BA (Hons) Islamic Sciences and Arabic (‎علوم الإسلامية والعربية - بكالوريوس / ليسانس)

By the grace of Allah, Al-Azhar University has created an online degree in Uloom for Islamiyyah wal Arabiyyah (Islamic Sciences). As with any online distance learning degree, there is a comprehensive syllabus but the application can create some uncertainty so I pray this guide helps and answers any questions people may have.  
 
Firstly, I'd like to thank all the brothers and sisters who provided insight and contributions to this article. I pray it benefits all those who decide to study at Al-Azhar University. 
Degree Overview 
The course is a 4-year online (distance learning) degree which Al-Azhar University accredits.
‎ كلية العلوم الإسلامية والعربية للوافدين بجامعة الأزهر الشريف – Faculty
‎ الشعبة – علوم الإسلامية - Department 
Cost: $1500 per academic year 
Total Cost: $6000 (excluding any resits) | Resits cost 80 dollars per module
   1st Year: Fees must be paid for the whole year upon enrollment.
   2nd - 4th Year: Fees can be paid per semester or for the whole year.
The degree includes online lectures which are conducted 5 days a week across the different subjects. 
There is also a requirement to submit 10 assignments (one for each module) per semester, so 20 assignments per year. 
All course admin is conducted via the University portal; https://azharegypt.edu.eg/ 
A personalised gmail address will be created for you when you enrol for the degree and you will also be added to WhatsApp groups which have university admins and course teachers to deal with any issues you may face.  
Enrolment on to the degree occurs in September and February so based on when you submit your application, you will be given a start date for the course. Once enrolled, all students will follow the same semester and module plan for the degree. 
Student Prerequisites
In order for students to benefit from the course and not feel overwhelmed, it is important to have a grounded understanding across several topic including;
- A good basis in Nahw and Sarf - There is a lot of crossover in many subjects in which your understanding of these topics will be tested thoroughly.
- Good fluency in reading, writing, speaking and verbal comprehension the Arabic language.
- Basic knowledge in the abwab of fiqh. This could be in any madhab as long as you are familiar with general vocab and topics under each heading.
- Basic knowledge of Aqeedah and Logic.
- Have memorized a few ajzaa (chapters) from the back of the Quran, as 2 ajzaa per year can be a lot when one has a lot of content to cover for exams.
Course Content  - Modules
The course covers subjects across the Islamic Sciences including: 
* Al-Quran al-Kareem (Including Tajweed) 
           Year 1 - Juzz 30 (Semester 1) + Juzz 29 (Semester 2)
           Year 2 - Juzz 28 (Semester 1) + Juzz 27 (Semester 2) 
           Year 3 - Juzz 26 (Semester 1) + Juzz 25 (Semester 2) 
           Year 4 - Juzz 24 (Semester 1) + Juzz 23 (Semester 2) 
* Lugha (Arabic Language) - Includes Nahw, Sarf, Balagha, Mahaartul Lughwiyyah, Adab, Fiqh ul-Lugha, Tareekhul Adab wan-Nusoos) 
* Tafseer (Exegesis of the Quran)
* Hadith (Prophetic Traditions)
* Al-Fiqh 
   * Shafi Fiqh - Topics related to Ibaadaat (Personal Worship)
   * Al-Fiqh al-Muqāran (Comparative Fiqh) - For Topics Related to Mu3amalaat (Transactions - Social Affairs) 
* Usul ul-Fiqh (Principles of Jurisprudence)
* Tareekh ul-Fiqh (History of Fiqh)
* Ulumul Quran (Sciences of the Quran) 
* Seeratun Nabawiyyah (Life and Battles of the Prophet Muhammad SAW) 
* Tawheed (Aqeedah + Kalam = Islamic Theology) 
* Mantiq (Logic) + Tareekh al-Falsafa (History of Philosophy)
* Tareekh al Khulafaa (History of the Khulafaa)
* Ilm-ul Ijtimaa (Sociology) 
* Geografiyyah al-Aalam al-Islaami (Geography of the Islamic Lands)
* al-Malal wan-Nahal wal-Adyaan (Covers Judaism, Christianity & Hinduism 
* al-Iqtisaad al-Islaami (Islamic Economics/Finance)
* Tasawwuf (Islamic Mysticism)
* al-Hadaaratul Islaamiyyah (Islamic Civilisation)
* Ilm ud-Dalaalah wal-Maajim (Knowledge of Semantics & Dictionaries) 
* al-Akhlaaq (Ethics/Morality)
* al-Ishtishraaq (Orientialism)
* Qadaaya Fiqhiyyah Muaasarah (Contemporary Legal Issues) 
* an-Nudhum al-Islaamiyyah (The Islamic Systems) 
* al-Haasib al-Aali (ICT) - Focus on Microsoft Office applications + Google Suite applications such as Forms, Docs, Slides, Classroom etc.
A full comprehensive list can be found at the link below with the module list for each respective year mentioned (under each firqah), 
https://ahmadelgamal.com/alazhar/4-senior.html  

