Literacy Specialist Program
This graduate certificate will provide teachers with the knowledge to become leaders in the area of literacy instruction and will lead to the reading specialist endorsement. It is offered for students who posess a master's degree and a valid Virginia postgraduate professional license. Courses taken at other institutions and approved for the certificate must be officially transferred into the program. Application for the added endorsement is made through the school division's personnel office.
Admission requirements
To be considered for the certificate, the applicant must submit the following items to the Office of Admissions:
- Application for Admission
- Application for Virginia In-State Tuition Rates (if applicable)
- Nonrefundable application fee
- Official transcripts indicating completion of a baccalaureate degree and a master's degree from a regionally accredited college or university
- A copy of a valid Virginia five-year renewable license
required courses (24 credits)
- EDLS 541 Linguistic Foundations of Literacy (3 credits)
- EDLS 542 Literacy Curriculum and Instruction (3 credits)
- EDLS 543 Literacy Curriculum and Instruction II (3 credits)
- EDLS 544 Literacy Assessment and Evaluation (3 credits)
- EDLS 545 Writing Process and Instruction (3 credits)
- EDLS 546 Leadership in Literacy Education (3 credits)
- EDLS 547 Literacy and Diverse Student Populations (3 credits)
- EDLS 548 Internship: Applied Literacy Research (3 credits)
A passing score on the Virginia Reading Assessment for reading specialists is required for endorsement.
