High School
In high school, you can prepare for a lifetime of study and critical-thinking by taking classes in religion, philosophy, history, social studies, business, science, mathematics, and speech. You’ll, of course, want to become skilled at reading, writing, and speaking Arabic, but keep in mind that Muslims come from many different countries and speak many different languages. Being able to communicate in Urdu, Hindi, Punjabi, Persian, and other languages will increase your value as a scholar.
Postsecondary Education
Educational requirements vary for Muslim religious scholars depending on what country they live in, their employer, and other criteria.
In the United States, a Muslim religious scholar would need a minimum of a bachelor’s degree, but, preferably, a master’s degree in Islamic studies. Those who plan to work as college professors need a doctorate. Some scholars have divinity degrees. Many U.S. colleges and universities offer degrees or concentrations in Islamic studies. Some noteworthy schools include:
- American Islamic College (Chicago, Illinois, https://aicusa.edu), which offers bachelor’s, master’s, and graduate master’s divinity degrees in Islamic studies
- Bayan Islamic Graduate School at Chicago Theological Seminary (Chicago, Illinois, https://www.bayanonline.org), which offers master’s degrees and certificates in Islamic studies and leadership, theology, 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 interreligious studies and chaplaincy degrees and certificates
- Mishkah University (Wesley Chapel, Florida, https://mishkahu.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, Islamic studies with a concentration in Arabic, and in other fields
- Zaytuna College (Berkeley, California, https://zaytuna.edu), which offers a bachelor's degree in liberal and Islamic studies and a master’s degree in Islamic texts
Certification
Undergraduate and graduate certificates are available in a wide range of areas, including Islamic studies, Arabic and other foreign languages, and the history of a particular region, such as the Middle East.
Other Education or Training
Muslim religious scholars continue to learn throughout their careers by attending educational conferences that are offered by organizations such as the North American Association of Islamic and Muslim Studies and the International Institute of Islamic Thought; taking classes at colleges and universities; and traveling to Islamic centers of learning to meet with more experienced Islamic scholars.