Reading (MA) Accelerated Hybrid Option
*Special Note: Applications for the Accelerated Summer 2025 semester are suspended. Please apply for the fall or spring semester for the Reading MA Program.
The Accelerated Hybrid Option for the Masters in Reading is designed for those who wish to pursue a master’s degree through a shorter, intensive period of study. Because the courses are hybrid or fully online, it also creates the kind of flexibility working professionals need. Program graduates who have their initial teaching certificate and have completed two years full-time teaching experience by the time they graduate from this program are also eligible to receive their Reading Specialist certificate without having to complete any additional coursework. The MA in Reading prepares educators to meet present and future demands as literacy specialists. The program emphasizes practice informed by current theory and research and provides a range of learning experiences that enhance candidates’ understanding of what it means to be an effective literacy educator. Program graduates will be prepared to serve in a wide array of educational roles in a variety of settings. Graduates will be equipped with the knowledge and skills to effectively provide developmentally appropriate literacy instruction for a diverse population of K-12 learners, including English language learners, students with disabilities and those who are struggling with literacy. Graduates will also be able to identify and respond to social and cultural developments that are changing the way students read and write, including the growing use of digital technologies. Graduates will be prepared to work with students at the classroom level and with colleagues at the school level to enhance literacy instruction more broadly.
Along with the Reading (MA) Accelerated Hybrid Option degree, the department also offers the following options for graduate study: Reading, and additional certification as a Reading Specialist.
Please refer to our programs of study page for a comprehensive list of all of the graduate programs offered within the university.
It is strongly recommended that students enrolling in the Master of Arts in Reading already hold professional teaching certification and have spent at least one year teaching in schools or working with students in a professional capacity. Students who already have their initial teaching certificate and two years teaching experience are also eligible for Reading Specialist certification with no additional coursework required upon graduating from the MA Reading program. The Office of Graduate Admissions requires the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree in order to be eligible to apply for a graduate program. Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the U.S. degree equivalency information.
In order to make applying for graduate school as seamless as possible for you, we have
created an application checklist. This checklist can be a reference point for you during the
application process to ensure that you have a comprehensive understanding of the steps
needed to apply, as well as all corresponding supplemental materials for your specific
program of interest.
- Applications for the Accelerated Summer 2025 semester are suspended. Please apply for the fall or spring semester for the Reading MA Program.
The following is a list of the supplemental materials that will accompany your application for the Reading (MA) Accelerated Hybrid Option program:
- Transcript: One from each college attended.
- Essays/Personal Statement: Write one essay of no more than three double-spaced pages in response to the prompt below. Your essay can include some description, but it should also demonstrate that you have critically reflected on the profession and your potential place within it. Please write in a concise, formal, professional style. If you make generalizations or assertions, be sure to provide support for them. In one integrated essay, thoughtfully discuss each of the areas identified below:
- Why you are interested in the profession in which you want to pursue graduate work and, if applicable, the particular concentration within that profession.
- Your knowledge of issues and trends in this profession or field.
- What areas and topics you hope to study in depth and why.
- Any related professional or personal experiences you have had, including opportunities to collaborate with other professionals, and how these experiences make you particularly well-suited for the profession.
- Potential challenges and opportunities associated with diversity you think are relevant to the profession you are pursuing. Be sure to explain what you mean by “diversity” (related, for example, to race, gender, age, sexual orientation, language, disability) and how it may pose challenges or present opportunities.
- Letters of Recommendation: Two.
- Applicants with non-U.S. degrees, please visit the International Applicants page to review the US degree equivalency information.
The Accelerated Hybrid Option for the Masters in Reading allows students to earn a 33-credit degree in 15 months, even if they’re already working full time. The program begins during the summer, continues through the regular academic year and then concludes the next summer. All courses are either hybrid or fully online, with the exception of a practicum course that takes place on campus in the second summer. For more information, please visit the program listing in the University Catalog.
