The Graduate School of Islamic and Social Sciences (GSISS) was founded as one of the first privately held, independent institutions in the United States dedicated in its entirety to teaching and research in Islamic Studies. It has focused on the American experience of Islam and Islamic studies in the United States and the West.  The school has developed its work around an “ijtihad orientation” that is a creative but disciplined intellectual effort to derive legal rulings from the Islamic sources while taking into consideration the variables imposed by the changing circumstances of the Muslim society.  The visionary behind the school was Dr. Taha Al-Alwani, an outstanding scholar and man of deep faith, who passed away in 2015.

Currently the GSISS is in transition from offering accredited academic courses to offering student and public seminars and other learning opportunities.   It has worked closely with Virginia International University and other institutions to continue its role in Islamic education.  It offers Consortium students and faculty members access to an outstanding library in Islamic Studies through the T. J. Al-Alwani Library housed at IIIT.

P. O. Box 1340
Herndon, VA 20172
Contact:   Dr. Ahmed Alwani   [email protected]