Reading & Language Arts Program

Overview

The program of Reading & Language Arts educates professionals who work in a variety of areas - early reading and writing instruction, language acquisition and development, K-12 school literacy, post-secondary reading programs, literacy teacher educators, researchers, and adult literacy programs. All reading and language arts faculty at FSU are committed to high quality personnel preparation in the area of literacy, service to the State of Florida , and nationally-recognized research leading to increased knowledge about reading and instruction designed to improve the educational outcomes of all children in the state of Florida and the nation. In addition to our on-campus coursework and activities, we have a rural outreach program with cohorts of practicing teachers in Calhoun, Taylor, Jefferson, and Madison counties.

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Faculty

The Reading & Language Arts faculty encompass a wide range of areas of expertise and interests related to literacy. If you are interested in language arts, linguistics, teacher education, figurative language, reading processes, struggling readers, reading fluency, child by instruction interactions, intervention research, teacher professional development, or written composition, we are the program for you!

Dr. Barbara Foorman, Eppes Professor
Dr. Barbara Palmer, Professor
Dr. Carolyn Piazza, Associate Professor
Dr. Young-Suk Kim, Assistant Professor
Dr. Ramona Pittman, Assistant Professor

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Degree Offerings

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Reading & Language Arts emphasizes scholarly work in the theoretical disciplines such as psychology, linguistics, sociology, anthropology, reading, Learning Disabilities, intervention/instruction, and in research methods appropriate to these disciplines. Courses are selected from those offered in the Reading and Language Arts Program and from departments within the College of Education and the University. Doctoral students participate in research seminars, supervised research, and university teaching and supervision. Students are encouraged to present scholarly work at state and national conferences and to join faculty in professional writing. The program is designed for persons aspiring to be college professors, scholars, researchers, or educational policy-makers. See the Doctoral Handbook for more information.

The Specialist in Education ( Ed.S .) degree in Reading & Language Arts emphasizes graduate work tailored to the individual's career goals. These goals will generally fall within the area of leadership roles in curricular, administrative, and service programs in reading and language arts in the public schools, in community literacy programs, and in state departments of education. Courses are selected from those offered in the Reading and Language Arts Program and from departments within the College of Education and the University. Students generally write a thesis, which may be an action research study, a program development project, or a scholarly review of an area of research. An internship in clinical or field-based supervision will be arranged for each student in an appropriate agency. Students are encouraged to participate in teacher workshops and in-service sessions as well as attend state, regional, and national professional conferences. See the Specialist Handbook for more information.

The Master of Science (M.S.) Degree in Reading & Language Arts with endorsement in reading (K-12) is designed to provide knowledge and skills in reading and language arts for those teachers who seek a career as a specialist in developmental and corrective reading and language arts education or are interested in expanding their knowledge of research-based literacy instruction. A core of 18 credits of required courses is taken by every student with an additional 9 credit hours selected from electives offered in the Reading & Language Arts Program. A comprehensive exam is given at the end of the program. See the Masters Handbook for more information. A condition of graduation is a passing score on the K-12 Reading Subject Area Test of the Florida Teaching Certification Exam. Verification will come through Academic Services.

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Admissions Information

Admissions standards

Minimum GRE 850 and GPA 3.5 for both MA and Reading Specialist
Minimum GRE 1000 for Ph.D.
Complete application including a personal statement of 2 to 3 pages

To be admitted into all of the Reading & Language Arts graduate programs, the prospective student needs to complete an application to the Florida State University . The graduate application is available online.

For the Doctoral Program, we require that the student have a Master's degree from an accredited, reputable university, a minimum of three years of professional experience in literacy or a related field. We also require a grade point average of 3.5 on Master's level course work and a minimum combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to be admitted. In addition to the University application, applicants should also submit an application packet with (a) a School of Teacher Education (STE) graduate program application, (b) a personal statement of 2 to 3 pages stating his or her professional/education goals, (c) three letters of recommendation, (d) official undergraduate and graduate transcripts, (e) an official record of scores on the GRE, (f) a writing sample, and (g) a TOEFL score if appropriate. In addition, an interview with the Reading & Language Arts faculty is required before admission.

