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Master's in Reading Education Requirements

Complete these requirements to earn a Reading Education master's online.

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) and Master of Science (M.S.) in Reading Education degree programs share an official core of required courses. These courses support the development and skills for effective literacy assessment and instructional practices.

Admission Requirements

For the M.Ed., teacher licensure at one of the following levels: early childhood, elementary, middle or secondary education, or a baccalaureate degree in another field of study is required.

The Reading Education program follows the School of Graduate Studies requirements for a cumulative undergraduate minimum grade point average of 2.75 or a junior/senior year minimum grade point average of 3.00. Applicants must satisfy the School of Graduate Studies’ English Language Proficiency requirements as listed in the Graduate Academic Information section of the graduate catalog. Transcripts, recommendations, and a personal statement, i.e., a response to three essay prompts, are part of the School of Graduate Studies and Reading Education application procedure. The personal statement essay should be three pages in length and the prompts are:

  1. Describe your professional background, especially as it relates to teaching reading, writing and other areas of reading/language arts.
  2. What characteristics and strengths do you possess that make you a good candidate for this degree program?
  3. Discuss your professional goals.

Refer to the School of Graduate Studies Admissions and the Education Admissions Process sections of the graduate catalog for additional information on degree and application requirements and procedures.

Degree Requirements

The M.Ed. degree requirements are based on the following components:

  1. Core Requirements for the Reading Education major and literacy education electives: The courses in the major engage students in learning content about diverse readers, writers, and speakers; curriculum, methods of teaching and assessing; literacy theory and foundations; and professional perspective. T&L 583 Reading Clinic, one of the Core Requirements, involves students in a practicum experience in which they work with readers to apply their core knowledge about teaching literacy to diverse readers.
  2. Cognate: Cognate courses are a selection of courses providing broad support to the major.
  3. Foundations:  Foundations content supports exploration of progressive education, issues in education and the field of literacy, and affirmation of diversity.

The M.Ed. Reading Education degree program requires coursework in three areas: The major (reading education), cognate, i.e., coursework that supplements the major, and foundations of education.The program culminates in T&L 995 Scholarly Project . With careful planning, most students can meet the course requirements for the North Dakota Reading Credential.

The credit hours for the M.Ed., Reading Education consist of:

Course List
CodeTitleCredits
T&L 524Reading in the Content Areas2
T&L 525Writing in the Classroom3
T&L 530Foundations of Reading Instruction3
T&L 534Basic Reading Diagnosis and Remediation2
T&L 536Innovations in English Language Arts Instruction3
T&L 583Reading Clinic (corequisite with T&L 534)2
T&L 995Scholarly Project3
Select one of the following:3
T&L 528
Children's and Young Adult Literature in the Classroom
T&L 531
Early Literacy Development and Instruction
T&L 532
Leading K-12 Educator Learning
T&L 533
Media for Children and Young Adults in Cultural Context
Cognate
Sample choices:6
T&L 569
Action Research
SPED 552
Inclusive Methods
T&L 577
Assessment of Learning
T&L 518
Curriculum and Methods for Teaching STEM
T&L 519
Social Studies in the Elementary School
T&L 522
Mathematics in the Elementary School
T&L 526
Play in Development and Early Childhood Education
T&L 529
Language Development Cognition in Children
T&L 553
Collaborative Relationships: Home, School and Community
Other courses are suited to the cognate to this area, e.g., English Language Learner courses; courses outside of the department and college may also be acceptable; consult with your advisor.
Educational Foundations
Select one of the following:3
EFR 500
Introduction to the Foundations of Education
EFR 506
Multicultural Education
EFR 501
Psychological Foundations of Education
EFR 502
Issues and Trends in Education
EFR 503
History of American Education Policy and Reform
EFR 504
Philosophical Foundations of Education
EFR 505
Educational Equity and Social Change in Schooling
EFR 507
Gender, Education and the Environment
EFR 508
Advanced Ethnographic Methodology: Inquiry into Culture
Total Credits30

Admission Requirements

For the M.S., teacher licensure at one of the following levels: early childhood, elementary, middle or secondary education.

  1. The Reading Education program follows the School of Graduate Studies requirements for a cumulative undergraduate minimum grade point average of 2.75 or a junior/senior year minimum grade point average of 3.00.
  2. Applicants must satisfy the School of Graduate Studies’ English Language Proficiency requirements as listed in the Graduate Academic Information section of the graduate catalog.
  3. Transcripts, recommendations, and a personal statement, i.e., a response to three essay prompts, are part of the School of Graduate Studies and Reading Education application procedure.
  4. The personal statement essay should be three pages in length and the prompts are:
    1. Describe your professional background, especially as it relates to teaching reading, writing and other areas of reading/language arts.
    2. What characteristics and strengths do you possess that make you a good candidate for this degree program?
    3. Discuss your professional goals.

Refer to the School of Graduate Studies Admissions and the Education Admissions Process sections of the graduate catalog for additional information on degree and application requirements and procedures.

Degree Requirements

  1. Core Reading Education Courses: The courses in the major engage students in learning content about diverse readers, writers, and speakers; curriculum, methods of teaching and assessing; literacy theory and foundations; and professional perspective. T&L 583 Reading Clinic, one of the Core Requirements, involves students in a practicum experience in which they work with readers to apply their core knowledge about teaching literacy to diverse readers.
  2. Core Instructional Coaching Courses: Students engage in and facilitate professional learning that is tied to ongoing work within a culture of continuous improvement and share collective responsibility for the professional growth of all adults and the success of every student.  Students are eligible to earn an Instructional Coaching Certificate with these courses.  
  3. Scholarly Tools: This component of the program supports development of skills for scholarly inquiry and systematic study of one’s own practice; learning about scholarly inquiry is integrated throughout the coursework.

