Literacy Specialist
Master of Science in Education
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
- Become an in-demand specialist with a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to support all students becoming literate, across all grades.
- Develop the appreciations, understandings, knowledge, and habits to be a teacher who changes students' lives.
- Obtain a certification that allows you to teach across all grades, PK-12.
Flexible program, full- or part-time
Only one night/week and online classes
Complete in as fast as 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time
Teach at our on-campus reading clinic
Program is Ideal for
- Certified teachers who are eligible for additional certification as a literacy specialist.
- Certified teachers who want to strengthen your ability to meet the literacy needs of all students.
- Certified teachers and eligible professionals who hold a master's degree and seek New York State certification as a literacy specialist.
- Professionals certified in speech and language disabilities who hold a master's degree and seek New York state certification as a literacy specialist.
Related program option
Already have a master's degree and New York state teaching certification and want to add certification in literacy? See Post-Master's Literacy Specialist Certification-Only Program
Curriculum Examples
- Assessment, Evaluation, and Instruction
- Literacy Methods Across the Curriculum
- Reading Improvement through Written Expression
- Leadership in Literacy Education
- Literacy Practicum and Seminar
Value of Your Degree
- Schools seek teachers with multiple certifications.
- This degree prepares you to be a literacy specialist, classroom teacher (Pre-K-grade 6), literacy coach, community college faculty, or content area teacher (grade 7-12) able to meet all students’ literacy needs to increase their ability to learn course content.
- Between 2014 and 2024, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects nearly 1.9 million job openings for teachers of preschool through postsecondary school and that employment of teachers will grow 6%.
Making Grad School Affordable
Grants, scholarships, veterans benefits, partner benefits, loans, and undergraduate loan forgiveness are options for paying for this grad degree. Are you committed to teaching in high-needs schools? See if you are eligible for the Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II) Scholarship.
Student's Perspective
“I went out into the education field holding tight to the words of Lisa Delpit, which exemplify my program’s faculty: ‘They held visions of us that we could not imagine for ourselves. They were determined…we would achieve.’ ”
Jamie (Sinicropi) Oberdorf ’14, third grade teacher, Elizabeth Cady Stanton School, Seneca Falls, N.Y.
What to Expect
- Nazareth's affordable cost for grad teaching degrees makes this high-demand certification within reach, enabling you to fill a needed teaching position in a school district in the local region or beyond.
- To fit well into your busy life, classes typically meet only one night per week on campus in the fall, spring, and summer A terms, with additional face-to-face meeting time during summer B. The remainder of the program happens online. See schedule (specific dates and times).
- Nazareth's full-time field placement officer and full-time certification officer provide you with strong support, including prep for certification exams and facilitating hands-on experiences with students. If you're working in a school district, this can include facilitation with your own school district so you can meet degree requirements while keeping your job.
- This certification prepares you to teach across all grades, PK-12.
- Teach at the on-campus Marie Callahan Reading Clinic, which offers literacy support to community children and teenagers.
- Gain experience in public and private school settings.
- Participate in community events hosted by the Frontier Center for Urban Education.
- You have the option to get specialized preparation in teaching students with autism and students with severe or multiple disabilities. Details: Interdisciplinary Specialty Program in Autism (I-SPAN) specialization, Teaching Students with Severe or Multiple Disabilities annotation.
- Nazareth's full-time director of clinical experiences and partnerships and full-time certification officer provide you with strong support, including prep for certification exams and facilitating hands-on experiences with students. If you're working in a school district, this can include facilitation with your own school district so you can meet degree requirements while keeping your job.
- Your full-time career coach for education (part of Nazareth's nationally recognized Center for Life's Work) is available for resume, interviewing, and job search guidance.
- Additional guidance and support is available from your individual academic advisor and from the School of Education's director of academic support services.
