How To Apply

Our freshman class is always small (less than 20 students) and always diverse in many ways, but its students are all motivated by the desire to acquire the timeless tools of learning found in the Islamic and Western traditions that are essential to building a more purposeful future.

We ask for your transcripts, test scores, essays, and letters of recommendation so that you can show us your perseverance in your educational journey, your commitment to habits of learning such as a regular practice of memorization or the daily use of dictionaries, and your curiosity to pursue intellectual passions. Your personal essays, in particular, tell us not only your story but also demonstrate your grasp of the arts of communication—grammar, logic, and rhetoric—that are essential for success at Zaytuna.

We invite you to show us why you would thrive in our community of students and scholars that is varied in its passions and interests but mutual in its commitment to inculcating the love of beauty, truth, and goodness in a human being.

Application Deadlines

The application for Fall of 2021 is now open.

 Under the Zaytuna College rolling admissions system, any candidate who has completed their junior year of high school may apply. The Admissions Committee admits students until the total available seats are filled, which typically occurs in mid-April. We advise students to apply early because those who apply later will be competing for fewer seats.    

Admissions Requirements

• Online application

• Transcripts from high school and/or college

• Three letters of recommendation

• Three personal essays

• Non-native speakers of English must also submit a TOEFL, IELTS, CEFR level, or Duolingo English Test score 

Zaytuna College is temporarily waiving the standardized test requirement and the community service requirement for Fall 2021 admissions.

Please upload unofficial transcripts with your application. We will request official documents once you are admitted.

Once you submit your online application, a Zaytuna admissions officer will be in touch with you throughout your application process to assist with any questions and to provide updates or further instructions.

If you are not ready to apply yet, but have questions or would like to stay in touch, please contact us at [email protected]. 

Application Deadlines

The master’s degree program has two admissions deadlines. The early admissions deadline is January 15th, 2021 and the regular admissions deadline is March 30th, 2021.

Any candidate who has earned a terminal degree, such as a bachelor’s degree or seminary (madrasa) equivalent, may apply at any time. The College will consider complete applications and will communicate admissions decisions periodically, starting in the Spring. It is in the applicant’s interest to apply as early as possible.

• Competency in reading and comprehending classical Arabic texts

• Oral examination administered as part of the admissions interview to assess your Arabic reading/comprehension and area of concentration proficiencies

• Studied rudimentary classical texts of grammar, fiqh, theology, rhetoric, and the other Islamic sciences with a qualified teacher

• Proficiency in the English language similar to a native speaker

• Three letters of recommendation

• Statement of purpose

• Statement of research interests

• Statement of academic history (optional)

• Academic transcripts

• Writing sample

RECOMMENDED QUALIFICATIONS

• An existing BA degree in Islamic Studies or ancillary fields (e.g. theology, philosophy, Arabic, Islamic law, history)

• Foundational training in the Islamic sciences 

• Foundational training in Qur'anic studies (memorization is highly valued)

• GPA of 3.5 or higher