The Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) will launch a new three-year Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP) in September 2027, with applications due to open shortly.
Designed and delivered by IIS, STEP prepares aspiring educators to teach The Institute’s Secondary Curriculum in Religious Education Centres (RECs) worldwide. Students who complete the programme successfully will receive an MA in Muslim Societies and Civilisations (with Year Abroad), awarded by SOAS, University of London.
Three years, three teaching contexts
The new programme marks a significant development in STEP’s approach to teacher education. Its three-year structure brings together the study of Muslim societies and civilisations, educational theory and sustained classroom experience within a single, integrated pathway.
During their first year, student-teachers begin developing their classroom practice through supported placements in UK RECs. They then spend their second year teaching in their home contexts, working directly with learners in their communities while continuing selected academic study online.
Returning to London for the final year, students build on these experiences as they prepare for professional practice. They explore different ways of reaching learners—including camps, episodic teaching and online or hybrid formats—and develop the adaptability needed to teach across varied cultural and educational settings.
Throughout the programme, Teaching and Learning modules connect academic study with professional formation. Mentoring, classroom observation, feedback and peer learning support student-teachers as they progress from guided practice towards confident, self-directed teaching. Each student-teacher also develops a portfolio documenting their growth as an educator and reflective practitioner.
An MA in Muslim Societies and Civilisations
The interdisciplinary curriculum places Ismaili traditions within the wider histories and cultures of Muslim societies. Students explore the Qur’anMuslims believe that the Holy Qur’an contains divine revelations to the Prophet Muhammed received in Mecca and Medina over a period of 23 years in the early 7th century CE. More and its interpretations, Muslim histories, lived religious traditions, education and social change, literature and cultural expression. They also undertake action research and complete an MA dissertation.
Students on STEP are set to develop holistic knowledge and skills that prepare them for an increasingly complex world, navigating contextual and global realities while harnessing new opportunities. The programme equips them to shape young minds ethically and with critical insight, emerging as thoughtful community educators who serve the Ismaili community with intellectual depth and cultural sensitivity.
Dr Zamira Dildorbekova, Co-Head, Department of Education
Full funding and the four-year ITREB commitment
The programme is fully funded, covering tuition and programme-related fees, accommodation and a living allowance. Following graduation, students normally undertake at least four years of employment with their home Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board (ITREB), supported by continuing professional development and an international network of STEP educators and alumni.
Applicants must be members of the Ismaili community and normally hold a UK first- or second-class honours degree, or a recognised equivalent. They must also meet the programme’s English-language requirements and have at least one year’s experience teaching in an REC under an ITREB.
Key dates
Applications close at 12 noon BST on 21 October 2026. Online information sessions will take place on 17 and 24 August 2026, both beginning at 3 pm BST.
