Reading

(33 or 36 semester hours)

The Graduate Education programs at Saint Xavier University provide courses of study that prepare certified teachers to assume responsibilities of leadership and service. Upon completion of the degree, graduates may pursue positions as developmental reading specialists, reading clinicians, reading consultants, and instructors in city or community colleges or workplace reading programs. The Masters Degree program in Reading is designed with the full-time teacher in mind. Classes are scheduled in the evening hours throughout the calendar year. Completion of this program, passing state tests, and a minimum of two years teaching experience may lead to the State of Illinois Type 10 Reading Specialist Certificate. For answers to commonly asked questions, please visit our Reading program FAQ page.

The program is offered in the cohort model only at the Chicago Campus and Orland Park Campus.

Required Graduate Coursework

EDUG 513 Educational Research Design and Development
EDUG 514 Scholarship of Teaching: Finalizing the Inquiry Process
or
Two graduate courses in Education at Saint Xavier University
EDUG 554 Language Development and Literacy Instruction for Diverse Learners (10 clinical hours)
EDUG 570 Technology and the Reading Specialist (5 clinical hours)
EDUG 571 Teaching Reading: Theory and Practice (10 clinical hours)
EDUG 572 The Reading-Writing Connection (10 clinical hours)
EDUG 573 Literature for Children and Adolescents (10 clinical hours)
EDUG 574 Teaching Reading in Content Areas (10 clinical hours)
EDUG 576 Literacy Practicum I: Assessment and Evaluation (20 clinical hours)
EDUG 577 Literacy Practicum II: Instructional Interventions (25 clinical hours)
EDUG 578 Curriculum Development and Supervision of Reading/Language Arts Programs (10 clinical hours)

Clinical hours required by the State of Illinois will be included in the coursework and must be completed.

Completion of this program leads to a Master of Arts in Education with specialization in Reading and the State of Illinois Type 10 Standard Special Certificate provided students pass appropriate certification tests.

State Certification Testing

All persons seeking any teaching certificate in the state of Illinois must pass at least two state certification tests: Assessment of Professional Teaching and the Reading Test. Practice tests and study guides designed to meet the test objectives are available in the School of Education. Specialists who have not taken the test of Basic Skills in the past must pass the Illinois Test of Basic Skills.

Alpha Upsilon Alpha

Alpha Upsilon Alpha (AUA) is the honor society of the International Reading Association. The Zeta chapter of AUA is located at Saint Xavier University. Students, upon completion of 12 semester hours and faculty recommendation, can be invited to become members of this organization.

Graduation Requirements

All course work must be completed within five years of admission. A cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.0 must be maintained; a grade of D is not acceptable toward satisfying degree or certification requirements. Students may request that a maximum of 6 credits taken at another institution not more than five years from admission to Saint Xavier University, be evaluated for transfer.

Disclaimer - Although it is intended that courses herein will remain the same, sometimes course titles and content may change to respond to the current requirements of the university of the ISBE.