Curriculum & Instruction - Reading Education: M.Ed. - Master of Education

Admission Requirements

This program accepts the submission of Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores as part of the application process OR the applicant can choose an alternative procedure in place of GRE scores. GRE scores must be less than five years old. Visit our Graduate Admission page for the full graduate admission process.

Additional admission requirements that apply specifically to this program (including alternative materials accepted in place of GRE scores) are listed below:

The following bullet points are items required to be submitted with the application:

• A goal statement describing professional goals and how the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction–Reading Education program is a good fit for the applicant;
• An updated resume.
• Unofficial transcripts demonstrating completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution;
• Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores (*or alternative procedure, see below).

GRE Alternative Procedures:

Prospective students may choose to use alternative procedures in lieu of submitting GRE scores.

• Option 1: NBPTS. Submit evidence of current National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification.
• Option 2: Coursework. Complete two courses (EDIS 7700 and EDIS 7720) with a grade of B+ or higher. You may do this one of two ways: 1) Apply to be a non-degree student and take the two courses. Then, apply as a degree-seeking student no later than the semester in which you are taking your second course. 2) Apply as a degree-seeking student before completing the two courses (EDIS 7700 and EDIS 7720). If you are accepted, you will receive a “conditional admission” status while you take the first two courses. Once the two courses are completed with a B+ or higher, your status automatically transfers to “full admission.” All students applying via Option 2 must also submit a writing sample.

Direct Admission for Current UVA Students
Current UVA students are eligible for the Direct Admission option if they have a minimum GPA of 3.3 and have completed one or more of the required courses. Review the Direct Admission page for more information.

Guaranteed Admission for UVA Undergraduate
For UVA B.S.Ed. graduates, the UVA School of Education and Human Development offers a guaranteed admission option for recent teacher education graduates who meet eligibility requirements. Review the Guaranteed Admission page for more information. This option also requires a simplified application.

Coursework

To learn more about specific courses taken as part of the completion of this degree, visit the Graduate Record website. These webpages represent the official repository for academic program requirements. A link to these publications can be found in the Curriculum Information section at the bottom of this page.

The M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction - Reading Education is a 30-hour degree. Teachers in Virginia who wish to add the Commonwealth of Virginia’s K12 reading specialist endorsement to their teaching license must take an additional three credit hours (3) in one of our summer reading clinics (degree + 3 hours). The degree plus 3 is a state-approved curriculum for preparing teachers for the Commonwealth of Virginia’s K12 reading specialist endorsement. 

M.Ed. Curriculum & Instruction - Reading Education Courses

• EDIS 7700 (3 units) Reading Foundations for Diverse Learners
• EDIS 7720 (3 units) Understanding the Code: Phonics, Phonological Awareness, Orthography
• EDIS 7710 (3 units) Reading and Writing Across the Content Areas
• EDIS 5235 (1 unit) Evidence-Based Practice for Students with Dyslexia
• EDIS 7730 (2 units) Reading Assessment and Data-Based Decision Making
• EDIS 5730 (3 units) Diagnosis & Remediation I: Word-Based Assessment and Intervention
• EDIS 5740 (3 units) Diagnosis & Remediation II: Meaning-Based Assessment and Intervention
• EDIS 5425 (3 units) Teaching Writing
• EDIS 7760 (3 units) Reading Development, Assessment, and Interventions with Special Populations
• EDIS 7751 (3 units) Literacy Leadership and Coaching
• Choose between EDIS 7310 Children’s Literature and EDIS 5410 Young Adult Literature (3 units)

Added Clinical Course for VA K12 Reading Specialist Endorsement

EDIS 7740 (3 units) Practicum in Reading Intervention

Note: If you are planning to add the VA K12 Reading Specialist Endorsement please see the Reading Specialist Endorsement tab for additional requirements.

Culminating Experience

M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction - Reading Education students need to pass a comprehensive examination in order to graduate. The comprehensive exam consists of a series of multiple-choice questions and case studies. Students will complete the exam during their last semester of coursework.

Writing Sample Guidelines

Student seeking alternative admission to the M.Ed. in Curriculum & Instruction – Reading Education may choose to submit transcripts for two program-required courses indicating an earned grade of B+ or better in lieu of submitting GRE scores. The required courses are EDIS 7700: Reading Foundations for Diverse Learners and EDIS 7720: Understanding the Code. A writing sample is required from every applicant seeking admission through this alternative procedure.

The writing sample is designed to demonstrate your ability to work in an academic graduate program. It must be your own original and independent work. You may adapt your sample from work that you have already written for one of your prerequisite courses. If you have questions about the writing sample or the alternative admissions process to the Curriculum & Instruction–Reading M.Ed. program, please reach out to the contact listed further down on this page.

Instructions:
Compose a 3-4 page essay that discusses your position on a current issue in the field of reading that affects your teaching. The writing sample should briefly describe the issue, critically analyze both sides of the issue, and clearly espouse a point of view. You must support your viewpoint with appropriate vocabulary, details, and sources.

Writing Sample Specifications

1. APA Style (7 th edition): typed, double-spaced, 1-inch margins, 12-point Times New Roman font, appropriate headings, etc.
2. Title page
3. Body (3-4 pages)
4. No abstract
5. In-text citations (minimum of 4)
6. References list (at least 4-6 sources). You should select quality resources that are credible and appropriate for your topic. With the exception of optionally including one seminal resource that may be more dated, your resources should also be recent (generally from about the past 10 years or so).

Commonwealth of Virginia's K-12 Reading Specialist Endorsement Process

After completing the academic master’s degree (30 credits) and the clinical course (3 credits), three years of successful teaching during which time the teaching of reading was a major responsibility, and receiving a passing score on the Reading Specialist Praxis test (#5302), a graduate can apply for the commonwealth’s K12 reading specialist endorsement to be added to their teaching license. Please note that the M.Ed. in Reading Education program is NOT a route to obtaining an initial teaching license. 

Process for Adding the Endorsement:

• If you are currently employed by a Virginia educational agency, please work directly with your HR department to submit the paperwork for adding an endorsement to your license after you have completed your degree. You will need two things from UVA to complete this paperwork: 1) an official transcript and 2) a College Verification Form (CVF). Please wait until your degree is conferred to request these items from UVA.
• You can obtain an official transcript from the UVA Registrar. You may request a paper copy or electronic copy be sent to the VDOE.
• To obtain the CVF, email ehd-information@virginia.edu with your full name (as it appears on your license) and date of birth. Once the dean’s office has confirmed you have completed the necessary coursework, the CVF will be emailed back to you along with directions for what to send the VDOE.

Note: The Virginia K12 reading specialist endorsement requires applicants to take a Child Psychology or Human Growth and Development course. This psychology course is not required for the M.Ed. program but is required for a Commonwealth of Virginia teaching license and students who have already taken this course as a part of their initial licensure program do not need to take another one. Students who do not have the requisite psychology course on their undergraduate or graduate transcript will need to fulfill this requirement in order to add the endorsement.