CIS Admission Requirements

Admission & Application Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the graduate programs at the College of Islamic Studies should have a strong academic record (minimum 3.0 GPA out of 4.0) from a recognized university.

Applicants to the masters programs should have a bachelor’s degree while applicants to the PhD program should have a master’s degree.

PhD applicants are also required to submit a valid GRE General Test or GMAT score at the time of application.

PhD applicants must demonstrate strong evidence that they possess the qualities to become successful researchers and professionals. This includes outstanding performance in relevant coursework, as well as a proven track record of high motivation and commitment to innovative and original research. Applicants with prior research and work experience in financial services and related fields are preferred.

Program	Required Field of Study	Language Requirements
Program: MA in Contemporary Islamic Studies: Specialization Contemporary Islamic Thought	Required Field of Study: Islamic Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Religious Studies; or relatable areas within the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences with appropriate experience.	Language Requirements: IELTS 6.5 or TOEFEL 79 Further details about the language proficiency requirement and the process to seek exemption (where this is an option) are available below.
Program: MA in Contemporary Islamic Studies: Specialization in Fiqh and Society	Required Field of Study: Shari’a, Fiqh, Usul al-Fiqh, or a related area within Islamic Studies, Usul al-Din and Qanun.	Language Requirements: Must demonstrate proficiency in Arabic through studies (e.g. completing an undergraduate degree in which the language of instruction was Arabic or by completing a proficiency examination offered by CIS) In addition, students need to prove their English language proficiency by providing a score equivalent to: TOEFL 35-45 or IELTS 5. Exemption is possible if applicants have studied in English.
Program: MA in Islam and Global Affairs MA in Applied Islamic Ethics	Required Field of Study: All fields	Language Requirements: IELTS 6.5 or TOEFEL 79 Further details about the language proficiency requirement and the process to seek exemption (where this is an option) are available below.
Program: PhD in Islamic Finance and Economy MS in Islamic Finance	Required Field of Study: Economics, Business, Finance, Accounting, Shari’a, or a related field	Language Requirements: IELTS 6.5 or TOEFEL 79 Further details about the language proficiency requirement and the process to seek exemption (where this is an option) are available below.
Program: MS in Islamic Art, Architecture and Urbanism	Required Field of Study: Art, History, Archeology, Interior Architecture/Design, Architecture, and Urban Planning	Language Requirements: IELTS 6.5 or TOEFEL 79 Further details about the language proficiency requirement and the process to seek exemption (where this is an option) are available below.

Applicants can be exempt from the language proficiency requirement if they meet one of the conditions listed below:

The applicant completed their studies at a university in a country where English is the native language
The applicant provides an official letter confirming that they obtained their degree from a university where the medium of instruction is English (if not otherwise exempt)
The applicant's first language is English

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Application

The online application form can be accessed here.

Please note that this application is for admissions only. Information on how to apply for funding (where this is an option) is provided to students who have been admitted to the program.

It is the applicant's responsibility to submit all required documents at the time of application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Academic transcripts

Official electronic copies of transcripts should be submitted as part of the online application. Final transcripts and graduation statements are required for all previous university studies. All transcripts submitted should include an explanation of the grading system.

For those who have not completed their current studies, transcripts must include results from the last completed semester of coursework. Transcripts in languages other than English or Arabic must be accompanied with an official translation.

Applicants who are admitted to the program based on copies of or incomplete transcripts will be required to provide original transcripts upon enrollment in order to register for courses.

Standardized test results

Official copies (where required) must be sent directly to HBKU. Please refer to the institutional codes below:

GRE: 7551
GMAT: H6S
TOEFL: 4981
IELTS: No code required. Students should ask the IELTS center where they tested to send the IELTS TRF to Hamad Bin Khalifa University

Applicants should also submit copies of their test scores with the online application.

Letters of recommendation

Applicants should submit two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from an academic referee. Referees should send their letters of recommendation from their professional email directly to and mention the name of the applicant and program they are applying to in the subject line of the email.

Letters which are not directly written for this program or which are incomplete will not be accepted.

Click here to download the recommendation form

Personal statement of interest

Applicants should submit a personal statement as part of the online application. The statement should explain why the candidate is applying to the program, and how their studies will contribute to the achievement of their personal objectives, including information about the applicant’s research interests and achievements (minimum of 300, maximum of 500 words).

Resume/curriculum vitae

Applicants should submit a copy of their current resume or curriculum vitae as part of the online application.

This should include the following information:

Academic Qualifications
Professional Experience
Publications
Research Projects
Academic Awards or Honors
Conference Presentations

Identification document

All applicants should submit an electronic copy of their passport as part of the online application. Nationals and residents of Qatar should also submit their valid Qatari ID.

Student Funding

The College of Islamic Studies provides opportunities for scholarships and funding on a competitive basis. Further information will be provided to applicants who are admitted to the program.

Please do not submit any additional application materials which are not on the list of required items. Any additional materials received will be automatically discarded.
HBKU cannot return documents to the applicant once they are submitted.
All documents submitted through the online application must be in PDF format. Any documents submitted in a different format will not be accepted.