This advanced degree provides students with a comprehensive approach to literacy research, instructional practice, assessment, and leadership to meet the varied and diverse needs of K-12 learners. Grounded in sociocultural and critical literacy approaches, the program affords literacy professionals:

• specialized, in-depth knowledge about the teaching of literacy;
• diagnostic and clinical skills necessary to support and plan instruction for a diverse range of students;
• the ability to interpret, evaluate, and use literacy research to inform practice;
• opportunities to use both digital and traditional texts to teach literacy across the curriculum;
• knowledge about the role of social context in supporting K-12 learners’ acquisition of language and literacy; and

• the literacy leadership skills necessary to support and inform professional practice in K-12 settings.

Students also participate in a final capstone course that provides the opportunity to work closely with K-12 learners in a faculty-supervised, clinical, or on-site setting. Throughout the program, students work closely with faculty and cultivate strong peer support networks.