Master's in Reading

The Master's in Reading program (M.S. Ed. in Reading) at Illinois State offers a 36-hour intensive and highly competitive program in literacy instruction for those teachers who wish to focus in reading and writing. The reading program will prepare you to plan reading and writing curriculum, implement language-centered instructional strategies, design effective programs of reading and writing assessment, and design professional development in literacy.

The program is intended for educators teaching reading and writing in kindergarten through 12th grade. Candidates entering the program have backgrounds in elementary education, junior high, or secondary English/language arts, special education, or early childhood education.

Graduate programs offered by the School of Teaching and Learning do not lead to initial teacher certification. Teacher certification may only be obtained through a first or second bachelor's degree.

Admission requirements

To be considered for admission to the Master's in Reading program, you should:

• have at least a 3.0 GPA in your last 60 semester hours of undergraduate work
• possess a current teaching certificate
• have at least two years teaching experience (Please indicate the schools and dates in the employer/work section of the online graduate application.)
• complete an Illinois State University graduate application

Application deadlines:

Applications may be submitted at anytime. However, initial review for admission will follow the dates below:

• February 1 to begin in the summer semester
• May 1 to begin in the fall semester
• October 1 to begin in the spring semester

Probationary admission

If your GPA for the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate work is below a 3.0, you may be considered for probationary admission by taking nine semester hours of required course work and obtaining a 3.3 GPA or by submitting a combined verbal and quantitative score on the GRE of at least 1000.

Plan of study

The Master's in Reading is a 36-hour program that includes a comprehensive examination and a six-hour professional research experience. The courses listed below are required for the program.

Download a Master's in Reading Plan of Study form (pdf) to assist you in selecting courses.

To learn more information about the courses, please review their descriptions in the University graduate catalog.

Reading Teacher Endorsement

The Illinois State Board of Education has identified 6 areas of study required of all teachers whose major teaching assignment is reading. All teachers assigned departmentalized responsibility in reading or language arts must meet this 24 semester hour requirement. The reading program offers all course work leading to the endorsement of a reading teacher.

Reading Specialist Certificate

The Reading Master's degree at Illinois State University is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education for the Reading Specialist Certificate. The program leading to the Reading Specialist Certificate requires the completion of 36 semester hours in reading and related educational areas. In order to work towards the certification, you must have the following:

• a master's degree from an approved program
• a current teaching certificate
• 2 years of teaching experience
• a passing score on the K-12 Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT)
• a passing score on the Reading Specialist Test: ICTS #176
• a passing score on the Basic Skills Test

Off-campus cohorts

The Master's in Reading program is offered at distant locations to cohort groups. Typically, no more than two off-campus cohorts exist at a time. Courses for cohorts are offered via on-site teaching, hybrid instruction (mixed online and face-to-face teaching), as well as completely online courses. For educational organizations interested in exploring the possibility of establishing a MS degree in Reading cohort,

Have questions?

I have a degree and want to teach

• I already have a bachelor's degree and want to become a teacher.
• I want a Master's degree in education, but I do not have a teacher's certificate. Can I obtain both at the same time?

The Mary and Jean Borg Center for Reading and Literacy

The Mary and Jean Borg Center for Reading and Literacy facilitates the literacy development of all Illinois residents through service, teaching, and research.