PhD in Learning, Teaching and Curriculum with Emphasis in Reading Education

The Doctoral Program in Reading Education is designed to prepare individuals for careers in higher education and leadership positions in a variety of educational settings. Besides enhancing students’ knowledge of literacy education, students develop expertise in conceptualizing, conducting and reporting research studies.

Degree Requirements

To receive a PhD degree in reading education, you must complete a minimum of 72 hours of coursework beyond a bachelor’s degree.  A minimum of 15 credit hours must be at the 8000-level or above, exclusive of research, problems, and independent study experiences. Programs of study are individually planned with a faculty committee. Recommendations include the following:

I. Literacy Education Core (18+ hours)

    A.  Foundations (9-12 hours)

  • Theoretical Foundations of Literacy
  • Whole Language Curriculum or Talk in the Curriculum
  • History of Literacy or Issues and Trends of Literacy Education
  • Linguistics, Sociolinguistics, Psycholinguistics  

    B. Concentration (9-12 hours)

Declared area of interest or specialization selected in consultation with advisor. Possible areas of specialization include: 

  • Early Literacy
  • Children's Literature
  • Linguistics and Literacy
  • Literacy in a Digital World
  • Literacy for Special Needs Children
  • Other

II. Professional Education Core

     (12 hours, 3 hours from each category)

     A. Humanistic Dimensions of Education

  • Social and Philosophical Aspects of Teaching
  • Sociology of the Classroom
  • Issues in Education and Human Development: Historical and Philosophical
  • Multicultural Dimensions of Education

     B. Psychological Foundations of Education

  • Psychological Foundations of Education
  • Human Learning
  • Human Cognition
  • Applications of Computer Based Systems to Educational Settings
  • Instructional Programs for Young Children
  • Parents, the School, and the Community

III. Research Core (12 hours of the following or equivalent courses)

  • Quantitative Methods in Educational Research I
  • Quantitative Methods in Educational Research II
  • Qualitative Methods of Educational Research I
  • Qualitative Methods of Educational Research II

IV. Teaching and Research Internships (0-6 hours)

      To be negotiated with advisor to meet your professional goals         

V.  Electives (0-12+ hours)

      Select courses within or outside the College of Education that will help focus and support your research interests (with committee approval). Or  take a concentrated set of 9-12 hours as a minor

VI.  Dissertation (12 hours)

      Includes proposal approval, Institutional Review Board Approval, approval from participants, write up, and oral defense

PREREQUISITES:

•  Introduction to Statistics (or equivalent)

•  Foundations of Educational Psychology (or equivalent)

Admissions

Applicants are required to meet two sets of minimum qualifications for admission: the requirements of the PhD in Learning, Teaching and Curriculum and the minimum requirements of the Graduate School. Because requirements vary, you must refer to a degree program's graduate admission page to learn about specific admission criteria, application deadlines, eligibility and application process. Your application materials will be reviewed by both the Graduate School and the degree program to which you’ve applied before official admission to the University of Missouri.

The LTC graduate program cannot assure admission to all applicants who meet minimum standards specified for the degree program. Resource constraints do not permit the admission of all qualified applicants.
 
A committee of faculty reviews the credentials of each applicant. It is the responsibility of this committee to exercise professional judgment related to the criteria that applicants must meet in order to be considered for admission to the program.

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