Accredited and Certified Islamic Courses For You

When choosing an Islamic course, it helps to know the difference between accredited and certified programs. Accredited courses lead to official degrees or diplomas, while certified ones offer flexibility and shorter commitments with certificates of completion. Certified courses can still be credible if they’re from trusted scholars or institutions, so it’s all about finding what fits your goals.

Trusted Certified Short-term Islamic Programs

Institute	Mode	Programs Offered
Bayyinah Institute	Online & Offline (U.S.)	Quranic Arabic, Tafsir, and Islamic studies
AlMaghrib Institute	Online & Offline (U.S.)	Weekend seminars, online Islamic studies courses, and Quranic sciences
Qalam Institute	Online & Offline (U.S.)	Islamic studies programs, Arabic immersion, and leadership courses
SeekersGuidance	Online	Free Islamic studies courses on Quran, Hadith, Fiqh, and contemporary issues
Rabata: Ribaat Program	Online	Courses for women on Hadith, Fiqh, Arabic, and spirituality
Zaytuna College	Online	Short-term courses like Introduction to Logic and Comparative Abrahamic Theologies.
Bayan Islamic Graduate School	Online	Seminars and workshops on Islamic ethics, theology, and leadership.
Mishkah University	Online	Islamic studies courses, Quranic studies, and Tajweed with certificates.
Ihsan Institute	Online	Classes on Aqeedah, Fiqh, and Islamic spirituality with informal certificates.
AlKauthar Institute	Online	One-day intensive courses on Islamic law, Seerah, and Hadith.
Safina Society	Online	Classes on Quranic sciences, Aqeedah, and Islamic history
Fawakih Institute	Online	Quranic Arabic programs
Islamic Online University (IOU)	Online	Free diploma-level courses in Islamic studies and Quranic sciences.
Markaz Knowledge City (U.S. Branch)	Offline (U.S.)	Islamic studies workshops and Quranic sciences classes.
Dar al-Islam	Offline (New Mexico, U.S.)	Intensive workshops on Islam and its applications in modern life.

Definition of Accreditation for Islamic Courses

Accreditation refers to the formal recognition of a program by an authoritative body that evaluates academic and administrative standards. For Islamic courses, accreditation ensures that the program aligns with established educational frameworks and Islamic scholarship traditions. This could be granted by Global Islamic Organisations like Al Azhar University, Government ministries of Education in Islam that are recognised globally as well as regional accreditation bodies.

Internationally Recognized Islamic Institutes and Programs

Recognized Accrediting Body	Institute	Course/Programs Available	Duration
Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education	Al-Azhar University	Islamic Theology, Law (Sharia), Arabic Language, Quranic Studies	Long-term (Degrees)
Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA)	International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM)	Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programs in Sharia, Islamic Banking, Usuluddin, and Quranic Studies	Long-term (Degrees)
	Kulliyyah of Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences (KIRKHS), IIUM	Integrated programs in Islamic knowledge and human sciences	Long-term (Degrees)
Saudi Ministry of Education	Islamic University of Madinah	Islamic Studies, Arabic Language, Quran Memorization, Sharia	Both (Short-term certificates & Degrees)
	Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University	Islamic Law, Arabic Language, Social Sciences, Quranic Studies	Both (Short-term certificates & Degrees)

Accredited Institutes for Islamic Education In United States

This is a comprehensive list of accrediting bodies and their accompanying institutions for you can explore.

Recognised Accrediting Body	Institution	Programs Available	Duration
WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC)	Zaytuna College	BA in Islamic Liberal Arts; MA in Islamic Texts; Short-term online courses like Introduction to Logic.	Long-term (Degrees); Short-term (Self-paced)
	University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)	Islamic Studies integrated within its cultural and Middle Eastern Studies programs.	Long-term (Courses within Degrees)
	San Diego State University	Undergraduate programs in Islamic Studies.	Long-term (Bachelor’s)
	University of California, Riverside	Islamic Studies courses within its Religious Studies department.	Long-term (Courses within Bachelor’s)
	Claremont Graduate University (CGU)	Graduate programs in Islamic Studies.	Long-term (Master’s and Ph.D.)
	Claremont School of Theology	Islamic Studies and interreligious education.	Long-term (Master’s)
Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE)	New York University (NYU)	Islamic Studies integrated into theology and modern issues in its Middle Eastern and Religious Studies programs.	Long-term (Degrees)
	Georgetown University	Islamic Studies focusing on theology, history, and culture.	Long-term (Bachelor’s and Master’s)
	Montclair State University	Integrates Islamic Studies into its Religious Studies programs.	Long-term (Courses within Bachelor’s)
Higher Learning Commission (HLC)	American Islamic College	BA in Islamic Studies focusing on Qur’anic and Hadith studies, Islamic legal theory, and classical Islamic theology.	Long-term (Bachelor’s and Masters)
	University of Chicago	Graduate programs in Islamic and religious traditions, emphasizing theology and culture.	Long-term (Master’s and Ph.D.)
	Ohio State University	Islamic Studies integrated into its Religious Studies curriculum.	Long-term (Courses within Bachelor’s)
	University of Michigan	Provides Islamic Studies courses through its Middle Eastern Studies program.	Long-term (Courses within Degrees)
	DePaul University	Includes Islamic Studies within its Religious Studies curriculum.	Long-term (Courses within Bachelor’s)
	University of Arizona	Islamic Studies integrated into its Middle Eastern Studies curriculum.	Long-term (Courses within Degrees)
	Cleveland State University	Courses covering Islam in comparative religion studies.	Long-term (Courses within Bachelor’s)
	Duke University	Islamic Studies within cultural and theological studies.	Long-term (Degrees)
	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill	Offers Islamic Studies under its Department of Religious Studies.	Long-term (Courses within Degrees)
	University of Virginia	Islamic Studies as part of its Religious Studies program.	Long-term (Courses within Degrees)
	University of Texas at Austin	Provides Islamic Studies courses within its Middle Eastern Studies program.	Long-term (Courses within Degrees)
	Florida International University	Programs focusing on Islam within Middle Eastern culture studies.	Long-term (Courses within Degrees)
	University of Houston	Offers Islamic Studies courses as part of its Religious Studies program.	Long-term (Courses within Degrees)
New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE)	Harvard University	Islamic Studies offered through its Center for Middle Eastern Studies.	Long-term (Master’s and Ph.D.)
	Yale University	Ph.D. program in Islamic Studies, focusing on comprehensive research on Islam.	Long-term (Ph.D.)
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)	University of Washington-Seattle Campus	Offers Islamic Studies programs focusing on various aspects of Islam.	Long-term (Courses within Degrees)
Association of Theological Schools (ATS)	Bayan Islamic Graduate School	Master’s degrees in Islamic Studies, Islamic Leadership, Islamic Education, and Islamic Theology; Master of Divinity in Islamic Chaplaincy.	Long-term (Master’s); Short-term (on Demand)

JazakAllah Khayr!

With so many Islamic courses to choose from, finding the right one is all about aligning your goals with trusted institutions. Take your time, explore your options, and pick a program that fits your needs and strengthens your connection to your faith.