Postgraduate Module Descriptor

ARAM103A: New Approaches to Islamic Thought

This module descriptor refers to the 2016/7 academic year.

Module Aims

This required core seminar will provide a foundation for further research of MA students in four key respects: (1) to give a overview of several key areas of "Islamic thought" (understood as the intellectual, written formulations of various Islamic cultural traditions in various historical settings) in their actual social and historical contexts; (2) to train students in the methods of close, reading appropriate to each of the specific Islamic intellectual traditions covered in this course; (3) to acquaint students with some of the pioneering secondary studies in each selected area of Islamic thought; and (4) to offer students an opportunity to develop their expository skills in oral, classroom presentation of their research and reading. The actual seminar topic and assigned readings will be adjusted each year to match the background and research interests of incoming MA students.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)

This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here - you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills1. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of some of the most important methodological and interpretive models in relevant areas of Islamic thought;
2. and with some of the major texts and seminal thinkers (in translation) in at least two key areas of Islamic thought.
Discipline-Specific Skills3. demonstrate knowledge and understanding of fundamental issues, approaches and challenges in several related historical areas of Islamic thought and a general understanding of their underlying historical and social contexts.
Personal and Key Skills4. demonstrate writing and oral presentation skills, group work and ability to synthesize large areas of unfamiliar reading, subjects and a selection of interpretive and methodological approaches.