Graduates of Islamic studies programmes overseas will be allowed to teach Islam here while taking a mandatory course, which is a requirement for registration as an Islamic teacher in Singapore.

The Postgraduate Certificate in Islam in Contemporary Societies (PCICS) is a full-time one-year programme that aims to help returning Singaporean graduates re-adjust and contextualise what they have learnt to the local context.

Registration for the programme is now open and classes will start in April next year for the first cohort, the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) said yesterday.

Graduates hoping to work as Islamic religious teachers, or asatizah, in Singapore will be required to hold the PCICS.

Those who apply for the Asatizah Recognition Scheme will be given a provisional recognition that is valid for three years, allowing them to teach Islam while undergoing the course.

Returning graduates who do not intend to work in the religious sector will not have to go through the PCICS or apply for the Asatizah Recognition Scheme.

Muis, which set up the PCICS programme, said it will equip Singaporean students with the relevant knowledge and skills to serve in both the religious and secular sectors, while being grounded in Islamic teachings and values.

The programme will replace the current four-week Islam In Context course for all returning graduates.

Students on the PCICS programme will read a selection of modules offered by the Muis Academy and by local and foreign universities.

During an engagement session with overseas graduates on Thursday, a panel of seasoned asatizah, led by Deputy Mufti of Singapore, Dr Nazirudin Mohd Nasir, emphasised the importance of equipping future religious leaders with the relevant knowledge and skills to serve in the religious sector.

The panel said the graduates also need to deepen their understanding and apply their Islamic learning to the Singapore context.

Muis is also developing an Asatizah Workforce Development Plan, which will include a skills framework as well as upgrading and leadership programmes.

Mr Uwais Al-Qarni Mohamed Fawzi, 25, a recent graduate of Islamic Theology from the University of Jordan, said he will be applying to enrol in the PCICS programme.

"In the (foreign) university, we were mainly exposed to the theoretical aspects of Islam," he said.

"But religious queries from people in Singapore are different as a result of the diverse community and unique challenges here. Courses like the PCICS programme can further professionalise asatizah to better guide our community."