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Abstract

This study provides a comparative investigation of the Master’s Programs in Aqidah and Islamic Philosophy in Indonesia, focusing on Darussalam University (UNIDA) Gontor and Sunan Kalijaga State Islamic University (UIN Sunan Kalijaga). The study examines how institutional frameworks, epistemological paradigms, and curriculum design shape the development of scholarship in these institutions. A qualitative comparative approach was employed, combining document analysis, semi-structured interviews with faculty and students, and field observations conducted in 2023, complemented by desk research in 2024–2025. The analysis used institutional theory, Kuhn’s paradigm concept, and curriculum design perspectives. The results showed distinct orientations alongside areas of convergence. UNIDA represented a pesantren-based model grounded in moral-spiritual authority and a tawḥīdic worldview, which outlined Islamization of knowledge and classical epistemology preservation. UIN reflected a state-affiliated model influenced by bureaucratic governance and accreditation demands. It advanced the integration–interconnection paradigm that promoted interdisciplinary dialogue and openness to contemporary scholarship. Curriculum practices reinforced these approaches with UNIDA adopting a rational-linear model centered on textual mastery. While UIN applied flexible frameworks which integrated hermeneutics, critical theory, and multidisciplinary methods. These models exhibited the richness of Indonesian Islamic higher education in negotiating tradition and modernity. UNIDA safeguarded epistemological continuity rooted in revelation, with UIN concentrated on adaptability and global engagement. These insights provided meaningful implications for policymakers and educators in designing Islamic higher education that was contextually grounded, epistemologically coherent, and responsive to global academic currents.