For the Specialist Program, we require that the student have a Master's degree from an accredited, reputable university, a minimum of two years of professional experience in literacy or a related field, and certification in a field of education. We also require a grade point average of 3.5 on Master's level course work OR a minimum combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE to be admitted. In addition to the University application, applicants should also submit an application packet with (a) a STE graduate program application , (b) a personal letter stating his or her professional/education goals, (c) two letters of recommendation, (d) official undergraduate and graduate transcripts, (e) an official record of scores on the GRE, and (f) a TOEFL score if appropriate. Factors reviewed are previous academic record, teaching experience or other professional experience, certifications held, and professional goals.

For the Master's Degree, we require that a student have a baccalaureate degree from an approved institution, certification in a field of education, successful teaching experience, a minimum combined verbal and quantitative score of 850 on the GRE, and a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the last two years of study. In addition to the University application, applicants should also submit an application packet with (a) a STE graduate program application and (b) an official transcript.

All application packets should be sent directly to the Reading & Language Arts Program, Graduate Coordinator, School of Teacher Education (STE), 215 Stone Building, Tallahassee , FL 32306-4489.

For all graduate programs, a Reading & Language Arts Program faculty committee reviews the application materials. After review of all data, the faculty committee will make a recommendation for acceptance or rejection of the applicant. The recommendation of the Department on admission is returned to the FSU Graduate School which, in turn, officially notifies the applicant.

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Contact Information

Dr. Carolyn Piazza, Associate Professor, Ph.D.

