معرفی جامعة الزهراء ـ سلام الله علیها ـ

We hope that with the assistance of Allah the Almighty, and the prayers of the master of the time. Imam Mahdi (May we be sacrificed in his path) this institution (Jami'at al-Zahra) may be able to best serve all Muslim women.

With the grace of the Almighty, the success of Jami'at al-Zahra can be seen in the fact that large numbers of women from all over the country and around the world have graduated from this center and are currently living throughout the Islamic world.

Department of International Affairs
Jami'at al-Zahra
PO Box 349
Qum
Islamic Republic of Iran
Tel: + 98 251 211 2270
Fax: + 98 251 293 5847
Email: intaffairs @ j-alzahra.org
Web address: http://www.j-alzahra.org/

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information presented in this document is correct at the time of publication. However, all details are subject to change at any time. Jami'at al-zahra reserves the right, without notice, to alter or withdraw modules and to amend fees at any time before and after applications are admitted.

Message from the Deputy of International Affairs

It is my pleasure to invite you to read our new prospectus. It has been designed to open for you a window to jami'at al-Zahra, the largest Islamic university and seminary dedicated to education for women from all over the world.
Every year thousands of women enroll for a variety of courses offered by Jami'at al-Zahra in different field. The department of international Affairs is responsible for the education and welfare of international students. At present, there are around nine hundred international students from more than forty countries studying at Jami'at al-Zahra under this Department. This is in addition to thousands of other students from all over Iran who study in other departments of Jami'at al-Zahra.
My colleagues and I recognize the value and significance of each and every and every student.
Each student not only represents her nation and culture, but is also a great world of talents, expectations, aspirations and emotions. We are really humbled when we reflect upon the greatness of our responsibility and the limit of out capabilities and resources. However, looking back to the long journey that has been made and remembering the constant divine favour upon us in the past and present give us hope that the future will be even brighter and our graduates will be instrumental in delivering the universal message of mercy, justice and peace.

About Jami'at al-Zahra

§        Founded in 1984 by sanction of Imam Khomeini
§        World's largest Islamic university wholly dedicated to the education of women
§        Educating more than 12,000 students during any academic term from over 40 countries

History

Women play a unique and vital role in society. The late Imam Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic of Iran, maintained that women form half of our society and they are the trainers of the other half. So important is the education of women that Jami'at al-Zahra was established in 1984 in Qum by sanction of Imam Khomeini to provide the highest quality of learning and education solely for Muslim women.
Today there are over 12,000 student of different ages studying in the various sections of Jami'at al-Zahra. Over 16,000 students have graduated from Jami'at al-Zahra since its establishment. The university attracts students from over 40 countries, including Iran itself, spanning the globe from America to Mongolia.
Jami,at al-Zahra is governed by a board of trustees which includes two scholars representing the Islamic Seminary Supreme Council and the Director General of the Islamic Seminaries of Qum. There are also three women on the board of trustees.
The University has recently relocated to a brand new modern purpose-built campus situated in one of the best areas of the city and just ten minutes from the shrine of Lady Fatimah Masumah and Qum city centre. The University boasts new teaching facilities, accommodation, library, shops and administrative buildings all located on campus. A two-floor prayer hall and lecture theatre, swimming pool, and sports centre are still being planned.
The University is dedicated to providing the highest quality of Islamic learning for women, helping them become knowledgeable individuals and educators in society.

Educational and Cultural Departments

Jami'at al-Zahra comprises of five educations of five educational and cultural departments. These are:

Department of International Affairs

This department was established in 1968 to cater for the needs of the increasing interest from women around the world looking to pursue Islamic studies. This prospectus relates to the courses offered by the Department of International Affairs of jami,at al-Zahra for students from overseas. Currently there are around 900 foreign students from more than 40 countries who are benefiting from the range of courses provided by this department. Further details can be found in the following sections of this prospectus.

Department of Education

This department is responsible for the planning and development of the courses and teaching professionals for the various programmes run by Jami'at al-Zahra. This includes the full-time, part-time and correspondence course programmes for Iranian students.

Department of Research

The research department has several sections including jurisprudence and law, history, philosophy, and theology, as well as the exegesis of the Qur'an. The main focus of these sections is to explore Islamic teachings regarding issues especially those relating to women and family.

