Dyslexia Therapy Education MEd

Overview

The School of Education and the DuBard School for Language Disorders in the School of Speech and Hearing Sciences collaborate to offer the Master of Education in Dyslexia Therapy Education. The degree is a 30-hour program delivered in a hybrid format, including on-campus instruction, online courses and a supervised practicum experience. This program requires a minimum of 24 months to complete.

Graduates will be eligible to sit for the Academic Language Therapy Association (ALTA) Competency Exam in multisensory structured language education which, when successfully completed, will lead to eligibility for the Certified Academic Language Therapist (CALT) national credential and membership in ALTA. Graduates will be eligible for the Mississippi Educator Licensure endorsement for dyslexia therapy.

Professional Licensure Disclosure:  Programs at The University of Southern Mississippi are designed to meet the professional competency standards for licensure in Mississippi. The University of Southern Mississippi cannot determine whether any program leads to licensure in any state other than Mississippi.  It is recommended that students who intend to seek licensure in another state verify that their program of study meets the desired state’s licensure requirements. For assistance with out-of-state licensure questions, please refer to the Professional Licensure Disclosures webpage.

Admission Requirements

In addition to the requirements detailed in Admission Requirements and Procedures , applicants must meet the following requirements and submit the following documents:

1. A baccalaureate degree in education, speech and hearing sciences, or a related field with a minimum grade point average of 3.00 (4.00 scale) on the last 60 hours of undergraduate study.
2. Official scores from one of the following standardized exams - Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Praxis II Subject Assessment Examination.
3. Letters of Recommendation - Three (3) letters of recommendation from professionals in education or speech and hearing sciences who are qualified to assess the applicant’s readiness for graduate study in dyslexia therapy.
4. Statement of Purpose - In a letter or essay format, describe your professional experiences and goals and how obtaining this degree will help you to realize those goals.
5. CV/Résumé
6. Copy of current educator license. Students who are otherwise qualified, but who do not hold a current educator license, may be admitted on a conditional basis, and will have until the end of the first semester of enrollment to obtain appropriate licensure.

This program admits new students each summer term. The application priority deadline is April 1.  Representatives from both academic areas begin review of qualified applicants after April 1.  Members of underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

Program Requirements and Academic Policies

See General Degree Requirements  and General Academic Information .

Course Requirements (30 hours)

• CIR 691 - Research in Literacy 1-16 hrs. (3 hrs. required)
• CIR 705 - Components of the Reading and Writing Process 3 hrs.
• CIR 706 - Foundations of the Literacy Process 3 hrs.
• CIR 713 - Literacy Assessment, Diagnosis, and Evaluation 3 hrs.
• CIR 737 - Practicum in Remedial Reading Instruction 3 hrs.
• SHS 532 - Language Disorders II: Habilitation of Oral and Written Language Disorders 3 hrs.
• SHS 690 - Clinical Experience in Speech and Hearing 1-6 hrs. (6 hrs. required)
• SHS 692 - Special Problems 1-6 hrs. (3 hrs. required)
• SHS 727 - Seminar: Association Method 3 hrs.