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.


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    Area school teachers, administrators invited to Zoom events on rural education ​

    Oct 27, 2020

    Teachers, administrators and parents from area school districts are invited to a pair of Zoom webinars focusing on strategies for rural school districts.

    Both events are sponsored by the American Council on Rural Special Education.

    “Partnering with Rural Districts: Strategies Recruitment and Design” is scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 5.

    Dr. Paul Brawdy and Jerry Mottern from St. Bonaventure University’s School of Education will be among the panelists for the hour-long webinar that aims to build partnerships between rural school districts, universities and community partners.

    “We'll share strategies, ideas and lessons learned from partnerships across the country,” said Dr. Pamina Abkowitz, assistant professor in SBU’s School of Education, who also encourages students and researchers to attend.

    “Rural, Remote and RTI,” scheduled for 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 3, is an hour-long webinar designed for parents and teachers of students with disabilities, as well as pre-service teachers and the researchers who support them.

    The webinar focuses on students with more extensive support needs and includes strategies and ideas for providing remote-tiered supports to students.

    Registration isn’t required for either event; the link for each is available here or by pasting https://bit.ly/ACRESlunch into a browser.

    Founded in 1981, the American Council on Rural Special Education (ACRES) is a non-profit organization made up of special educators, general educators, related service providers, administrators, teacher trainers, researchers, and parents who are committed to the enhancement of services to children and adults with exceptionalities living in rural communities.

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    About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, St. Bonaventure University is a community committed to transforming the lives of our students inside and outside the classroom, inspiring in them a lifelong commitment to service and citizenship. In 2020, St. Bonaventure was named the #2 regional university value in New York and #3 in the North by U.S. News and World Report.