Literacy Specialist
Master of Science in Education
For current educators at any level (pre-K鈥揼rade 12)
- 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鈥�12.
- 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
Highlights
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.
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 days 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:聽Interdisciplinary Specialty Program in Autism (I-SPAN)听蝉辫别肠颈补濒颈锄补迟颈辞苍,听Teaching Students with Severe or Multiple Disabilities听补苍苍辞迟补迟颈辞苍.
- 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.
Why Nazareth?
"What was most defining of my Naz grad experience was the level of expertise and care put through to each course by the faculty. I also appreciated how the sequence of courses built on one another, and it was easy to see the connecting threads between each course. My Naz experience gave me a great foundational knowledge of literacy theory, and I appreciated the time spent mastering theory while also seeing those theories in action through practicum hours in the reading clinic. My degree has had an immense impact on my career. I feel confident assessing/teaching students, understanding the bigger picture of new curriculum, and advocating for equity and culturally responsive education in my district."
鈥� Maggie Easton 鈥�21G, kindergarten teacher
Value of Your Degree
Schools seek teachers with multiple certifications.
Growth
Between 2023 and 2033, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects about 64,000 job openings each year for high school teachers and 106,500 job openings each year for kindergarten and elementary school teachers.
Average salaries for teachers:聽$65,220 for high school;聽$63,680 for kindergarten and elementary school teachers (2023), according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Your Life's Work
This degree prepares you to be a literacy specialist, classroom teacher (Pre-K鈥揼rade 6), literacy coach, community college faculty, or content area teacher (grade 7鈥�12) able to meet all students鈥� literacy needs to increase their ability to learn course content.
Making Grad School Affordable
Grants, scholarships, veterans benefits, partner benefits, loans, and undergraduate loan forgiveness are options for paying for this grad degree.聽Are you committed to teaching in high-needs schools? See if you are eligible for the聽Teacher Opportunity Corps II (TOC II) Scholarship.
Curriculum Examples
- Assessment, Evaluation, and Instruction
- Literacy Methods Across the Curriculum
- Reading Improvement through Written Expression
- Leadership in Literacy Education
- Literacy Practicum and Seminar