Master’s Degrees (Online & On Campus)

Program Overview

Reading and Literacy Education offers a Master of Education (M.Ed.) and a Master of Arts in Education (M.A.E.) in reading education. Nationally accredited and highly ranked, both degree programs were developed to support practicing teachers, as well as prospective teachers, in promoting the literacy growth of all PreK-12 students.

Program curriculum is rigorous and up-to-date, reflecting the latest theories, innovative ideas, and best practices in reading/literacy teaching, learning, and assessment. Candidates learn evidence-based classroom practices and develop knowledge, skills, strategies, and disposition for supporting PreK-12 students’ language learning, literacy development, and academic achievement. They can pursue either degree online or on campus. Most candidates complete either degree program within 4 to 6 semesters.

Master of Education in Reading (M.Ed.)

Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Reading Education is a non-thesis degree requiring completion of a minimum of 36 credit hours of coursework.

These courses address the reading standards and competencies developed by relevant professional organizations (e.g. International Literacy Association and Florida Department of Education). Candidates are required to complete 36 credit hours of coursework and maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better in their coursework. Graduation from the program requires satisfactory completion of courses in the following six areas:

Note:

The degree program does not automatically result in Florida K-12 Reading Certification. However, candidates interested in obtaining the certification should take the following steps on their own:

• Take and pass the Florida Teacher Certification Exam (FTCE) for Reading K-12.
• Submit transcript and FTCE-Reading test score to the Florida Department of Education for course count content analysis. You can find information about the exam from the Florida Department of Education at http://www.fldoe.org.

Graduates of the program may also be eligible for reading certification in other states and are advised to investigate that possibility if they do not plan to teach in the state of Florida.

Master of Arts in Reading Education (M.A.E.)

The Master of Arts in Education (M.A.E.) in Reading Education requires 30 credit hours of coursework, plus 6 credit hours of research that culminates in a thesis or a project in lieu of thesis.

Candidates pursuing this degree work with a faculty committee to develop a program of study that includes coursework in reading, language arts, children’s literature and English as a second language. Qualified international applicants, as well as candidates for whom obtaining a Florida reading certification is not their primary goal, are admitted into this program. Graduation from the program requires satisfactory completion of 30 credit hours of coursework (with a GPA of 3.0 or higher) and 6 hours of research/inquiry that culminates in successful defense of a thesis or project.