The Islamic University

The Islamic University is a private university in Najaf, Iraq, in which all classes, except for language classes, are taught in English. Founded in 2003 after the Saddam regime had been defeated as the Islamic College for Men, it aimed to admit all men without regard to nationality, race or religion. In 2004, the institution became coeducational. Today, the university has over 7,000 undergraduate students, over half of whom are female. There are over 200 full-time and over 40 part-time faculty staff members, making a students to faculty ratio of about 11 to 1. There are also over 1,600 graduate students. Over 20 per cent of students are international, originating from nearly 90 different countries, and alumni now live in more than 120 countries worldwide. Nearly 80 per cent of students receive scholarship aid. The university offers degrees of three, four or eight years at bachelors, masters and MD level. There are six faculties, including arts and sciences, engineering, health sciences, medicine and social science. These include departments such as law, political and international sciences, Quranic and linguistic studies, Islamic studies, media, technology of computer engineering and technology of air conditioning engineering. In 2007 and again in 2012, the university won the status of a University of Excellence in the Iraq government’s Excellence Initiative. Facilities on the 60.9 acre campus include a medical centre with 420 beds, an athletics centre, four libraries, three museums, two art galleries, seven dormitories, athletic fields and gardens.