Online Master of Education in Literacy Education

36 credit hours | In-state tuition: $490/credit hour | Out-of-state tuition: $575/credit hour

Available in an easily accessible 100% online format from UTEP’s College of Education
Prepares teachers, instructional coaches and other professionals to become specialists and leaders in K-12 literacy education
Provides coursework that prepares students for the Texas Reading Specialist (#151) certification
Aligns with national standards and employs a cutting-edge approach to literacy research and literacy education
Does not provide teaching certification but deepens knowledge of literacy with linguistically diverse learners
Provides students with personalized attention and opportunities to build relationships with faculty who are top-notch researchers

NOTE: YOU MUST HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE TO APPLY.

Prepare to Be a Reflective Literacy Leader

The M.Ed. in Literacy Education prepares students to be specialized literacy professionals with a particular focus on literacy education in linguistically diverse settings. This degree is ideal for:

Teachers who would like an advanced degree to deepen their knowledge of literacy with linguistically diverse learners
Teachers who would like to take on leadership roles in their campuses/districts
Community-based educators and adult educators who apply specialized knowledge of literacy in classroom settings in schools and communities across the lifespan

As a student of the program, you will learn how to

Balance theories/current scholarship in teaching/research in literacy education and apply them to practice
Develop, implement, and assess literacy curriculum and professional development in literacy
Apply your knowledge across diverse learners/learners with diverse needs

You will have opportunities for personal instruction with faculty, practical engagement in the field, and collaboration with a cohort of peers. The program’s flexible, accelerated online format includes:

hands-on field-based practicum experiences
action research projects to link theory to practice
engagement with new digital tools
expanded professional networks through our cohort model
individualized capstone project linking research, theory, and practice in literacy education as a culminating program experience

Graduates of our program are well-qualified for the following types of positions:

Teacher or Community-Based Educator – Applies specialized knowledge of literacy in classroom settings across the lifespan, in schools and communities;
Reading Specialist* – Applies specialized knowledge of literacy to planning, instruction, and assessment for students experiencing difficulties in reading and writing;
Literacy or Instructional Coach – Applies specialized knowledge of literacy, curriculum, and assessment to support teacher learning and professional development

Other positions well suited to our graduates include curriculum developer, literacy specialist or consultant in publishing and industry, doctoral student, community college instructor, adjunct faculty.

*Texas Reading Specialist Certification

Master’s students interested in pursuing Reading Specialist certification at UTEP must have Texas teaching certification and at least two years of PK-12 teaching experience and must complete the following requirements:

Apply for admissions to the Reading Specialist Certification program
Complete coursework in the M.Ed. in Literacy Education, with no course substitutions in the Literacy Specialization Area
Complete a 160-hour, supervised practicum as part of RED 5349

"The program design has given me the flexibility and time to learn at my convenience, which has made this experience worthwhile. Online learning is allowing me to finish after 20 years." - Sonia Madrid, Graduate
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UTEP Edge

Our student success initiative, the UTEP Edge, develops upon students’ assets through a variety of high-impact experiences. These experiences are designed to improve student skills and give UTEP students a competitive advantage as they move forward in their lives and careers. Our goal as a campus is to provide these UTEP Edge experiences to all students, regardless of their area of study, so they will graduate with a competitive advantage over their peers. These are the Edge experiences Literacy students will have and the Edge skills they will graduate with:

Edge Experiences

Capstone Experiences
Community Engagement
Learning Communities
Creative Activities
Research and Scholarly Activities
Online Experiences

Edge Skills

Communication
Global Awareness
Leadership
Problem Solving
Entrepreneurship
Social Responsibility
Critical Thinking
Confidence
Teamwork

Learn more about UTEP Edge

Course Overview

The 36-credit hour program aligns with the International Literacy Association’s Standards for the Preparation of Literacy Professionals. All courses require a grade of C or better.

M.Ed. in Literacy Education CORE COURSES

Professional Development Core (all courses required): Includes preparation in literacy foundations, learning contexts and curriculum, and diversity in educational settings.

TED 5301: Learning Contexts and Curriculum

Focus on an examination of the theoretical frameworks and broad definitions of curricula, processes of curriculum alignment, pedagogy and assessment, State standards, curricular resources, curriculum integration, learning theory and lesson planning.

TED 5313: Diversity in Educational Settings

Explore the social context of education and teaching in a pluralistic society. Examine schools and society in relation to historical and contemporary issues of diversity.

