This concentration is designed to provide theory, research, knowledge, and field experiences for students who plan to teach reading and writing. Reading is presented as a linguistic, cognitive, and socio-cultural process in relation to other language arts processes such as listening and speaking, with particular emphasis on writing and the writing process. Students select one of two program emphases: instruction or research. The instruction emphasis is designed for teachers and can lead to completion of the requirements for certification as a reading specialist. The research emphasis is designed for students who want to pursue research in reading and writing; students in this emphasis normally pursue the thesis option.
Why pursue an M.A in Education - Reading and Literacy?
Program breadth and quality:
Students can choose from a variety of foci: Writing Instruction, Teaching of Reading, Research, and Literacy Leadership.
100% pass rate on Reading Specialist exam.
Strong faculty researchers.
Numerous enrichment opportunities:
San Antonio Writing Project
Literacy Researcher Series
Storytelling Festival
Children's Author Series
Degree Requirements:
Thesis Option: 33 Semester Credit Hours
Non-Thesis Option: 36 Semester Credit Hours
For a complete list of degree requirements please see the Graduate Catalog.
Admission Requirements and Deadlines
Admission pre-requisites: Bachelor's degree with 18 credit hours in field of study or in another appropriate field of study.
Graduate Studies Application: Yes
Department Application: No
Transcripts: Official transcripts from ALL colleges and universities attended
Test Scores: If GPA is less than a 2.7 on the last 60 hours a GRE may be required
Resume or CV: No
Letters of Recommendation: No
Statement of Purpose: No
Minimum TOEFL Score (for International Applicants): 550 paper/79 internet
Minimum IELTS Score (for International Applicants): 6.5
Additional Requirements: International students and those with international degrees may be required to submit additional documents per our admissions policies and procedures. The Graduate School reserves the right to request any additional documents needed to fairly and consistently evaluate applicant credentials.
Career Options Available for an M.A in Education-Reading and Literacy Graduate:
K-12 Teacher
Reading Specialist
Reading Coach (Literacy Coach)
Adjunct College Instructor
Adult Literacy Teacher
Course Scheduling and Offerings:
Courses are offered at night once a week for three hours Monday-Thursday in the fall or spring. Or, during the day two hours a day Monday through Friday in the four-week summer sessions. In addition, some courses are available at night meeting Monday through Friday for three weeks in the May-mester.
This program is housed on the UTSA Main Campus.
Research taking place in the M.A in Education-Reading and Literacy program:
Faculty are engaged in wide-ranging research projects that include: reading comprehension in electronic environments, vocabulary development, relationships between oral and written language, transnational research, critical literacy, children's literary understanding, and literacy development in bilingual contexts.
