Iranian Religions

Iranian Religions PhD program is a comprehensive, educational package in line with the regulations and decisions made by the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology of Iran. In this field, Iranian religions such as Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and their denominations are studied and compared with other religions particularly with Islam. In addition to Iranian religions, the philosophy of ancient Iran is compared to the Islamic philosophy in this field. The languages and culture of the religions in the ancient Iran are also studied in this field.

Religion has widely affected the intellectual, spiritual, and social life of man from the past to the present with a variety of manifestations and examples. Non-Abrahamic religions of Hinduism, Zoroastrianism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism are of great importance because of their vast geographical extent and large population dispersion. Iran being located in the eastern part of the world and its historical and geographical connections with the non-Abrahamic religions highlight the importance of studying these religions.

Iranian religions such as Zoroastrianism and Manichaeism, which are originated in Iran, were for centuries considered as accepted religion of this land. People worshipped and had faith in their doctrines. After Islam entered Iran, these religions also continued to exist. Still, many of their beliefs are found among people. Therefore, experts are needed to analyze these beliefs, their comparison with Islam and other monotheistic religions, and clarify their weaknesses and strengths.

The students of this field learn about the religions and philosophy of ancient Iran. They specialize in analyzing the contents of these religions based on their scriptures. By learning the language of these religions, they can analyze them through their main sources. They may also compare their data with the ideas of western intellectuals and Iranologists about Iran’s religions and culture.

Holding a Master’s degree or an equivalent is sufficient for enrollment in this program. This degree must be confirmed by the consulate of Iran in the issuing country. Accordingly, matching the applicants’ previous field of study with the current program is not necessary. Upon the applicants’ scholarly competency followed by the committee’s agreement, they are eligible to study in this program regardless of their previous field of study. However, those applicants without a matching academic background are expected to prove their competency to the committee members. Previous publications including books, research papers, and journal articles may positively influence on the committee’s judgment.

The PhD program in “Iranian religions” lasts for 4 years i.e., 8 academic semesters. The semesters are scheduled as follows: 4 semesters for the coursework, 1 semester for the comprehensive examination, and the last 3 semesters are dedicated to writing the thesis. The students pass the prerequisites during the first semester, followed by the core and elective courses during the upcoming semesters. This PhD program involves the completion of 42 units, among which 18 units are core courses, 6 units are prerequisites, and 18 units are considered for the thesis. Among the core courses the following can be named: “history of ancient Iran”, “Pahlavi language 1 and 2”, “Avestan language 1 and 2”, “Pahlavi language”, “Zoroastrianism before Islam”, and “philosophy and mysticism of Iranian religions in comparison to Islam”. The courses of “teachings of Quran and Ahl al-Bayt”, “methodology”, “and “Hinduism” are considered as the prerequisites.

course fees for entry in 2021-22

Total cost of the course:

PHD Research degree: $ 5000

Education-oriented PHD : $ 8000

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). Please be aware that fees will usually increase annually; the increase will not exceed 6% each year. Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs.

Additional information

Full-time study

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

If you are studying part-time your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you must still ensure that you will have sufficient funding to meet these costs for the duration of your course.

How to apply

The set of documents you should send with your application to this course comprises the following:

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

CV/résumé

A CV/résumé is compulsory for all applications. Most applicants choose to submit a document of one to two pages highlighting their academic achievements and any relevant professional experience.

Research proposal

The research proposal is a crucial element of a PhD application. It should communicate, not so much your personal autobiography, as your academic commitment and seriousness. Assessors are looking to be persuaded that you know the field in which you propose to conduct research, and are committed to spending several years working in it.

Content:

Each proposal will be read and carefully evaluated by specialists, and should contain an outline of the research you plan to undertake and what you intend to achieve. All proposals should be submitted in English. A selective bibliography may be included.

You should explain, within your proposal:

the specific field in which you propose to conduct research;
how you intend to structure and undertake your research;
the questions, problems, issues and debates with which you expect to engage;
how you see the proposed research building on your previous study;
your knowledge of any languages required for your research project – if you are unsure which languages might be required, see the entry requirements or contact the faculty directly.

You may also wish to include a provisional title for your dissertation. While it is normal for plans to change in the course of developing a project, you should make your best effort to define your intended research, identify the focal question or problem to which it will constitute an answer or solution, specify a finite body of core texts or sources, and explain the methods involved.

Assessment:

This will be assessed for your reasons for applying, the coherence of your proposal, the originality of your project; evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study and your ability to present a reasoned case in English.

A research proposal is assessed in terms of the intellectual coherence and academic originality of the project; evidence of the applicant’s motivation and understanding of the proposed area of study; and the feasibility of successfully completing the project in the time available for the course (up to four years full-time).

The faculty will also assess your commitment to the subject beyond the requirements of the degree course, preliminary knowledge of research techniques, capacity for sustained and intense work, evidence of reasoning ability, and ability to absorb new ideas, which are often presented abstractly at a rapid pace.

Apply using the Applicant Portal

The “Apply Now” button below will take you to the Applicant Portal, where you can create and submit your application and supporting documents.

An application is only complete when:
you have submitted your application and supporting documents via the Applicant Portal.