Our nationally recognized reading education master’s program prepares candidates to serve in the roles of reading specialists, literacy interventionists, or literacy coaches in K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. The program also welcomes inservice and preservice teachers who want to remain in the classroom but who wish to gain greater knowledge and understanding in developing engaged, strategic readers and writers.
Program candidates receive extensive instruction in theory of literacy as well as cutting-edged, research-based best practices for literacy instruction, and reading program management and supervision. The candidates also participate in both structured and unstructured practicum experiences in literacy assessment and intervention. As this is a professional program leading to certification as a reading specialist, candidates must complete a capstone project and pass the Oklahoma Subject Area Test for Reading Specialists (OSAT - Reading) in the semester of graduation.
Program assessments are collected in a portfolio as part of our accreditation process.
Students in the Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum Master's Program take courses in:
EDRG 5934 Application of Literacy Instructional Strategies
EDRG 5573 Culture, Language and Literacy
EDRG 5553 Issues/Research in Reading/Literacy
EDRG 5723 Emergent/Beginning Literacy
EDRG 5643 Survey of Literacy for all Learners
EDRG 5814 Applications of Literacy Assessment & Evaluation
EDRG 5733 Adolescent Literacy
EDRG 5903 Literacy Leadership
EDRG 5753 Digital and Multimodal Literacies
EDRG 5843 Writing Across the Disciplines
The master's degree requires completion of 36 semester credit hours of graduate coursework. Approximately 15 hours of coursework are taken as part of the course instructional requirement. The remaining credit hours will be completed in the specialty area. All students must successfully complete a thesis, project, or comprehensive examination.
The thesis option requires a written paper and oral defense as fulfillment of the final evaluation. The project will require a written paper that will be a descriptive problem related to the individual's professional field. Projects willl be evaluated by the area faculty. Comprehensive examination questions will be determined and evaluated by area faculty.
Applicants for programs leading to the Master of Education degree in the Department of Instructional Leadership must present the degree of Bachelor of Arts or Science in any discipline as conferred by the University of Oklahoma or the equivalent, and meet all the prerequisites for graduate courses.
Prospective students are encouraged to seek additional information by contacting the college graduate programs officer, Mike Jenkins (mjenkins@ou.edu), or the department chair, Dr. Kristy Brugar (kristy.a.brugar@ou.edu).