Islamic Philosophy and Kalām
The doctoral course “Islamic Philosophy and Kalam” is a complete course of specialized education, in accordance with the regulations and approvals of the Supreme Planning Council of the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of Iran, which deals with the knowledge of Islamic philosophy and Kalam as a rational trend in Islam. In this field, the origin and development of the intellectual trend and its updates from the early Islamic centuries to the age of Mulla Sadra are examined. In Islam, philosophy and Kalam interacted almost from the beginning and have played an important role in the intellectual history of Islam. In the past, it was only possible to study philosophy and Kalam in seminaries, but now it is possible to study these studies in universities. The purpose of holding this course is to know and master the philosophical topics throughout the history of Islam until the age of Mulla Sadra. Therefore, in this field, the views and opinions of prominent Islamic philosophers such as Ibn Sina, Sheikh Ashraq and Mulla Sadra are analyzed and investigated in the three philosophical schools of Masha, Ishraq and Hikmat al-Taaliyeh. The most important books of these philosophers as well as the descriptions and interpretations written on their books and thoughts are among the most important sources of this period.
Graduates of this field get the possibility of knowing Islamic philosophy and Kalam and develop innovations in this field. In addition, these graduates can play an important role in applying the intellectual foundations and rich Islamic philosophy as expert advisors in ideological political issues.
Having a master’s degree or equivalent suffices to study in this field. This document must be approved by the Iranian consulate in the country that issued it. Based on this, there is no need to match the field of study in the previous level with the doctorate level for foreign students applying to study in this field. Any person who has studied outside of Iran at any given field, can study in this course if they have the academic qualifications and the approval of the faculty members of the department. In fact, a student not related to the doctoral field must prove his scientific competence to the faculty members of the department in any possible way. Of course, having books, scientific and journalistic articles and being interested in participating in this field can have an impact on the approval of the faculty of the group.
The length of the doctorate courses in “Islamic Philosophy and Kalam” is 4 years and equal to 8 half years of study, of which 4 half years are for training, one half year for passing the comprehensive exam and three and a half years for writing the doctoral dissertation. The doctoral program “Islamic Philosophy and Kalam” is offered in three majors: “Philosophy of Masha (Ibn Sina)”, “Transcendental Philosophy (Mulasadra)”, and “Logic”, and each of these majors includes 30 units of study, which includes two parts; The first part includes 20 units of common or basic courses that must be taught between all majors and sub-branches. Courses such as “Philosophy of Masha (Ibn Sina)”, “Comparative Philosophy”, “Transcendental Wisdom (Philosophy of Mulla Sadra)” are common among these courses.
The second part is orientation or minor courses; After passing the common courses, the student must choose one direction from the three directions of “Philosophy of Masha (Ibn Sina)”, “Sublime Wisdom (Mulasadra)”, and “Logic” and complete the courses of each direction, which is a total of 10 units. These specific courses are in fact the complement of common courses separately in each major.
- Total cost of the course for Iranian students who are admitted through the national entrance exam or internal university exam (2021-2022): 125 million tomans (The fee covers the student’s educational costs and does not include living expenses such as food and accommodations.
- Total cost of the course for Iranian students who are admitted through the national entrance exam or internal university exam (2021-2022): 9 thousand dollars (The fee covers the student’s educational costs and does not include living expenses such as food and accommodations.
The applicants must submit the following documents to apply to the (combined coursework and research) PhD programs at the University of Religions and Denominations:
- A completed application form.
- An electronic copy of the passport or a valid residence permit.
- An electronic copy of the bachelor’s and master’s degrees or their equivalent and a certified Persian, English, or Arabic translation of the transcripts.
- The original bachelor’s and master’s degrees or their equivalent and a Persian, English, or Arabic translation of the transcripts.
- A recently taken photo of the applicant, size 30x40mm.
- Applicant’s CV indicating education and work experience.
By clicking on the “Apply now” button next to each program, you will be transferred to the registration portal, where you can upload and submit your application documents. Your application will not be complete until all the required items are submitted.