Undergraduate Programs
Program Format
IUPUI is recognized as a leader in urban education. Students are prepared according to the standards established by the Indiana Professional Standards Board and earn Rules 2002 Indiana Teaching Licenses. In addition, students are immersed in programs of study that challenge them intellectually with new models of instruction and explorations of diversity.
All students in the Learning to Teach/Teaching to Learn program spend significant time in community schools, where they learn the importance of social justice and democratic practices. They learn to tap the wealth of assets in Indianapolis as they hone their expertise as discipline-based teachers and passionate professionals. The School of Education is committed to preparing teachers who want to make a difference and have the knowledge and skills to do so.
The undergraduate teacher education program is called Learning to Teach/Teaching to Learn. Upon succssful completion, this program leads to a Bachelor of Science in Education and a license to teach in Indiana.
The program consists of three parts:
- Prerequisite Courses
- Teacher Education Courses
- Student Teaching
Prerequisite Courses
Teachers are first and foremost required to be knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. Specific prerequisite courses are required for every different teaching license available through Indiana University School of Education at IUPUI. School of Education advisors and the School of Education Web site provide advising sheets that list the specific courses required to prepare for admittance into each teaching license program.
Elementary education majors complete a program of prerequisite courses that prepares them to be strong generalists. They typically take all their prerequisite courses as freshmen and sophomores, building their skills in written and oral communication, information technology, science, language arts, mathematics, social sciences, and fine arts.
Secondary and all-grade education majors prepare more specifically for teaching in a discipline area like English, social studies, science, mathematics, world languages, visual art, or physical education. Their prerequisite courses focus on the development of core knowledge. These courses help students develop their abilities to think critically and communicate, and prepare them to meet the rigorous content and teaching standards required for middle school, high school, or all-grade teaching.
Teacher Education Courses
The Learning to Teach/Teaching to Learn program is a gateway into the profession of teaching. The courses in the program are carefully aligned with standards and integrate field experiences so students develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to be professional educators. Elementary majors enter the program as juniors and spend four full semesters in the teacher education blocks. They learn about the developmental needs of children, the complexities of schools and social systems, and research-based methods of teaching.
Secondary and all-grade students also take teacher education courses in sequenced blocks, but their preparation is a combination of continued learning in their discipline and gaining the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for teaching adolescents and young adults or all levels of students. All new teachers must meet professional standards and pass professional tests before they can be licensed, so all of the teacher education courses teach toward these measures of preparedness.
Student Teaching
Student teaching represents the culminating experience in the Learning to Teach/Teaching to Learn program. By assuming full responsibility for a class of students, candidates demonstrate their achievement of standards, and reflect both on student learning and on their own effectiveness as teachers. At IUPUI, all students are prepared to teach at two developmental levels and can expect to complete two separate student teaching assignments.
Indiana Teaching Licenses
Every Indiana Teaching License requires preparation to meet multiple categories of professional standards. Teachers must be prepared to teach both content and children, so each license program is aligned to content standards and developmental standards. In addition to doing well in teacher education courses, benchmark assessments, and student teaching, prospective teachers must also pass PRAXIS I and PRAXIS II tests.
IUPUI offers the following license programs:
- Primary/Intermediate Elementary
- Middle School/High School Content Area
- All-Grade Content Area
Indiana License Types and Coverage
IUPUI’s educator preparation programs at both the graduate and undergraduate levels were developed to meet the 2002 Licensure Framework adopted by the Division of Standards of the Indiana Department of Education. This framework establishes requirements not in terms of courses to be taken, but rather in terms of the standards that program graduates are expected to meet. The license framework addresses the principles set forth by the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) and includes both content standards for different subjects and teaching areas, and developmental standards associated with particular educational settings (early childhood, elementary, middle school, high school).
Elementary License
- Preparation to teach kindergarten through sixth grades
- School Settings: Elementary; Primary and Elementary; Intermediate
- Content Standards: Elementary; Primary Generalist and Elementary; Intermediate Generalist
Middle School/High School Content Area License
- Preparation to teach sixth through twelfth grades in a particular content area
- School Setting: Middle School/Junior High School and High School
- Content Standards: Language Arts, Social Studies, Science, Mathematics, or Foreign Languages
All-Grades License
- Preparation to teach kindergarten through twelfth grades
- School Settings:Elementary; Primary, Elementary; Intermediate, Middle School/ Junior High School; High School
- Content Standards: Fine Arts, Health and/or Physical Education
Education Degrees
Students in the Learning to Teach/Teaching to Learn program may be working toward a specific teaching license or both a license and a Bachelor of Science degree.
Degrees are offered in the following areas:
- Elementary Education
- Secondary Education in
- English
- Foreign Language: Spanish
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- All-Grade Education in
- Visual Arts
- Physical Education
Dual Licensure Programs
Students may complete any of the following dual programs in conjunction with one of the licensure programs listed above. The developmental standards and school setting of the license will be the same as the partner license except for all-grade programs where the dual license will be for middle school and high school only.
English as a Second Language (ESL) Dual License
- Preparation to teach children whose first language is not English
- Content Standard: English as a Second Language
- Preparation to teach children with special needs
- Content Standard: Exceptional Needs
Reading Dual License
- Provides extra expertise in the teaching of reading
- Content Standard: Reading
The School of Education at IUPUI also offers programs at the graduate level that lead to the following licenses:
- School Services (Counselor)
- Building-Level Administrator