High School

Language skills are extremely important for imams. If you plan to work in the United States, you will need to be proficient in English and have an understanding of American culture (social studies and government classes will come in handy to bring you up to speed in this area). Muslims come from many different countries and speak many different languages—including Arabic, Urdu, Hindi, and Punjabi. Be sure to take classes in one or more of these languages if they’re offered, or see if classes are provided at your mosque or Islamic community center.

In addition to religion and philosophy courses, other useful classes include business, accounting, science, mathematics, speech, and computer science.

Postsecondary Education

Fifty-percent of imams have a bachelor of arts, master of arts, or PhD in Islamic studies from an overseas university, according to the U.S. Mosque Survey 2020 from the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. About 6 percent of all imams have a degree in Islamic studies from an American university or institution. Few American colleges prepare people to become imams. The most well-known are the:

• American Islamic College (Chicago, Illinois, http://www.aicusa.edu), which offers bachelor’s, master’s, and graduate master’s divinity degrees in Islamic studies
• Bayan at Chicago Theological Seminary (Orange, California, and Chicago, Illinois, https://www.bayanonline.org), which offers master’s degrees, a doctorate program, and certificates in Islamic studies and leadership, Islamic education, and Islamic chaplaincy
• Hartford International University for Religion and Peace (Hartford, Connecticut, https://www.hartfordinternational.edu), which offers a graduate Islamic chaplaincy program and various leadership degrees and certificates
• Mishkah Islamic University of North America (Houston, Texas, https://www.mishkahuniversity.com), which offers associate and bachelor’s degrees (taught in English) in Islamic studies, and master’s and doctorate degrees (in Arabic) in Islamic law, fundamentals of religion, and Islamic studies with a concentration in Arabic, and other subjects
• Zaytuna College (Berkeley, California, https://www.zaytuna.edu), which offers a bachelor’s degree in liberal and Islamic studies and a master of arts degree in Islamic texts

Many American colleges and universities offer concentrations, minors, and degrees in Arabic, Islamic studies, and related areas.

Imams in the United States would be wise to take courses in nonprofit management, psychology, gender relations, civics, and media relations as part of their studies.

Many imams have second or third secular careers (e.g., teachers, doctors, engineers, lawyers). In these instances, they would earn degrees in their respective fields. For example, an engineer would have a degree in engineering and a teacher would have a degree in education.

Certification

Nearly 24 percent of imams have a certificate that certifies that they have memorized the entire Quran, according to a study of imams at mosques affiliated with the Islamic Society of North America and North American Islamic Trust. Some imams improve their language skills by earning undergraduate and graduate certificates in English, Arabic, or in one or more of the languages spoken by people at their mosque. Contact schools in your area to learn about available programs.

Other Education or Training

Imams continue to increase their knowledge and understanding of Islam throughout their ministry by attending spiritual retreats, being mentored by more experienced imams, and taking classes that offered by Islamic organizations and colleges and universities.

Certification or Licensing

Imams may need to be licensed in foreign countries, but there is no certification or licensing available in the United States. Imams who work as chaplains in hospitals, hospices, and the military can become certified by the Association of Professional Chaplains.

A large American mosque with several imams may hire an assistant imam who has just completed training, but most mosques typically require imams to have at least two years of experience.

An imam who is employed at an American mosque should have good English skills, a thorough understanding of U.S. culture, and the ability to work with people of different cultures and backgrounds. Seventy-eight percent of full-time paid, American imams were born and educated outside the United States, mostly in Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and India, according to the Islamic Society of North America and North American Islamic Trust. Muslim organizations report that many of these foreign-born imams have a difficult time connecting with their congregants who were born in the U.S., but, often times, have immigrated from a wide array of countries and cultures.

Younger American Muslims increasingly want their imams to not just be scripture readers, but serve a variety of other needs of the community. Imams are expected to be “marriage counselor, youth director, scholar, and fundraiser,” according to Edgar Hopida, past-spokesman for the Islamic Society of North America in an interview with the Wall Street Journal about the career of imam. “Like the local priest, they’re put into this role of community leader.”

Other important traits for imams include patience, compassion, kindness, and wisdom, as well as strong leadership, organizational, and time-management skills. In addition to personal and professional skills, imams must have extensive knowledge of the Quran and Haditha, among other religious texts.