Financial Aid and Student Employment
Please note that the master's programs offered by the Department of Curriculum and Instruction do not lead toward initial teacher certification. Teacher certification for grades K-9 can only be obtained through a first or second bachelor's degree.
For those teachers with a focus in reading and writing, the Department of Curriculum and Instruction offers a Master of Science in Education in Reading degree. Illinois State offers an intensive and highly competitive program in reading instruction.
The Master of Science in Education in Reading (M.S. Ed. in Reading) at Illinois State is intended for educators teaching reading and writing in kindergarten through 12th grade. Candidates entering the program have backgrounds in elementary education, junior high or secondary English/language arts, special education, or early childhood education. The reading program will prepare candidates to plan reading and writing curriculum, implement language-centered instructional strategies, and design effective programs of reading and writing assessment, and design professional development in literacy.
Applicants to the Master's Degree Program in Reading may be considered for admission by:
Application deadlines:
If an applicant's GPA for the last 60 semester hours of undergraduate work is below a 3.0, the applicant may be considered for probationary admission by taking nine semester hours of required course work and obtaining a 3.3 GPA, or by submitting a combined verbal and quantitative score on the GRE of at least 1000.
The M.S. Ed. In Reading is a 36-hour program that includes a comprehensive examination and a six hour Professional Research experience. The courses listed below are required for the program. Download a Master's in Reading Plan of Study.
The Illinois State Board of Education has identified six areas of study required of all teachers whose major teaching assignment is reading. All teachers assigned departmentalized responsibility in reading or language arts must meet this 24 semester hour requirement. The reading program offers all course work leading to the endorsement of a reading teacher.
Course work leading to the Reading Specialist Certificate is offered in the Reading Program. The program leading to the Reading Specialist Certificate requires the completion of 36 semester hours in reading and related educational areas. Students working on the Reading Specialist Certificate must first have a current teaching certificate.
| Contact | Office | Phone | |
| Coordinator: Dr. Linda Wedwick | DeGarmo 314 | (309) 438-8863 | |
| Advisor: Dr. Pamela Farris | DeGarmo 315 | (309) 438-8860 | |
| Advisor: Dr. Thomas P. Crumpler | DeGarmo 318 | (309) 438-5433 | |
| Advisor: Dr. Lara Handsfield | DeGarmo 315 | (309) 438-3745 | |
| Advisor: Dr. Eurvine Williams | DeGarmo 313 | (309) 438-3174 | |
| Secretary: Reah Martin | DeGarmo 232 | (309) 438-8992 |
As with the other departments within the College of Education, the Department of Curriculum and Instruction promotes and follows "Realizing the Democratic Ideal", the conceptual framework for all teacher education programs at Illinois State University.