High School
Language skills are extremely important for imams. If you plan to work in the United States, you will need to be proficient in English and have an understanding of American culture (social studies and government classes will come in handy to bring you up to speed in this area). Muslims come from many different countries and speak many different languages—including Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi. Be sure to take classes in one or more of these languages if they’re offered, or see if classes are provided at your mosque or Islamic community center.
In addition to religion and philosophy courses, other useful classes include business, accounting, science, mathematics, speech, and computer science.
Postsecondary Education
Fifty-percent of imams have a bachelor of arts, master of arts, or PhD in Islamic studies from an overseas university, according to the U.S. Mosque Survey 2020 from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. About 6 percent of all imams have a degree in Islamic studies from an American university or institution. Few American colleges prepare people to become imams. The most well-known are the:
- American Islamic College (Chicago, Illinois, http://www.aicusa.edu), which offers bachelor’s, master’s, and graduate master’s divinity degrees in Islamic studies
- Bayan at Chicago Theological Seminary (Orange, California, and Chicago, Illinois, https://www.bayanonline.org), which offers master’s degrees, a doctorate program, and certificates in Islamic studies and leadership, Islamic education, and Islamic chaplaincy
- Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (Hartford, Connecticut, https://www.hartfordinternational.edu), which offers a graduate Islamic chaplaincy program and various leadership degrees and certificates
- Mishkah Islamic University of North America (Houston, Texas, https://www.mishkahuniversity.com), which offers associate and bachelor’s degrees (taught in English) in Islamic studies, and master’s and doctorate degrees (in Arabic) in Islamic law, fundamentals of religion, and Islamic studies with a concentration in Arabic, and other subjects
- Zaytuna College (Berkeley, California, https://www.zaytuna.edu), which offers a bachelor’s degree in liberal and Islamic studies and a master of arts degree in Islamic texts
Many American colleges and universities offer concentrations, minors, and degrees in Arabic, Islamic studies, and related areas.
Imams in the United States would be wise to take courses in nonprofit management, psychology, gender relations, civics, and media relations as part of their studies.
Many imams have second or third secular careers (e.g., teachers, doctors, engineers, lawyers). In these instances, they would earn degrees in their respective fields. For example, an engineer would have a degree in engineering and a teacher would have a degree in education.
Certification
Nearly 24 percent of imams have a certificate that certifies that they have memorized the entire Quran, according to a study of imams at mosques affiliated with the Islamic Society of North America and North American Islamic Trust. Some imams improve their language skills by earning undergraduate and graduate certificates in English, Arabic, or in one or more of the languages spoken by people at their mosque. Contact schools in your area to learn about available programs.
Other Education or Training
Imams continue to increase their knowledge and understanding of Islam throughout their ministry by attending spiritual retreats, being mentored by more experienced imams, and taking classes that offered by Islamic organizations and colleges and universities.