Religions & Mysticism – Ancient Iran

PhD degrees | on-campus

Religions and mysticism – ancient Iran PhD program is a comprehensive, educational package in line with the regulations and decisions made by the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology of Iran. In this field, Iranian religions such as Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and their denominations are studied and compared with other religions particularly with Islam. In addition to Iranian religions, the philosophy of ancient Iran is compared to the Islamic philosophy in this field. The languages and culture of the religions in the ancient Iran are also studied in this field.

Religion has widely affected the intellectual, spiritual, and social life of man from the past to the present with a variety of manifestations and examples. Non-Abrahamic religions of Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism are of great importance because of their vast geographical extent and large population dispersion. Iran being located in the eastern part of the world and its historical and geographical connections with the non-Abrahamic religions highlight the importance of studying these religions.

Iranian religions such as Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism, which are originated in Iran, were for centuries considered as accepted religion of this land. People worshipped and had faith in their doctrines. After Islam entered Iran, these religions also continued to exist. Still, many of their beliefs are found among people. Therefore, experts are needed to analyze these beliefs, their comparison with Islam and other monotheistic religions, and clarify their weaknesses and strengths.

The students of this field learn about the religions and philosophies of ancient Iran. They specialize in analyzing the contents of these religions based on their scriptures. By learning the language of these religions, they can analyze them through their main sources. They may also compare their data with the ideas of western intellectuals and Iranologists about Iran’s religions and culture.

Holding a Master’s degree or an equivalent is sufficient for enrollment in this program. This degree must be confirmed by the consulate of Iran in the issuing country. Accordingly, matching the applicants’ previous field of study with the current program is not necessary. Upon the applicants’ scholarly competency followed by the committee’s agreement, they are eligible to study in this program regardless of their previous field of study. However, those applicants without a matching academic background are expected to prove their competency to the committee members. Previous publications including books, research papers, and journal articles may positively influence on the committee’s judgment.

The PhD program in “Religions and mysticism – ancient Iran” lasts for 4 years i.e., 8 academic semesters. The semesters are scheduled as follows: 4 semesters for the coursework, 1 semester for the comprehensive examination, and the last 3 semesters are dedicated to writing the thesis. The students pass the prerequisites during the first semester, followed by the core and elective courses during the upcoming semesters. This PhD program involves the completion of 42 units, among which 18 units are core courses, 6 units are prerequisites, and 18 units are considered for the thesis. Among the core courses the following can be named: “history of ancient Iran”, “Pahlavi language 1 and 2”, “Avestan language 1 and 2”, “Pahlavi language”, “Zoroastrianism before Islam”, and “philosophy and mysticism of Iranian religions in comparison to Islam”. The courses of “teachings of Quran and Ahl al-Bayt”, “methodology”, “and “Hinduism” are considered as the prerequisites.

1. - 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.