American Islamic College Courses

Established in 1981 as a private, not-for-profit, four-year college offering programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies. In March 1983, the college purchased its present landmark building on Lake Shore Drive, and in September 1983 began its first academic semester.

The College was the only Islamic institution of higher education with degree granting authority in North America that provided a living context of Islamic faith, practice and ethics. In 1991 the College was granted the authority to offer the Associate of Arts degree in addition to the Bachelor of Arts degree. After some period of silence, now, under its new administration, the American Islamic College opens its doors to educate the Chicago community in particular and the American Community in general with a variety of degrees, programs and events.

Arabic Calligraphy 101 
6-week class
This course will introduce students to the different styles of Arabic Calligraphy while focusing on Thuluth, a style that emerged in the 11 century CE. The class will meet once a week for a two-hour session. Students will be coached on using the units of measurement for each single letter of the Thuluth style as well as the relationship between the various letters of the Arabic Alphabet.

In the first half of the course, the students will be using special markers that are designed with a chisel tip, similar to the traditional reed pen (Boussa) that is used by professional calligraphers. In the second half, they will be introduced to the use of the reed pen with ink, and the technique of shaping and refining their own pens. By the end of the course, students should be able to produce a composition of their own and utilize the rules of measurement to check their work for mistakes. They will also be able to distinguish between various styles and judge the authenticity of each style while relying on the rules they have learned in class.
When: Wednesdays, July 7^th – August 11^th from 6:30PM-8:30PM
Instructor: Majed Abuajamia
Fee: $150; materials included. Students keep their own work. Free parking available.

Registration and payment are due no later than July 1^st. Please use our online paypal account or send a check payable to: “American Islamic College”.

Conversational Arabic 101 
6 Week Course

This is a beginner’s conversational Arabic course that will focus on pronunciation, comprehension, and verbal skills. Minimal emphasis will be placed on grammar, which will only be explained as necessary for comprehension. Students will learn how to greet others, introduce themselves and others, ask basic questions and respond to them, carry on basic conversations related to everyday life situations, and learn more about Arab and Islamic culture as relates to the basic themes of this course.

This class is a prerequisite to Conversational Arabic 102. Classes are non-credit and non-degree.

When: Saturdays, July 10th – August 14th from 10:30AM-12:30PM
Where: American Islamic College
Instructor: Professor Fadel Abdallah, visiting professor from Johns Hopkins University. He previously taught at Northwestern University and Lake Forest College. He has published several books on the Arabic language and is a native Arabic speaker.

Fee: $200; includes books and parking.

Registration and payment are due no later than July 3rd. Please use our online paypal account or send a check payable to: “American Islamic College”.

Ebru 101: Turkish Art Class

6-week class

Ebru, often referred to as the “dance of color on water”, is an authentic Turkish art that has been considered a spiritual art for centuries. This unique art form is produced by sprinkling color pigments into a trough of oily water and utilizes special brushes to create various designs that are then transferred on to a sheet of paper or other surface.

This class will cover a variety of techniques that participants will use to create their own masterpieces. Select art works will be displayed at an international conference held at the AIC this September! Come join us and learn the techniques of this ancient tradition.

When: Tuesdays, July 6^th-August 10^th from 6:30PM-8:30PM

Instructor: Sevim Surucu

Fee: $150; materials included. Students keep their own work.
Free parking available