Literacy
Online Graduate Education Programs

Eastern Washington University offers two online options for the Literacy program, a Master of Education or a Graduate Certificate, neither of which result in an initial teaching certification. Both programs are described below:

Master of Education


The Master of Education program is a full Master's degree, designed for teachers who do not currently hold a master's degree and wish to be eligible to be recommended for an endorsement in Literacy in the State of Washington.

Certificate


The Graduate Certificate is a shorter, graduate level program, with students completing specialization coursework to be eligible to be recommended for an endorsement in Literacy in the State of Washington.

Please note: The Literacy programs DO NOT lead to an initial teaching certification. If you are looking for a program that leads to initial certification please contact educgrad@ewu.edu to discuss your options.

Sequence of Courses & Program Plans

The Sequence of Courses is a document that serves to outline the order in which courses are offered and can be completed.

In most cases there is a choice between full-time (two courses per session/6-weeks), or part-time (one course per session/6-weeks), or a combination of full- and part-time depending upon candidate needs. Some students choose to follow the Sequence of Courses as written, others will need a customized sequence based on personal needs, schedules, work, etc.

If you need to make changes to your Course Sequence at any time or intend to transfer in any courses, please click on "Request Custom Sequence" tab below and complete the form.

Information

The Sequence of Courses serves to outline the order in which courses are to be completed. Please use this sequence to complete your final Program Plan using the online form. Contact the School of Education for: 1. Transfer course review and/or 2. Customized needs, such as sitting out a session.

Session 1 course sections are A01-A09. Session 2 course sections are A50-A59. Most courses are offered twice per year. If you change your sequence this may result in waiting for the course to be offered which may delay your graduation.

If applying for Financial Aid, please register for sessions 1 and 2 at the same time.

Please contact the School of Education Online Program Coordinator at 509-359-2500 or educgrad@ewu.edu with questions

Master of Education
Certificate
Request Custom Sequence

Program & University Resources

It is important for students to review the dates and deadlines for the Online Accelerated program as they are different from posted university dates and deadlines. Deadlines for the Online Accelerated program are extremely strict and exceptions are not made. Please contact the School of Education with questions.

View textbooks required for all courses in your program. This list will be updated as new book information becomes available.

An online master's student has full access to Eastern Washington University resources. Click here for quick access to:

  • Bookstore
  • Library
  • Financial Aid
  • Writers' Center
  • Veterans Resource Center
  • Disability Support Services
  • and more

Candidacy Form

All graduate students are required to complete an Application for Degree Candidacy after they have completed at least 15 credits and before they have completed half of their program.

The candidacy form acts as a contract between the student and the university to ensure that the student recognizes and will meet all university requirements by graduation.

Instructions for Completing the Candidacy Form

  • Fill in your contact information
  • Select your degree type
    • Either MEd or Certificate
  • Select your program
    • Some programs will be prefilled, others will need to be selected from a drop-down list
  • Catalog Year
    • The year in which you will complete the program (e.g., 2021-2022)
  • Term and Year you will graduate (e.g., Spring 2 2021)
  • Course List
    • Required Courses Completed
      • Select the courses you have already completed from the drop-down lists – each list is broken into 2 sections:
        • Core Courses – these courses are only required for students in the full master’s degree program
        • Specialization Courses – these courses are required for all students in this concentration
      • Insert the number of credits for each course
    • Courses in Progress
      • Select your current courses from the drop-down lists
      • Insert the number of credits for each course
    • Courses Remaining
      • Select the courses you have not yet taken that are required for your program from the drop-down lists.
      • Insert the number of credits for each course
    • Approved Substitutions
      • Any course substitutions must be approved by a School of Education faculty advisor or the Graduate Program Director. Contact educgrad@ewu.edu with questions
      • Substituted courses should be entered and matched to an EWU class from the drop-down to the right
      • Insert the number of credits for each course
    • Sign and date the completed form (this can be done electronically)
  • Email the completed candidacy form to the EWU Graduate Studies Office at gradprograms@ewu.edu
    • If the Graduate Studies Office does not contact you, the form was accepted as submitted
    • If the Graduate Studies Office has questions about the form, they will reach out via email

Again, if you do not hear from the Graduate Studies Office, your form is accepted and does not need any changes.

Internship

Internships provide an opportunity for professional growth.  The internships meet the Eastern Washington University program requirements for offering opportunities for experiential learning.  The hope is the internship may be a steppingstone for new opportunities and a potential revitalization of a current career.

Due to Covid-19, modifications to internships have been implemented.  State endorsement competencies are being met through course assignments and no longer are requiring one-on-one work with students.

Internships no longer require district and video taping approval.

