Literacy education
Master of education/professional studies
Program
The master of education (M.Ed.)/professional studies program in literacy education is designed to improve the quality of literacy education in K-12 schools.
The program aims to address the growing state and national emphasis on pupils’ reading skills and achievement. This graduate-level, practitioner-based program of at least 30 semester credits is designed for K-12 teachers whose primary assignment is reading instruction.
The literacy education program provides instruction on current developments in literacy theory and research, as well as teaching methods for reading, writing, language, speech, and media studies. Students will learn to develop instructional units, evaluate and assess K-12 pupils’ literacy skills, and develop technology tools to teach them. The program also encourages students to become "literacy leaders" in their schools and school systems.
Program faculty include nationally known researchers in the field, who provide research-based instructional methods. The program focuses on understanding and conducting research in literacy learning, preparing teachers to use research-based teaching methods, and to conduct research on ways to improve the quality of their teaching. The program is offered by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) in the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).
With guidance from faculty advisers, students complete 30 semester credits of work in three areas: a core academic program in education, coursework specific to the area of literacy education, and elective coursework. Requirements also include a research methods course and research project. Courses at the University of Minnesota are offered at a variety of times, including late afternoons and summer session.
By choosing designated coursework for the literacy education program, students may simultaneously complete the separate K-12 reading additional licensure program, designed to prepare teachers to meet the state of Minnesota’s licensure requirements for K-12 teachers of reading. Additional licensure program materials are available from the College’s office of Student Services, 612-625-6501, e-mail: cehdgrad@umn.edu, or on the Web.
Admission
Admission requirements to this program include the following criteria:
- A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university
- A 2.80 minimum GPA
- A one-page goal statement
- A résumé
- A completed CEHD Application for Admission to M.Ed./Professional Studies Programs, available at the College’s office of Student Services, 110 Wulling Hall, 86 Pleasant Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455; 612-625-6501; e-mail: cehdgrad@umn.edu; or on the Web.
The College reviews applications on an ongoing basis. Application reviews for specific academic terms begin by the following dates. Students are encouraged to submit application materials to Student Services by the following dates:
- November 1—spring semester admission
- March 1—summer session admission
- July 1—fall semester admission
Applicants are typically notified of admission decisions four to six weeks after application deadlines.
Transfer credits
A maximum of 12 graduate semester transfer credits may be applied to the M.Ed. program. Credits may include any combination of the following coursework:
- Up to four graduate semester credits from fully accredited institutions other than the University of Minnesota for students enrolled at the University’s Twin Cities campus; up to nine graduate semester credits for students enrolled at the University’s Rochester campus
- Credits completed at the University of Minnesota before admission to the M.Ed. program
Transfer courses must be completed at the graduate level and approved by a faculty adviser and the College. Workshop credits are usually not accepted for transfer to C&I programs. Contact the program’s faculty adviser for more information.
Curriculum
Students must complete at least 30 semester credits in the following areas:
Core requirements (12 cr)
- CI 5155—Contemporary Approaches to Curriculum: Instruction and Assessment (3 cr)
- CI 5177—Practical Research (3 cr)
To be taken toward end of M.Ed. program; consult with faculty adviser. - CI 5186—School-Related Projects (3 cr)
To be taken after CI 5177; consult with faculty adviser. - CI 5351—Technology Tools for Educators (3 cr)
- or alternate course approved by adviser
Literacy education requirements (12-15 cr)
- CI 5147—Language, Culture, and Education (3 cr)
- CI 5401—Literature for the Elementary School (3 cr)
- CI 5402—Introduction to Special Collections (3 cr)
- CI 5403—Creative Writing for and by Children (3 cr)
- CI 5410—Special Topics in the Teaching of Literacy (3 cr)
- CI 5411—Teaching Reading in the Elementary School (3 cr)
- CI 5412—Reading Difficulties: Instruction and Assessment (3 cr)
- CI 5413—Teaching Students with Reading Difficulties (3 cr)
- CI 5415—Literacy Development in the Primary Grades (3 cr)
- CI 5416—Literacy Development in the Intermediate Grades (3 cr)
- CI 5422—Teaching Writing in Schools (3 cr)
- * CI 5431—Introduction to Instructional Leadership in K-12 Reading (3 cr)
- * CI 5432—Instructional Leadership in Reading in Kindergarten and the Elementary Grades (3 cr)
- * CI 5433—Instructional Leadership in Reading for the Middle and Secondary Grades (3 cr)
- * CI 5434—Professional Development and Evolving Practice in K–12 Reading (3 cr)
- * CI 5435—Instructional Leadership in Preventing Reading Difficulties (3 cr)
- CI 5441—Teaching Literature in the Secondary School (3 cr)
- CI 5442—Literature for Adolescents (3 cr)
- CI 5451—Teaching Reading in Middle and Secondary Grades (3 cr)
- CI 5461—Teaching Composition in the Secondary School and College (3 cr)
- CI 5462—Evaluating and Assessing Writing (3 cr)
- CI 5472—Teaching Film, Television, and Media Studies (3 cr)
Note: Courses marked with an asterisk (*) in the preceding list are sequential, and part of the separate additional licensure program in K-12 reading offered by CEHD.
