There are two way of perspective to define the Islamic Architecture. First, Islamic Architecture is architecture based on value of islamic teachings (syari’ah Islam) based on Al Qur’an and Al Hadits. Second, Islamic Cultural Architecture is architecture cultural product of islamic society (moslem), both architecture as the work of Islamic society, architecture of islamic worship, architecture from a local society, regional and islamic country or architecture from Arabic peninsula as the places where the Islam came from. The extent of spatial content and culture from the boundaries of islamic architecture, make the shape of islamic architecture is very diverse. This variation caused by islamic teachings (Al Qur’an and Al Hadits) interpreted differently by the society, it influenced by other ideologies that are local in nature.

Diversity form above makes the object of islamic architecture gets much larger and getting more attention from researchers. Some university from America and Europe such as Havard and Oxford University has developed this field of study. The held of Aga Khan Award from 1977 became one proof of the attention of the academic world and practitioners to the entity of Architecture Islam (http://www.akdn.org/akaa_award10.asp). In some of University from Indonesia (Institut Teknologi Bandung, Universitas Indonesia dan sebagainya),  had included ‘arsitektur Islam’ courses in their curriculum.

In order to selecting their featured programs, PS-Architecture referring to Vision of UMS and Faculty of Engineer, and other external environment. As the part of Private Islamic College and Muhammadiyah charity venture who has a vision as the center of Islamic edication and developmend of science and technology based on islam and give direction of change. The Faculty of Engineering UMS has a vision as the center of featured engineering field that could produce qualified and competitive graduates on the scale of local, national, nor international that has character and have an islamic spirit. Starting from the two of great vision that included, development of islamic architecture study on global context and religious characteristic of major Indonesian that dominated by moslem, expressly stipulated that PS- Architecture as The Center of Featured Islamic Architecture.

In 2004 PS- Architecture UMS set up the Islamic Architecture Research Center (PSAI) to support the effort to achieve the goal above. PSAI confirmed based on SK Dekan Fakultas Teknik UMS No.033/IV/FT/2004 on September 27, 2004, that has renewed by SK Rektor UMS No. 056/IV/2005 on June, 30 2005. On 2018 carried out updating the manager PSAI based on SK Rektor UMS No 32/IV/2018 on March 19, 2018 tentang Pergantian Pengelola Pusat Studi Arsitektur Islam Universitas Muhammadiyah periode 2018-2021.