Master of Education in Reading - Online Only
UT Tyler School of Education - Graduate
ILA National Recognition Recipients
Our program is ranked #15 in the category "Best Online Master's in Reading and Literacy Programs" by Best Accredited Colleges!
- Reading Teachers
- Reading Specialists
- Literacy Coaches
- Dyslexia Specialists
Mission Statement
- Our program prepares educators to be Reading Specialists, Literacy Coaches and Dyslexia specialists who are broadly prepared across the scope of practice of literacy education, and who are grounded in literacy research.
- Our program strengthens educators’ expertise in administering literacy assessments, using data analysis to determine students’ literacy strengths and needs, and designing evidence-based literacy instruction to improve learning outcomes.
- Our program offers courses and field experiences that prepare educators (e.g., classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, EL teachers, literacy coaches, reading specialists, dyslexia specialists) to work with children and youth who have a wide variety of learning needs, in multiple settings, and who represent diverse cultural, socioeconomic, and linguistic backgrounds.
- Our program’s coursework focuses on ways to best support the literate lives of children, adolescents, and adults in schools, homes, and communities.
Program Information
- The M.Ed. in Reading Program accepts application for fall, spring, and summer admission.
- Applications and application materials must be submitted and received by the following
deadlines:
- Fall - August 15
- Spring - December 20
- Summer - April 15
- The total credit hours for the program are 36 CREDIT HOURS (12 courses).
- Students will be eligible to earn a TEA Reading Specialist Certification and either a UT Tyler Literacy Coaching Certificate or a Dyslexia Diagnosis and Intervention Certificate after they successfully complete the 36 credit hours, successfully defend their program portfolio, and pass the TEA Reading Specialist certification exam.
Tech Tools for Teachers
Virtual teaching and learning are now a reality that is rapidly changing the way teachers teach and students learn. Our M.Ed. in Reading graduate students are a part of the solution in helping other teachers to become more proficient and effective with their virtual literacy teaching. Specifically, our students created a three-minute-mini literacy instructional demonstration video that focuses on how teachers can use new media literacy tools to support their literacy instruction. These instructional videos are research based and are contributing to the body of knowledge regarding effective literacy instruction and new media literacy tools. These videos are a FREE RESOURCE for all PreK- High School teachers. Check them out HERE.
Invest in your future. Apply today.
- It's Simple—Apply for admission. Enroll in classes. Enjoy learning from the comfort of your home.
- It's Flexible—Enroll full-time or part-time. Complete your degree within two years.
Admission Requirements
Option 1 - Texas Residents Only
To be admitted to the Master of Education in Reading program, a individual must:
- Hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- Hold a Texas Teacher Certification (any field).
- Submit Texas teaching service record and any other documents required by Texas governing units.
- Submit official transcripts from all institutions attended.
- Complete admissions interview.
- Submit a written goal statement and initial philosophy of literacy statement.
- Have an appropriate GPA in degree plan as set by Texas Administrative Code and other administrative units.
- For consideration for admission to the program, the applicant must either have a 3.0 overall GPA, or last 60 hour GPA of 3.25 or higher, or submit GRE scores that equals or exceeds 158 verbal and 162 quantitative, successful admissions interview, and the applicant's demonstrated commitment to his or her chosen field of study.
Option 2 - Texas Non-Residents & International Students Only
- Hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- Hold a teacher certification (any field).
- Submit teaching service record and any other documents required by Texas governing units.
- Submit official transcripts from all institutions attended.
- Complete admissions interview.
- Submit a written goal statement and initial philosophy of literacy statement.
- Have an appropriate GPA in degree plan as set by Texas Administrative Code and other administrative units.
- Admission is determined based on GPA and, if necessary, satisfactory scores on the GRE in combination with the GPA, and successful admissions interview.
- For consideration for admission to the program, the applicant must either have a 3.0 overall GPA, or last 60 hour GPA of 3.25 or higher, or submit GRE scores that equals or exceeds 158 verbal and 162 quantitative, successful admissions interview, and the applicant's demonstrated commitment to his or her chosen field of study.
Application Submission Process
To be admitted to the UT Tyler Master of Education in Reading program, a prospective student must complete the following steps.
First:
- Start by applying through our online application.
- After you have your student ID, submit a Goal Statement and a Philosophy of Literacy Statement at the provided link.
