Dec 04, 2024  
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2023-2024 
    
Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog 2023-2024 [ARCHIVED CATALOG] See drop-down menu above to access other catalogs.

Reading, MEd


Department: Elementary and Early Childhood Education 

The graduate reading program offers the degree of Master of Education with a specialty in reading and institutional endorsement for Massachusetts licensure as Reading Specialist (all levels).  Program learning experiences and outcomes are designed to meet the recommendations of the Professional Standards and Ethics Committee and the advisory group to the National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) Joint Task Force of the International Reading Association (IRA), Reading/Literacy Specialist. Candidates must complete all of the following course requirements and program requirements.
 

Learning Outcomes: Literacy Worldwide Standards and CAEP Standards

Admission Requirements


  • A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 
  • Possession of a Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education active teacher licensure (Initial or Professional) 
    • Or qualifying scores on all Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure® (MTELs) needed for initial licensure
  • A rating of highly recommended on one of the three letters of recommendation (at least one from teaching supervisor and one who has knowledge of applicant’s aptitude for advanced scholarship)
  • Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work
  • Personal statement

Early Admission Program


The Early Admission Program is for seniors at Bridgewater State University majoring in Elementary Education or Early Childhood Education, Literacy Teacher Professionals Concentration, BSE, who wish to take one graduate course in Reading for undergraduate credit, and thereby accelerate the completion of their MEd in Reading, Reading Specialist. The application fee for students seeking early admissions to the relevant graduate program will be waived.

If accepted, students will be granted special status to enroll in one graduate course in Reading for undergraduate credit. The graduate course that will be taken for undergraduate credit will be READ 550 - Improving Literacy Instruction  (3 credits). Tuition for this course will be at the undergraduate course rate.

Admission requirements include:

  • be a Bridgewater State University senior, enrolled in the Elementary Education or Early Childhood Education, Literacy Teacher Professionals Concentration, BSE;
  • be enrolled in Education Cluster III of their Elementary Education or Early Childhood Education major; and
  • file an application for admission to the College of Graduate Studies, MEd in Reading, Reading Specialist, to begin graduate course work during the practicum semester of the BSE program; and
  • have a 3.0 GPA.

Undergraduate students’ financial aid package will apply to the graduate course taken for undergraduate credit. The graduate course taken as an undergraduate will be counted as part of the requirements for the Elementary Education or Early Childhood Education, Literacy Teacher Professionals Concentration, BSE. Once the student completes their BSE, the graduate course that they have completed will be applied to their MEd requirements if they receive a minimum grade of “B”.

Program of Study


Exit requirement


In addition to the course requirements above, candidates must demonstrate the following competencies:

  • Successful completion of the Literacy Professional’s Library
  • An oral presentation or exhibit pertaining to a topic in literacy
  • A passing score on the written comprehensive examination (Please see the catalog section, Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures , for additional information.)
  • Successful completion of two 200-hour practica
    a) To be accepted for practicum experiences (READ 558  and READ 559 ), licensure as a reading specialist with the Massachusetts State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education or
    b) A qualifying score on the MTEL® Reading Specialist (08)
  • Successful completion of a Literacy Professional’s Portfolio
  • Support for the work of professional literacy organizations

Total minimum credits: 30*


*For students in the early admissions program at BSU, one graduate course (3 credits) in Reading taken as an undergraduate and completed with a minimum grade of “B” may be applied to fulfill MEd program requirements.