Course Delivery
Language: The course is entirely delivered in the Arabic Language (Fusha)
 
Lectures are delivered once a day between (Sunday - Thursday) at Egypt Standard Time 3-5pm ( EGY) daily.
All lectures are recorded and uploaded to Google Drive for you to access and listen to in your own time alongside the syllabus and reference materials.
Questions are welcomed throughout classes and lecturers present lectures on Google Meet (audio ONLY).

Exam Process 
The exams are conducted in January and June of each respective year. 
Each exam is 2 hours long - Upon completion of the written and spoken exam, students can leave the exam early upon confirmation the exam have been submitted by the invigilator.
The exam dates are released several weeks before each exam and are generally held in the early part of the afternoon - around 3pm Egyptian time. 
Two exams are held each week on different days, with 2-3 days between each exam. The days of the exams will be consistent through the exam period, for example, if it was Tuesday and Saturday - this would stay the same throughout the exam period and the time of the exam will stay consistent. 
The exams across different semesters may be held on different days and times so ensure you clarify the dates and times prior to each exam period - whilst making relevant arrangements at work if required to facilitate being able to sit the exam.
In general, the process for each exam consists of the following; 
   • Students log on to Google Hangouts and share their screen with a moderator who will observe them for the entirety of the exam. 
   • Once the moderator has connected and your screen is visible, you will then proceed to login to the Al-Azhar online student portal through which you will enter the examinations tab. 
   • Here you will choose the respective exam for the day and open the programme which will display your first question as well open a visible camera displaying you in a ‘live setting’, which is the video the moderator will observe you through. 
   • During the exam, the course tutor will join the Google call, speak to you and conduct your spoken exam which will take around 10 minutes, after which you can continue with the written exam.
   • Upon completion of both the written and spoken exams, you inform the moderator and he will ensure your exam answers have been saved and are visible to him. Following confirmation, you can log off and end all calls. 
The exam consists of a mixture of true/false, multiple choice, essay style questions. 
Each exam consists of 25 questions chosen at random from a question bank. 
Each exam, with rare exceptions will also contain an oral/spoken examination which contributes 10% to your overall grade for each subject.  
Exam Makeup; 
Assignment for each subject: 10% 
Oral/Spoken examination: 10% 
Written Exam: 80% 
*Only al-Quran al-Kareem has a higher weightage, (50%) for the spoken component of the exam and (50%) for the written exam.  
Assignments; 
10 assignments are due each term and each assignment will generally need to be around 2 pages long, collected from a variety of original sources and must include a references section.
The assignments must be submitted in PDF format. 
The topic of each assignment will be posted on Google Classroom. If multiple topics are provided you can choose the topic you feel more inclined towards. 
Deadlines for assignments are usually just before the exam period, I would advise anyone to finish them as soon as possible to be able to focus on exams and prepare early. 
Entry Requirements 
1. Qualification to a UK GCSE Equivalent which would equate to high school in most countries. A-Levels can also be given to gain entry to the course. 
2. Competency in the Arabic Language as the entire course is delivered in Arabic. 
*If you graduated from an Arabic High school, the certification does not require translation and fulfils both requirements above. This could include the Al-Azhar high school (thanawiyyah) certificate or any other high school certificate from an Arabic speaking country. Alternatively, if you have any previous Arabic study certificates, they can be used to show your competency in the Arabic Language. Their main concern is that you’ve reached a basic level of competency in all linguistic skills; reading, writing, listening & speaking. I would advise any students that have not studied through a formal institute, to approach a local centre or institute - wherein Arabic language-related studies are taught - and request a certificate after being tested by a qualified teacher.
Passing Requirements - Yearly Progression 
Pass all exams each term (If two exams are failed in the year they can be re-sat with the following semester but are charged at around $80 per exam which will be repeated). 
If 3 or more exams are failed, you must resit the term but will only need to sit those exams which were failed for that term. 
Memorise 2 chapters of the Qur’an al-Kareem per year (1 chapter per semester). 
Application Process - How to apply
Main Registration URL: https://azharegypt.org/log/reg.php
First Stage: Online registration. The student fills in an online application form, and a new page will appear to check the validity of his data. 
Second Stage: Verifying the student’s ownership of the e-mail address. As soon as the student applies, he/she will be notified with an immediate message, including his/her username and password. 
Third Stage: Uploading the documents on the website the student should upload his educational documents and certificates. 
Fourth Stage: Reviewing the applications Your application forms will be reviewed in forty days, after which you will be notified with a message on your e-mail address including a detailed list with the necessary requirements for completing the registration process. 
Fifth Stage: Following up the admission results. Students can follow up the admission results online, during the period of approving the application, via Applying Students Gateway. 
Sixth Stage: Submitting the applicants’ personal documents and payment. The required documents will be sent via express mail. Seventh Stage: Registration courses. In preparation to beginning the academic year, the student must register the subjects he/she is going to study in the first term.
Verifying Certification 
Step 1 - Take your GCSE or A level certificates and get it signed by a lawyer. (The lawyer will copy it and say this is a real copy and sign it) and ENSURE you say you want to legalise the document. 
Step 2 - Send this off to the Foreign CommonWealth Office and they will legalise the document. (Fees and details are found on their website). 
Step 3 - Send this document off to the Egyptian consulate (details and fees of them signing documents are found on their website). 
Step 4 - Upon receiving the documents back, send these to Al-Azhar University administration.  
Basic Arabic Entry Test 
Step 1 - Depending on your previous Arabic studies and certification you present to the admin, you may be asked to sit a basic Arabic exam.
Anyone with a good foundation should be able to pass, unfortunately we don't have further details on this.
 
