Admission Requirements
The following are minimum standards for admission. Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission to the program. Candidates for admission must:
- Complete an admission application available online at www.newpaltz.edu/graduate
- Provide one official copy of all transcripts of all previous college/university course-work from regionally accredited institutions, with a cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher;
- Provide evidence of initial/provisional or professional/permanent teaching certification in elementary education (B-2, Pre-K-6, Grades 1-6), or Secondary Education (Grades 7-12 or Adolescence/Middle Grades Education, all subjects), or in Special Education, Speech and Hearing Handicapped, Music Education, or Art Education;
- Provide acceptable GRE scores*
- Request two recent (within two years), appropriate letters of recommendation, including at least two from college/university faculty on professional letterhead supporting the applicant’s potential to undertake graduate study;
- Submit a well-written essay of no more than 500 words describing your educational aspirations, experience working with students in educational settings, and how training in a master’s program in literacy education will help you achieve your personal and professional goals.
| * | Applicants with a GPA of at least 3.0 may apply and be provisionally accepted pending submission of GRE scores and NYS Teaching Certification. If accepted provisionally, candidates must submit GRE scores by the midpoint of their first semester of graduate study, and must submit evidence of NYS teaching certification by the end of their first semester of graduate study. |
Application Deadlines**
| November 1 | For Spring admission |
| March 15 | For Summer or Fall admission |
| ** | Although applications will be reviewed continuously, only those received by February 20th (Summer/Fall) and September 20th (Spring) can be guaranteed desired course scheduling. |
Curriculum Requirements (030B)
All courses must be taken under advisement.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Sequential Core (21 Credits) | ||
| LED752 | Theoretical Foundations of Reading and Writing | 3 |
| LED753 | Workshop in Understanding Literacy Difficulties | 3 |
| LED754 | Workshop in Diagnosing Literacy Difficulties | 3 |
| LED756 | Workshop in Intervention of Literacy Difficulties, 5-12 | 3 |
| LED758 | Clinical Practices in Literacy Intervention, 5-12 | 3 |
| LED759 | Workshop in Action Research for Literacy Leaders | 3 |
| LED760 | Literacy Leadership and Coaching | 3 |
| Distributive Core (12 Credits) | ||
| LED512 | Children's and Young Adult Literature | 3 |
| LED528 | Literacy and Language Learners | 3 |
| SED549 | Teaching Literacy Across the Disciplines 6-12 | 3 |
| LED510 | Teaching Writing & Multimodal Text Production | 3 |
| Diversity Elective (3 Credits) | ||
| Select one course from the list below: | 3 | |
| Issues in Multicultural Education | ||
| Issues of Racism and Sexism in Education | ||
| Education Across Borders:International Ideas and Experience | ||
| Tchg. Learners of Culturally/Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds | ||
| Issues in Literacy for Diverse Learners | ||
| Total Credits | 36 | |
Students who are interested in applying for the Literacy Education 030A, Literacy Education 030B, or the Master’s Literacy Education Program should contact the Literacy Coordinator literacy@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu
While 6 credits of coursework may be taken as a non-matriculated student and transferred into the program, taking classes as a non-matriculated student does not guarantee the transferability of credits into the program, nor does it guarantee admission to the program. After matriculation and with approval of your advisor and the AVP for Graduate & Extended Learning, you may transfer up to six graduate credits. Credits cannot be transferred after the plan of study is approved.
Requirements for Completion of Degree
Candidates are required to:
- Develop a plan of study with an advisor upon matriculation;
- Complete no more than 6 credits of course-work toward the degree prior to matriculation;
- Complete prescribed course-work and other requirements within five years of matriculation;
- Maintain a cumulative average of 3.0 or better. The Literacy Sequential Core courses require a B (84) or better to proceed to the next course in the sequence. If you do not earn a B (84), you can retake one course, one time.
