Who are the faculty ? 

We have a nationally and internationally respected faculty in reading and related fields. Academic advisors in our program are:

                           Peter P. Afflerbach, Professor, Ph.D., State University of New York at Albany
                           Marilyn Chambliss, Associate Professor, Ph.D., Stanford University
                           Ayanna Baccus, Lecturer, Ph.D., University of Maryland College Park
                           Rose Marie Codling, Lecturer, Ph.D., University of Maryland College Park
                           Mariam Jean Dreher, Professor, Ph.D., University of California, Riverside
                           Olivia N. Saracho, Professor, Ph.D., University of Illinois
                           Jennifer Danridge Turner, Assistant Professor, Ph.D., Michigan State University

Faculty in associated programs include:

                          Patricia Alexander, Professor, Ph.D., University of Maryland College Park
                          John T. Guthrie, Professor Emeritus, Ph.D., University of Illinois
                          John O'Flahavan, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Illinois
                          Rebecca Oxford, Professor, Ph.D., University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
                          Rebecca Silverman, Assistant Professor, Ed.D., Harvard University
                          Wayne H. Slater, Associate Professor, Ph.D., University of Minnesota
                          Linda Valli, Professor, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison
                          Bruce VanSledright, Professor, Ph.D., Michigan State University
                          Allan Wigfield, Professor, Ph.D., University of Illinois

What does the program require?

The Ph.D. program in reading education requires a minimum of 57 graduate semester hours beyond the master's degree. Students are encouraged to take courses outside of the College of Education in such departments as psychology, linguistics, philosophy and speech, as appropriate to their research plans. The program content is continuously evolving as a result of individual faculty research programs in relation to the International Reading Association guidelines and standards. Program requirements are listed below.

 

Required Department Core Courses: (minimum 18 credits)

Effective for doctoral students admitted beginning Fall 2008
Core for Teaching and Learning (minimum 3 credits)
All EDCI doctoral students should have a solid foundation in the scholarly literature on teaching and learning. This instruction should introduce students to various theories of teaching and learning, provide an overview of relevant research literature, and encourage exploration of these issues from perspectives outside their own specialization. The core course requirement in this area is EDCI 780, Theory and Research in Teaching (3 credits). In their first fall semester of enrollment in the doctoral program, students should be encouraged to register for this course.

Core for Research (minimum 12 credits)
All EDCI doctoral students should have foundational preparation in research methodology appropriate for their program. Students are expected to enter their programs with at least a background in introductory statistics at the EDMS 645 level or equivalent. If they have not fulfilled this requirement prior to entering, they must satisfactorily complete EDMS 645 or its equivalent before beginning the research methodology core (i.e., an introductory statistics course does not count in the doctoral plan of studies).  

For core, EDCI requires all doctoral students to complete EDCI 790, Epistemological Bases of Education Research (3 credits), as a foundational experience in the variety of ways research efforts have been conceptualized. EDCI also requires that all doctoral students develop a balanced grounding in specific research approaches in the areas of qualitative and quantitative methods. To satisfy this requirement, students take EDCI 791 (3 credits) and EDMS 646 (3 credits). Finally, EDCI requires that all students—in consultation with their advisor and with respect to the methodological direction of their dissertation—take an additional 3 credits in advanced research (e.g., EDCI 792, EDMS 651). (For Ed.D. candidates, the sequence of advanced courses may be program evaluation and assessment courses.)

 

Core for Diversity (minimum 3 credits)
All EDCI doctoral students should have formal instruction in issues relevant to gender, race, and class. This requirement complements priorities across the University to address diversity issues, especially in urban contexts, from different perspectives. EDCI students are required to complete satisfactorily EDCI 776, Urban Education (3 credits), OR a relevant substitute approved by the student’s advisor and GREL.          

        
Required Specialty (minimum 12 credits):

EDCI 769a        Theory and Research in Reading
EDCI 769b       Theory and Research in Reading
EDCI 860         Seminar in Reading Education
EDCI 861         Research Methods in Reading

 

Electives (minimum 15 credits)

Other courses in the specialty such as:

EDCI 660 Foundations of Reading
EDCI 661 Content Area Reading
EDCI 663 Understanding, Evaluating and Using Research in School Reading Programs
EDCI 666 Leadership in Schoolwide Reading Programs
EDCI 664 Clinical Assessment in Reading
EDCI 665 Clinical Instruction in Reading
EDCI 666 Leadership in Schoolwide Reading Programs
EDCI 667 Multicultural Materials and Instruction for K-12 Readers

EDCI 761     Advanced Clinical Practices in Reading Assessment
EDCI 762     Advanced Clinical Practices in Reading Instruction

Also acceptable:  courses outside the specialty area such as
EDCI Writing courses, EDCI TESOL courses, in consultation with faculty advisor.

Dissertation Research:  Minimum of 12 credits of EDCI 899 for PhD.

             Comprehensive Portfolio:  Portfolio Requirements