Mission

The Mutaz and Rada Sawwaf M.A. in Islamic Art & Architecture supports the Lebanese American University’s core mission, vision and values by expanding students’ awareness of their history, culture and artistic heritage. The program will initiate students to contemporary methods of inquiry and research in the field of art history, expanding their knowledge of the architectural and artistic heritage of the region.

The program benefits from the rich Umayyad, Mamluk, and Ottoman architecture in Lebanon and the region, which form the basic and immediate material for research and study.

Program Objectives

The program objectives are:

1. To offer a comprehensive knowledge of Islamic art and architecture
2. To train students to conduct advanced research
3. To foster historical analysis and critical interpretation
4. To encourage graduate students to pursue independent research that would be beneficial to their practice, or to continue into PhD studies in Art History or related areas

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, graduates will:

1. acquire a comprehensive knowledge of the various periods and styles of Islamic art and architecture.
2. be experienced in a range of methodological skills and research techniques
3. be able to understand the ideas, social and geographic contexts in which works of art and architecture were produced.
4. have an experience of conducting independent research and dealing with primary materials, culminating in the production of an original Master’s thesis on a specific topic of interest.

Curriculum

A minimum of 30 credits are required to graduate, distributed as follows:

• Required Core Courses (21 credits)
• Elective Courses (9 credits)

Required Core Courses (21 credits)

• IAA711 Graduate Survey of Islamic Architecture (3 cr.)
• IAA712 Graduate Survey of Islamic Art (3 cr.)
• IAA731 Graduate Seminar (3 cr.)
• IAA721 Field Research and Studies (3 cr.)
• IAA722 Special Topics (3 cr.)
• IAA799 Master’s Thesis (6 cr.)

Electives (9 credits)

• IAA741 Byzantine & Early Islamic Art & Architecture (3 cr.)
• IAA742 The Art & Architecture of the Ayyubids & the Mamluks (3 cr.)
• IAA743 Identity and Modernity in the Middle East (3 cr.)
• IAA744 Ornament in Islamic Art & Architecture (3 cr.)
• IAA745 Calligraphy in Islamic Art & Architecture (3 cr.)
• IAA746 Geometry in Islamic Art & Architecture (3 cr.)
• IAA747 Figural Representation in Islamic Art (3 cr.)

Recommended Study Plan

Year One

Spring (9 credits)

• IAA711 Graduate Survey of Islamic Architecture (3 cr.)
• IAA712 Graduate Survey of Islamic Art (3 cr.)
• IAA731 Graduate Seminar (3 cr.)

Summer (6 credits)

• IAA721 Field Research & Studies (3 cr.)
• IAA Elective (3 cr.)

Year Two

Fall (9 credits)

• IAA Elective (3 cr.)
• IAA Elective (3 cr.)
• IAA722 Special Topics (3 cr.)

Spring (6 credits)

• IAA799 Master’s Thesis (6 cr.)