Overview

The Executive Diploma in Islamic Finance & Entrepreneurship is designed to instil the knowledge, skills and mindset needed to thrive in an entrepreneurial environment. The core taught units provide an in-depth academic, practical skills and applications in Islamic finance. The optional units enable students to develop in-depth knowledge and understanding in area of their interest. Students will also have an opportunity for an in-depth exploration of a specific issue relevant to Islamic finance in their project report where they need to demonstrate mastering of practical skills of Islamic finance and entrepreneurship.

Each unit draws on the practical experience of experts from the field to complement the theoretical components of the units offered. Guest lecturers share their experiences from the field to develop appreciation of Islamic finance and business in the real world.

Aims

The programme aims to provide a high-quality professional level study that comprises three inter-related elements:

• The academic part of the programme aims to provide clarity of thought in a confusing Islamic finance world. The academic lectures offer the latest academic thinking and frameworks in Islamic economics, finance, commercial law, management and business ethics to help students to chart their own path. The blended learning environment combines face-to-face interactive teaching with incorporated video, text and small group work to provide the most useful and rigorous experience that still allows flexibility and real-time application.
• The practical part of the programme aims to prepare students to apply the academic knowledge in real-time. Students will meet industry practitioners and learn about emerging entrepreneurial challenges in Islamic economics and finance that they are facing or have faced, and the solutions they found to overcome them. These interactions will help students to expand not just their industry-specific knowledge but also shape the way they approach their own venture challenges.
• The community part of the programme is essential for entrepreneurs and it aims to build a vibrant network to allow them to discover new opportunities, raise their profile, increase the visibility of their business and create human centric impact. The purpose of Islamic economic developmentalism is to create functional individuals who are able to help themselves and their families and gradually expand ihsani society to wider stakeholders. To facilitate the process of quickly building a valuable network with a community, students will be brought into contact with alumni, industry experts of Islamic finance, interactive seminar trainers and mentors during the many events offered by the College.