Degree Requirements for M.S. in Education in Literacy Education

Students seeking a master’s degree in Literacy Education must maintain a high level of scholarship. In particular, they must earn a grade of B or higher in each required course. Those students receiving a lower grade may retake one course once. This must be done before registering for any additional course. A second grade below B, whether in the repeated course or in another required course, will result in dismissal from the program.

In addition to these general requirements, the faculty monitors students’ progress carefully. The first checkpoint, admission to candidacy, occurs approximately one-third through the master’s program. Students should make their applications for candidacy immediately following the semester in which they have completed four required courses, one of which must be either LIT 601 or LIT 611. In order to be granted candidacy, students need to have earned a grade of B (3.0) or higher in each of these required courses. Students may not be considered for a master’s degree without having completed this step. The second checkpoint, the practicum appraisal, occurs during the semester in which students are enrolled in LIT 701, the Practicum in Literacy Assessment. This is the point at which students are judged on their ability to interact appropriately with children or adolescents. They will be observed frequently and evaluated in the middle and end of this semester. Students must receive a favorable evaluation by the end of this course in order to maintain their candidacy for their master’s degree. Students seeking New York State Certification in Reading are required to take the CST (content specialty test) in Literacy.

Literacy Courses for M.S. in Education in Literacy–36 Credits
Students are not expected to take courses in strict numeric order. They should meet with their advisor to determine the most eddicient sequence based on their academic background, teaching experience, and time constraints.

Courses

For descriptions of courses, please download the The Graduate School Catalog.