Part-Time Study Options
In every study year there are two terms. Each term is symbolic of a level (of academic progression). The standardised number of modules a student is expected to study per term is 10 (20 per study year).  
However, if - for whatever reason - a student decides to study less than 10 modules per term, each term would be extended. The student would be required to remain in that term up until those 10 modules are completed in their entirety - even if it takes him two years. Once the student manages to complete that term, he has the option of continuing to extend the upcoming term(s) (by studying less than 10 modules) or to study the full amount (10).  The fees for the one who chooses to study a selected number of modules per term are calculated on a module-to-module basis:  Cost: 80 USD per module (for each term) 
*This has to be agreed with the admin team prior to commencing study. The possibility to change the number of modules studied per year is at the discretion of the admin team for the online degree.
Pros and Cons - Distance Learning Degree
Pros 
The course has a rich syllabus and spans across the Arabic Language & Islamic sciences. 
Teachers engage students, are willing to discuss and allow questions to be asked. 
The majority of lectures are delivered in Fusha. In one class a teacher using the Egyptian dialect was swiftly raised with the admin and they spoke to the lecturer to resolve this immediately. 
General organisation is good and the student portal is easily accessible. 
Good instant communication channels with admin to resolve any issues and raise any complaints over WhatsApp. 
Exam timings are clear and there are active moderators who observe students throughout each exam. 
Cons
The workload can be demanding, considering 10 assignments and 10 exams per term - ensure you find time to balance this with work, family and other responsibilities. 
Too many questions during the classes can slow down the flow of the lessons. 
The syllabus is put together by the lecturers and not entirely referenced so finding the corresponding source can be made difficult. (Shamela should resolve this issue or assist in minimising the issue). Due to many exams, sometimes focusing in on areas can be a little difficult although lectuers provide a list of classical texts to read for additional understanding around topics.
Official Accreditation Confirmation - Sheikh ul-Azhar (Dr Ahmad el-Tayyeb)
The image below is the affirmation the degree received from Dr Ahmad el-Tayyeb (Sheikh ul-Azhar) on behalf of the university.