Bayan Islamic Graduate School was founded in 2011 at the Claremont School of Theology (CST), a world-renowned seminary that sought to “desegregate” theological education and enable its students to learn about multiple faith traditions in an authentic manner. The need for a partner to provide graduate-level Islamic Studies led to the formation of Bayan and its incubation towards eventually becoming a free-standing institution. The support of the Islamic Center of Southern California (ICSC), where the founder and president of Bayan, Jihad Turk, was the Imam and Religious Director, helped launch Bayan.