You only have to switch on the TV or pick up a paper to see that young Muslims are constantly under the media spotlight, often disproportionately. As a result, these young and impressionable men and women need the support of someone ‘who’s got their back’ when they enter higher education, even more than non-Muslim students. Following recent laws introduced by the government, universities and colleges now have an obligation to safeguard these students and need to meet the challenges they face in a well-informed and pragmatic way, which is where you come in.

It has given us a real sense of pride and joy to see many more, young Muslims enter higher education over the last 10 years, but this in turn has led to a demand for more Muslim chaplains who can offer them pastoral support, advice and be there for them in good times as well as bad.

We find it enormously encouraging that the number of Muslim chaplains has increased from only 24 in 2007 to over 90 in 2025, but despite this massive increase, we need even more of you to become chaplains. And there are many reasons why.

There are simply not enough Muslim chaplains offering pastoral support, which is why it’s vital that we increase their number. They will be on the frontline when it comes to reaching out to those students who need support and advice to navigate university social and academic life. In addition, being able to support those vulnerable students who might be at risk of falling into extremist ideologies or be on hand to countering extremist language and ideas being spread on campus. Muslim chaplains are also in a perfect position to advocate on behalf of Muslim students when voicing opinions and grievances to the university/college administrators.

What is a Muslim Chaplain?

A chaplain, regardless of their denomination, works with students of all faiths and none. They provide pastoral support, liaise between the educational institution and its students, as well as providing guidance on Islamic issues to the institution and lead prayers.

They are also expected to meet the needs and challenges of Muslims within the institution and be involved in interfaith dialogue and be able to build bridges between different groups.

Given the alarming rise in Islamaphobic hate crime, and the spreading of extremist narratives and ideas on campuses and within the community, Muslim chaplains play a pivotal role in supporting Muslim staff and students.

And it goes without saying that chaplains are there to provide pastoral support to students who need to be able to talk to a Muslim chaplain on any and every issue that concerns them, whether it’s directly related to their studies or a personal issue. As a Muslim chaplain you will be the kind of person who can lend a sympathetic ear and help in whatever way you can, whether that be with spiritual, financial or emotional problems that any student may come to you to ask for support. Thus, the importance of appropriate training and extensive experience in supporting students and staff in the education sector.

What skills and qualifications do I need?

You don’t need to be an Imam or a learned theologian to become a chaplain.

Many people think, incorrectly, that in order to become a Muslim chaplain you need to be of a certain age and have an inordinate knowledge about religion. This is not the case. Many exsisting chaplains are not Imams or learned theologians. There are however certain qualities that will set you in good stead to becoming an excellent chaplain. 

You should have good inter-personal skills, be fluent in English, have some first hand experience of working in the community, have good grounding in human behaviour and engagement alongside a basic knowledge of religion, Islam and theology.

Women can become chaplains as well as men, and a number of well known universities have female Muslim chaplains.

How do I become a Chaplain?

AMCed will support you to gain a Mulsim chaplaincy certificate and help you through your chaplaincy development.

Get trained

AMCed certificate courses in Muslim chaplaincy training and continuous professional development are delivered online with a few courses in person.

01) Shadow a Chaplain:

In order to gain first hand experience of what it’s like to be a chaplain the practical aspect of advanced Muslim chaplaincy training requires 40 hours of shadowing a Mulsim chaplain working in either a college or higher education. This will enable you to observe exactly what a chaplain does, and allows scope for you to explore whatever field interests you the most.

02) Mentoring:

Since our launch, AMCed has mentored several students from diverse backgrounds and communities.

The mentoring service is free for students on our advanced Muslim chaplaincy training programme and for those interested in finding out about Muslim chaplaincy in the education sector.

03) Start working:

Once you start your training we are on hand to provide support so you can hone your skills and develop as a chaplain.

04) Continue to develop:

Once you receive your certificate of Muslim chaplaincy, you can become part of AMCed where you will receive details on courses and networking events where you can meet other chaplains and share ideas.