ITQAN: Jurnal Ilmu-ilmu Kependidikan
Vol. 17 No. 1 (2026): ITQAN: Jurnal Ilmu-ilmu Kependidikan

Curriculum Relevance, Stakeholder Engagement, and Graduate Employability in Islamic Higher Education: Evidence from the KPI Graduate Program

Kamaruzzaman Kamaruzzaman (Universitas Islam Negeri Sultanah Nahrasiyah Lhokseumawe)
Linur Ficca Agustina (Universitas Islam Negeri Sultanah Nahrasiyah Lhokseumawe)
Muhammad Saleh (Universitas Islam Negeri Sultanah Nahrasiyah Lhokseumawe)
Harjoni Desky (Universitas Islam Negeri Sultanah Nahrasiyah Lhokseumawe)



Article Info

Publish Date
30 Jun 2026

Abstract

Curriculum relevance has become a key indicator of higher education quality because it determines how well graduate competencies respond to workforce demands and stakeholder expectations. This study aims to assess the relevance of the Postgraduate Program in Islamic Communication and Broadcasting (KPI) curriculum at IAIN Lhokseumawe from the perspectives of alumni and institutional stakeholders. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, involving twelve alumni and representatives from government institutions, schools, media organizations, communication agencies, and zakat institutions. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, observations, and document analysis, and analyzed using the interactive model of Miles, Huberman, and SaldaƱa. The findings indicate that the curriculum remains relevant in fostering ethical awareness, interpersonal communication, collaboration, and community engagement. However, competencies related to analytical thinking, strategic communication, digital literacy, policy analysis, and continuous professional development require further strengthening to meet evolving labour market demands. Stakeholders emphasized the importance of closer collaboration between universities and professional sectors to ensure continuous curriculum improvement. Based on these findings, this study proposes a Transformative Curriculum Framework integrating labour market foresight, competency-based curriculum, experiential learning, Islamic values and local wisdom, and sustainable stakeholder partnerships. The framework provides a context-sensitive model for strengthening curriculum relevance, graduate employability, and stakeholder value within Islamic higher education.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

itqan

Publisher

Subject

Religion Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media Mathematics Social Sciences Other

Description

Jurnal Itqan, ISSN: 2086-7018 (p) -2614-4654 (e); is an academic journal published by Tarbiyah and Teacher Training Faculty, State Islamic Institute of Lhokseumawe (Institute Agama Islam Negeri Lhokseumawe) Lhokseumawe, Indonesia.The Scope of Itqan journal included the area of (1) Islamic Education; ...