Bayan Islamic Graduate School

Bayan was established in 2011 through a collaboration with the Claremont School of Theology (CST) and the Islamic Center of Southern California with the purpose of preparing spiritual and religious leaders (such as pastors, priests, imams, and chaplains) who learn in an inter-religious environment. Bayan's first graduating class was in 2013.

In 2016, Bayan Launched the first 72-unit accredited M.Div. in Islamic Chaplaincy, and the first 48-unit accredited M.A. in Islamic Education in the United States.

In 2017, with the blessing of Muhammad Ali's family, Bayan launched a full-tuition scholarship for students who are working as leaders in underserved communities nationwide.[3] During the same year, Bayan also launched Bayan On-Demand, a subscription platform giving the community access the same graduate courses Bayan students study.

In 2019, Bayan formed a partnership with the Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS).[4]

As of 2022, Bayan has 70 alumni.[5]

Jihad Turk is the founding president of Bayan. Prior to founding Bayan, Jihad served as the Religious Director of the Islamic Center of Southern California, the oldest and largest mosque in the Los Angeles area.[6]

As of fall 2020, Bayan's degree programs are being offered in partnership with the world-renowned Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS), one of the earliest Chicago seminaries. Degree programs at CTS are accredited by the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) as well as the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the state of Illinois. CTS, founded in 1855, is affiliated with the United Church of Christ (UCC).[7]

Bayan's programs constitute “concentrations” within established accredited degree programs of the host institution. The majority of program requirements are fulfilled by enrolling in courses provided by Bayan. In due course, Bayan intends to apply for independent accreditation with the appropriate regional bodies.

Bayan initially operated beginning in Fall 2011 as a division of the Claremont School of Theology (CST), which is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the Association of Theological Schools (ATS). CST, founded in 1885, is affiliated with the United Methodist Church (UMC). CST's leadership took the pioneering step of incubating Bayan as one of the first Muslim American theological schools, with the purpose of enabling authentic Islamic education and leadership development, and sincere interreligious learning among students of various faith backgrounds. Bayan's academic partnership with CST will conclude in June 2021, with the graduation of Bayan students completing programs they began at CST.

As of 2022, Bayan offers five degree programs.[8]

• Master of Arts in Islamic Studies
• Master of Arts in Islamic Leadership
• Master of Arts in Islamic Education
• Master of Arts in Advanced Islamic Theology
• Master of Divinity in Islamic Chaplaincy

In 2017, Bayan launched BayanONLINE, now called Bayan-On-Demand, a digital learning platform that includes over 250 hours of course content that speak directly to a multitude of issues Muslims face today. The on-demand content is curated by Bayan's faculty and is the same instruction that degree-seeking students have access to. Bayan-On-Demand offers an “All Access Pass” which provides subscribers with full access to Bayan's digital content library. Bayan adds to its library on a regular basis.[9]

As of summer 2022, courses available through Bayan On-Demand include:

• Chaplaincy in Contexts
• Foundation of the Islamic Worldview
• Fundraising Strategies for Religious Non-Profits
• Islam and Liberal Citizenship
• Islam & West Africa
• Islam in America
• Islam in Blackamerica: From Slavery to Hip-Hop
• Islamic Bioethics
• Islamic History
• Islamic Law and Legal Theory
• Islamic Mysticism
• Islamic Spirituality & Leadership
• Islamic Theology and Philosophy
• Muslim Adolescent Identity Development
• Prophetic Biography
• Prophetic Model of Ministry
• Public Speaking: Islam & The Media
• Self-Development and Spiritual Care
• Universal Maxims In Islamic Law & Beyond

Bayan has its own faculty but also invites faculty from other institutions to teach courses in their hybrid intensive format (a format that utilizes online platforms as well as in-person teaching).

• Dr. Asifa Quraishi, Professor of Law, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah
• Dr. Ovamir Anjum
• Dr. Jonathan Brown, associate professor, Georgetown University
• Dr. Sherman Jackson, King Faisal Chair of Islamic Thought and Culture and Professor of Religion and American Studies and Ethnicity at the University of Southern California
• Edina Lekovic, public affairs consultant, Muslim Public Affairs Council
• Dr. Joseph Lumbard, a co-author of The Study Qur'an[10]
• Dr. Rami Nashashibi, founder of the Inner-City Muslim Action Network
• Dr. Omid Safi, Associate Professor of Islamic Studies, Duke University
• Shaykh Suhaib Webb
• Najah Bazzy, RN, founder and CEO, Zaman International School
• Dr. Maria Massi Dakake
• Omar Suleiman (imam)

• Preacher Moss, author and comedian

In 2020, Bayan received a grant of $234,500 from the Templeton Foundation to support Bayan's “Advanced Islamic Theology and Contemporary Thought Program.” The project funding enabled Bayan to develop three new courses for an Advanced Islamic Theology concentration within the Master of Arts (MA) degree, inclusive of a special certificate given to students completing the course sequence. The courses have been developed based on a period of dedicated research and conceptualization by Resident Scholar Shaykh Jihad Brown.[11]>

In 2021, Bayan received a $1,000,000 grant from the Annenberg Foundation to expand its programming.[12]