Early Entry Program to M.Ed. in Reading Education

photo of teacher reading to students

Literacy and reading skills are essential to success in the classroom and beyond. Undergraduates in Elementary Education have the opportunity to develop expertise in literacy education by earning a Minor in Reading Education as part of their undergraduate program and can advance those skills further by earning up to 12 credit hours as undergraduates towards the M.Ed. in Reading.

Early entry provides undergraduates with the opportunity to complete up to a third of the M.Ed. in Reading while meeting the requirements for the Reading Education Minor. In essence, these credits count for both the Reading Education Minor and the M.Ed. in Reading! Completion of the 33 credit-hour M.Ed. in Reading Education after graduating with a B.A. in Elementary Education qualifies most graduates for the Masters/Advanced competencies “M” license in K-12 reading education.

Here are a few highlights of the M.Ed. in Reading:

  • Provides K-12 teachers with skills in using data and current research on literacy to design and implement classroom literacy instruction and interventions.

  • The coursework is fully online, which allows our students flexibility and convenience in scheduling their studies and projects around their work and other commitments.

  • Become a literacy and instructional leader in your school. Many of our graduates move into literacy coaching and facilitator roles while others go on to earn their doctorate.

Early Entry Courses for Reading Minor Students

Here are the courses that undergraduates in the Early Entry into the M.Ed. in Reading program may take as part of their Reading Minor:

  • READ 6300 – Global Literacy in a Multicultural World: Genre Series (3 credits)

  • READ 6204 – Teaching Reading to ELLs (3 credits)

  • READ 6252 – K-12 Writing Development and Instruction (3 credits)

  • READ 6255 – Middle/Secondary Reading and Writing (3 credits)

While your schedule as an undergraduate may not allow you to take all 12 credit-hours towards the M.Ed. in Reading, you can earn 3, 6 or 9 hours towards the masters. With permission from the Graduate Reading Program, students may substitute courses in some cases. Consult with the Reading Minor Program Director for advising on what courses you can take that fulfill both the Reading Minor and M.Ed. in Reading.

Early Entry Admissions

Undergraduates applying must have completed 60 hours of undergraduate coursework to apply for admission for early entry Master’s Program in Reading Education and need to complete a Graduate School application which includes the following requirements:

  • Enrollment in a teacher education licensing program and the Reading Minor at UNC Charlotte.

  • GPA of at least 3.00 (based on a 4.0 scale) on all previous work completed beyond high school (secondary school).

  • An online application through the Graduate School’s application system

  • A statement of purpose

  • Transcripts of all college coursework attempted

  • Standardized test scores are NOT required for admission (e.g., GRE, GMAT, MAT).

For more information:

Students seeking to apply for admissions for early entry into the M.Ed. in Reading should first contact Dr. Paola Pilonieta, Program Director for the Reading Education Minor at UNC Charlotte. For information about the M.Ed. in Reading, contact Dr. Bruce Taylor, Program Coordinator for the M.Ed. in Reading

Dr. Paola Pilonieta
Reading Education Minor Program Director
pilonieta@uncc.edu

Dr. Bruce Taylor
M.Ed. in Reading Program Director
bruce.taylor@uncc.edu