Master of Arts in Education with Reading Specialist Certification



Requirements

Candidates must satisfactorily complete 24 graduate semester hours in areas of reading instruction specified by the State of Illinois. The first eight courses listed below fulfill these requirements. An additional 11 to 14 hours of coursework is required to complete the master's degree.

Candidates who do not have a middle level endorsement on their teaching certificate will also need to take EDU 570, Philosophy and Psychology of Middle Level Education, and EDU 571, Curriculum Design and Instructional Strategies for Middle Level Teachers to fulfill the middle grades requirement.

Candidates must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 out of 4.0.

Several classes require field experience work. At times, requirements may be met in the candidate's own school. Others may be met during out-of-school hours; however, the candidate will need to take two personal days to fulfill the field experience requirements.

A candidate seeking Illinois Type 10 K–12 Reading Specialist Certification must pass the Reading Specialist Examination and the Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT K–12)

To apply for certification, candidates must have two years of full-time teaching experience.


Curriculum

Course # Course Title Credits
EDU 533 Reading and Writing Instruction and Improvement 3
EDU 535 Reading in the Content Areas for Middle Level and Secondary Teachers 3
EDU 537 Diagnosis and Assessment in Reading 3
EDU 541 Developmental and Remedial Materials and Resources in Reading 3
EDU 542 Developmental and Remedial Instruction and Support in Reading 3
EDU 555 Reading Clinic 3
EDU 661 Literacy Development for English Language Learners 3
EDU 582 Children's Literature 3
EDU 606 Research 3
SPED 656 Collaboration and Adaptation in General Education 2
EDU 754 Coaching and Supervision for Reading Specialists 3
EDU 755 Reading Practicum 3