The associate degree program can be taken with all programs except BA ALS, BAIS, BED English, BBA, BScIEBF and BScPSY.

Associate Degree in Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance is a 2-year program (4 semesters - 6 courses per semester) that should be completed in maximum 6 years of time. Students can take between one to six courses per semester, but the entire program has to be completed within a maximum of six years.

Associate Degree in Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance should be completed in maximum 6 years. However, if a student exceeds the allotted time duration without completing the required number of courses, then s/he will need to repeat their earliest courses on case-to-case basis. For example, if one enters the 7th year of study, s/he has to repeat their first and second semester courses. If one enters into the 8th year, the third and fourth semester courses have to be retaken by the student

No, it is not possible and we do not recommend it under any circumstances. The maximum number of courses a full time student is allowed to take is 9. It will not be possible for a student to concentrate and fully understand the concepts if s/he takes more than 9 courses. A student has to devote approximately 3 to 4 hours per course per week to understand the concepts well. This will not be possible by taking more than 9 courses. In addition, a well-researched assignment for every course has to be submitted as part of the examinations.

The International Open University is an online educational institution. The entire program is taught online via internet. Anyone from any part of the world can join easily and benefit from it, Insha'Allah.

It is strongly recommended for IOU students to have a high-speed internet connection. However, if a student does not have a high-speed connection, s/he can download audio and video lectures that can be watched or listened to later.

Module tests and midterm exams can be taken at home within the prescribed period. The final exams must be taken only in an IOU approved exam center. There are several designated IOU centers across the globe. You may look for a center near you before the exams begin and register for it. If there is no IOU approved exam center nearby, you can suggest an exam center and if it will meet our requirements, we will approve it even if you are the only student taking exams in it, Insha’Allah. Please read the exam center requirements by clicking on the link http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com/iap/requirements-exam-center.php

No, there are no examination fees charged by IOU. However, students might have to pay fees to the exam center directly if requested. Therefore, we advise students to confirm with the centers beforehand.

The International Open University is an online educational institution. The entire program is taught online via internet. Anyone from any part of the world can join easily and benefit from it, Insha Allaah. The admission is open throughout the year. If a student is admitted and enrollment is closed, s/he will begin studies in the following enrollment phase.

Before you begin the registration process, make sure that you have your personal information and necessary scanned images ready on your PC. The registration form is available here:http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com/campus/login/signup.php Please choose the program ‘Islamic Economics, Banking and Finance’ and the stream ‘DIBE’

Kindly find the admission process here : http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com/aibe/process.php

Once all the required documents are uploaded, you will receive a reply from the registrar regarding your admission confirmation and fee payment details within 3 days, Insha Allaah. If you will not receive any reply, please contact the IOU Info Desk at info@iou.edu.gm.

Upon the completion of the 3 registration steps, the payment of the fees included, you will receive an email with the enrollment instructions few days before the beginning of the semester during the regular enrollment period. If you have completed the registration before or after the regular enrollment period, you may enroll via the early enrollment system by visiting this link. Please note that you have only two attempts to enroll. Therefore, you should choose your courses carefully. Staff will be able to help you only if there is some genuine reason.

The International Open University offers two terms each year.

Spring semester - March to July

Fall semester - September to January

The exact dates for the enrollment during the regular period, which is at the beginning of the semester, are announced on the site news before the semester begins. The early enrollment for those who want to enroll during the non-regular period can be accessed via this link.

Registration is open all year round though we advise you to register right away. You will be able to register in the current semester if the deadline has not passed. If the deadline has passed, you will be registered for the following semester and you may enroll into courses via the early enrollment system.

The deadlines of registration are broadly divided into three categories:

Early Registration Period:
Spring: beginning of October to mid-February
Fall: beginning of April to mid-August

Regular Registration Period:
Spring: mid-February to mid-March
Fall: mid-August to mid-September

Late Registration Period:
Spring: mid-March to end of March
Fall: mid-September to end of September

Registered students will be sent the exact dates of each semester a couple of weeks before the semester starts.

Alhamdulillaah, all the courses are tuition-free, however, there are affordable semester registration fees applicable based on the development of the country of residence

Please see more details and sliding scale fees structure here:http://www.islamiconlineuniversity.com/aibe/scale-fee.php These are the only fees we charge per semester. The course material is provided free of cost. Additionally, there is an e-library available as a study aid for the students.

