More than 400 applicants applied to courses in general business management, Islamic studies and psychology. Applicants must have a university degree and expertise in the Koran and only 50 women will be accepted, Med Basin Newsline said Tuesday.

Moroccan officials say the program is intended to counter al-Qaida recruitment tactics and teachings but critics said the women face obstacles regarding restrictions to mosques and interactions with other women.

"This is a rare experiment in the Muslim world," Mohammed Mahfudh, the director of a school embracing the program, told Med Basin Newsline.

Graduates serve as spiritual guides in community centers, prisons and schools.