Year 1
- Textual Exposition Paper1,500–2,000 words
- School Comparison Paper1,800–2,500 words
- Logic and Argument Paper1,800–2,500 words
- Western Philosophy Interface Paper2,000–3,000 words
Assessment
How students are evaluated.
A balance of weekly oral discipline, sustained scholarly writing, an annual viva, a research colloquium, and a final capstone.
One
Weekly Oral Quizzes
Each week begins with an oral quiz on the prior session's Arabic text and arguments. Seven dimensions are assessed across every quiz.
- 01Arabic text reading
- 02Translation and parsing
- 03Conceptual definitions
- 04Argument reconstruction
- 05Comparative theology
- 06Western philosophy application
- 07Contemporary response
Two
Four Yearly Papers
Four sustained papers per year, distributed across the traditions and Western philosophy. Word counts grow with the student.
Year 2
- Systematic Kalām Paper2,500–3,500 words
- Advanced Comparative Theology Paper2,500–3,500 words
- Philosophy of Religion Paper2,500–3,500 words
- Research Bibliography and Method Paper2,000–3,000 words plus bibliography
Year 3
- High Scholastic Kalām Paper3,000–4,500 words
- Neo-Kalām Paper3,000–4,500 words
- Contemporary Application Paper3,500–5,000 words
- Final Capstone Paper5,000–7,500 words
Submission Rhythm
Forty-Week Paper Timeline
- 1Paper 1Week 10Textual exposition / school grounding
- 2Paper 2Week 20Comparative or systematic engagement
- 3Paper 3Week 30Philosophical interface
- 4Paper 4Week 38–40Capstone or method paper
Three
Annual Oral Examination
A formal viva at year's end
Students sit before a panel of faculty for a sustained oral examination. The viva evaluates textual, comparative, and philosophical fluency across the year's anchor texts and satellite readings.
- ◆Reading and parsing an unseen Arabic passage
- ◆Defining and locating key technical terms
- ◆Reconstructing a major argument from memory
- ◆Comparing the schools on a chosen problem
- ◆Engaging a philosophical or contemporary objection
Four
Research Colloquium
A recurring Sunday session where students present work-in-progress papers and receive structured critique from faculty and peers.
Present
Each student presents a paper draft or research argument twice per year.
Respond
A designated peer responds in writing and orally, modeling academic exchange.
Revise
Final papers integrate colloquium feedback before submission to faculty.
Five
Final Capstone
In the final year, each student produces a 5,000–7,500 word capstone paper integrating the three pillars of the program: a primary text or corpus from the Sunni kalām tradition, a sustained argument formalized through manṭiq or modern logic, and engagement with a Western philosophical or contemporary theological problem.
- ProposalSubmitted by Week 8 of Year 3
- Bibliography ReviewWeek 16
- DraftWeek 28, presented at colloquium
- DefenseWeek 38, oral defense before faculty
Six
Grading Distribution
Weekly oral quizzes20%
Four yearly papers35%
Annual oral examination20%
Research colloquium10%
Final capstone (Year 3)10%
Seminar participation5%