Welcome to the Literacy Studies Program

Top (l to r): Alan Flurkey, Ph.D., Denny Taylor, Ed.D, Jeanne Henry, Ed.D., and Debra Goodman, Ph.D...
Lower (l to r): Andrea García. Ph.D., Joan Zaleski, Ph.D., and Theresa McGinnis, Ph.D.. Also pictured, literacy mascot, “Wednesday.”

Welcome to the Literacy Studies Program of the Department of Teaching, Literacy & Leadership. The degree programs in Literacy Studies (MA, MSED, CAS, Ed.D and Ph.D) have been designed to provide students with the pedagogical and theoretical expertise they need to become leading scholar practitioners in the field of literacy.

Our teacher education programs (MA, MSED, and CAS) have been designed to develop literacy specialists whose expertise in evaluating literacy development, along with their deep knowledge of pedagogical practices, enables them to become expert, engaging, creative and caring teachers who understand the social and cultural contexts of both literacy and schools. Graduates of our program are committed to improving literacy in the lives of all learners, particularly those who are struggling in school.

The doctoral programs in Literacy Studies (Ed.D. and Ph.D.) are committed to the exploration of literacy as part of people’s every day lives, in schools, communities, and families, as well as in the broader culture and in the world at large. Doctoral courses explore the relationships between literacy, language, literature, identity, culture, and society in order to help students develop a critical framework through which they understand, teach, and research topics related to literacy.

Please explore our site to learn more about our programs.