This program is intended for students who have a bachelor’s degree in teacher education. It requires a minimum of 33 hours of approved graduate course work including a culminating experience. Graduates will be prepared to provide specialized literacy instruction and assessment across a variety of levels and settings.

Career Potential

• Literacy resource teacher
• Literacy teacher/coach
• Classroom teacher
• Community College Instructor
• Facilitator of intervention services
• Curriculum specialist for school or district level

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the requirements for admission to a degree program as stated in this catalog, the applicant for enrollment in the program leading to a M.S.Ed. in Literacy Education should present the following:

1. Official transcripts documenting a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Documentation of an initial/provisional certificate, or a certificate of qualification for initial or provisional certification for early childhood, childhood, elementary education, middle school education, adolescence education or secondary education, special education, students with disabilities, students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing, students who are blind or visually impaired, students with speech and language disabilities, library media specialist, or English to speakers of other languages issued by the New York State Education Department.
3. An overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0.
4. Two recommendation checklists (forms available from the Graduate Studies Office Web site).
5. A typewritten statement demonstrating commitment to and interest in literacy education as well as an ability to write clearly and well. The question/rubric is available from the Graduate Studies Office Web site.

Before beginning course work, students must select from the following tracks:

Track 1: Study leading to the initial and professional certificate in the Teaching of Literacy Birth to Grade 6

Track 2: Study leading to the initial and professional certificate in the Teaching of Literacy Grades 5-12

Track 3: Study leading to the initial and professional certificates in both the Teaching of Literacy Birth to Grade 6 and the initial and professional certificates in the Teaching of Literacy Grades 5-12.

Students should matriculate (be accepted and enrolled in the program) before beginning course work and must establish candidacy for the degree between their sixth and 15th hour of course work.

According to College policy, no more than six graduate credit hours may be transferred from another college. In addition, only course work completed in the five years prior to completion of the graduate program may be included in the degree program.