About Bayan Islamic Graduate School

Bayan Islamic Graduate School was founded in 2011 at the Claremont School of Theology (CST), a world-renowned seminary that sought to “desegregate” theological education and enable its students to learn about multiple faith traditions in an authentic manner. The need for a partner to provide graduate-level Islamic Studies led to the formation of Bayan and its incubation towards eventually becoming a free-standing institution. The support of the Islamic Center of Southern California (ICSC), where the founder and president of Bayan, Jihad Turk, was the Imam and Religious Director, helped launch Bayan.

Key community members drawn to the vision of higher education and leadership development for Muslim Americans also helped establish the school. Through the partnership with CST, Bayan was able to design and manage accredited graduate degrees with concentrations relevant to the needs of the Muslim community. Bayan functioned as part of an interreligious consortium representing Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and other faith traditions in Southern California.

Today, Bayan partners with the Chicago Theological Seminary (CTS), and will continue this open structure of collaborative education so Bayan students learn within a multi-religious, multi-ethnic, graduate institution that values diversity. Bayan's degree programs, certificates, and courses are open to students of all backgrounds. As of May 2024, Bayan now has 95 alumni.