Reading Education

Master's Program

Opportunities for graduate studies

The Department of Teacher Education and Administration offers graduate programs to develop highly competent teachers, school administrators and other professionals who provide educational leadership in public and private schools and other organizations.

Effective instruction, curriculum development and evaluation are emphasized in all programs. Students use current theory and research to make decisions about effective practice. The department also strives to improve practice through generation of new knowledge and through service to educational institutions, governmental agencies and practitioners at all levels.

The department offers programs leading to master of education degrees in curriculum and instruction, educational administration, reading education and secondary education.

Master's program in reading education

The master's degree in reading prepares you for a leadership role in the delivery and coordination of literacy instruction in your schools, school districts and community. The required course work provides you with the professional skills through direct experience and research:

• exploring current trends and issues in reading and writing
• becoming knowledgeable about current research and practice in literacy instruction and assessment
• examining a variety of instructional materials
• developing an inquiry stance to teaching that will prepare you to meet your students' diverse needs

The program emphasizes literacy instruction responding to the changing demographics in Texas and the needs of special populations. Particular emphasis is given to cultural issues related to language and literacy learning, including second language acquisition and English as a second language (ESL) instruction.

This M.Ed. degree prepares you to seek certification as an all-level reading specialist upon meeting other state requirements. The degree also primes you to successfully complete the test for the Texas Master Reading Teacher Certificate. Other opportunities for you in this program include applying to the North Star of Texas Writing Project, a site of the National Writing Project, and involvement in various local conferences.

The UNT program is recognized by the International Reading Association and accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (2010 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 500, Washington, D.C., 20036, 202-466-7496).

Admission requirements

You must meet the admission requirements of the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies. For information on requirements and possible exemptions, call 940-565-2383 or 888-UNT-GRAD or access the graduate catalog online at www.unt.edu/catalog.

The Department of Teacher Education and Administration requires you to have a minimum of 18 hours of education courses for unconditional admission and submit GRE scores for review.

Degree requirements

The M.Ed. in reading is a 36-hour program that also leads to the all-level reading specialist and the master reading teacher certificates. A comprehensive portfolio, reflective of knowledge gained across all course work, is the culminating requirement for this degree. The portfolio shows evidence of literacy leadership, as delineated in the Standards for Reading Professionals from the International Reading Association and the National Council of Teachers of English. The portfolio also includes an action research project and a range of evidence of how you have applied your learning in practice.

Required courses in reading (21 hours)

• EDCI 5710 Curriculum and Instruction Inquiry I
• EDCI 5720 Curriculum and Instruction Inquiry II
• EDRE 5170 Materials and Recent Developments in Reading
• EDRE 5180 Advanced Assessment and Evaluation in Reading
• EDRE 5190 Reading Assessment and Instruction for Special Populations
• EDRE 5200 Development and Supervision of Reading Programs
• EDRE 5370 Advanced Reading Theory/Practice

Additional courses (6 hours)

• EDCI 5320 Curriculum Development
• EDEE 5060 Advanced Studies in Elementary School Language Arts or EDRE 5520 Writing Workshop Approaches

Linguistic requirements (3 hours)

• DFEC 5653 Making the Literacy Connection: Language to Reading

Multicultural requirements (3 hours)

• EDRE 5550 Literacy Instruction in Our Culturally Diverse Society

Electives (3 hours in any 5000-level course)

Highly recommended:

• EDRE 5510 Reading Workshop Approaches
• EDRE 5520 Writing Workshop Approaches
• EDSE 5004 Literacy for All

Financial assistance

Teaching fellowships and assistantships are available to you, and these vary from semester to semester in type and availability. These opportunities include working with professors on research grants and projects or serving as a teaching assistant, working with undergraduate students in advising and degree plans, or teaching undergraduate classes and supervising student teaching. You may apply by submitting a letter of application and a resume to the department chair. The letter should address particular strengths and interests. Contact the department for information concerning opportunities for assistantships.