St. Bonaventure University

Adolescence Education Program


Are you interested in becoming a teacher? The undergraduate major in Adolescence Education is designed for students to pursue initial secondary content-specific teacher certification in New York state (grades 7-12).


Preparation for teacher certification in specific subjects

The major, in collaboration with departments within the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Education, prepares students to be secondary teachers in

  • biology
  • chemistry
  • English
  • mathematics
  • physics
  • social studies
  • Spanish

Should you be interested in working outside of New York state, our certification office will advise you on obtaining certificates in other states.

The Adolescence Education program not only provides you with opportunities to build and refine your knowledge about teaching, it also engages you in extensive experiences interning and teaching in secondary classrooms.

This major requires a two-day-a-week internship during the spring semester of the junior year and a semester of full-time student teaching. The student teaching semester is generally in the fall of the senior year, but accommodations can be made for spring student teaching when necessary.

Students enrolled in the Adolescence Education major will be assigned an adviser from the School of Education in addition to their content concentration-specific adviser.


  • Early assurance program

    Qualified high school seniors who enroll in an undergraduate teacher-preparation program have a reserved seat in one of our master's degree programs upon completion of their undergraduate studies. Learn more.


    News-Publications-Research- Banner

    Teacher education journal publishes research by Swarts

    Oct 13, 2020
    Dr. Gabriel Swarts, assistant professor and adolescence education program director, is one of three authors of a research article published in the Journal of Teacher Education and Educators.
     
    The current generation of pre-service teachers in the U.S. received their K-12 schooling during the standardized test-focused education accountability era, and there is little research exploring how these teachers perceive the disconnect between their K-12 teacher-centered, test-focused school experiences and their developing student-centered teaching philosophy, the authors note.
     
    Their study, "The Impact of U.S. Pre-Service Teachers' High-Stakes, Accountability Era Schooling Experiences on Their Future Teaching Practices," employed a survey in which pre-service teachers reported that they were influenced by K-12 instruction focused on standardized testing success.