Three new undergraduate teacher certification programs through the University at Albany aim to, in part, fill a gap left by the impending closure of the College of Saint Rose.

UAlbany announced Monday that the state Department of Education approved bachelor's degrees in adolescent education; childhood and special education; and early childhood/childhood education. It's the first time in 20 years that UAlbany has offered undergraduate teacher certification programs; currently, there are graduate programs through UAlbany's School of Education.

Saint Rose students looking to enroll in UAlbany for the fall 2024 semester can do so immediately through a teach-out agreement between the schools. This follows the Saint Rose announcement in December that the 103-year-old college would close after the spring semester due to an ongoing financial deficit.

UAlbany said in a press release that the new programs "will lead to New York State Teacher Certification" and are a "critical component" of the UAlbany/Saint Rose teach-out agreement.