Islamic religious education is offered in Austria since the school year 1982/83 at public schools. This stands in immediate connection with the legal recognition status of Islam in Austria since 1912. Here Austria counts as model, due to positive integration effects. The lessons are held in German. In the meantime, there are approx. 40,000 pupils who visit the Islamic religious lessons in Austria. They come from 900 schools and are taught by 350 teachers.

Since 1998 the pedagogy education of Muslim teachers started in the official "IRPA", the Private University of Islamic Education. After the completion of their education, Teachers get the title "Diploma-Pedagogue for Islamic Religion" and are able to teach islamic religion at Austrian public Schools.

Since 1999/2000 further education of teachers, who want to teach at Secondary schools, is regulated by a law called "Akademie Studiengesetz". The aims are to found an establishment of higher education with a program that will qualify applicants to obtain an academic degree to teach at secondary schools.

The Islamic religious community exerted itself for the establishment of such an institution at the university of Vienna and led many negotiations with the Federal Government and the university of Vienna.

Starting with the winter semester 2006/2007 courses were offered for interested students as part of an individual masters program "Islamic religious pedagogy". From winter semester 2007/2008 the achievements evidenced for these courses are credited for the new regular masters program "Islamic religious pedagogy".