Entry Requirements
- ´¡ÌýUK 1st or 2nd Class Honours Degree or recognised equivalent
- ´¡²ÔÌýInternational English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 6.5 or higher (or equivalent English proficiency)
- One year teaching experience in a Religious Education Class under ITREB.
- Entry into a 5-year teaching commitment.
- Member of the Ismaili community.
Academic requirements
A UK 1st or 2nd Class Honours Degree or recognised equivalent. Applicants will need to satisfy both the IIS and UCL’s academic requirements of a minimum of a UK Lower Second Class Bachelors (Honours) degree or overseas qualification of equivalent standard. Applicants can contact UK ENIC as well as check UCL’s country specific requirements .
Language requirements
The minimum requirements for English language proficiency are as follows: an overall IELTS Academic band score of 7.0, or UCL equivalent, with a minimum score of 6.5 in each component in an IELTS Academic test certificate. Applicants with an overall score of 6.5 (with a minimum 6.0 in each component), or the standard equivalent in the alternative English language tests listed on the UCL website, will be considered on the understanding that they will attend and engage in the IELTS Retakes programme from December 2025 to mid-April 2026 and endeavour to raise their scores from ‘conditional’ to ‘unconditional’ if they are selected (see further details below). Alternatively, applicants can submit scores from a range of other English language tests as detailed on the .
Note that these must be at UCL’s Level 2 standard; applicants achieving only UCL’s Level 1 standard would only be eligible for a conditional offer. All tests must be taken no more than two years prior to the start date of the programme.
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Those with IELTS scores that would confer ‘conditional’ offer status, will be expected to retake IELTS Academic in April 2026 (support provided by the Academic Skills Support Team at the IIS) to upgrade their offers to direct entry (unconditional) by obtaining an overall band 7 with no less than 6.5 in all subscores. Attendance and engagement at IELTS Retakes classes is mandatory for those who do not yet have IELTS or equivalent at band 7 overall with no less than 6.5 in all subscores. Failure to attend 80% of IELTS Retakes classes may result in any potential offer being withdrawn, or in the candidate having to pay for the PASHE course themselves, if selected. Applicants who attend and engage in IELTS Retakes classes, but do not achieve band 7 overall with no less than 6.5 in all subscores at the retest will be required to attend and successfully complete the PASHE programme at IOE before they are formally enrolled onto the STEP programme.
Religious education requirements
- Minimum of one year’s experience teaching in a Religious Education Centre that falls under the ITREB jurisdiction of any one of the following countries: Australia and New Zealand, Bangladesh, Canada, Democratic Republic of Congo, Far East, France, India, Iran, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Pakistan, Portugal, Syria, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Uganda, United Kingdom, or the United States of America.
- To enter a contract-bound commitment of a minimum of 5 years to work as a teacher within the ITREB network, with opportunities for career progression within the wider Aga KhanA title granted by the Shah of Persia to the then Ismaili Imam in 1818 and inherited by each of his successors to the Imamate. network of institutions.
- The Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP) has been developed to support and promote the need for professionally trained secondary level teachers who can teach the IIS Secondary Curriculum within the Ismaili religious education system; therefore, candidates are recruited from the Ismaili community only.
Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from candidates from the ITREB Tajikistan or ITREB Afghanistan jurisdictions.
Shortlisted applicants will be required to undertake a six-week teaching placement at their local religious education centre (REC), which will be facilitated by the local ITREB. Applicants will also be required to undertake a timed examination essay, as well as participate in an interview which will be conducted by the IIS and ITREB.
