International Studies and Programs

Michigan State University (MSU)

One of the newer programs within MSU’s International Studies and Programs, the Muslim Studies Program (MSP) supports teaching and research about Muslims around the globe from an interdisciplinary perspective.

Established at MSU in 2006, MSP coordinates research, teaching, and outreach about Muslim societies and states. Additionally, it organizes speakers, workshops, and conferences on a wide range of topics that reflect the rich diversity of Muslim communities around the world. The MSP is unique in the sense that instead of a regional focus, it has a global view of Muslim societies and states. It is an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary center whose faculty has appointments in various disciplines of social sciences and humanities at MSU.

Since its foundation, MSP has strived to:

• emphasize Muslims’ “lived experiences” and contexts—and not just analyze scriptural or philosophical texts without considering their situation;

• engage with those “big questions” facing Muslim societies in the contemporary era in ways that are informed by historical, cultural, and political factors;

• foster a truly cross-regional and comparative initiative poised to build on MSU’s existing strengths in Asian and African studies while promoting new programs involving Middle Eastern and Eurasian studies; and,

• promote MSP’s undergraduate Muslim Studies Specialization and disseminate academic knowledge regarding the Muslim world to MSU undergraduates in ways that complement faculty members’ ongoing quality research and graduate teaching.

Newsletter

The Muslim Studies Program produces a bi-weekly newsletter that highlights upcoming events and relevant Muslim-related announcements, as well as, a semester newsletter, which gives an overview of events planned for each semester.

Minor in Muslim Studies

The minor in Muslim Studies is available as an elective to undergraduate students at MSU. It provides students with an opportunity to study Muslim societies and Islam in a range of disciplines and topics.

The minor in Muslim Studies is administered by James Madison College. With the approval of the department that administers the student’s degree program, courses that are used to satisfy the requirements of the specialization may also be used to satisfy the requirements for the bachelor’s degree. The student’s program of study must be approved by the Muslim Studies coordinator prior to enrollment in any course. Students must complete second-year college-level competency in Arabic or another language appropriate for Muslim Studies such as Persian, Turkish, Urdu, Bahasa Indonesia, Malay, or Swahili.

Contacts

• Address: Muslim Studies Program, International Studies and Programs, Michigan State University, International Center, 427 N. Shaw Lane, Room 304, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
• Phone: +1 517 355 1855
• Email: muslimst@msu.edu
• Website: http://muslimstudies.isp.msu.edu/