About The Program
We meet your passion for lifelong reading education and embrace literacy practices from kindergartners to adult learners. During our program, you'll complete a reading portfolio documenting your work, implement an action research project and practice coaching skills. Our courses include psycholinguistics, word study, media literacy and more. Applicants must have an active renewable teaching license and three years of successful classroom experience, where reading instruction was an important responsibility.
Career Paths
- Reading Specialist
- Literacy Coach
- Reading Interventionist
- Literacy Program Coordinator
- Title I Reading Teacher
- Remedial Reading Teacher
- Reading Curriculum Developer
- Reading Assessment Specialist
- Reading Tutor
- Elementary or Secondary Reading Teacher
- Educational Consultant (specializing in literacy)
- Literacy Advocate
- Instructional Coach (focusing on literacy)
- Reading Clinic Director
- Literacy Program Director
- Academic Coach
- Education Researcher (focusing on literacy)
- Literacy Outreach Coordinator
- Professional Development Trainer (specializing in reading)
- Reading Lab Instructor
At a Glance
Degree Earned
Master of Education (M.Ed.)
Credits: 33
Application Semesters and Deadlines
Fall and Summer: February 1
Spring: October 1
Program Modality
Online and in-person*
*A minimum number of students is required to administer an in-person cohort.
Estimated Completion Time
Full-time (9-15 credits): average completion in 3 semesters
Part-time (1-8 credits): average completion in 5 semesters
“I applied to four Virginia colleges as an undergrad...When I visited the other schools, I noticed that everyone there looked the same. Meanwhile, VCU SOE and Richmond Public Schools had the diversity that I was looking for.”
- Anna Martinez, M.Ed., '21
Admission requirements
| Degree: | Semester(s) of entry: | Deadline dates: | Test requirements: |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.Ed. | Fall | Feb 1 | |
| Spring | Oct 1 | ||
| Summer | Feb 1 |
In addition to the general admission requirements of the VCU Graduate School, the following requirements represent the minimum acceptable standards for admission:
- Bachelor’s degree in an appropriate discipline
- Must have an active renewable teaching license
- Have at least three years of successful classroom teaching experience in which the teaching of reading was an important responsibility
- Three letters of recommendation addressing the student’s potential for graduate study in education
- Statement of intent
- Transcripts of all previous college work
Please visit the School of Education website for further information.
Degree requirements
In addition to general VCU Graduate School graduation requirements, students are required to complete course work in core and elective courses.
- Credit hour requirements: Students are required to complete a minimum of 33 credit hours.
- Grade requirements: Receipt of a grade of C or below in two courses constitutes automatic dismissal from the program. Courses with a grade below C cannot be used to satisfy degree requirements.
- Testing requirements: Students in the K-12 reading specialist concentration must present passing scores on state mandated licensure/endorsement assessments.
Curriculum requirements
| Course | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core courses | ||
| EDUS 607 EDUS 607. Advanced Educational Psychology. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, hybrid or face-to-face). 3 credits. Application of the principles of psychology to the teaching-learning process. Discussion will focus on the comprehensive development of individual learning experiences and educational programs from the point of view of the PK-12 educator and administrator. | Advanced Educational Psychology | 3 |
| EDUS 660 EDUS 660. Research Methods in Education. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, hybrid or face-to-face). 3 credits. Designed to provide an introductory understanding of educational research and evaluation studies. Emphasizes fundamental concepts, procedures and processes appropriate for use in basic, applied and developmental research. Includes developing skills in critical analysis of research studies. Analyzes the assumptions, uses and limitations of different research designs. Explores methodological and ethical issues of educational research. Students either conduct or design a study in their area of educational specialization. | Research Methods in Education | 3 |
| EDUS 673 EDUS 673. Democracy, Equity and Ethics in Education. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course is designed to engage participants in a critical exploration of education issues and inequities within sociocultural, historical and philosophical contexts. Students will examine the relationship between an increasingly diverse society and democracy in education. The course will also develop strategies for participants to understand the ethical obligations of educational professionals and to become active agents for democratic, equity-oriented schools. | Democracy, Equity and Ethics in Education | 3 |
| READ 700 READ 700. Externship. 1-6 Hours.
Semester course; 1-6 field experience hours. 1-6 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of 9 credits. Prerequisite: READ 605. Plan of work designed by extern with prior approval of the offering department. State certification or equivalent may be required for some externships. Off-campus planned experiences for advanced graduate students designed to extend professional competencies, carried out in a setting, under supervision of an approved professional. Externship activities monitored and evaluated by university faculty. This course includes site-based requirements. Graded as Pass/Fail. | Externship | 3 |
| TEDU 561 TEDU 561. Literacy Foundations: Sociological/Psychological Perspectives. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. The purpose of this course is to provide a basic understanding of the theories, processes and methodologies of reading instruction. Multidisciplinary, multicultural aspects of reading instruction are stressed. Topics of particular importance to the classroom teacher are emphasized, including reading, writing, listening and speaking, and digital literacies. | Literacy Foundations: Sociological/Psychological Perspectives | 3 |
| TEDU 562 TEDU 562. Reading Instruction in the Content Areas. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prepares teachers to apply skills and methods of reading instruction to content areas in elementary, middle and secondary school curricula. Includes theoretical bases and methodology for incorporating reading skills and strategies within content areas of instruction. | Reading Instruction in the Content Areas | 3 |
| Concentration courses | ||
| READ 600 READ 600. Analysis and Correction of Reading Problems. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Prerequisite: TEDU 561 or permission of instructor. An analysis of factors relating to reading difficulty. Diagnostic testing procedures and instructional strategies appropriate for the reading specialist in clinical and classroom settings will be emphasized. | Analysis and Correction of Reading Problems | 3 |
| READ 605 READ 605. Organizing and Implementing Reading Programs. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Integrates reading theory with program implementation. Analyzes the role of reading specialist as related to program design, assessment, supervision, instruction, and resource responsibilities. Includes specific field-based requirements. | Organizing and Implementing Reading Programs | 3 |
| READ 672 READ 672. Internship. 1-6 Hours.
