Reading and Literacy Master's Degree

Fully Online Graduate Program for Professional Educators

Our 30-credit, fully online Master of Education in Reading and Literacy cohort program is designed to accommodate professional educators and those who are seeking certification as a Reading Specialist Certification PK-12 issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

The objectives of Point Park University’s M.Ed. in Reading and Literacy program are to:

• Provide professional educators with a thorough understanding of educational theories while emphasizing collaborative, hands-on, learning using appropriate technologies.
• Prepare professional educators to develop curricula for content areas that incorporate diverse learner populations and settings across the lifespan.
• Prepare professional educators to develop appropriate and effective instructional methods that address the needs of diverse student populations across content areas and in a variety of classroom settings.
• Prepare professional educators to successfully address contemporary educational issues, such as effective classroom and behavior management, diversity issues, learning styles and differentiated instruction, and integration of technology across the curriculum.

What You Learn

You will learn enhanced reading skills that will enable you to work one-to-one or in small groups with students that are experiencing difficulty reading at grade level. You will obtain the necessary skills to assess students’ reading abilities, identifying deficiencies and creating intervention plans for grade-level students who have been identified in need of additional reading help. The courses will strengthen your ability to teach reading and enable you to work school wide or district wide coaching other teachers in effective reading practices.

In addition to assessment and intervention of students with reading deficiencies, you will learn about teaching Reading in the Content Areas, the Reading and Writing Connection, and the skills needed to coach other teachers in the classroom.

Receiving your Reading Specialist Certification PK-12 issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education will also enhance your capacity in the job market by opening other educational avenues. Obtaining the credits for Reading Specialist can also be applied toward gaining permanent certification.

At Point Park University, we understand the needs of today's students and have tailored our graduate education programs to be offered fully online.

Choose Your Pathway

All Master's in Reading and Literacy students take 18 credits of literacy and reading specialist courses. For the final four courses, students can choose one of two pathways:

Reading Research Pathway

The Reading Research Pathway provides educators and related professionals with comprehensive preparation in reading and literacy instruction. This traditional pathway is grounded in structured literacy and emphasizes reading research, assessment, and evidence-based instructional practices. It is designed for individuals who wish to develop broad expertise in literacy instruction and support students with a range of reading abilities and learning needs.

Wilson Reading System® Level I Certification Pathway

This certificate provides educators and related professionals with comprehensive preparation in the Wilson Reading System® (WRS) at Level I. It is designed for individuals who wish to develop expertise in structured literacy instruction, particularly for students with dyslexia or other language-based learning differences.

Please note that there is an additional fee beyond graduate tuition for the WRS certification courses.

Frequently Asked Questions

Learn More

Contact Lynn Ribar, director of the Office of Graduate and Online Admissions, at 412-392-3908 or lribar@pointpark.edu. Schedule a call with Lynn.