The Graduate Initial License Program in Visual Arts is offered through the Urban Teacher Education Program (UTEP). The UTEP program is experience-rich, field-based, and leads to teacher licensing in Visual Arts. The UTEP track is designed for individuals who possess a bachelor's degree from accredited institutions in subjects other than education with at least a 2.5 grade point average and appropriate coursework in Visual Arts. To be admitted to UTEP at IU Northwest, students must complete advising checkpoint #1 with the Director of UTEP and apply to the program. In order to pass checkpoint #1 students must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.50, a minimum visual arts content GPA of 2.50 and all content courses must be completed with a grade of C or better. Upon entrance to UTEP, no more than 9 credit hours of the required 60 credit hours in visual arts content may remain incomplete. Candidates must have successfully passed all three CASA tests and completed a criminal background check. Admission to UTEP is in the spring semester only.

Once admitted to the UTEP program in Visual Arts, candidates complete the program in four semesters of full-time study, beginning in the spring session. Successful completion of the 27 credit hour UTEP Visual Arts program will lead to an initial teaching license in Secondary Education: Visual Arts for grades P-12. Professional Education courses are taken after admission to the Teacher Education Program and are sequenced into four blocks. All required Professional Education courses must be completed with a grade of C or better and a graduate GPA of 3.0 must be maintained to continue in the program. Professional Education courses are sequential and must be completed in order.

The First Block of the educational sequence contains 6 credits of professional educational courses including EDUC-S510 Methods of Teaching in Secondary Urban Schools (3 cr.), an elementary or middle school field placement in an urban school and EDUC S508 Visual Arts Methods in the Urban Classroom (3 cr.) (Elementary and Middle School Methods).

The Second Block of the educational sequence contains 9 credits of professional educational courses including EDUC-P507 Assessment in Schools (3 cr.), EDUC-T550 Cultural/ Community Forces and the Schools (3 cr.), and EDUC-K505 Introduction to Special Education (3 cr.).

The Third Block of the educational sequence contains 6 credits of professional educational courses including EDUC-M501 Field Experience in Urban Classrooms (3 cr.) which is a secondary field placement and EDUC-S508: Visual Arts Methods in the Urban Classroom. (Secondary Methods) (3 cr.).

The Fourth Block of the educational sequence contains 6 credits of professional educational courses including EDUC-L517 Advanced Study of Content Reading and Literature (3 cr.) and EDUC-M550 Student Teaching (3 cr.). Candidates complete two consecutive 8-week placements, which consist of an 8-week placement in a middle school, and an 8-week placement in a high school.