Program Overview

What Our Online Master of Arts in Reading Offers You

The 100% online Master of Arts in Reading from Eastern Michigan University is designed for working teachers who want to become leaders in literacy instruction in their schools or districts. This online master’s in reading is practice based, founded in theory and offers a rigorous curriculum that deepens your expertise through contemporary educational research and real-world application.

Along with affordable tuition and a flexible academic calendar, EMU’s TEACH-grant eligible* M.A. in Reading online features coursework dedicated to digital literacy, listening and speaking, and helping educators develop the practical knowledge necessary to thrive in culturally and linguistically diverse K-12 settings. The faculty at EMU use their rich history of academic experience to create learning environments where students can easily connect the subject matter to their own classrooms.

EMU’s CAEP-accredited online M.A. in Reading leads to the Reading Specialist (BR), a K-12 endorsement from the state of Michigan. Students must complete all required courses in the program and successfully pass the Michigan State Endorsement Test (#092) to gain the Reading Specialist endorsement. The M.A. in Reading degree and Michigan endorsement as a K-12 Reading Specialist can lead to a position as a building or district literacy curriculum/reading specialist, literacy coach, or reading teacher for struggling readers.

Graduates of the M.A. in Reading online program will:

• Develop a strong theoretical foundation in reading and literacy and skills needed to address the needs of K-12 learners, particularly those who require specialized literacy intervention
• Gain an understanding of a wide range of instructional and assessment policies, programs, practices and resources supporting literacy development
• Learn to design literacy environments that engage learners in inquiry, research and communication, using print and online texts and new and emerging technologies
• Acquire the knowledge and expertise to work successfully in culturally and linguistically diverse K-12 settings

Career opportunities:

• Reading Specialist
• Building or District Literacy Curriculum/Reading Specialist
• Literacy Coach
• Reading Interventionist

Also available:

Eastern Michigan University offers a variety of graduate education programs and a post-master's certificate online. Check out our other online education programs

Calendar

View the Important Dates and Deadlines

The M.A. in Reading online program features a convenient course schedule with multiple starts a year so you can maintain a balance between work, life and your studies. View the full calendar to find the best start date and corresponding deadlines for you.

Courses

Add to Your Reading Instruction Skills With These Master of Arts in Reading Courses

For the M.A. in Reading online, the curriculum is comprised of 11 courses covering 33 credit hours. Students are required to take 9 Reading courses, 1 Foundational course and choose 1 Curriculum course. As an online student, you will take all of your classes with EMU instructors, just like you would if you were here on campus.

• Program Courses Expand dropdown

  Reading Courses

  • RDNG 630: Literacy Instruction in a Multilingual Society Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    Exploring research and classroom based literature on second language reading and language instruction, students will develop knowledge about educational policies and instructional approaches which foster literacy (reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing and visually representing) for English language learners.
  • RDNG 657: Comprehension and the Content Areas Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    Through a survey of comprehension theories which impact literacy instruction, students will develop reading techniques and strategies that support student learning in the content areas.
  • RDNG 654: Integrating New Literacies in Reading and Writing Instruction Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    This course explores the wide range of perspectives, discourses, and research studies regarding literacy in the digital age. Further, the course is designed to be a resource for educators who want to layer their literacy curricula with the various new literacies in which students must be competent.
  • RDNG 655: The Integrated Literacy Curriculum Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    An integrated literacy curriculum focuses on all five components of literacy: listening, speaking, reading, writing and viewing. The focus of this course is on the teaching of listening and speaking skills within the context of reading, writing and viewing to increase student engagement and learning across all content areas and disciplines.
  • RDNG 656: Language Development, Literacy and the Young Child Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    A concentration on the developmental aspects of language learning and its relationship to emergent reading. Involves theoretical and research knowledge pertinent to child growth and development.
  • RDNG 658: Reading and Writing and the Inquiry Process Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    reading and writing processes and (2) determine ways to use the inquiry process with reading and writing across the content areas. Additionally, the course examines classroom management and evaluation procedures.
  • RDNG 660: Foundations of Literacy: Research and Theory Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    The focus of this course is history, theory and research in literacy education. The impact of these issues on classroom practices will be examined.
  • RDNG 675: Designing and Implementing Intervention for Struggling Readers Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    This course is designed for Pre K-12 classroom teachers, reading specialists, and reading coaches to plan and use reading assessments for evaluation, and to inform intervention for a struggling reader and school-wide reading instruction program for struggling readers.
  • RDNG 676: The Reading Specialist and Coach Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    This course includes a practicum focused on coaching classroom teachers and paraprofessionals in the development of appropriate programs for struggling readers. Students will learn modeling, observation and conferencing procedures. Students will examine the process of staff development and action research from the perspective of the reading professional.
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  For their Foundations Courses, students will be required to take EDPS 667, and choose 1 course between CURR 664 and CURR 665.

  • CURR 664: Multicultural Curriculum Development Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    The purpose of this course is to further develop participants’ multicultural skills and understandings through readings, class discussion, simulation and self-critique, as well as through the examination, analyzation and creation of curricular and multicultural materials.
  • CURR 665: Differentiation in the Classroom Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    The course is designed to provide the knowledge and skills, concepts and dispositions necessary for differentiating curriculum to meet the needs of all students in the mixed-ability classroom.
  • EDPS 667: Principles of Educational Research Expand dropdown
    Duration: 7.5 weeks

    Credit Hours: 3

    This course examines basic concepts in understanding and evaluating contemporary educational research, addressing both quantitative and qualitative research methods. The focus is on critical understanding of, rather than production of, research.