M.A. in Special Education with a Certificate in Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities

Master of Arts (M.A.) in

Special Education

with Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities

Deepen your reading expertise: Close the literacy gap for struggling readers!

Online Designed for Working Educators * Two Years

Reduced Tuition

^$264_/mo

*if using financial aid

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Home Programs M.A. in Special Education with a Certificate in Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities

Why Choose the MA in Special Education with Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities Certificate at USJ?

Study from anywhere while staying connected to a supportive peer group.

Just one evening per week—built for working educators.

Focused, fast-paced, and designed for immediate classroom application.

Learn how to use emerging technologies to help support students in the classroom.

Deepen impact with inclusive, research-informed strategies.

Finish in 2 years—without stepping away from your classroom.

Transformative Learning for Today’s Classrooms

The M.A. in Special Education with a Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities is designed for K–12 educators who want to deepen their expertise in effective, research-based reading instruction for students with dyslexia and other reading challenges. This highly targeted graduate program focuses on equipping educators with the knowledge and tools to make a meaningful difference in the lives of struggling readers—especially the 10–20% of students affected by dyslexia.

Courses explore language and literacy development, diagnostic assessment, and intensive instructional interventions in phonics, word reading, fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and writing. Educators will also learn to apply assistive technology and Universal Design for Learning principles to remove barriers and create inclusive reading environments.

This program is ideal for general and special educators, reading specialists, and interventionists committed to literacy equity and student success.

Program Design

Built for working educators, this fully online program combines the flexibility of asynchronous learning with the richness of live, weekly online sessions that promote collaboration and real-time engagement.

Follows a cohort model for peer support and community
Courses are offered in eight-week blocks, one at a time
Live class sessions meet one evening per week from 4:45 PM – 8:45 PM
Program can be completed in approximately two years

Prerequisites

Applicants must:

Hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution (minimum GPA of 2.5)
Have access to a classroom or educational setting for field-based assignments
Be passionate about improving literacy outcomes for all students

What You’ll Learn

Develop knowledge and skill in providing comprehensive reading instruction that is highly effective for students with dyslexia and for all struggling readers
Address the skills and strategies demonstrated by research to be most effective in teaching students with dyslexia and to help them become the strongest readers possible
Explore language and literacy development assessment, and the design and delivery of intensive interventions to address difficulties in word reading, vocabulary development, language and reading comprehension, and writing abilities.

Degree Requirements and Career Outcomes

To graduate, students must:

Complete all required coursework (see Plan of Study below)
Successfully complete a capstone research project embedded within the final course

Upon graduation, candidates will earn:

A Master of Arts in Special Education
A University of Saint Joseph Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities

Please note: This is a non-licensure, non-endorsement program. It does not lead to initial teacher certification.

Plan of Study

Course	Title	Hours
SPEC 572	Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities: Connecting Assessment to Instruction An advanced course for licensed teachers that focuses on the in-depth understanding of diverse reading profiles, including dyslexia, and the identification and remediation of reading difficulties through structured literacy instruction.	3
SPEC 545	Seminar in Intensive Interventions in Reading: Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities An advanced course for licensed teachers focusing on literacy acquisition, knowledge of diverse reading profiles, including dyslexia, and the essential principles and practices of structured literacy instruction within a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework.	3
SPEC 574	Seminar in Literacy Assessment Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities An advanced course for licensed teachers that focuses on screening, progress-monitoring, diagnostic and outcome assessments of reading and writing within a response-to-intervention (RTI) framework.	3
SPEC 540	Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Interventions An advanced course for licensed teachers that focuses on structured literacy interventions in vocabulary and reading comprehension for students with diverse reading profiles, including dyslexia.	3
SPEC 543	Intensive Writing Interventions An advanced course for licensed teachers that focuses on the essential principles and practices of structured literacy instruction in writing.	3
SPEC 539	Universal Design for Learning Designing curriculum, instruction, and supports to meet the needs of diverse learners in the classroom.	3
SPEC 505	Assistive Technology This course is designed to assist all children in accessing the curriculum. Emphasis will be on: assistive technology definitions and the law; assistive technology and classroom modifications for vision and hearing, communication, reading, writing, math; and transitions for aiding progress in the general education setting.	3
SPEC 590	Special Topics	3
SPEC 596	Practicum	3
SPEC 530	Capstone Research in Special Education This course focuses on research models used in educational settings. Emphasis on interpreting and evaluating educational research and examination of current studies that are representative of the various research models.	3
	Total Credit Hours:	30

Please Note:
The courses for this program may be offered in a different order. This list should not be considered the finalized course sequence.

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What Teachers Are Saying

"Obtaining my master’s degree in curriculum and instruction has led me to use a different lens when planning lessons, as well as dissecting the purpose of assessment. I’ve become more critical of how I assess students, as well as how I use that data in my classroom. I feel my opportunities are much more diverse now that I have this degree and experience from University of Saint Joseph."

"From my experience with the University of Saint Joseph, I found the professors were able to give assignments that built upon the work we would already need to do. Many times, professors were able to adjust their plans to fit the needs of the cohort."

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