Department of Educational Technology and Literacy (EDTL)

Master of Education in Reading Education

The M.ED. Reading program is designed to prepare reading specialists, primarily for K-12 education, but also for community colleges, industry, adult education programs, commercial education centers, and private practice. The 36-credit hour program is highly structured with eight required courses and three electives. It is developmental in design. Students grow in both their knowledge and application as they proceed through the program. The Graduate Reading program at Towson University does not subscribe to a particular position on reading. It closely reflects the broad, comprehensive knowledge and skills outlined in the 2003 Standards for Reading Professionals developed by the International Reading Association. The goal of the M.ED. Reading program is to prepare reading specialists who have a dynamic understanding of the reading process and who have a wide array of resources for enhancing literacy for all learners.

• Admission Requirements
• Degree Requirements
• Program Exit Requirements

The program is designed to prepare the degree candidate to:

1. provide specialized literacy instruction and assessment in cooperation with other professionals to students at all levels;
2. provide literacy services to students in compensatory or special education programs;
3. communicate with parents and the community about literacy issues;
4. conduct inservice workshops on literacy topics;
5. read and interpret literacy research;
6. continue to grow professionally by reading professional journals and by participating in reading conferences and workshops.

The M.ED. Reading program is grounded in five philosophical beliefs:  

1. Literacy learning involves not only reading but writing, listening, speaking, and viewing.
2. Literacy instruction must be research-based and therefore requires reading specialists to be competent in interpreting and applying research findings.
3. Literacy instruction must be responsive to the individual differences among learners.
4. Literacy instruction must be inclusive and celebrate the diversity of learners.
5. Literacy instruction and assessment must be closely connected so that instruction is developed, monitored, and modified using multiple sources of assessment data.

The M.ED. Reading program can be completed full or part time. Most courses are offered in the early evening (e.g. 4:20-6:50 p.m.) one night a week. All eight required courses are offered both fall and spring semesters and many are offered during the summer on the campus at Towson, Maryland.  The entire M.Ed. in Reading is available at the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center (SMHEC) in St. Mary's County.  Some of the required courses are also available at certain school-based sites each semester through the Towson Learning Network (TLN).