Reading (Initial Licensure), 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 unless the candidate holds a Master’s degree
Possession of a Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education active teacher licensure (Initial or Professional)
Three letters of recommendation
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

Required courses (30 credits)

Exit requirement

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

A passing score on the written comprehensive examination (Please see Graduate Academic Policies and Procedures for additional information.)
Successful completion of two 200-hour practicum
a) To be accepted for practicum experiences (READ 558 ), 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)

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.