The credit hours for the M.S., Reading Education may consist of:

Course List
CodeTitleCredits
Core Reading Education Courses
T&L 524Reading in the Content Areas2
T&L 525Writing in the Classroom3
T&L 530Foundations of Reading Instruction3
T&L 534Basic Reading Diagnosis and Remediation2
T&L 536Innovations in English Language Arts Instruction3
T&L 583Reading Clinic2
T&L 995Scholarly Project3
Core Instructional Coaching Courses12
T&L 532Leading K-12 Educator Learning3
T&L 563K-12 Classroom Based Coaching Practices3
T&L 564Designing Professional Development for K-12 Educators3
T&L 565K-12 Instructional Coaching Clinical3
Scholarly Tools
Select one of the following:3
EFR 509Introduction to Applied Educational Research3
T&L 569
Action Research
T&L 579
Inquiry into Professional Practice
SPED 557
Progress Monitoring

Accelerated Admissions for B.S. Elementary Education/M.S. in Reading Education

The Accelerated Bachelors/Master's (ABM) 4+1 program allows exceptional undergraduate students at UND an opportunity to complete the requirements for both the bachelors and master's degrees at an accelerated pace. All requirements for both degrees must be met, and these students may double count up to 12 graduate-level credits toward the requirements for both their bachelors and master's degree requirements. ABM students must obtain their master's degree within 12 months of completing the bachelors degree.

  • Students may apply to this program upon completion of 60 credits toward the bachelor’s degree or with an Associate’s degree. Students interested in the accelerated program will follow the admissions process listed above.
  • Students must have an overall G.P.A. of 3.00 or higher at the time of admission.
  • Passing scores on Praxis I

Degree Requirements for Accelerated B.S. Elementary Education/M.S. in Reading Education:

Transferred or Prerequisite Courses

  • Child Development or Developmental Psychology
  • Human Geography or World Regional Geography
  • US History 
  • College Algebra 
  • Math for Elementary Teachers
  • North Dakota licensing requirements include knowledge and course content in the Physical, Life, Earth, and Space Sciences. Students who are missing any of these science requirements, can take T&L 474: STEM Concepts in the Elementary Classroom (3 credits) which covers all North Dakota teacher licensing requirements.

Additional Elementary Education Requirements

  • Passing PRAXIS I Core Academic Skills for Educator scores in the Praxis Series of tests in Math, Reading, and Writing. The exam should be taken before or while applying to the program as there are no pre-requisites for taking the test. 
  • After being admitted to the 2+1 Accelerated Elementary Education (B.S.) and Reading Education (M.S.) Program, you will be required to purchase the Field Experience Module of LiveText, a web-based tool required for all teacher candidates (available at: https://www.livetext.com/misk5/c1/purchase) (Approximate cost $139)
  • Completion of Successful Professional Disposition Reports (obtained while enrolled in an Introduction to Education course and in other field experiences throughout the program. 
  • Take the Praxis II Specialty Area Tests in Elementary Education before student teaching. 
  • Complete the application process for student teaching. 
  • Student Teaching will have additional fees for supervision costs.
  • Pass a FBI Criminal Background Investigation and fingerprinting test before being placed in a school.

Teacher Education Program Retention Policy

  • Maintain a 3.0 GPA in all coursework
  • Complete all field experiences with a score of “satisfactory” on all Professional Disposition Reports
  • Receive a final grade of C or higher in all required coursework

Courses:

Course List
CodeTitleCredits
Bachelor’s courses for licensure (* courses are those double counted)
T&L 250Introduction to Education3
T&L 251Understanding Individuals with Different Abilities3
KIN 305Health/Physical Education for Early Childhood and Elementary Education Teachers3
T&L 324Integrating the Arts in the Elementary Classroom3
T&L 328Survey of Children's Literature3
T&L 335Foundations of Reading3
T&L 339Educational Technology2
T&L 404Assessment in the Elementary Classroom1
T&L 405Data Literacy for Teachers1
T&L 432Learning Environments3
T&L 433Multicultural Education3
T&L 518Curriculum and Methods for Teaching STEM (*)3
T&L 519Social Studies in the Elementary School (*)3
T&L 522Mathematics in the Elementary School (*)3
T&L 536Innovations in English Language Arts Instruction (*)3
T&L 486Field Experience1-4
T&L 487Student Teaching13
T&L 4881
T&L 489Senior Capstone: Responsive Teaching3
Reading Education Master’s level courses (* courses are those double counted)
T&L 518Curriculum and Methods for Teaching STEM (*)3
T&L 519Social Studies in the Elementary School (*)3
T&L 522Mathematics in the Elementary School (*)3
T&L 536Innovations in English Language Arts Instruction (*)3
T&L 524Reading in the Content Areas2
T&L 525Writing in the Classroom3
T&L 530Foundations of Reading Instruction3
T&L 534Basic Reading Diagnosis and Remediation2
T&L 583Reading Clinic2
T&L 569Action Research3
EFR 509Introduction to Applied Educational Research3
or SPED 557 Progress Monitoring
T&L 995Scholarly Project (or)2
T&L 997Independent Study2

Master's in Reading Education Requirements Disclaimer

The requirements on this page are pulled from UND’s academic catalog and may not reflect future terms. Updates are published annually in April.

Graduate Admissions Requirements

In addition to meeting these program requirements, you must also meet the UND School of Graduate Studies admissions requirements to apply for this program.

Graduate Requirements

Request Information

Department Contact
Pam Beck
Graduate Director
P 701.777.6173
pamela.beck@UND.edu

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