Goal Statement: Write a one-page, single spaced biographical statement that includes your teaching experience, your professional goals, and your reasons for pursuing this M.Ed. in Reading degree.
Initial Philosophy of Literacy Statement: Write a one-page, single spaced statement that captures your thoughts, views, and ideas about literacy and its teaching.
Then:
Send all of the following directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions at gradadmissions@uttyler.edu.
- All OFFICIAL academic transcripts reflecting the reception of a bachelor's degree and any other undergraduate and graduate coursework.
- If required, send official scores (obtained within the past five years) on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions.
- Copy of your teacher certification (any field)
- Copy of your complete teaching service record from all districts. (Can be obtained from your district Human Resources office.)
Finally:
- This program requires an admission interview. Within a week of receipt of all admission documents, you will receive an email providing you a link to our online scheduling system. Once you receive this email, you may schedule a Zoom admission interview. You must wait to receive this email to schedule the admission interview.
Notes:
- If your GPA is high enough to waive the GRE requirement, your official transcripts have been reviewed. Until then, the GRE will remain on your to-do list.
Note: Students admitted to The Graduate School must pay a $250 admission fee to the School of Education Educator Preparation Program. This fee helps cover practicum supervision expenses. This fee is used to supplement program resources (i.e. Needed assessment materials) and practicum supervision expenses.
Criminal History Acknowledgement
As required by Texas HB1508, applicants need to be aware of the following.
- In order to receive a reading specialist certification, you must pass a criminal history background check.
- If you have been convicted of an offense that is considered not appropriate for a reading specialist, you could be ineligible to earn this certification from the state of Texas.
- You have a right to request a criminal history evaluation letter from the Texas Education Agency. The Texas Education Agency currently charges a $50 fee for this criminal history evaluation.
For more information, see Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation.
Transfer of Credit/Experiences
In compliance with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and in accordance with the policies of the UT Tyler Graduate School, transfer of graduate credit from an accredited institution is limited to six (6) hours for the master’s degree. All transfer credit must have been completed with a grade of “B” or better, completed within the last five years, and approved by the degree-granting program. Transfer credits should be evaluated and approved during the first semester. The course being transferred into a degree program should be a direct equivalent to the course within the certification/degree program. Students who have extended work experiences that cover the content of a course should work with their advisor and Director of the School to determine if those work experiences cover course content. Students should work with their advisor to have courses evaluated for transfer.
Select from two related tracks to match your career goals:
- Master's Degree in Reading with a Reading Specialist Certification and UT Tyler Literacy Coaching Certificate (36 Credit Hours). Must complete requirements within five calendar years.
- Master's Degree in Reading with a Reading Specialist Certification and UT Tyler Dyslexia Diagnosis and Intervention Certificate (36 Credit Hours). Must complete requirements within five calendar years.
Work with committed literacy educators and mentors.
Join a team of highly qualified, caring and dedicated literacy faculty. Together, they have the expertise, experience and disposition to work with you and to support your diverse backgrounds, experiences and disciplines.
- Dr. Kouider Mokhtari, (Interdisciplinary Ph.D., Ohio University, 1987), Anderson-Vukelja-Wright Endowed Chair, Literacy Education
- Dr. Joanna Neel, (Ed.D., Texas A & M- Commerce, 2006), Associate Professor, Literacy Education
- Dr. Gina Doepker, (Ph.D., The Ohio State University, 2007), Associate Professor of Literacy Education
Learn to take on and solve important literacy challenges in your schools and communities. Put knowledge into action.
Did you know?: "At grades 4 and 8, students whose teachers hold master's degrees have scored higher than their peers whose teachers hold bachelor's degrees in every assessment since 2005." (Institute of Education Sciences, 2005-2011)
Plan of Study
|
Courses Required |
Title |
Hours |
|---|---|---|
|
3 |
||
|
Issues in Teaching of Literacy Using Children’s and Adolescent Literature* |
3 |
|
|
3 |
||
|
3 |
||
|
3 |
||
|
3 |
||
|
3 |
||
|
3 |
||
|
3 |
||
|
3 |
||
|
3 |
||
|
Literacy Coaching as Collaborative Professional development** |
3 |
|
|
3 |
||
|
3 |
*Courses required for Reading Specialist certification.
