Reading, Master of Science
Overview
This program offers an in-depth theoretical and pedagogical understanding of literacy practices for teachers of early elementary education, secondary education and reading assessment and intervention. The degree program offers specific understanding about the nature of literacy development, paying particular attention to the acquisition of reading and its knowledge and skills through the close inspection of:
- phonemic awareness,
- phonics,
- fluency,
- vocabulary,
- comprehension,
- spelling,
- writing,
- motivation, and
- assessment for the instruction of students with diverse learning and literacy needs.
The program meets standards suggested by the International Literacy Association as well as the standards set forth by the state of Texas for Reading Specialists and Master Reading Teachers. The program prepares graduates for positions as literacy coaches, reading specialists, master reading teachers and English, Language Arts, and Reading implementation specialists.
This program is intended for both continuing students and professionals engaged in education, specifically those interested in the literacy of school-age students. Master’s degree seeking students, as well as certification in Reading candidates, are encouraged to apply. A thesis or a graduate research project is available in this degree. Courses span pedagogical methodological, and theoretical instruction in literacy education. The demands for graduates with specific knowledge in reading and particularly the intervention of reading difficulty for special populations is a current need in education. As such, the demand for continuing education in reading has never been stronger.
If you are on an old degree plan that states “Masters of Science degree in Reading Specialization”, please note that this means you are specializing in courses that are reading/literacy-based. It does not mean you are receiving a Reading Specialist certification, which is a certificate, issued by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). In order to sit for the Reading Specialist certification exam, you must:
- have a teaching certificate,
- two years of teaching experience at a public or private accredited school,
- earned a Master’s degree in an Education related-field with 18 hours dedicated to reading/literacy courses
- plus successful completion of a 160-hour supervised internship.
Upon passing the Reading Specialist certification exam and submitting all required paperwork to TEA, TEA will add your Reading Specialist certification to your license.
Application Process
Each applicant must submit their application and required documents by the appropriate semester deadline to GradCAS. The application is available online at https://gradcas.liaisoncas.org/apply/. For questions regarding the application process, contact the Office of Graduate Studies, graduate.studies@tamusa.edu.
Additional Required Application Credentials
In order to apply for admission to Graduate Studies, the applicant must submit an application directly to the Office of Admissions. A student must be admitted both to Graduate Studies and to a specific program in order to take courses for graduate credit. This applies to students with an undergraduate degree from Texas A&M University-San Antonio as well as to others. Students must receive a satisfactory score on the appropriate nationally standardized graduate aptitude examination(s). These scores are valid for a period of five years from the date taken. Students with graduate degrees from colleges officially approved by Texas A&M University-San Antonio who are seeking a certificate or endorsement only are exempt from the nationally standardized graduate aptitude examination requirement.
All students wanting to attend Texas A&M University-San Antonio must be proficient in the use of English. Students, regardless of immigration status, whose educational instruction has not been in the English language and/or whose first or native language is not English, must demonstrate proficiency in English. Please refer to the Proof of English Proficiency section for more information. Texas A&M University-San Antonio complies with H.B. 1641 which considers various factors in making a decision for admission into a graduate or professional program.
Program Details
The Master of Science in Reading is a thirty-six (36) hour program. The program includes three tracks depending on the students’ previous education and teaching experience:
Track 1: Master of Science in Reading with Reading Specialist and Master Reading Teacher Certification
This degree plan is for educators, with a standard teaching certificate plus two years of teaching experience at a public or private accredited school, who are pursuing Reading Specialist Certification and/or Master Reading Teacher certification. This degree plan requires students to complete:
- a Master’s degree in Reading,
- 160 hours in clinical practicum and internship experiences in literacy, and
- 135 minutes of faculty observations of the graduate student in clinical practicum and leadership experiences.
Track 2: Master of Science in Reading (without Reading Specialist Teaching Certification)
The Track 2-degree plan is for students who do not hold a standard teaching certificate and/or do not have two years teaching experience at a public or accredited private school. Since students cannot take the Reading Specialist test per Texas Education Agency requirements without the criteria from Track 1, students will be on the Track 2-degree plan. The Track 2-degree plan is also for graduate students who wish not to teach but may want to work for a literacy professional development company, a literacy non-profit organization, or a local, state, or national literacy agency.
