Frequently asked questions

All candidates must have completed a first degree of good standing from an accredited university, equivalent to a British Bachelor’s degree with Honours. Proof of English language proficiency in the form of a valid IELTS Academic or other Academic Skills Test (Please see below for details on accepted tests, scores and subscores). 

Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from candidates from the ITREB Tajikistan or Afghanistan jurisdictions.

All candidates will need to satisfy both IIS’ and SOAS’s academic requirements of a minimum of a UK Lower Second Class Bachelors (Honours) degree or overseas qualification of equivalent standard. 

Entry requirements 

You will need to have completed a first degree of good standing from an accredited university, equivalent to a British Bachelor’s degree. This is usually a three- or four-year degree, but varies depending on country, institution and discipline. 

UK ENIC is the UK National Information Centre for the recognition and evaluation of international qualifications and skills and provides services for individuals and organisations to compare international qualifications against UK qualification framework levels. You can compare non-UK qualifications to the UK system by contacting UK ENIC. 

Please note, however, this may incur a cost to you. IIS will only check degree equivalency once applications have been submitted and cannot confirm candidates’ qualifications are eligible prior to application. 

Yes, you can still apply. We will require an interim transcript detailing all modules taken to date. If you are accepted, your acceptance will be conditional on successful completion of your degree and on meeting the minimum grades set by the selection committee. If selected, your final official transcripts and/or certificates will need to be submitted by the end of June. early.

In accordance with UK visa rules, IIS exempts candidates from the English language requirements if they are nationals of, or have completed undergraduate studies taught in, the following countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, the Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Canada (only if you are a national), Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Ireland, Jamaica, New Zealand, St Kitts and Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. 

• IELTS (or equivalent) tests are valid for two years, so must be dated no more than two years prior to the start of the course (September 2025 for 2027 enrolment). 

To meet the English language requirement, it is preferable that applicants take a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as the UKVI version of IELTS Academic, where possible. The minimum requirements for English language proficiency are as follows: an overall IELTS Academic band score of 6.5 with a minimum score of 6.0 in each component.

Please see entry requirements for more. 

Yes, you will still have to prove your English language proficiency. Completing a module/term or year does not exempt you from the English language requirement. 

Yes. IIS will not accept or consider your application for STEP unless you have provided an accepted Academic English Skills certificate prior to the deadline. 

1. You will undertake a six–week secondary teaching placement at a local Religious Education Centre (REC) where your teaching skills will be assessed by ITREB.  ITREB will organise this with you between December and February.
2. You will be required to take a timed qualifying essay, which will be invigilated by ITREB and IIS representatives, concurrently with interviews. You will be invited to a face-to-face or online interview with IIS faculty, in collaboration with ITREB, in your home context. You may need to travel to your national ITREB’s location.
3. You will be required to take a timed qualifying essay, which will be invigilated by ITREB and IIS representatives, concurrently with interviews. 

The consistency of your name on all documentation is very important and it is imperative that your name is always spelled and written exactly the same on all formal documents which includes your passports, evidence of previous qualifications and Academic English Skills certificate. Should you have any discrepancies, you will need to provide an affidavit with your application. This affidavit should confirm all variations of your name are one of the same person.

You should provide details for referees as requested when you complete your application online. We will accept email references in the event than an applicant is unable to apply online and only if they come from the referee’s professional or academic account. Any references received from personal email accounts will not be accepted. If sending an application by post, each referee is required to return the reference letter and reference form in a sealed envelope with his / her signature across the seal. 

It is a statutory requirement of the Home Office that any individual who will be teaching in a UK school or working with children or young people must hold a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) certificate. The IIS Admissions team will arrange the DBS checks in line with UK regulations. The cost of the DBS and the charge for having your ID documents checked at a Post Office will be covered by IIS.

Teaching practice places students in a ‘position of trust’ as set out in the Exceptions Order to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (ROA) 1974. Students will need to provide a criminal record check (Police Report) from the relevant authorities in their home country and in every other country where they have spent 6 months or more in the past 5 years.

This document should contain details of any cautions, convictions, reprimands, warnings or bind-overs recorded against the student’s name, or confirm that there are none. If this information is not in English, students will also need to supply an official certified translation of the document. This will need to be supplied to the IIS Admissions team.
Failure to submit a satisfactory criminal record check will jeopardise a student’s teaching practice if their clearance remains outstanding at the time of enrolment.

Yes. However, each programme has distinct aims. Therefore, you are encouraged to think very carefully before applying about how either programme would meet your academic and career goals. In reviewing your application(s), the respective selection committees will be looking for your ability to make a strong case for your decision to apply to a particular programme. 

Applications are submitted online via our application portal, accessible on the STEP main page. You will be required to register your details and complete an online form, as well as upload the necessary documents. Postal applications are only accepted in very exceptional circumstances. Please email us to discuss options. 

STEP programme 

Once your application has been received you will receive an email confirming your submission. 

All complete applications once received will be processed and assessed by the STEP Selection Committee. The role of this assessment is to ascertain the suitability of an applicant in terms of experience, potential and professional commitment, and academic performance.

In this process due consideration will be given to: 

• your university degree
• the grades achieved in individual units/components of your degree
• your references
• your personal statement
• your teaching experience, both voluntary and professional (where relevant) 

You will be informed as soon as a decision has been made. We aim to communicate all offers and decisions in early April. 

The online portal will not accept incomplete applications. Any incomplete postal applications will be rejected. 

If you have any complaints relating to the admissions process, please see our complaints policy on the IIS website. 

Students reside in accommodation in King’s Cross. Located minutes away from the King’s Cross Rail and Tube station, in the heart of London, the building has 198 bedrooms all designed to enhance students’ experience of living and studying. Designed by award winning Stanton Williams Architects, the building offers a number of amenities such a reception, reading rooms, communal kitchens, a gym, a roof terrace and a courtyard. The cost of living at the residence is covered by the students’ scholarship.
You will be provided with a single room. The rooms are based in “Cluster Flats” with individual rooms, each with its own ensuite shower room. Each cluster has six to eight rooms, with a shared kitchen and living area. All students are required to live in this residence.

All STEP students receive a monthly stipend for the full two-year programme, in line with UKVI guidelines. During the Field Teaching Practice (FTP) in their home contexts, students will receive a stipend based on the World Bank Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) model. This may be higher or lower than the normal monthly stipend.

Students spend approximately 15 hours per week in class for the MA and other related lectures, seminars and tutorial sessions. The MA programme follows a lecture – seminar – tutorial model. As part of the practicum placements, students will teach weekly at the Religious Education Centres (RECs) within the ITREB UK jurisdiction.
Students are also expected to keep up with their MA assessments alongside their lectures, readings, and classwork.

As of January 2024, international students are no longer able to bring dependents to the UK unless they are enrolled in a postgraduate course designated as a research programme. Eligible programmes include PhDs and other doctoral qualifications, or Master’s programmes with a research component that requires original work. This restriction applies to all students starting courses on or after 1 January 2024. The STEP programme does not meet these criteria, and therefore it will not be possible to bring dependants with you to the UK.