Semester course; 1-6 field experience hours. 1-6 credits. May be repeated for a maximum of 12 credits. Prerequisites: READ 600 and TEDU 561. Study and integration of theory with practice in clinical or off-campus settings supervised by an approved professional and university faculty. May include seminars, selected readings, projects and other activities designed and evaluated by supervising faculty. This course includes site-based requirements. | Internship | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
READ 602 READ 602. Literacy for Adults. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. An examination of methods, strategies and techniques appropriate for teaching adult readers functioning at levels ranging from beginning to college level. Assessment issues, basic reading concepts, skills, and adult reading methods and materials are analyzed. Focus is on adapting teaching techniques for use with adults in various academic and life settings. | Literacy for Adults | |
SEDP 531 SEDP 531. Educational Foundations for Collaboration and Universally Designed Learning. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Focuses on providing candidates with the knowledge of the foundation for educating students with disabilities, as well as the principles and processes for collaboration and consultation with educational colleagues, community professionals and families. Covers the historical, philosophical and sociological foundations underlying the role, development and organization of public education in the U.S. Discussions and readings will focus on creating and maintaining inclusive schools, effective communication strategies for building successful collaborative teams and universally designed instructional strategies to use in co-taught classrooms. | Educational Foundations for Collaboration and Universally Designed Learning | |
TEDU 525 TEDU 525. Teaching Language Arts. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Teaching techniques and materials for the developmental teaching of communication skills. Students will explore significant research and current literature related to content, organization and instruction in language arts for the elementary and middle schools. | Teaching Language Arts | |
TEDU 526 TEDU 526. Word Study. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Integrates the linguistic, historical, theoretical and research bases of developmental spelling and word knowledge (phonics, phonemic awareness and vocabulary). A primary focus is on the stages of spelling development, including assessment and instruction of orthographic knowledge at each stage. | Word Study | |
TEDU 528 TEDU 528. Children's Literature II. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. A study of classic and current children's books from a variety of literary genres. Magazines and media-related reference resources and journals are reviewed. The creative use of literature, its sociocultural functions and its contribution to the development of the oral and written expression of children from nursery to grade eight are explored. A focus on children with special problems is included. May not be taken for credit toward undergraduate English major if student has taken ENGL 351/TEDU 351. May not be used to fulfill literature requirement for M.A. in English or M.F.A. in Creative Writing, but may be taken as elective credit. Crosslisted as: ENGL 528. | Children's Literature II | |
TEDU 531 TEDU 531. Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Offered in online and traditional formats. Explores the role of media in society and methods for incorporating media literacy instruction in the K-12 school classroom. Participants will study the foundations of media literacy, critical thinking and the ways media shapes our views of culture, society and education. Through hands-on activities and projects, participants will become familiar with a variety of media tools and instructional methods for utilizing media to support student learning. Participants will research methods for assessing student learning when using paper-based and digital media. | Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom | |
TEDU 552 TEDU 552. Methods for Teaching Multilingual Learners. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Provides students who plan to teach people whose native language is not English with a variety of instructional/learning strategies. Presents and explores current approaches and methodology, as these relate to linguistic features and pedagogy. Crosslisted as: ENGL 552/LING 552. | Methods for Teaching Multilingual Learners | |
TEDU 650 TEDU 650. Second Language Acquisition. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. This course is designed for those who plan to work with English language learners in diverse instructional settings. A major focus of the course is analyzing second language acquisition theories and how they apply in classroom settings. In-depth analysis of readings will enhance the students’ understanding of SLA and the research related to this field. Students will observe classroom teaching, analyzing the application of SLA theories utilized in the instructional setting. Crosslisted as: LING 650. | Second Language Acquisition | |
TEDU 683 TEDU 683. ESL Assessment and Trends. 3 Hours.
Semester course; 3 lecture hours (delivered online, face-to-face or hybrid). 3 credits. Provides future ESOL teachers with the ESL trends and assessment practices in K-12 settings including specific skills regarding instruction, evaluation, assessment and test construction for English learners. Examines policies that influence assessment and the role of standards in assessment. | ESL Assessment and Trends | |
| Total Hours | 33 | |
The minimum number of graduate credit hours required for this degree is 33.
The VCU Bulletin is the official source for academic course and program information.
The School of Education (SOE) degree programs that lead to professional licensure are designed to prepare students to meet the requirements for professional licensure in the Commonwealth of Virginia as outlined by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). The SOE has determined that the curriculum includes applicable educational prerequisites for the following professional licensure(s) and/or certification(s) as outlined on this page of our website.