SINGAPORE: Enrolled students Upcoming Singapore College of Islamic Studies Minister for Muslim Affairs Masagos Zulkifli said that (SCIS) will have the option of obtaining one or both diplomas in religious studies and social sciences.

Speaking to reporters at Parliament House on Wednesday (November 13), Mr Masagos said it gave graduates the chance to switch between a religious career and the field of social work.

SCIS will do Welcome to the first batch of 60 students to its four-year program in 2028, when the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) opens its doors at its learning campus near Bencoolen Mosque.

The college has partnered with the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) for the social sciences pathway, while the Islamic studies program will be run in partnership with Dar al-Ifta in Egypt, the University of Jordan and Al-Qarawiyyin in Morocco. .

Mr. Masagos said students will spend their first two years learning the fundamentals of both Islamic studies and social sciences.

In their third year, students can choose either route.

Those who plan to specialize in religious studies can graduate with a SCIS degree, while those who qualify for a social science program can choose to receive a SUSS degree.

Students who wish to obtain both degrees can then extend their education by two years to pursue the second field.

“To ensure that our religious teachers also have life and work skills, a component of their universities must also be something they acquire beyond deep religious knowledge,” the minister said.

“If they have deep skill sets in social work that require them to understand psychology, social work, social structures, that would be a very powerful combination for them to bring to the table as part of their skill arsenal.”

SG’S OWN HIGHER EDUCATION IN ISLAMIC STUDIES

Mr Masagos said SCIS was a “long-standing desire” of the Muslim community.

The college aims to train a new generation of religious teachers, known as asatizah, who can impart religious knowledge in the context of Singapore’s multi-ethnic and multi-religious society.

Currently, the country’s six madrassas provide education to students only up to pre-university level. Every year, approximately 120 to 150 students go abroad to further their education in Islamic studies.

Those returning from abroad must take the Postgraduate Certificate in Islam in Contemporary Societies (PCICS) before being recognized as asatizah.

The one-year program helps graduates connect the Islamic teachings they have learned abroad to a Singapore perspective.

SCIS students will graduate as Tier 1 asatizah and will not have to go through PCICS as the university’s curriculum will already be adapted to the local context.

“Our students studying in Singapore can apply the knowledge they have gained at SCIS and hit the ground running,” said Mr. Masagos.

He added that the PCICS program will be continued for those who want to continue pursuing higher religious education abroad.

PURCHASE SIZE MAY INCREASE

Mr Masagos said SCIS could also help develop a body of knowledge that could provide religious guidance to Muslims living as minorities in secular societies.

He hopes that in the future the university will be able to attract religious leaders from countries that share a similar context with Singapore, including neighboring countries such as Thailand and the Philippines.

Mr. Masagos will chair SCIS’ international advisory panel, which will meet once to twice a year on education and curriculum development.

Former speaker of parliament Abdullah Tarmugi will chair the university’s board of directors and the board will be responsible for administrative matters, including fees, costs and charges.

Singapore Mufti Nazirudin Mohd Nasir chairs the executive committee that oversees the university’s planning and development.

Mr Masagos said SCIS’s 60-strong pioneering group would be a good starting point to ensure there are enough jobs for graduates. The workforce needed in the Asatiza sector includes services in mosques and madrassas, as well as other institutions such as the Sharia Court, the Registry of Muslim Marriages, MUIS and academia.

He added that the purchase amount could gradually double to 120 in the future.