Program of Study and Program Requirements
Master of Arts in Reading
Reading, Early Childhood Education, and Special Education
College of Education

Admission Requirements

A standard teaching certificate, two years of teaching experience, and a 2.7 GPA are required for admission to this graduate degree program.  Students should be familiar with the conceptual framework of the College of Education, and they should possess a commitment to social justice, a healthy respect for knowledge and learning, and a passion for the craft of teaching.

Degree Requirements

To earn the MA in reading, students must complete at least 36 semester hours of course work and all clinical experiences.  Sped 419, Exceptional Children and Youth, may be replaced by an elective if it was taken as part of an undergraduate degree program.

In general, it takes approximately two years for students to complete the program.  All required courses are offered on the Schaumburg campus; some are also offered on the Chicago campus.  Chicago students should be prepared to travel to Schaumburg for some courses, especially the summer practicum.

Here are the required courses and credit hours:

	Sped 419 Exceptional Children and Youth	3
	Read 432 Strategies and Materials for Teaching Reading, Writing, and Language	3
	Read 434 Literature for Children and Adolescents	3
	Read 435 Approaches to Teaching Language and Literacy to the Learning Disabled	3
	Read 436 Foundations of Language and Literacy Instruction	3
	Read 437 Principles and Practices in Language and Literacy Assessment	3
	Read 438 Supervision of Personnel and Curriculum Development in Language and Literacy	3
	Read 461 Approaches to Teaching Literacy
	or Read 463 Teaching Language and Literacy in Content Areas	3
	Read 469 Practicum I: Clinical Practice in Literacy	3
	Read 470 Practicum II: Clinical Practice in Literacy	3
	Read 480 Inquiry in the Classroom	3
	Read 485 Technology in the Classroom	3

 

Clinical Hours and Practicum

This reading specialist program provides a variety of opportunities for working with children under the supervision of highly qualified faculty. Students are expected to complete a minimum of 100 clock hours of supervised clinical experience prior to the practicum. Read 469 and 470, Practicum I and II, are the Summer Reading Clinics.  Together, Read 469 and 470 constitute a 5-week practicum on the Schaumburg campus or Chicago campus of Roosevelt University. Candidates complete 200 clinical hours during this period, and produce a portfolio highlighting their knowledge and skills helping children to acquire and enhance literacy.

Certification

In order to qualify for Roosevelt University’s recommendation for the reading specialist certificate (Type 10), all requirements in effect at the time of application must be met. The Illinois State Board of Education requires satisfactory scores on the ICTS Basic Skills Test, the Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) test, and the Reading Test before issuing a certificate.

Request Further Information

Call, write, or e-mail today for more information about this degree and certificate program for working adults.

Dr. Margaret Policastro, Director of Language and Literacy
1400 N. Roosevelt Blvd.
Schaumburg, IL 60173
(847) 619-8839
mpolicastro@roosevelt.edu