E-mail: piazza@coe.fsu.edu
Phone: 850-644-8476


	Home Mission Admission Programs -Early Childhood Education -Elementary Education -Reading & Language Arts -Special Education Faculty Links			Reading & Language Arts Program Overview Faculty Degree Offerings Admissions Information Contact Information Graduate FAQ Links PIRT Program in Reading Florida Reading Endorsement & Certification Panama City Campus Masters Program Program of Study Forms Overview The program of Reading & Language Arts educates professionals who work in a variety of areas - early reading and writing instruction, language acquisition and development, K-12 school literacy, post-secondary reading programs, literacy teacher educators, researchers, and adult literacy programs. All reading and language arts faculty at FSU are committed to high quality personnel preparation in the area of literacy, service to the State of Florida , and nationally-recognized research leading to increased knowledge about reading and instruction designed to improve the educational outcomes of all children in the state of Florida and the nation. In addition to our on-campus coursework and activities, we have a rural outreach program with cohorts of practicing teachers in Calhoun, Taylor, Jefferson, and Madison counties. Top Faculty The Reading & Language Arts faculty encompass a wide range of areas of expertise and interests related to literacy. If you are interested in language arts, linguistics, teacher education, figurative language, reading processes, struggling readers, reading fluency, child by instruction interactions, intervention research, teacher professional development, or written composition, we are the program for you! Dr. Barbara Foorman, Eppes Professor Dr. Barbara Palmer, Professor Dr. Carolyn Piazza, Associate Professor Dr. Young-Suk Kim, Assistant Professor Dr. Ramona Pittman, Assistant Professor Top Degree Offerings The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Reading & Language Arts emphasizes scholarly work in the theoretical disciplines such as psychology, linguistics, sociology, anthropology, reading, Learning Disabilities, intervention/instruction, and in research methods appropriate to these disciplines. Courses are selected from those offered in the Reading and Language Arts Program and from departments within the College of Education and the University. Doctoral students participate in research seminars, supervised research, and university teaching and supervision. Students are encouraged to present scholarly work at state and national conferences and to join faculty in professional writing. The program is designed for persons aspiring to be college professors, scholars, researchers, or educational policy-makers. See the Doctoral Handbook for more information. The Specialist in Education ( Ed.S .) degree in Reading & Language Arts emphasizes graduate work tailored to the individual's career goals. These goals will generally fall within the area of leadership roles in curricular, administrative, and service programs in reading and language arts in the public schools, in community literacy programs, and in state departments of education. Courses are selected from those offered in the Reading and Language Arts Program and from departments within the College of Education and the University. Students generally write a thesis, which may be an action research study, a program development project, or a scholarly review of an area of research. An internship in clinical or field-based supervision will be arranged for each student in an appropriate agency. Students are encouraged to participate in teacher workshops and in-service sessions as well as attend state, regional, and national professional conferences. See the Specialist Handbook for more information. The Master of Science (M.S.) Degree in Reading & Language Arts with endorsement in reading (K-12) is designed to provide knowledge and skills in reading and language arts for those teachers who seek a career as a specialist in developmental and corrective reading and language arts education or are interested in expanding their knowledge of research-based literacy instruction. A core of 18 credits of required courses is taken by every student with an additional 9 credit hours selected from electives offered in the Reading & Language Arts Program. A comprehensive exam is given at the end of the program. See the Masters Handbook for more information. A condition of graduation is a passing score on the K-12 Reading Subject Area Test of the Florida Teaching Certification Exam. Verification will come through Academic Services. Top Admissions Information Admissions standards Minimum GRE 850 and GPA 3.5 for both MA and Reading Specialist Minimum GRE 1000 for Ph.D. Complete application including a personal statement of 2 to 3 pages To be admitted into all of the Reading & Language Arts graduate programs, the prospective student needs to complete an application to the Florida State University . The graduate application is available online. For the Doctoral Program, we require that the student have a Master's degree from an accredited, reputable university, a minimum of three years of professional experience in literacy or a related field. We also require a grade point average of 3.5 on Master's level course work and a minimum combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) to be admitted. In addition to the University application, applicants should also submit an application packet with (a) a School of Teacher Education (STE) graduate program application, (b) a personal statement of 2 to 3 pages stating his or her professional/education goals, (c) three letters of recommendation, (d) official undergraduate and graduate transcripts, (e) an official record of scores on the GRE, (f) a writing sample, and (g) a TOEFL score if appropriate. In addition, an interview with the Reading & Language Arts faculty is required before admission. For the Specialist Program, we require that the student have a Master's degree from an accredited, reputable university, a minimum of two years of professional experience in literacy or a related field, and certification in a field of education. We also require a grade point average of 3.5 on Master's level course work OR a minimum combined score of 1000 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE to be admitted. In addition to the University application, applicants should also submit an application packet with (a) a STE graduate program application , (b) a personal letter stating his or her professional/education goals, (c) two letters of recommendation, (d) official undergraduate and graduate transcripts, (e) an official record of scores on the GRE, and (f) a TOEFL score if appropriate. Factors reviewed are previous academic record, teaching experience or other professional experience, certifications held, and professional goals. For the Master's Degree, we require that a student have a baccalaureate degree from an approved institution, certification in a field of education, successful teaching experience, a minimum combined verbal and quantitative score of 850 on the GRE, and a minimum GPA of 3.5 in the last two years of study. In addition to the University application, applicants should also submit an application packet with (a) a STE graduate program application and (b) an official transcript. All application packets should be sent directly to the Reading & Language Arts Program, Graduate Coordinator, School of Teacher Education (STE), 215 Stone Building, Tallahassee , FL 32306-4489. For all graduate programs, a Reading & Language Arts Program faculty committee reviews the application materials. After review of all data, the faculty committee will make a recommendation for acceptance or rejection of the applicant. The recommendation of the Department on admission is returned to the FSU Graduate School which, in turn, officially notifies the applicant. Top Contact Information Dr. Carolyn Piazza, Associate Professor, Ph.D. E-mail: piazza@coe.fsu.edu Phone: 850-644-8476