Academics

Master of Science in Instruction: Secondary Language Arts

College of Education

Graduate Program Advisor : Dr. Katy Smith / K-Smith1@neiu.edu / (773) 442-5329 / Room LWH 3039

Department Website

Program Description

The M.S. in Instruction: Secondary Language Arts program is designed to offer professional development to classroom teachers who are interested in updating and refining their teaching competencies in the areas of Language Arts and English instruction at the secondary level. Graduates of this program will have updated and advanced knowledge of the theoretical foundations of literacy and language acquisition, principles of curriculum planning and development, language arts research, as well as instructional strategies for enhancing children's acquisition of reading, writing, listening, and speaking competencies in culturally diverse classrooms. Throughout the program there is an emphasis on enhancing teachers' leadership skills in developing and implementing language arts and English curricula. Within this program students complete coursework in two areas:

• A professional core composed of coursework in literacy foundations (theory and pedagogy), curriculum development, cultural diversity, assessment, media technology, and research - eighteen credit hours.
• A concentration in language arts with interdisciplinary coursework in education, reading, English, linguistics, and/or speech - eighteen credit hours.
  

Admission Requirements

• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 (4.0 scale)
• A current, valid, state teaching certificate
• Eighteen credit hours undergraduate coursework in English literature/composition, linguistics, and/or speech
• Fifteen credit hours of undergraduate coursework in education with one, three credit hour course in the methods of teaching reading or English
• Completed application with two letters of recommendation and official transcripts
  

Degree Requirements

36 credit hours

1. Professional Core.................................................... 18 cr.
   EDFN 416 Cultural Pluralism and the Schools..............3 cr.
   SCED 401E New Directions in the Teaching of English
   at the Junior-Senior High School without
   Clinical Experience...................................3 cr.
   ELED 430 Trends and Issues in Assessment................3 cr.
   INMD 410 Media Technology for Educators.................3 cr.
   READ 402 Issues in Reading Instruction.......................3 cr.
   SCED 421L Research in the Teaching
   of Language Arts......................................3 cr.
2. Language Arts Concentration.............................18 cr.
   SCED 407B Teaching Multiethnic Literature in Junior and
   Senior High Schools without Clinical Experience...................................3 cr.
   READ 415 Reading and Writing in the Content Area..................................3 cr.
   LING 401 Fundamentals of Modern Linguistics...........3 cr.
   or
   TESL 402 Principles of Linguistics for Teachers...........3 cr.
   Electives selected from areas of English Literature,
   Creative Writing, Linguistics or Speech ..........................9 cr.
3. Oral Examination (A final oral exam scheduled in the final term before graduation.)
4. Two research papers (One is required in ELED 406.)
   
   INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA
   INMD 410-Media Technology for Educators, three credit hours. The media technology course will encompass all types of curricular/ learning materials in varied formats-CD-Rom. LaserDisc technology, telecommunications, formats, satellite learning, and on-line databases. Multimedia educational software will be integrated into computer instruction in multicultural/multiethnic learning presentations. Electronic data management, classroom applications, and integrated learning systems will be utilized in educational settings.
   Prerequisite: Graduate standing.