Department of Cultural Affairs

This department is responsible for planning and conducting cultural programmes and for presenting Islamic culture and teachings. The activities of this department, include amongst others, Dar al-Qur'an, a center devoted to training people to recite and memorise the Glorious Qur'an; the Office of Preachers, which is responsible for responding to requests for female speakers from different mosques and institutions, as well as a think-tank, a Q&A resource centre, a cultural affairs and a graduate affairs forum, and an arts and media desk.

Huda High Schools for Girls

Jami'at al-Zahra also runs the Huda High Schools for Iranian girls between the ages of 14 and 17. Huda High Schools have been established throughout Iran offering a combination of both Islamic and secular courses. Upon graduating from a Huda High School, girls are awarded a certificate by the Ministry of Education.

Huda University College

This is a college of higher education for women offering Islamic studies in the following disciplines: Jurisprudence and the Basis of Islamic Law, Qur'anic and Hadith sciences, and Philosophy and Theology. Upon graduation, students are awarded BA Honours certificate accredited by the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology.

Library

Jami,at al-Zahra has an extensive modern library located on campus housing thousands of books, periodicals and journals in various languages. The library also supports a vast collection of electronic resources including an audio library which students can access from the IT center within the library during opening hours.
Librarians are always on hand during opening hours to provide assistance in locating resources that students may require.
The library is open from:
§        7am – 8pm Saturday to Wednesday
§        7am – 4pm Thursday
§        8am – 11am Friday

IT Facilities

The library boasts sizeable computing facilities and electronic resources to enables students to access a wide of learning material. In addition, the Halls of Residence also havel computing facilities with internet access.

Teaching Calendar

Jami'at al-Zahra's academic year is divided into two semesters each of seventeen weeks. The academic year begins in September with the first semester running until January and the second Semester from February to June. There is an additional optional six weeks semester for overseas students who stay at the Halls of Residence over the summer period.

Extra-Curricular Activities

A number of extra-curricular activities are often available to students studying at Jami'at al-Zahra including sports' calligraphy classes, Qur'an classes, visits with scholars, lectures on current issues, etc. In addition, residential students are taken on short vacations to other parts of Iran at least twice a year, including Mashad for the ziyarat of Imam Riza.

Selection of Jami'at al-Zahra's accomplishments and extra-curricular programs

§        Graduates have been appointed as members o university boards and faculties
§        Graduates are responsible for the management of numerous Islamic schools (within Iran and overseas), state schools, research centres and cultural clubs.
§        The university runs Q&A service for fiqh-related question. Questions can be submitted to porsesh@j-alzahra.org
§        Compilation, translation, publication and distribution of numerous books and pamphlets.

Courses offered by Jami'at al-Zahra

Courses offered by Jami'at al-Zahra are modular and are taught over 2 semesters. Each module has a credit rating giving an indication of the workload associated with it.When you successfully complete a module, you have gained enough for an award. The following table shows the awards that are offered by jami'at al-Zahra along with the associated number of credits required and the approximate duration of study to attain the award:

Award	Credits required	Approximate duration of study (residential students)	Approximate duration of study (non- residential students)
Farsi programme	40	6 months	6 months
Foundation programme	21	4.5 months	5 months
Diploma of Higher Education in Islamic Studies	98	3 years	3.5 years
BA (Hons) in Islamic Studies	190	5 years	5.5 years
Masters in Islamic Spirituality	40	2 years	2 years
Masters in shi'ite Studies	40	2 years	2 years

The flexible modular programme offered by Jami'at al-Zahra means that if for any reason, if you decide to interrupt your studies part way through a course, your academic credit will be held for you during your absence. It also means you can easily change between full and part-time study.

Farsi Programme

The majority of classes at Jami'at al-Zahra are taught in Farsi. As such, knowledge of Farsi is essential to studying at Jami'at al-Zahra. If Farsi is not your first language, or you are unable to read write Farsi to a sufficient standard, or have no knowledge of Farsi all, then you will need to attend the Jami'at's Farsi programme before commencing any of the Islamic Studies courses.

Jami'at al-Zahra's Farsi programme is designed to give student with no prior Farsi knowledge basic mastery of the language within a period of approximately six months. The syllabus follows a well established curriculum which requires students to complete six Farsi text books as well as pass competency tests in reading, speaking, listening and writing with an emphasis on fluency and accuracy in both oral and written skills.
By successfully passing the six month programme, students will have sufficient mastery of the language to enable them to fully participate in the Islamic courses offered by Jami'at al-Zahra in Farsi. Students with some prior knowledge of Farsi may be able to complete the course in a shorter period.