RED 5300: Foundations of Literacy Education in Diverse Contexts

Get an overview of the study of literacy for K-12 educators, adult educators, reading teachers, and other literacy professionals. Learn the historical, social, cognitive, and critical knowledge needed to teach literacy in schools and classrooms. Special emphasis is placed on literacies of the U.S./Mexico border region and the literacy education of emergent bilingual students. The course aligns with Standards I and IV of the Texas Reading Specialist certification standards.

Includes specialized coursework in assessment, literacy/biliteracy development, language study, and mentoring/coaching for literacy educators

RED 5341: Assessment/Teaching of Reading

Learn to use standardized and informal materials and techniques to diagnose the reading strengths and weaknesses of individuals and groups, techniques and materials for building specific reading abilities, and methods of individualizing instruction and grouping according to student needs and interests.

RED 5350: Mentoring/Coaching Literacy Educators

Develop competencies necessary to mentor, coach, and consult with the school community to develop, implement, and mentor high-quality literacy/biliteracy program; provide professional development for colleagues; and make decisions based on research evidence.

RED 5351: Literacy/Biliteracy Development

Identify principles, problems, and issues of primary and second language acquisition, specifically the relationship between the development of these languages, to facilitate and promote literacy/biliteracy

RED 5353: Language Study for Literacy Educators

Focus on practical application in the study of classroom discourse (language in use) as it influences language and literacy learning. Study the convergences of interactional sociolinguistic, critical discourse analysis, and sociocultural studies of language and literacy learning. Undertake an applied study of language in use in language arts classrooms.

Includes specialized coursework by area, including options in emergent literacy (birth to age 8), children’s literature, youth literacies, digital literacies, and teaching writing with diverse learners.

ECED 5353: Early Literacy/Multi-literacies Development and Curriculum, Birth-8

Focus on the early language and literacy acquisition of young children, taking a broad view of early literacy. Study the components and linguistic underpinning of emergent literacy, birth to age 8. Explore how young children create meaning in multimodal ways and the use of a wide range of cultural, linguistic, communicative, and technologically diverse teaching practices to support early literacy/biliteracy learning. Synthesize differing views of early language and literacy pedagogy and current research to create curricula that supports diverse literacy learners in the Early Childhood classroom.

RED 5354: Response to Children's Literature

Examine the development, selection, and uses of children's literature in the classroom, with particular emphasis on multilingual and multicultural literature. The course will emphasize the theory, research, and practice of integrating children's literature into high-quality literacy lessons at the elementary and middle school levels.

RED 5355: Youth Literacy and Multimodality

Explore how new technologies and modes of communication have transformed the ways youth engage in literate practices both inside and outside of school. Key concepts include multiliteracies, multimodal designs for meaning-making and media literacy. Special emphasis is placed on youth literacies in the U.S./Mexico border region.

RED 5356: Teach Writing w/Div. K-12 Learners

Learn research-based teaching tools and strategies to help students develop as effective writers across grade levels and content areas. The course is based on five key principles: the importance of reading and writing as tools for learning across content areas; the view of writing as a process closely tied to thinking; the role of grammar and sentence structure in communicating meaning; the need for writing instruction to be responsive to students' linguistic and cultural backgrounds; the importance of tailoring writing instruction to meet the needs of struggling writers.

Includes options for coursework in ESL education, content literacy, and adult literacy.

BED 5331: Foundations of Bilingualism and Teaching Emergent Bilinguals

Bilingual/ESL Education. Includes discussion of current pedagogical, theoretical, historical, legislative, and other issues in the field. Identify program models in Bilingual/ESL Education, including their philosophical foundations, instructional frameworks, and the planning and design of program evaluation.

RED 5340: Current Topics - Reading Education

Develop competencies necessary to deal effectively with reading instruction; includes curriculum, concepts, teaching strategies, and skills necessary to integrate content and teaching strategies. May be repeated for credit when topic varies.

RED 5342: Content Literacy

Study methods and materials for developing maturity in reading and study skills, especially in the content areas from K-12. Special emphasis is given to the development of interest, the matching of students to proper materials, and instructional techniques for integrating the teaching of skills with the teaching of content.

RED 5349: Literacy Education Practicum

Serve an internship with University faculty or a team of University and clinical faculty in an elementary, middle, secondary, community college, or university setting. Course content and requirements will be contracted on an individual basis.

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