Language & Literacy

Welcome 2009-2010 Language and Literacy Students!

Virtual Open House

Watch highlights from our recent virtual information session. Highlights include: an introduction to the program from our Director, Pamela Mason, a closer look at one of our faculty member's research interests, interviews with current students and alums, and much more! We invite you to spend a few minutes getting to know the L&L program and many of its unique offerings.

Program Description

The Language and Literacy (L&L) program has a distinguished history of connecting the field’s best practices to current research and policies. Our program is grounded in the belief that language and literacy skills are essential to every aspect of an individual's life and that literate individuals contribute positively to our social, cultural, and economic well-being. Faculty members associated with the program specialize in language development, literacy assessment, reading and writing acquisition and difficulties, English language learners, children's literature, and meeting the needs of diverse learners. The program is committed to teaching Master’s candidates to evaluative effective practices, engage students in their learning, provide leadership among colleagues in delivering effective literacy instruction.

We encourage applications from candidates with strong academic potential, high motivation for pursuing a career in education, professional experience in education, outstanding public service in education, and focused intellectual and professional interests. Most students come to the program with experience in teaching or in related fields.

Within the Language and Literacy program, students may pursue one of three strands: Generalist, Literacy Coach, or Reading Specialist. Students in the Reading Specialist strand fulfill requirements established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for licensure as a Reading Specialist Teacher.

Graduates of the master's program in Language and Literacy enter into a myriad of professional positions and succeed in a variety of educational settings, including schools, community programs, policy organizations, and publishing while collaborating with many constituents, such as teacher colleagues, administrators, students, and parents. Many serve as classroom teachers in national and international public or private schools or work with programs in educational publishing, adult literacy, and basic-skills training for college students. Others become reading specialists, literacy coaches, literacy consultants, researchers, diagnosticians, or teacher educators. L&L alums can be found working in schools, universities, hospitals, and private practice. The L&L program has an extensive and active alumni network reaching across the nation and around the world.