Al-Mustafa Open University

What Al-Mustafa Open University does

Al-Mustafa Open University is a fully online, self-serve virtual higher-education institution headquartered in Qom, Iran, operating as the online arm of Al-Mustafa International University (Jamiat al-Mustafa al-Alamiya). It delivers Bachelor's (135 credits, minimum 8 semesters) and Master's (32 credits, minimum 4 semesters) degree programs in Islamic humanities and sciences across five faculties — Quran and Hadith, Jurisprudence and Principles, Islamic Humanities, Wisdom and Religion Studies, and Language, Literature and Cultural Studies — accredited by the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The university also offers short-term Islamic sciences courses and dedicated Persian, Arabic, and English language programs using structured methodologies (AZFA, Al-Arabiyyah Bayna Yadayk, Top Notch).

The underlying platform is a web-based virtual learning environment accessed via admission.mou.ir and my.mou.ir, supporting multilingual instruction in Persian, Arabic, English, Urdu, Azerbaijani, Turkish, French, and Spanish, and integrated with the parent institution's digital library (dlib.miu.ac.ir) and shared SAMPA admissions system. Students apply, register, upload documents, and study entirely online, with no in-person sales or onboarding interaction. The university serves 70,833 registered students from 146 nationalities, augmented by research output through six peer-reviewed/biannual journals including the International Multidisciplinary Journal of Pure Life (IMJPL).

Revenue is generated primarily through per-semester tuition fees (variable by country of residence), language-course fees (e.g., 645,000 Tomans/semester for English), and donations accepted globally for tuition assistance, Quranic programs, infrastructure, and academic tours. With 49 employees and ideologically aligned institutional backing from Al-Mustafa International University and affiliated offices of the Supreme Leader of Iran, the institution operates as a mission-driven, non-equity-funded educational platform rather than a commercial venture.

Name

Al-Mustafa Open University

Legal name

Al-Mustafa Open University

Website

https://mou.ir

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Al-Mustafa Open University is a fully online Islamic higher-education institution based in Qom, Iran, delivering accredited Bachelor's and Master's programs plus language courses to 70,833 registered students across 146 nationalities via a multilingual self-serve virtual learning platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Islamic Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Islamic Colleges & Sharia/Fiqh Institutes (EDAHAKAI)

Keywords

• Online Islamic education
• Islamic humanities degrees
• Virtual university programs
• Persian Arabic English courses
• Accredited religious higher education

Headquarters

HQ city

Qom

HQ country

Iran

HQ region

Middle East

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Primary revenue stream from tuition fees charged per semester. Fees vary based on student's country of residence. Bachelor's degree requires 135 credits; Master's degree requires 32 credits. Each semester, students pay tuition based on their selected program and residency location.
2. Language Course Fees: Revenue from paid language courses including Persian, Arabic, and English language instruction. For example, English language courses cost 645,000 Tomans per semester, charged per term.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The university accepts donations from supporters globally for specific purposes including student tuition assistance, content development, Quranic programs, infrastructure development, and academic tours. This represents a secondary funding mechanism.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Al-Mustafa Open University delivers fully online Islamic higher education and language training to a global student body. It offers Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in Islamic sciences and humanities accredited by Iran's Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, along with short-term courses and Persian, Arabic, and English language courses delivered through a virtual learning platform. The university operates through five faculties and serves students from 146 nationalities entirely through online instruction.