"Spending six months just to learn Farsi before I could start my Islamic Studies sounded really daunting to begin with. I was pleasantly surprised however. It's amazing to learn a new language and being able to pick it up so quickly. Also, the classes are not just about learning Farsi. Our teacher gives us lessons on Akhlaq, Islamic History, etc. within our Farsi class and so the learning process becomes a spiritual journey in itself and opens the door to whole new boundless sources of knowledge!"

Foundation Studies Programme

This course intended to cover the foundation of Islamic Studies, providing first year students with an all round basic knowledge of the fundamentals of Islamic.
This course can be taken as a stand-alone programme. For students intending to go on to study for the Diploma of Higher Education or the BA (Hons) studies, it is an essential prerequisite.
Knowledge of Farsi is a prerequisite for this course (See Farsi Programme above).

"Combining the Farsi and foundation Studies Programmes makes an excellent Programme of study for those students wishing to take a GAP year or a year out for study abroad"

Details of the modules studied in this programme together with the associated credits are given below. Descriptions of the modules can be found in the 'Module' section of this prospectus.

Modules	Credits
Qur'anic Recitation and Tajweed	4
Memorisation of the Qur'an	1
Fundamental Beliefs – Part 1	4
Islamic Ethics – Part 1	2
Islamic Jurisprudence – Part 1	4
Islamic History – Part 1	3
Physical Education	2
Study skills	1
Total credits	21

Diploma of Higher Education – 2 Year Programme

This course is intended to build on the knowledge students gained in the Foundation Studies Programme exploring the subjects in greater detail. Students will also study a range of other core topics on various aspects of Islam.
This course can be taken as a stand-alone programme. For students intending on go on to study for the BA (Hons) in Islamic studies, it is an essential prerequisite.

Students must have passed the Foundation Studies Programme (see above) in order to undertake this course.Knowledge of Farsi is also a prerequisite for this course (see Farsi programme above).

Details of the modules studied in this programme together with the associated credits are given below. Descriptions of the modules can be found in the 'Modules' section of this prospectus.

Year One	Credits	Year Two	Credits

First semester		First Semester
Arabic Morphology (sarf) – Part 1	5	Arabic syntax (Nahw) – Part 1	5
Islamic Jurisprudence – Part 2	4	Fundamental Beliefs – Part 2	4
Islamic History – Part 2	3	Islamic Jurisprudence – part 2	2
Advanced Tajweed	1	Introduction to Nahjul Balagha	2
Islamic Ethics – Part 2	2	Qur'anic Commentary – Sequential Approach – Part 1	2
Islamic Upbringing and Education	4	Propagation Skills	2
		Islamic Political Thought	3
Second Semester		Second Semester
Arabic Morphology (sarf) – Part 2	5	Arabic Syntax (Nahw) – Part 2	5
Islamic History – Part 3	3	Analysis of Arabic Texts	2
Memorisation of the Qur'an – Part 2	1	Islamic Jurisprudence – Part 4	2
Introduction to Islamic Jurisprudence	2	Fundamental Beliefs – Part 3	4
Islamic Sects – Part 1	4	Qur'anic Commentary – Thematic Approach – Part 1	2
Qur'anic Teaching Skills	2	Women in Islamic	2
Introduction to Logic and Philosophy	3	Islamic Reference Sources	1
Total credits over two year period			77

BA (Honours) – 4 Year Programme

1. Overseas students may be accepted under certain circumstances.
2. one credit equals one of study per week per semester. Hence each credit represents 17 hours o study.
3. The period of study for non-residential students is longer than for residential students as no afternoon classes are offered for non-residential students in order to allow for their home obligations.
4. This programme is only 2 years if the credits for the Foundation programme have already been gained.
5. This programme is only 2 years if the credits for the Diploma of Higher Education have already been gained.

6. Short courses (less than six months) and vacation programmes in other languages can be arranged by Jami'at al-Zahra, subject to prior consultation with the Deputy of International Affairs.
7. Duration of Farsi programme is subject to students, ability and prior knowledge. For students with no prior knowledge of Farsi, the programme normally takes six months to complete.
8. Students with an equivalent knowledge of Islam may just sit for the exams or provide their equivalent certificates to exempted from the foundation Studies Programme.