Electives (3–6 cr)
Electives may be selected from graduate-level courses (5xxx and above) at the University of Minnesota, as approved by students and advisers. Students are advised to choose elective courses consistent with learning issues faced by the student populations they teach, including special education, secondary language, or cultural diversity issues.
Note: WHRE course designators officially changed
effective
January 2006. Previous course designators are listed below in
brackets.
Students may choose elective courses from the following list:
- CI 5331—Introduction to Instructional Systems and Technology (3 cr)
- CI 5337—Planning for K-12 Technology Design and Integration (3 cr)
- CI 5344—Facilitating Technology Integration in Classrooms I (1 cr)
- CI 5361—Teaching via the Internet (3 cr)
- CI 5619—Teaching Second Languages and Cultures in Elementary Schools (3 cr)
- CI 5642—The Assessment of Learners with Limited English Proficiency (3 cr)
- CI 5651—Foundations of Second Languages and Cultures Education (3 cr)
- CI 5652—Integrating Culture in the Second Language Classroom (3 cr)
- CI 5656—Reading and Writing in a Second Language (3 cr)
- CI 5657—Speaking and Listening in a Second Language (3 cr)
- COMM 5404—Language and Culture (3 cr)
- COMM 5406—Communication and Gender (3 cr)
- EDPA 5052—Ethnic Groups and Communities: Families, Children, and Youth (3 cr)
- EDPA 5372—Youth in Modern Society (3 cr)
- ENGL 5090—Readings in Special Subjects (3 cr)
- ENGL 5200—Readings in American Literature (3 cr)
- ENGL 5300—Readings in American Minority Literature (3 cr)
- ENGL 5690—Minnesota Writing Project: Directed Studies (1-3 cr)
- EPSY 5112—Knowing, Learning, and Thinking (4 cr)
- EPSY 5113—Psychology of Instruction and Technology (3 cr)
- EPSY 5114—Psychology of Student Learning (3 cr)
- EPSY 5151—Cooperative Learning (3 cr)
- EPSY 5221—Principles of Educational and Psychological Measurement (4 cr)
- EPSY 5612—Understanding of Academic Disabilities (3 cr)
- EPSY 5613—Foundations of Special Education I (3 cr)
- WHRE 5002 (WCFE 5002)—Thinking, Learning, and Teaching in Work and Human Resource Education (3 cr)
After completing CI 5177 and a majority of the required and elective coursework, students complete CI 5186 under the faculty adviser’s guidance.
Note: For course descriptions and schedules, refer to the University of Minnesota Class Schedule.
Registration
Currently admitted degree-seeking or non-degree seeking students may register online for coursework.
Students who want to begin M.Ed. coursework before admission to the M.Ed. program must complete a CEHD First-Time Registration for non-degree seeking Students packet [.pdf]. Packets are also available at the College’s office of Student Services, 110 Wulling Hall, 86 Pleasant Street S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455; 612-625-6501; e-mail: cehdgrad@umn.edu.
For questions about registration, contact Student Services at 612-625-5815.
Core faculty
For more program information, visit the C&I Web site or contact faculty members listed below:
Richard Beach
Ph.D., University of Illinois
612-625-3893; e-mail:
rbeach@umn.edu
Deborah R.
Dillon
Ph.D., University of Georgia
612-626-8271; e-mail:
dillon@umn.edu
Lee Galda
Ph.D., New York University
612-625-3310; e-mail:
galda001@umn.edu
Lori A. Helman
Ph.D., University of Nevada, Reno
612-624-2034; e-mail:
lhelman@umn.edu
Timothy J.
Lensmire
Ph.D., Michigan State University
612-625-2092; e-mail:
lensmire@umn.edu
Cynthia Lewis
Ph.D., University of Iowa
612-625-6313; e-mail:
lewis@umn.edu
David O’Brien
Ph.D., University of Georgia
612-624-7377; e-mail:
dobrien@umn.edu
Rebecca Rapport
Ph.D., University of Minnesota
612-624-4533; e-mail:
rappo001@umn.edu
Barbara M.
Taylor
Ed.D., Virginia Tech
612-625-0169; e-mail:
bmtaylor@umn.edu
Updated October 2005