Cambridge Muslim College

What Cambridge Muslim College does

Cambridge Muslim College is a UK registered charity (No. 1137219) founded in 2009 and headquartered at 14 St Paul's Road, Cambridge CB1 2EZ. It delivers higher-education programmes in Islamic studies validated by The Open University, including a three-year BA (Hons) in Islamic Studies, a one-year full-time Classical Arabic programme (£6,000 tuition, cohorts of up to 20 students with an optional ~£2,000 Morocco immersion), a part-time online Arabic offering, the Contextual Islamic Studies and Leadership (CISL) diploma targeted at traditional Islamic scholarship graduates, and a newer PGCert HE in Islam and Psychology and Cert HE in Contextual Islamic Studies validated in September 2025. The college is institutionally accredited by the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education.

The college runs a digital distribution layer on third-party infrastructure: an Online Learning Platform hosted on Teachable (cambridgemuslimcollege.teachable.com) sells self-paced courses and lecture series globally at $34.80-$58.80 per course, while Eventbrite handles event ticketing and Microsoft Teams supports online open-day webinars. Revenue is generated across five streams: tuition fees, donations and fundraising (Friend, Patron, Zakat, one-off), online course sales, paid events and retreats (e.g., Living Bukhari weekend at £195 per person), and corporate/individual sponsorships, with scholarship funding channeled through partners such as the Aziz Foundation and a three-year John Templeton Foundation research grant for analytic theology.

The college serves three primary segments: prospective higher-education students seeking accredited Islamic studies qualifications, community learners pursuing sacred knowledge through online and in-person formats, and traditional Islamic scholarship graduates (ulama and imams) needing contextual training for British settings. It is led by Founder and Dean Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad (Aziz Foundation Professor) and Chief Executive Professor Joel Hayward, with faculty drawn from both Oxbridge-trained academics and traditional scholars from Egypt, Syria, Turkey, and Jordan. Marketing is multi-channel—website, email newsletter, social media, YouTube, the Tea Over Books and Paradigms of Leadership event series, Open Days, and webinars—and it engages internationally through visits with delegations from Malaysia, Turkey, Bosnia, and the US.

Name

Cambridge Muslim College

Legal name

Cambridge Muslim College

Website

https://cambridgemuslimcollege.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Cambridge Muslim College is a UK registered charity founded in 2009 that delivers Open University-validated Islamic studies programmes (BA Hons, Classical Arabic, CISL, Islam and Psychology) on its Cambridge campus and through a Teachable-based online platform, serving Muslim students, community learners, and traditional scholarship graduates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education in Islamic Studies

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Islamic Colleges & Sharia/Fiqh Institutes (EDAHAKAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ministerial Training Institutes (Clergy Formation) (EDAHAKAE), Theological Universities & Pontifical Universities (EDAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Islamic higher education
• Classical Arabic training
• Religious scholarship programs
• Online Islamic courses
• Community chaplaincy training

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Revenue from academic programme tuition, including the Classical Arabic programme at £6,000 per year
2. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from supporters, including Friend subscriptions, Patron memberships, Zakat contributions, and one-off donations
3. Online Course Sales: Revenue from online courses sold through the Teachable platform at various price points ($34.80-$58.80 per course)
4. Event Fees: Revenue from paid events such as retreats and immersions (e.g., Living Bukhari weekend at £195 per person)
5. Sponsorships: Corporate and individual sponsorships supporting college operations and programmes

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cambridge Muslim College delivers accredited higher-education programmes in Islamic Studies and Classical Arabic, validated by The Open University, through full-time on-campus study in Cambridge and part-time online study. It supplements these degree programmes with a Teachable-hosted online course catalogue, recurring public lecture series, paid retreats and immersions, and theological research activities. The college is a UK registered charity funded by tuition, donations, and scholarships.

Product overview

Cambridge Muslim College is an educational institution offering a portfolio of academic programmes validated by The Open University, including the BA (Hons) in Islamic Studies, Contextual Islamic Studies and Leadership (CISL), Islam and Psychology, and Classical Arabic (both full-time in-person and part-time online formats). The college complements its campus-based offerings with an Online Learning Platform hosted on Teachable, delivering exclusive lecture series and courses such as 'How We Know What We Know', 'What is Sufism?', 'Meanings of Prayer', 'Sira: A Journey of Transformation', 'The Heart of the Qur'an', and 'Al-Nawawi's Forty Hadith'. Public engagement is fostered through event series including Tea Over Books, Paradigms of Leadership, and Winter Reading List. The college also conducts research in theology, science ethics, and social philosophy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tea Over Books: A series of in-person events featuring conversations with authors about books, Biscuits & brewed tea.
• Paradigms of Leadership
• Online Learning Platform