 

Internship Enrollment Courses - Students will enroll in two separate internship courses in two separate six week sessions. You should complete Internship I before Internship II. Internship courses must be taken with EDUC 591 and EDUC 560 as outlined below. Each internship accounts for reading, writing/reflecting, meetings, interviews, and assignments in Canvas

Session One

Session Two

 EDUC 641 - Literacy Internship I

2 cr EDUC 642 - Literacy Internship II 2 cr

EDUC 591 - Instructional Found/Interv for Literacy Difficulties

4 cr EDUC 560 - Reading Inquiry  4 cr

Portfolio

EDUC 643 - This course is designed for MEd candidates to assemble a portfolio of work from graduate education courses to demonstrate the candidate has met program outcomes. Candidates will identify written assignments from their courses to revise. Candidates are also required to explain, through a reflection, how these written assignments align with program outcomes. The portfolio class is accessed through Canvas modules.

Comprehensive Exam

The Comprehensive Exam is only required for students in the full MEd program.

EDUC 644 - The purpose of the Comprehensive Examination is to assess knowledge and understanding of specified core courses and evaluate whether students are academically prepared for their role in education. The Comprehensive Examination requires students to demonstrate the ability to synthesize knowledge gained from courses in the Master of Education degree program and write an academically appropriate response.

This exam consists of three (3) academic papers to be submitted during weeks 2, 3, and 4 during a 6-week session. Students will receive one question each week and have one week to complete each paper. Questions are not made available until the time of the exam.

The expectation for writing is 12-15 pages per question (not including the title and reference pages). Any writing over 15 pages will not be read.  The expectation is a scholarly writing piece, using clear, concise words, with correct use of academic language, and APA citations (including a reference page).

Students will receive notification of pass/fail result via email by the Wednesday following the end of the session. This exam is pass/fail, but candidates must pass all three questions to receive a 'Pass.' If it is deemed that the candidate did not pass one or more questions, they will have one opportunity for a retake in a subsequent session. Each question not passed is retaken at one additional credit. In this event, the School of Education will contact the candidate with information on registration for any additional comprehensive exam sessions.

Steps to Apply for State Endorsement

For candidates holding a Washington State teaching certification:

This test is not required for completing the master's program. This test is taken by students who wish to add the Literacy endorsement to an existing K-12 Washington State teaching certification.

Steps for adding on the Literacy endorsement:

  1. Complete coursework
  2. Complete candidacy form (linked above) and send to Graduate Programs
  3. Complete the graduation application through EagleNET (steps outlined below)
  4. Pass NES Reading 104 test: Click HERE for test information.
  5. Contact Certification Officer, Jill Stinson at jstinson1@ewu.edu and Graduate Director, Dr. Ann Van Wig at avanwig@ewu.edu with your request for recommendation to OSPI.
  6. DO NOT APPLY TO OSPI UNTIL YOU HAVE HEARD FROM THE CERTIFICATION OFFICER
  7. Upon completion of above:
    1. Certification Officer - sends a recommendation to OSPI
    2. Certification Officer - sends notice to candidate to apply for add-on endorsement (now you may apply to OSPI)
    3. Candidate applies on OSPI website ($)
  8. The Graduate Programs Office will send out the student diploma or certificate of program completion.

For those who hold a P-12 Teaching Certification Outside the State of Washington: 

Graduates of Eastern Washington University’s programs complete requirements to be recommended for endorsement in the state of Washington. Except for Washington State, EWU has made no determination if this program will lead to licensure in your state or the state in which you are seeking licensure. Please use the link below to the Certification Office webpage and reference the “Out-of-State Certification and/or Reciprocity Information” section to determine licensure requirements and/or transfer policies in your state.

https://inside.ewu.edu/education/certification/

 

For questions regarding certification please contact the Graduate Director, Dr. Ann Van Wig at avanwig@ewu.edu.

Graduation

The final step in completing the program is submitting the Graduation Application Form. All graduate students are required to complete a Graduation Application. This form is used by EWU's Graduate Studies Office to ensure completion of all coursework necessary for the master's degree or graduate certificate. Deadlines for Graduation Applications are as follows:

Spring Sessions
February 1

Summer Session
April 1

Fall Sessions
June 1

Winter Sessions
November 1

If you miss the graduation application deadline, your degree may be delayed and your name will not appear in the graduation program.

To complete your Graduation Application: go to EagleNet then click on your Student Record tab and find Apply to Graduate.


Commencement Ceremony

Students are not required to participate in commencement; however, we encourage students to take part in the EWU commencement ceremonies held in June. To have your name included in the commencement program, the graduation application must be submitted by February 1. At that time, you will receive instructions to purchase your gown and hood which are ordered through the bookstore.

If you have questions regarding the Graduation Application or commencement, please contact gradprograms@ewu.edu.