Postgraduate study
Edinburgh: Extraordinary futures await.

Globalised Muslim World, The MSc

Awards: MSc

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: Globalised Muslim World, The

The breadth of topics, which vary in focus, subjects, and regions, make it the ideal masters for people who have a respect and thirst for knowledge. It provides students with a base to explore unity, diversity and specificities of the Muslim World across time, stories, and space.

Assia Hamdi MSc in The Globalised Muslim World, 2023

This dynamic taught MSc programme explores the inherent diversity of the world's Muslim societies and encourages students to critically analyse some of the major global, international and transnational trends and movements that cut across borders and connect Muslims across the world.

The programme is truly interdisciplinary, bringing together Area Studies, Politics and International Relations, Sociology, Anthropology, Religious Studies and History to explore the unique characteristics of contemporary Muslim societies in our increasingly globalised world.

Muslim societies across the globe

Unlike the majority of Masters programmes available to students with interests in contemporary Muslim societies, the MSc Globalised Muslim World offers a genuinely global perspective, pushing the boundaries of enquiry beyond the Middle East to South Asia, Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa as well as a number of key Muslim-minority contexts.

Beyond considering this wider geographical scope, we will teach you to critically analyse and interrogate major global, international and transnational interactions and movements which operate across borders and geographies, shaping Muslim imaginaries and their representations.

Bridging disciplines and boundaries

The programme takes an interdisciplinary approach with an emphasis on research-led teaching based on empirical investigation. It also promotes comparative perspectives both within the core regions of the Muslim world and across Muslim/non-Muslim boundaries.

The Alwaleed Centre

The Alwaleed Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World, a research and teaching Centre based within the School of Literatures, Languages & Culture, developed this program.

The Alwaleed Centre is offering generous student scholarships for the 2024 to 2025 academic year - see Scholarships and funding.

This programme is run over one year (full time) or two years (part time).

You will complete three compulsory taught courses across two semesters which will provide you with the core knowledge and research expertise needed in order to embark on your own original research project in the form of a 15,000-word final dissertation.

Compulsory courses

  • Regional Perspectives in a Globalised Muslim World
  • International, Transnational and Globalised Dynamics of the Muslim World
  • Research Methods and Dissertation Writing on the Muslim World

You will supplement your core courses with three additional option courses chosen from a wide variety of subject areas.

Option courses

Option courses may include:

  • Muslims in Europe
  • Muslim Africa in Global Perspective
  • Muslim Society in Southeast Asia
  • Islamic Africa
  • Unfolding Afghanistan in a Globalised Context
  • South Asia: Culture, Politics & Economy
  • Political Contestation in the Middle East
  • International Relations Theory
  • International Security
  • The Middle East in International Relations
  • Gender and Media in the Arab World
  • The History and Culture of Iran
  • Digital Islamic Art History
  • Critical Readings in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies
  • Major Themes in the Study of Islam
  • Political Islam: Key Thinkers and their Contexts
  • Liberation Theologies in Christianity and Islam
  • From diatribe to dialogue in Christian-Muslim relations
  • Islamic Theology: Classical and Contemporary Perspectives
  • Arabic language
  • Persian language
  • Turkish language

Dissertation

You must also complete a 15,000-word dissertation on a relevant subject of your choosing.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScGlobalised Muslim World1 YearFull-timeProgramme structure 2023/24

The programme aims to develop an awareness of the Muslim world as a distinct subject of academic and societal inquiry.

It will equip students from within and from outside the Muslim world with the means to engage with an increasingly complex socio-political and religious field.

The programme prepares students to comprehend forthcoming societal challenges facing the globalised Muslim world and its diverse communities.

It fosters a reflection on the interconnection between religious and political issues, and stimulates the growth of a community of experts at the postdoctoral level.

On successful completion of this programme, you will be able to:

  • explain and analyse the historical, social and political interactions that make a globalised Muslim world
  • assess and understand the principal modes of governing society in different parts of the Muslim world and the main factors influencing them
  • evaluate the different disciplinary approaches to the study of Muslim societies around the world and how they have changed over time
  • apply and support arguments using the theoretical and empirical literature from across the social sciences and the humanities
  • design a research project on aspects of the globalised Muslim world through a given disciplinary approach

This programme aims to equip you with the knowledge and tools you need to pursue PhD research on a wide variety of Muslim-majority and Muslim-minorities states and societies.

It will also provide you with crucial insights into the interactions producing a globalised Muslim world which would be extremely useful in many professional roles, including:

  • global/international/national NGOs
  • private sector organisations
  • international business
  • foreign policy and diplomacy roles

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a relevant discipline.

Students from China

This degree is Band C.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 6.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 23 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 176 in each component.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 62 in each component.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
MScGlobalised Muslim World1 YearFull-timeTuition fees
MScGlobalised Muslim World2 YearsPart-timeTuition fees

Scholarships

The Alwaleed Centre for the Study of Islam in the Contemporary World is offering a number of £5,000 student scholarships to exceptional applicants for the 2024 to 2025 academic year.

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • The Alwaleed Centre
  • University of Edinburgh
  • 16 George Sqaure
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9LD
Programme start date Application deadline
9 September 2024 31 July 2024

We strongly recommend you submit your completed application as early as possible, particularly if you are also applying for funding or will require a visa. We may consider late applications if we have places available.

You must submit one reference with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • The Alwaleed Centre
  • University of Edinburgh
  • 16 George Sqaure
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9LD