This Masters programme is designed for graduates with no prior knowledge of Islam as well as those who would like to develop their understanding of this major world faith. Our programme will enable you to acquire a profound comprehension of Islam both as a religious, intellectual and cultural tradition, and as a powerful political ideology. You will study materials which delineate the core values and doctrines of Islam, and those which elaborate on the diversity of practice and manifold traditions of the Islamic faith. Your ability to analyse materials, contexts and issues - and to engage in informed academic discussion on your conclusions - will be strengthened through the study of methodologies and research tools used today in Islamic Studies by historians, social scientists and cultural anthropologists. This combination of approaches to the study of Islam will enable you to acquire the analytical tools needed for independent study and interpretation of both medieval and contemporary aspects of Islam, not only within the context of the Middle East, but throughout the world. Graduates from this programme may find professional employment in a wide range of sectors both in the UK and internationally.