Return to: 4170 Department of Middle and Secondary Education
The M.Ed. in Literacy Education Online is designed to prepare certified teachers and education professionals to serve as leaders in literacy education. This program is offered completely online. The goal of the program is to equip educators with the knowledge and tools to advance the literacy abilities of culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse P-12 students in urban and online learning environments. Completion of this program results in eligibility for a certification upgrade.
This non-thesis, online M.Ed. program requires completing 36 semester hours of coursework, an electronic portfolio, and state certification exams. Through coursework, M.Ed. students will learn the theoretical, historical, and social foundations of literacy. They will also develop and implement literacy curricula, assessments, and instructional strategies through supervised, online clinical experiences.
The core literacy courses for this program meet the requirements for a reading endorsement, which prepares graduates as reading teachers, who provide effective literacy instruction to P-12 students from culturally, racially, and linguistically diverse backgrounds. Additionally, M.Ed. students will choose from the following two literacy concentration areas: (a) Literacy Specialist or (b) English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
Literacy Specialist Concentration
The literacy specialist concentration leads to a literacy specialist certification, which prepares certified teachers for leadership roles in the field of literacy education. Literacy specialists generally enter careers as literacy coaches, consultants, and diagnosticians, who apply their knowledge and expertise to develop literacy programs for school districts, reading clinics, non-profit organizations, and publishing companies.
ESOL Concentration
The ESOL concentration leads to an ESOL endorsement and provides advanced teacher preparation for individuals who have an interest in teaching English to speakers of other languages in P-12 classrooms.
Exit Requirement
Students must complete a portfolio as an exit requirement.