In the event that a student receives two years teaching experience and a standard teaching certificate while enrolled in graduate school, the student may take EDRG 5360 School Wide Literacy Leadrship and EDRG 5380 Internship Literacy Leadership as electives and complete the 160 hours with the required 135 minutes of faculty observations of the graduate student, which will then allow them to take the Reading Specialist test. Doing so, thereby, gives the graduate student reciprocity to become a Master Reading Teacher (MRT) also, BUT it takes three years of teaching experience before the MRT can be valid.
In the event that a student graduates on this track and later obtains a standard teaching certification and two years of teaching experience, he or she must reapply to graduate school to enroll in EDRG 5380 Internship Literacy Leadership to complete the 160 hours with the required 135 minutes of faculty observations of the graduate student, which will then allow them to take the Reading Specialist test. Doing so allows the graduate student reciprocity to become a Master Reading Teacher (MRT) also, but it takes three years of teaching experience before the MRT can be valid.
Track 3: Reading Specialist and/or Master Reading Teacher Certification Only
Track 3 is for students who hold a Master’s degree from another education area, a standard teaching certificate, and two years of teaching at a public or accredited private school and are only seeking Reading Specialist and/or Master Reading Teacher Certification to add to their Master’s degree from another education area (e.g., Special Education, Bilingual, Early Childhood, or School Leadership/Administration). These students do not wish to pursue a Master’s of Science in Reading degree. These students will complete the following:
- 21 hours of Reading courses on Track 3-degree plan,
- 160 hours of clinical practicum and internship in literacy, and
- 135 minutes of faculty observations of the graduate student.
Curricula
Track 1 Requirements: Master of Science in Reading with Reading Specialist and Master Reading Teacher Certification
Background requirements: Standard teaching certificate and two or more years of teaching experience at a public or accredited private school (service records will be required)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| EDRG 5310 | Early Literacy Learn/Instructn | 3 |
| EDRG 5320 | Improving Reading in Sec Sch | 3 |
| EDRG 5325 | Teaching Lang Arts & Reading | 3 |
| EDRG 5329 | Literacy Educator as Researchr | 3 |
| EDRG 5335 | Models/Theories Lit & Learning | 3 |
| EDRG 5355 | Literacy Assessmnt & Intervntn | 3 |
| EDRG 5360 | School Wide Literacy Leadrship | 3 |
| EDRG 5365 | Action Research in Literacy | 3 |
| EDRG 5380 | Internship Literacy Leadership | 3 |
| Additional Coursework | ||
| Select nine hours of the following: | 9 | |
| Thesis (6 hours required) | ||
| Children/Yng Adult Literature | ||
| Adult Literacy | ||
| Community & Family Literacies | ||
| Dyslexia & Reading Differences | ||
| Seminar-Spec Probs in Reading | ||
| Literacy Study Abroad | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Track 2 Requirements: Master of Science in Reading (without Reading Specialist Teaching Certification)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| EDRG 5310 | Early Literacy Learn/Instructn | 3 |
| EDRG 5315 | Children/Yng Adult Literature | 3 |
| EDRG 5320 | Improving Reading in Sec Sch | 3 |
| EDRG 5325 | Teaching Lang Arts & Reading | 3 |
| EDRG 5329 | Literacy Educator as Researchr | 3 |
| EDRG 5335 | Models/Theories Lit & Learning | 3 |
| EDRG 5345 | Community & Family Literacies | 3 |
| EDRG 5355 | Literacy Assessmnt & Intervntn | 3 |
| EDRG 5365 | Action Research in Literacy | 3 |
| Additional Coursework | ||
| Select nine hours of the following: | 9 | |
| Thesis (6 hours required ) | ||
| Adult Literacy | ||
| Dyslexia & Reading Differences | ||
| School Wide Literacy Leadrship | ||
| Seminar-Spec Probs in Reading | ||
| Internship Literacy Leadership | ||
| Literacy Study Abroad | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Track 3 Requirements: Reading Specialist Teacher Certification Only
Background requirements: Master’s degree in another education discipline, standard teaching certificate and, if taking the Reading Specialist Certification Exam, two or more years of teaching experience at a public or accredited private school (service records will be required)
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| EDRG 5310 | Early Literacy Learn/Instructn | 3 |
| EDRG 5320 | Improving Reading in Sec Sch | 3 |
| EDRG 5325 | Teaching Lang Arts & Reading | 3 |
| EDRG 5335 | Models/Theories Lit & Learning | 3 |
| EDRG 5355 | Literacy Assessmnt & Intervntn | 3 |
| EDRG 5360 | School Wide Literacy Leadrship | 3 |
| EDRG 5380 | Internship Literacy Leadership | 3 |
| Total Credits | 21 | |