Fully Online Graduate Program for Professional Educators
Our 30-credit, fully online Master of Education in Reading and Literacy cohort program is designed to accommodate professional educators and those who are seeking certification as a Reading Specialist through the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
The objectives of Point Park University’s M.Ed. in Reading and Literacy program are to:
- Provide professional educators with a thorough understanding of educational theories while emphasizing collaborative, hands-on, learning using appropriate technologies.
- Prepare professional educators to develop curricula for content areas that incorporate diverse learner populations and settings across the lifespan.
- Prepare professional educators to develop appropriate and effective instructional methods that address the needs of diverse student populations across content areas and in a variety of classroom settings.
- Prepare professional educators to successfully address contemporary educational issues, such as effective classroom and behavior management, diversity issues, learning styles and differentiated instruction, and integration of technology across the curriculum.
What You Learn
You will learn enhanced reading skills that will enable you to work one-to-one or in small groups with students that are experiencing difficulty reading at grade level. You will obtain the necessary skills to assess students’ reading abilities, identifying deficiencies and creating intervention plans for grade-level students who have been identified in need of additional reading help. The courses will strengthen your ability to teach reading and enable you to work school wide or district wide coaching other teachers in effective reading practices.
In addition to assessment and intervention of students with reading deficiencies, you will learn about teaching Reading in the Content Areas, the Reading and Writing Connection, and the skills needed to coach other teachers in the classroom.
Receiving your Reading Specialist Certification will also enhance your capacity in the job market by opening other educational avenues. Obtaining the credits for Reading Specialist can also be applied toward gaining permanent certification.
At Point Park University, we understand the needs of today's students and have tailored our graduate education programs to be offered fully online.
I took a class as an undergraduate that seems the same or has the same name as a class in this program. Do I need to repeat it? How would the class at a graduate level be different?
The classes have been developed and adapted to meet PDE competencies. While some M.Ed. courses may have the same name as undergraduate courses, the M.Ed. courses contain advanced graduate-level material designed to meet the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) criteria. These courses cover the most recent work in the field, and your instructors will address how to apply this information in the classroom.
Is this completely online? Will I need to attend any live sessions?
The program is fully asynchronous and online. Instructors will often hold optional virtual meetings. The student teaching practicum is the final semester and is in person at your school placement location.
How can I order books?
On our website, students can find the books required for their classes. Using the drop-down menus, select the Semester and the appropriate department name (EDUC or SPED), course number, and section (you may use any online section designation as books are the same no matter the section – for example, OAON, O2ON, OCON, etc.) ISBNs are provided for your use. Rental and digital download options may be available from the bookstore. Students can arrange to have books shipped to them for a nominal shipping fee through our bookstore. If a course does not list required books, the instructor may be using a combination of open source materials, research articles, book chapters and online resources.
Learn more: step-by-step guide to ordering books on our website.
I am a Point Park alumni. Can I use the alumni discount?
The School of Education discount exceeds the 25% Alumni discount. Unfortunately, discounts cannot be stacked.
Learn More
Contact Jodi Golis, admissions counselor in the Office of Graduate and Online Admissions, at 412-392-3812 or jgolis@pointpark.edu.