism, Classical Sufi Texts, Basic Issues of Sufism, Manners and Ethics in Sufism, Theory and Method in Sufi Studies, Special Topics in Sufi Studies, Sufi Literature Classics, Sources of Sufi Turkish Literature, Story and Poems in Sufi Turkish Literature, Prose Works in Sufi Turkish Literature, Mathnawi in Sufi Turkish Literature, Methods and Problems of Sufi Teaching, Sufi Tafsir Tradition, Methodology in Sufi Studies, Sufi and Music, Sufi terminologies, Ottoman Sufi Institutions, Interpretations of the Mathnawi in the Ottoman Period, Sources of Ottoman Sufi Thought, Ottoman/Turkish Sufi History, Sufism in the Qur'an and Hadith Literature, Fususu'l-Hikem and Sufi Thought, Analysis of Persian Sufi Classical Texts, Persian Sufi sources, Persian Text Readings, Sufi Studies and Ethics in the West.
All students who will be admitted to the doctoral program of Islamic Civilization, Thought, History will attend the Scientific Preparatory Class. Exception is valid for the Institute of the Sufi Culture and Literature Master's Thesis Program, the Institute of the Faculty of Theology, and those who have Institute from any other thesis master's program and have completed the Sufi Culture and Literature Non-Thesis Master's Program.
The program includes two semesters of Scientific Preparation. Those who have the necessary language proficiency may be exempt from Scientific Preparation language courses. The preparation basically consists of Ottoman Turkish, Introduction to Arabic, Introduction to Basic Islamic Sciences, Sufi Thought and History of Sufism. In addition, the Scientific Research and Writing Techniques course, which includes the Methodology of Religious Studies, will be given to the student within the scope of the Scientific Preparation Program. Also, the student will optionally be able to take one year of Arabic Preparatory Education before starting his thesis. Arabic Preparatory Education is carried out by ARÖMER within the framework of a special protocol developed by the Institute with the 29 Mayıs University Arabic Teaching Application and Research Center (ARÖMER).
What is the Scope and Duration of the Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program?
Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program is eight semesters for each semester, starting from the semester when the courses related to the program he/she is enrolled in, excluding the time spent in scientific preparation, regardless of whether he/she is registered or not, and the maximum completion period is twelve semesters. In order to complete the doctoral program within the minimum time period specified, it is necessary to be successful in at least two interim meetings of the thesis evaluation committee, which will be held with an interval of six months after the acceptance of the thesis proposal.
Is there a Compulsory Attendance in the Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program?
Students enrolled in the Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program are required to attend all courses. However, if non-attendance in the theoretical or applied courses do not exceed 30% and there is a just and valid reason, abscence may occur.
Who Can Apply to the Doctorate Program in Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature?
Candidates from all branches with a master's degree with a thesis can apply to the Islamic Civilization, Thought, History and Literature Doctorate Program. Candidates who have completed their university education abroad are required to have YÖK equivalency.
All students who will be admitted to the doctoral program of Islamic Civilization, Thought, History will attend the Scientific Preparatory Class. Exception is valid for the Institute of the Sufi Culture and Literature Master's Thesis Program, the Institute of the Faculty of Theology, and those who have Institute from any other thesis master's program and have completed the Sufi Culture and Literature Non-Thesis Master's Program. The program includes two semesters of Scientific Preparation.
Candidates, who will apply to the Ph.D. Program must have scored at least 55 in any type of score in the ALES Exam within the last five years. In addition, except for native speakers, it is required to get at least 55 points from the central foreign language exams accepted by the Higher Education Council, or an equivalent score from the international foreign language exams whose equivalence is accepted by OSYM.
Candidates applying to the Ph.D. Program will be subjected to a science exam. The exam will be held in two stages, written and interview. Successful tudents will be admitted to the program.
Students can be admitted to the Doctorate Program as a special student. Students who do not have the required ALES and foreign language certificate will be able to apply for program-special student status. Students who apply for special student status are required to take the doctoral science exam. Candidates applying for special studentship are required to score at least 65 in the written exam and be successful in the interview.
