Singapore College of Islamic Studies outlines undergraduate programme pathways for madrasah students ahead of 2028 intake

1. The Singapore College of Islamic Studies (SCIS) today shared details of its inaugural Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies programme, which will welcome its first cohort in 2028. 

2. The curriculum was presented to more than 70 pre-university madrasah students on Tuesday, 12 May 2026, during an engagement session at the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (MUIS) campus in Bencoolen Street. 

3. The engagement session was held with Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs and Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs, Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, as the Guest-of-Honour, and Mufti of Singapore, Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, in attendance. 

4. The session gave students an early look at what they can study, the overseas exposure they can look forward to, the support available, and the career pathways that SCIS could prepare them for. 

5. SCIS marks an important step in a long-held aspiration of Singapore’s Muslim community: to develop a home-grown Islamic higher education pathway that is rooted in Islamic tradition, shaped by Singapore’s context, and relevant to the needs of future asatizah and community leaders. 

SCIS Undergraduate Pathways

6. Pre-university madrasah students were introduced to the key features of the SCIS undergraduate pathway. 

   • ii. A clear pathway after madrasah 
     
     SCIS will offer a four-year Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies programme. SCIS adopts an interdisciplinary approach, offering students with the flexibility to shape their own learning journey.  
     
     In Years 1 and 2, students will build a shared foundation in Islamic scholarship, Arabic and the social sciences. 
     
     From Year 3, students will choose between two broad pathways: 

     • a. Islamic Studies Pathway 
       Students will study areas such as Shariah, Theology and Scriptures, with specialisations such as Fatwa Studies, Quranic Studies and Interfaith Studies. 

     • b. Social Sciences Pathway 
       Students will study areas such as Psychology, Counselling and Social Work, with specialisations such as Youth and Childhood, and Organisational Psychology. 

7. SCIS is not only about preparing students for mosque or madrasah roles. The programme is designed to ground students deeply in Islamic knowledge, while equipping them with practical skills to communicate clearly, think critically, conduct research, understand society, engage communities and serve confidently in Singapore’s context. 

8. These pathways give students more choices, whether they wish to pursue religious guidance, education, counselling, youth work, community development, social services, public service or other related fields.  

   • ii. Learning in Singapore, with overseas exposure 
     
     SCIS is designed to give students a strong foundation in Singapore, while also exposing them to established centres of Islamic scholarship overseas. This experience will give SCIS students the best of both worlds: Islamic learning grounded in Singapore’s context, with meaningful international exposure. 
     
     Students can look forward to overseas immersion opportunities with SCIS partner institutions, including Dar al-Ifta al-Misriyyah in Egypt, Al-Qarawiyyin University in Morocco and University of Jordan.  

   • iii. Support for students 
     
     MUIS is working through the details of fees, scholarships, bursaries and other support schemes. The intent is to ensure that SCIS remains accessible to deserving students, regardless of financial background. More details on fees, financial assistance and admission requirements will be shared before registration opens in 2027. 

   • iv. Recognition after graduation 
     
     SCIS graduates will receive Tier 1 recognition under the Asatizah Recognition Scheme, or ARS. This means SCIS graduates will be recognised as qualified asatizah upon graduation.