The Master of Jurisprudence and its Foundations, offered by the College of Sharia and Islamic Studies, aims to deepen students' knowledge of the subject matter and themes of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) and its foundational principles (usul al-fiqh), and to develop research competencies in both fields. The program equips students to explain jurisprudential rulings to the public and qualifies them for advanced administrative positions in their professional fields, particularly in Sharia auditing and compliance, judicial and fatwa institutions, and related domains. Students also acquire knowledge of the methodological rules used to derive legal rulings and gain familiarity with the foundations of ijtihad (independent legal reasoning).
The program achieves these objectives through core and elective courses and a master's thesis. The coursework is distributed as follows: eighteen credit hours of core courses, six credit hours of elective courses, and nine credit hours for a thesis in the student's area of specialization, which the student defends through a public viva voce examination upon confirmation of readiness.
The program comprises a total of 33 credit hours and prepares graduates for careers as academics, judges, muftis, Sharia auditors, Sharia arbitrators, and related professional roles.
