Admission Requirements

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Program Prerequisites

• Bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from a regionally accredited university
• Cumulative undergraduate grade GPA of 2.67 or higher

Required Materials

• Application
• Official transcripts for each institution attended.
  • International transcripts must include an official course-by-course evaluation of all academic work from www.naces.org
• Two letters of recommendation
  • Letters need to come from employers or professional associates and must testify to your suitability as a prospective reading teacher and your potential for graduate study.
• Copy of your Connecticut teaching certificate
• Proof of 30 months of teaching
  • Your employer should provide documentation on letterhead with a current date.
• Personal statement
  • In 350 words or more, detail the reasons you are interested in enrolling in the program, highlight relevant background experiences and address your overall professional goals in the profession.

Reading and Language Arts Courses

The Literacy Specialist Sixth Year diploma program leading to certification in Remedial Reading and Remedial Language Arts is aligned with the International Reading Association’s standards for the preparation of reading professionals.

To complete the Sixth-Year degree program, students must complete the full certificate program plus additional final degree requirements and electives to fulfill the 30 credit program.

1. Pre-requisite coursework, including Educational Psychology, Special Education, and Children’s or Adolescent Literature
2. Professional Educational coursework in reading and language arts, including Methods and Materials in Teaching Language Arts, Developmental Reading in the Elementary School, Reading and Writing in the Content Areas, Diagnosis and Intervention of Reading and Language Arts Difficulties, and Tests and Measurements
3. Literacy field experiences, including the Field Experience in Reading and Language Arts and the Practicum in Reading and Language Arts
4. Additional coursework in Educational Technology, Instruction for the English Language Learner, and Statutory Requirements