Products and services

• BA (Hons) in Islamic Studies
• Contextual Islamic Studies and Leadership (CISL)
• Islam and Psychology
• Classical Arabic (Full-Time)
• Classical Arabic (Part-Time, Online)
• Online Learning Platform

Quantifiable outcome

• External examiners noted BA student work quality comparable to—and in some cases superior to—undergraduates at Oxford, Cambridge, and King's College London
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of Sarajevo (Faculty of Islamic Studies)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Contextual Islamic Studies and Leadership cohort students traveled to Bosnia and Herzegovina for a study trip, engaging with academics and religious authorities at the University of Sarajevo's Faculty of Islamic Studies.
• Oxford's Laudato Si' Research InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Cambridge Muslim College will host a two-day formation course exploring Christian-Muslim engagement on ecology, bringing together theological reflection and practical dialogue.
• Addenbrooke's Hospital ChaplaincycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 October 2025Cambridge Muslim College announced a new partnership with the Chaplaincy at Addenbrooke's Hospital (part of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust), formalised through a signed agreement for chaplaincy services and training.
• Al-Maqasid SeminaryminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Shaykh Yahya Rhodus, Founding Director of Al-Maqasid Seminary in the United States, visited Cambridge Muslim College and met with Shaykh Abdal Hakim Murad.
• Malaysian Research & Education FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024A delegation from the Malaysian Research & Education Foundation visited Cambridge Muslim College, indicating ongoing international academic exchange.
• Bursa Uludag UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024Professor Ferudun Yilmaz, the Rector of Bursa Uludag University (Turkey), visited Cambridge Muslim College, indicating academic collaboration with Turkish institutions.
• Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2024Members of IKIM visited Cambridge Muslim College and met with Chief Executive Professor Joel Hayward to learn more about the college's programmes.
• The Open UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge Muslim College is approved by The Open University as an appropriate institution to offer higher education programmes leading to Open University validated awards. This validation provides accreditation for the college's academic programmes.
• British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education (BAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCambridge Muslim College is accredited by the British Accreditation Council for Independent Further and Higher Education, providing institutional quality assurance.
• Cambridge UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCISL students visit the Faculty of Education at Cambridge University as part of ongoing commitment to providing diverse and enriching learning experiences.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Al-Maqasid Seminary: A US-based seminary offering traditional Islamic sciences training with a contemporary curriculum. Listed as a partner of Cambridge Muslim College and comparable in its focus on intensive traditional Islamic scholarship for English-speaking students.
• Zaytuna College: The first accredited Muslim liberal arts college in the United States, offering undergraduate degrees in Islamic studies and related fields. Comparable to Cambridge Muslim College in its mission to integrate Islamic intellectual tradition with Western academic standards, though operating in a different geographic market.
• Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research: A US-based Islamic research and education institution producing accessible content on Islamic theology and sciences. Comparable to Cambridge Muslim College's online learning offering in its global digital reach into English-speaking Muslim audiences.
• Bayan Claremont (Bayyan Institute): A US-based Islamic graduate school offering an MA in Islamic Studies and Leadership with a classical curriculum. Comparable in its aim to train contextually literate Muslim scholars and leaders, though operating in North America.

Direct peers

• Ebrahim College: A London-based Islamic higher education institution offering undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in Islamic studies, Arabic, and related fields. The most direct UK-based competitor to Cambridge Muslim College, serving a similar Muslim student demographic with accredited Islamic studies degrees.
• Markfield Institute of Higher Education: A UK-based Islamic higher education institution affiliated with the Muslim Academic Trust, offering postgraduate programmes in Islamic studies, education, and theology. Direct competitor in the UK Islamic higher education market with similar validated-degree positioning.
• Al-Salam Institute: A UK-based provider of Islamic education delivering programmes in Islamic theology, Arabic, and spirituality, with a focus on serving British Muslim communities. Comparable to Cambridge Muslim College in its mission to bridge traditional Islamic scholarship with contemporary contexts.
• The Islamic College (London): A London-based Islamic higher education institution offering undergraduate and postgraduate degrees validated by Middlesex University. Closely comparable to Cambridge Muslim College in offering accredited Islamic studies pathways to UK Muslim students.

Regional players

• European Institute of Human Sciences: A UK-based Islamic higher education institution offering BA and MA programmes in Islamic studies. Comparable to Cambridge Muslim College in serving UK Muslim students seeking accredited Islamic studies pathways, with similar small-cohort and traditional-modern integration positioning.

Others

• Cambridge Muslim College Press: The publishing arm of Cambridge Muslim College producing scholarly works on Islamic theology and related topics. Listed as a sub-brand of CMC; included as an ecosystem peer's adjacent publishing activity given the same brand and mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/CMC_Cambridge
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6ApDIST7zf1jyo9V2GXyag
• Facebookfacebook.com/cambridgemuslimcollege
• Instagraminstagram.com/cambridgemuslimcollege

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cambridge Muslim College