Product overview

Al-Mustafa Open University is a virtual/online Islamic education institution offering a comprehensive portfolio of academic programs and language courses. The core offerings include Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in Islamic sciences, humanities, and related fields, all accredited by the Ministry of Science of Iran. The university provides short-term courses in Islamic sciences and humanities, along with dedicated language programs (Persian, Arabic, and English) using established methodologies. Research output is supported through multiple journals (IMJPL, Biannual Journal of Jurisprudential and Legal Research, Biannual Journal of Islamic Studies, Biannual Journal for Student: Wisdom and Spirituality, Biannual Journal of Saba, and Biannual Journal of Zikr and Fikr). The university operates five faculties: Quran and Hadith, Jurisprudence and Principles, Islamic Humanities, Wisdom and Religion Studies, and Language, Literature and Cultural Studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor's Degree Programs Long-term undergraduate programs accredited by the Ministry of Science of the Islamic Republic of Iran, offered over a minimum of 8 semesters (4 years), covering humanities and Islamic sciences with 135 credits required for completion. Designed for students worldwide seeking accredited Islamic higher education.
• Master's Degree Programs Long-term master's programs accredited by the Ministry of Science of the Islamic Republic of Iran, offered over a minimum of 4 semesters (2 years), covering humanities and Islamic sciences with 32 credits required for completion. Designed for students worldwide seeking postgraduate Islamic education.
• Short-Term Courses Short-term courses covering topics in Islamic sciences and humanities, accessible to students after registering in the university's admissions system. Designed for learners seeking focused topical study without committing to a full degree program.
• Persian Language Course Persian language course designed for non-Iranian speakers, covering levels from beginner to advanced over 14 months using the AZFA teaching method. A valid certificate is awarded upon completion, accepted for admission to any university in Iran.
• Arabic Language Course Arabic language course designed for Persian speakers using the university's exclusive teaching method, offered over 12 semesters (6 preliminary and 6 intermediate). Twenty sessions per semester, 90 minutes each, using 'Al-Arabiyyah Bayna Yadayk' and 'Al-Arabiyyah Lil-Aalam' textbooks. Certificates awarded upon completion.
• English Language Course English language course designed for Persian speakers following the Top Notch teaching method, offered over 8 semesters from beginner to intermediate level (30 sessions per semester, 45 minutes effective instruction). Priced at 645,000 Tomans per semester with certificates awarded upon completion.
• International Multidisciplinary Journal of Pure Life (IMJPL) International multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal published by Al-Mustafa Open University for scholarly research in Islamic sciences and humanities.
• Biannual Journal of Jurisprudential and Legal Research Biannual scholarly journal published by the university focusing on jurisprudential and legal research topics.
• Biannual Journal of Islamic Studies for Student Biannual journal published by the university dedicated to Islamic studies for students.
• Biannual Journal for Student: Wisdom and Spirituality Biannual journal published by the university focusing on wisdom and spirituality topics for students.
• Biannual Journal of Saba Biannual scholarly journal published by the university.
• Biannual Journal of Zikr and Fikr Biannual journal published by the university focusing on remembrance and thought (Zikr and Fikr) topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates receive Ministry of Science-accredited certificates recognized in countries that accept online education
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Al-Mustafa International UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAl-Mustafa Open University is affiliated with Al-Mustafa International University (miu.ac.ir), the parent institution. Students can transfer between the traditional Jamia Al-Mustafa and the open university, with credits being equivalenced. The open university leverages the parent institution's academic infrastructure, faculty network, and research resources including the digital library at dlib.miu.ac.ir.
• The Office of the Supreme LeaderminorOthersOfficial linkage to the Office of the Supreme Leader of Iran (leader.ir) as part of the broader Islamic educational network under the Supreme Leader's guidance.
• Office for the Preservation and Publication of Works of Grand Ayatollah Sayyid Ali KhameneiminorOthersConnected to the official website for preserving and publishing the works of the Supreme Leader, reflecting the ideological alignment and scholarly resources of the institution.
• Islamic World Science and Technology Monitoring and Citation Institute (ISC)minorOthersAffiliation with ISC (isc.ac/en), Iran's scientific citation database and indexing organization, supporting academic research quality assurance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• International Open University (IOU): IOU is a tuition-free online Islamic university offering degree programs across multiple languages to international Muslim students. It is the most direct functional comparable to Al-Mustafa Open University, differing mainly in its freemium model and Gambia-registered status.
• Islamic University of Minnesota: IUM operates as an online Islamic university providing undergraduate and graduate programs in Islamic studies. It directly competes with Al-Mustafa for English-speaking Muslim students seeking Western-accredited online Islamic degrees.
• Al-Madinah International University (MEDIU): MEDIU is a Malaysian-based online Islamic university offering accredited Bachelor's and Master's programs by ODL/MEIPS. Like Al-Mustafa, it focuses on Islamic sciences and humanities with a global learner base, providing a comparable cross-border online Islamic education model.

Broad incumbents

• Al-Azhar University Online Programs: Al-Azhar University is the historic Sunni Islamic authority institution, beginning to offer online Islamic education programs. As a broad incumbent with massive brand recognition, it represents a major potential competitor if it expands its online footprint.
• International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM): IIUM is a major international Islamic university with established distance learning programs. It offers a comparable mix of Islamic sciences and humanities degrees with strong accreditation, competing for the same international Muslim student segment.
• Islamic University of Madinah: One of the largest Islamic universities globally, with a growing presence in online Islamic education. Its brand authority and Saudi state backing make it a powerful incumbent competitor in the international Islamic higher education market.

Emerging players

• Knowledge International University: A smaller online Islamic university offering Bachelor's and Master's programs with an international scope. It competes in the same niche of global online Islamic higher education, though with significantly smaller student scale.
• European Institute of Human Sciences (EIHS): EIHS offers online Islamic education programs combining traditional Islamic sciences with modern pedagogy. It serves as a smaller, niche European alternative, with overlapping target audience of European Muslim learners seeking accredited Islamic degrees.

Regional players

• Zaytuna College: Zaytuna College is a US-based liberal arts Islamic college offering accredited undergraduate programs. While primarily residential, it represents a comparable Islamic higher education brand competing for the same international Muslim student demographic in English.
• An-Najah National University: An-Najah is a Palestinian university with a strong online and continuing education division. It offers multilingual programs across the Middle East and serves as a comparable regional Islamic/Arabic higher education provider in adjacent markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCj6MMif2kcbybJ-RY3LqU-w
• Facebookfacebook.com/Pe.AlmustafaOU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/al-mustafa-open-university
• Instagraminstagram.com/almustafa_open_university.fa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Al-Mustafa Open University