No. English language certification is not a requirement for any of the IOU programs. However, you should be aware that English is the medium of instruction for the entire program and you need to have a good command over the language to enroll into the program. You must display the ability to communicate effectively in terms of reading, writing and speaking fluently in English. This is vital for your success as a university student.

Yes, these uncommon courses will appear on the student's permanent academic record with the final course mark and noted as "Additional Courses". However, they are not included in calculating the student's Grade Point Average and do not count towards the degree, diploma or certificate credit.

We cannot claim that ALL universities will accept IOU's degrees, as it each country has its own practices and standards for recognition of university credits and studies, accreditation and/or recognition of prior learning (RPL). As such, IOU can only focuss on meeting requirements for registration, accreditation and endorsement in our host countries. Through international higher education conventions, a registered and accredited university of a particularly country is recognized globally, however, some countries and universities may reserve the right not to recognize another’s qualifications - which is completely beyond the control of the degree-issuing university. The Islamic Online University (now renamed to the ‘International Open University – The Gambia’) is fully registered and accredited with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Higher Education in the Somali Federal Republic. Our newly-relocated head offices are in The Gambia. We are registered with the National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA) of Gambia and awaiting finalization of our institutional accreditation. The ‘Islamic Online University’ also holds provisional registration with the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) in Malawi. We have multiple satellite campuses in various countries world-wide that operate under the registration and accreditation obtained in our host countries (Somali Federal Republic, The Gambia, and Malawi). Whilst every effort is made to fulfill, meet and maintain registration and accreditation requirements in our host countries; as per international practice, the recognition of IOU-issued qualifications in non-host countries is at the discretion of their relevant national councils, that have diverse criteria for accepting foreign qualifications. As such, we encourage all our students not residing in our host countries to validate the recognition of the qualification with their national authorities. IOU is governed by the regulations and quality assurance practices and policies of our host countries.

While it is quite difficult to keep track of this, we have been notified of some of our graduates pursuing postgraduate studies in Indonesia and Gambia.

IOU is registered and accredited in Somalia. This was the first country in which IOU received full registration and accreditation. IOU then subsequently applied for registration in Gambia and has established a headquarters there. The finalization of registration is underway in The Gambia. We hope to conclude the finalization soon, In sha Allah. IOU also has provisional registration by the National Council of Higher Education in Malawi. We are also busy with the finalization of registration in Malawi currently. Once full registration is granted in Gambia and Malawi, IOU will then shift completely over to their systems and legislation.

The onus lies with the applicant seeking credit transfer externally to apply using the standard IOU-issued documents. In the motivation of the application, the student may naturally refer to an MoU in place.
The other university will follow their procedures to determine the validity and scope of the MoU. If the MoU explicitly cites credit transfer/recognition, then the applicant should not face challenges.

However, there are instances where admissions departments of partner universities might not grant credit transfer of some/all courses because the MoU might not have been intended for the purpose of credit transfer, or there could have been changes to syllabi that prevents credit transfer, as courses between IOU and partner university are no longer aligned. It would be best to check the conditions of the MoU in place with the specific partner university to explore its scope.

The National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority (NAQAA) has granted the International Open University a three year Provisional License to operate as a higher education institution in The Gambia effective 29 April, 2019. This license also serves as an institutional accreditation of International Open University, the Gambia, by National Accreditation and Quality Assurance Authority.
Moreover, the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology has granted to the International Open University a license to operate an online university in The Gambia with effect from May 13, 2014. For more information about accreditation click on the given link https://iou.edu.gm/stream/accreditation/

There is no fee charged for course materials, which consists of a PDF file. Flash videos and mp3 audios are available for online streaming as well as for download. We also provide an E-Library for students free of charge. If a student wishes to purchase hard copies of the required texts, they may do so from external sources.

If you are taking admission in Spring 2023 or after and intend to do a bachelor's degree, we would recommend you to take admission directly in the bachelor program instead of joining the certificate and associate degree programs. This is because the credits cannot be transferred from certificate and associate degree to the bachelor’s degree program.