Reading Education Programs

Reading Education Programs at UNC Charlotte

Reading and literacy are fundamental to learning across all subjects and levels in school. Beyond the classroom, literacy skills are vital for success in the workplace, civic participation and navigating most facets of our lives. The reading education programs in the Cato College of Education seek to prepare educators to help students at all levels to support reading and literacy in and out of schools.

While students in all licensure programs in the Cato College of Education receive instruction in reading and literacy, we offer several programs that build depth of knowledge and skill in teaching for literacy educators. Here is a snapshot of these programs:

• Minor in Reading Education. A minor in Reading Education requires the completion of 18 hours of specialized coursework. This program is designed for students already seeking initial licensure in another content area who wish to gain expertise in reading methods in the K-12 public school setting. Students interested in pursuing a Reading Education minor must be approved for admission to the minor by meeting statewide teacher education program admission requirements.
• Advanced Literacy Instruction & Intervention Certificate. The ALII Certificate is a 12-hour is designed to provide teachers and other educational professionals with tools to gather and analyze data to target instruction to meet the literacy and learning needs of individuals and groups of students including striving readers and English learners. The ALII Certificate is fully online and all coursework in the Advanced Literacy Instruction & Intervention Certificate can apply towards the M.Ed. in Reading Education at UNC Charlotte for students who wish to go beyond the certificate and earn their master’s degree.
• Master’s in Reading Education. The M.Ed. in Reading Education is a 33 credit-hour online program that qualifies most graduates who hold a North Carolina professional educator’s license for an advanced North Carolina K-12 Reading Education license at the master’s level. The program is designed for classroom teachers, aspiring literacy specialists and others whose work involves literacy education who are interested in improving instructional programs and practices that promote literacy among all learners.
  • The Early Entry Program for Undergraduate Students to the M.Ed. in Reading. Early entry provides undergraduates with the opportunity to complete up to a third of the M.Ed. in Reading while meeting the requirements for the Reading Education Minor. In essence, these credits count for both the Reading Education Minor and the M.Ed. in Reading! Completion of the 33 credit-hour M.Ed. in Reading Education after graduating with a B.A. in Elementary Education qualifies most graduates for the Masters/Advanced competencies “M” license in K-12 reading education.
• Ph.D. in Curriculum & Instruction with a Concentration in Reading. The Reading Strand of the Curriculum and Instruction Ph.D. program offers doctoral students the opportunity to join in the scholarship of reading and literacy education. We provide a menu of courses that allow students to become knowledgeable about the historical development of reading pedagogy and research as well as current issues and trends. Students have opportunities to work with faculty in research and teaching.