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Building a Career
A 30-hour, online/campus-based program preparing literacy coaches, reading specialists, and curriculum specialists. Includes 24 of the 36 hours required for Missouri add-on, K-12 Special Reading Certification
The M.Ed. program with emphasis in reading (literacy) is designed to enable candidates to further their competencies as teachers of reading, writing and other communication arts. The program also prepares them for positions as literacy coaches, reading specialists, curriculum specialist in communication arts and reading areas, consultants in areas of communication arts, and/or for further graduate study. The following program enables the student to earn a M.Ed. with an emphasis in Reading while fulfilling the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s requirements for special reading certification in Missouri. A course in reading in the content area is required for secondary certification. If this has not been taken as an undergraduate, it must be selected as an elective in the program for a Masters in Secondary Education with a Reading Emphasis.
National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC SARA)
To determine if this program meets the reciprocity requirements for like state educational certification programs outside the state of Missouri, follow this link for further contact information and resources.
Marty Woytus & Kristel Schlemper
p: (314) 516-5937
- Deadlines to Apply:
- Fall - July 1
- Spring - December 1
- Summer - May 1
Admission Requirements
Applicants must meet the general graduate admission requirements of the Graduate School, described in the UMSL catalog. Students are considered for admission to the graduate program in Education only after they have formally applied for admission through the Graduate School. Applications may be completed on-line.
Degree Requirements
To be recommended for Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Special Reading Certification K-12, teachers must have a valid Missouri teacher’s certificate, two years of approved classroom teaching experience as determined by DESE, successful completion of any required DESE assessments, and the following:
- A course(s) in child and adolescent psychology (3-6 hours)
- A course in psychology/education of exceptional child (3 hours)
- A course in reading in the content area (3 hours)
- A course in language acquisition or development specifically targeting children with special needs (3 hours)
- A course in behavior intervention strategies (3 hours)
- A course in counseling techniques (3 hours)
These certification requirements may be in addition to the courses listed in the program of study above. Students should consult their graduate advisor for information about these courses.
| Required Core | ||
| Candidates are required to complete the following courses within the first 15 hours of study: | ||
| TCH ED 6010 | Examining History, Community and Social Justice in Education | 3 |
| ED PSY 6030 | Instruction, Learning, and Assessment | 3 |
| Required Evaluation of Abilities and Achievement Course | ||
| ED REM 6716 | Academic Assessment and Intervention | 3 |
| Required Capstone Course | ||
| The capstone course is completed at the end of the program. | ||
| ELE ED 6482 | Problems and Research in Teaching Elementary School | 3 |
| Total Hours | 12 | |
Specific Requirements for the Emphasis Area
In addition to the required courses above (12 hours), candidates seeking an Emphasis in Reading are required to complete the following coursework (18 hours) for a program total of 30 hours.
| ELE ED 6387 | Literacy Acquisition and Learning for Diverse Students | 3 |
| ELE ED 6684 | Instructional Strategies for Teaching Reading | 3 |
| ELE ED 6686 | Analysis and Correction of Reading Disabilities | 3 |
| ELE ED 6493 | Reading Specialist Practicum I | 3 |
| ELE ED 6494 | Reading Specialist Practicum II | 3 |
| Literacy Related Elective | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 18 | |
Total: 30 hours
Rebecca Rogers, Ph.D.
E. Desmond Lee Endowed Professor in Tutorial Education
Dr. Rogers is an educational researcher who specializes in literacy studies, teacher learning and critical discourse studies. Her research focuses on the socio-political contexts of literacy and language education and situates critical discourse analysis within an ethnographic tradition. She has published seven books and over 80 articles and chapte...
- Teaching 113
- National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (NC SARA) 57
- Master's 51
- Educator Preparation and Leadership (EDL) 110
- Fieldwork Included: Internship and/or Practicum 74
- Main Campus 133
- English 6
- Language, Literacy, and Culture 12
- Secondary Education 38
- DESE Special Reading (Grades K-12) Certification 2
- Certification 75
- Graduate 115
- Masters 38