**Courses required for Literacy Coaching certificate.
***Courses required for Dyslexia Diagnosis and Intervention certificate.
View the Course Rotation Offerings for the online Master of Education in Reading cohort.
View the handbook for the Master of Education in Reading.
View the M.Ed. in Reading Milestone Agreement. This form is provided for the purpose of informing students about the academic milestones that they will be expected to reach to earn their master’s degree as well as when they are expected to complete these milestones.
Career Opportunities
Career tracks for completing the graduate reading program include reading specialists, literacy coaches, instructional support teachers and intervention specialists.
Instructional leaders, a career that encompasses reading specialists and literacy coaches, are expected to experience career growth during the decade ending in 2018. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, career growth is anticipated to be 23%, which is far higher than expected for other occupations.
"I am deeply grateful for our program's professors and the depth of knowledge they
possess. The genuine passion they have for their students' success and their field
of expertise is evident in every aspect of their course preparation and delivery.
Their ultimate devotion to accessibility (along with the amazing UT Tyler Technology
Support staff and the easy-to-use Canvas system) has provided me with a wonderful
level of comfort along with an uncompromised feeling of connectivity as a fully-online
student. The Reading Department has selected excellent graduate assistants that are
endlessly encouraging and provide helpful guidance in the same spirit as the professors
themselves do. I feel academically challenged, supported, and prepared for my future:
UT Tyler's MEd-Reading Specialist graduate program is the best educational choice
I could have made." ~Amy Whittington, Spring 2020 Graduate.
I chose to attend UT Tyler for my graduate degree for several reasons. First, as I
researched many online graduate reading specialist programs, I felt that UT Tyler
offered the most comprehensive coursework. I was confident that when I completed my
degree plan, I would be well prepared to do my job as a master reading teacher. Second,
the flexibility of an online degree was very appealing to me. Teaching full time and
living a couple of hours away from the university, I knew that an online program was
my best option to earn my master’s degree. Finally, the cost was by far the “cherry
on top”. I could not justify going anywhere else after realizing that it was possible
for me to earn an outstanding degree (under the guidance of some of the best literacy
educators in the field) at such a low cost. One of the things that I have enjoyed
the most about UT Tyler is that I have experienced a sense of community, even though
I am not “physically” on campus. The team of literacy instructors at UT Tyler have
made it a priority for those of us taking online classes to connect with others within
our graduate program. My instructors have gone above and beyond to make me feel like
I am important and that they care about my success. I am truly grateful for their
guidance and shared literacy knowledge. ~Kelli Airheart, Spring 2019 Graduate.
"I believe the Masters of Education in Reading program at The University of Texas at Tyler is vital to my future success as a literacy professional. The program classes were small, interesting and adaptive for real world classrooms. The professors were always available and happy to help. I could not have had a better experience obtaining my master's degree." ~Carrie Thompson, Summer 2015 Graduate.
"The Master of Education in Reading program through the University of Texas at Tyler has given me the insight and knowledge necessary to be a successful, professional literacy educator for both students and teachers alike. As a direct result of the expertise of the professors, I am prepared and have the confidence necessary to make a significant contribution in the literacy community. Thank you!" ~Shelley Smith, Reading Specialist, Spring 2015 Graduate.
"Throughout our quest to become master reading professionals at The University of Texas at Tyler, my fellow students and I have been well prepared by the most highly qualified professors in the field of literacy and education. Because of this, we are now ready to take on the challenges of being reading professionals and leading students and teachers to the best practices in literacy education and training." ~Sharon Palmer, Reading Specialist, Spring 2012 Graduate.
Watch additional student testimonials.
Salary Information
See Bureau of Labor Statistics for detailed salary information on these careers. Another great resource is O*Net.
Financial Aid
Apply for one or more financial assistance options, including Teachers in Excellence Scholarships ($200 first graduate semester), graduate assistantships, and Stafford loans.
Contact
For Program Information:
Dr. Gina Doepker, Program Coordinator
903.566.6206
gdoepker@uttyler.edu
For Admission Information:
903.566.7361
SOEgraduate@uttyler.edu
*Tuition subject to change.
For complaints about this certification educator preparation program, please follow the policy outlined in the Certification Program's Complaint Policy.