Masters

Reading and Literacy

Fully Online

Overview

The Master of Science in Education in Reading and Literacy (M.S. Ed. in Reading and Literacy) at Illinois State offers a 36-hour intensive and highly competitive, fully online program in literacy instruction for those teachers who wish to focus in reading and writing. The Reading and Literacy program will prepare you to plan reading and writing curriculum, implement language-centered instructional strategies, design effective programs of reading and writing assessment, and design professional development in literacy.

The program is intended for educators teaching reading and writing in kindergarten through 12th grade. Candidates entering the program have backgrounds in elementary education, middle school, or secondary English/language arts, special education, or early childhood education. More information can be found at the College of Education website.

Point of Pride

More Illinois State graduates have earned National Board certification, the gold standard for accomplished teaching, than alumni from any other university in the Midwest, among reporting teachers.

Dr. Ellis Hurd
(309) 438-5115
DeGarmo 224

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How to Apply

University Admission Requirements

A student applying to a master's program must:

have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so within one academic year
present unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term. If accepted, official transcripts can be emailed from the university to GraduateAdmissions@IllinoisState.edu or mailed in a sealed envelope to: Illinois State University, Graduate School, 209 Hovey Hall, Campus Box 4040, Normal, IL 61790-4040.

International students can learn more about specific application requirements by visiting the Office of Admissions.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

A student applying to this program must:

have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for either the last 60 hours of your undergraduate coursework or any previous work in a Master's program
have a current teaching certificate and two years of teaching experience
upload a response to the following prompt: in no more than three pages, explain why you would like to pursue a Master's degree in Reading and Literacy. Within your response, discuss how pursuing graduate work in literacy will contribute to your broader goals as an educator.

This program does not require letters of recommendation for admission.

Global Access to Online Degree Programs

When applying, international students applying to a fully online program must agree to our international online and hybrid programs disclosure and disclaimer statements. Due to limited on-campus courses, immigration documentation cannot be issued for students seeking F-1 or J-1 status.

Application Deadlines

Fall Term — June 15; Applications submitted after June 15 will be accepted as space permits
Spring Term — November 1; Applications submitted after November 1 will be accepted as space permits
Summer Term — March 15; Applications submitted after March 15 will be accepted as space permits

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Graduate Assistantships

The University provides graduate assistantships as a means of financial support. They are intended as a way to facilitate a student's progress to degree while providing important professional development.

Eligibility

To be eligible for an assistantship a student must, generally,

be admitted unconditionally as a degree-seeking student into a graduate academic program, or have a minimum of 120 undergraduate hours if in an integrated degree program
be in good-standing
be enrolled full-time (typically at least 9 credit hours during the fall or spring semesters, or at least 6 hours during the summer session).

Benefits

Graduate assistants receive

monthly wages paid in the form of either a stipend or an hourly wage
a waiver for 100% of tuition during a semester of appointment
a waiver for up to 12 credit hours of tuition for the summer term immediately following a fall or spring appointment

Costs & Funding

See Student Accounts for information on tuition and fees. Funding for graduate students is available from several different sources. Students who have been admitted from contiguous states including Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin will receive in-state tuition.

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