Teaching is an immensely rewarding career with potential to shape students’ lives and engage with the communities schools serve. At the Graduate School of Education, we prepare students to be highly-qualified teachers in numerous fields, including high-need certification areas. The Office of Educator Preparation offers the university's initial teacher certification program at the post-baccalaureate level and is dedicated to preparing qualified, committed and caring teachers who can work effectively with students from various cultures with a wide variety of abilities and needs. Our office coordinates the coursework, field experiences and student teaching required for New York State initial teacher certification. In addition to providing the professional knowledge and instructional strategies essential to teaching, our office collaborates with numerous school districts and teachers to prepare preservice teachers to be problem solvers and critical thinkers who strive to self-reflect and improve their teaching.