The courses offered at the KRC are linked below. The KRC is devoted to the historical study of the art and architecture of Muslim societies. Our students acquire a comprehensive training in this multi-disciplinary field by working with leading specialists. Our courses involve lectures, seminars, individual tutorials, and object-based sessions using the world-class collections of Islamic art and manuscripts at the Ashmolean Museum and Bodleian Library.
Language teaching is a core component of our two-year MPhil degree, which aims to give students a working knowledge of the language of their choice: Arabic, Persian, or Ottoman Turkish. The centre also hosts weekly research seminars with invited lecturers from the UK, Europe, and beyond, thereby exposing students to current research in the broader field. Many of our students and staff are members of Wolfson College, which has developed an Islamic art research cluster over the years.
The KRC is also a leading centre in the field of Digital Humanities, and many of our research projects have focussed on the use of technology in academic research. Students at the centre have the opportunity to build up their knowledge and technical abilities, and to work on developing applications to help with their own areas of interest and study.
We offer dedicated scholarships to a substantial number of our students: these have recently included Hamad Bin Khalifa Scholarships, I.M. Pei Scholarships and Wolfson-Marriott Scholarships. Recurring DPhil and Master's scholarships will be advertised on the KRC website. The University of Oxford and its colleges also offer a broad range of funding opportunities, such as the Ertegun Graduate Scholarship, or the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies Scholarship. Some Master's applicants may be eligible to apply for a Barakat Oxford Master's Studentship (see https://barakat.org/grants/type-of-grants for details). Please get in touch with a member of staff for details of the scholarships on offer this year.
Qualified students wishing to pursue a research, curatorial or other career in Islamic art are encouraged to apply for our degrees. Further details on how to apply can be found here. Applicants who intend to conduct doctoral research are encouraged to discuss their proposed research with a member of the KRCʼs academic staff before applying.
