Master of Education Degree in Dyslexia Therapy

This innovative program is the first such degree offered by a Mississippi public university, and the first to be offered fully online. As school administrators, teachers, therapists and the general public are becoming more aware of students with reading difficulties and the academic challenges they face, the need for extensive and specialized professional development becomes more obvious.

• The program began in May 2014. New cohorts begin each summer.
• It is a 30-semester-hour master’s degree program, including the practicum component.
• The program will result in a Master of Education degree.
• The methodology taught is the scientifically based DuBard Association Method® which is Orton-Gillingham based in content and principles of instruction.
• Those eligible for admission will have a teaching license and/or a bachelor’s degree in education, speech and hearing sciences, or a related field.
• The program is a collaboration between the School of Education and the DuBard School for Language Disorders in the School of Speech and Hearing Sciences.
• The DuBard School Professional Development program has been accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC) since 1998 and was one of the first four nationally accredited programs for multisensory structured language education (MSLE). Therefore, the master’s degree program is accredited by IMSLEC (www.imslec.org).
• The DuBard School Professional Development program and the Master's degree program are also accredited by the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) for meeting their Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading (www.interdys.org).
• The degree program is delivered fully online.
• The practicum may be completed on the Southern Miss campus and at other sites such as the graduate student’s work site. Supervision will be live and/or by virtual technology.
• All instructors are highly qualified and hold a Ph.D., Ed.D., CALT-QI (Certified Academic Language Therapist, Qualified Instructor), or combinations of these credentials, therefore are experts in dyslexia. In addition, they hold credentials in literacy, communication disorders, learning disabilities, related disorders, elementary education, special education and school administration.
• Graduates will be eligible for the MDE Educator Licensure endorsement #203 for dyslexia therapy.
• Graduates will be eligible to sit for the Academic Language therapy Association (ALTA) Competency Exam for 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 (www.altaread.org).
• Applications are available online at the Graduate School website

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About the Application Process:

Applications are typically due by April 1 for the following school year, but interested individuals are encouraged to apply early, as space and scholarships are limited. Applications are available online at the Graduate School website.

Applicants will need:

• Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended
• Official reports of test scores (GRE or Praxis I & II)
• Three letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation will be submitted through the Southern Miss graduate school website, through which the recommender will complete a form and upload the letter of recommendation.
• Application fee ($60)
• Letter of intent stating your professional goals, your reasons for pursuing this degree, and how attainment of this degree would help meet those goals. This will be used as a writing sample.
• Professional vita (resume)
• Copy of all current teaching licenses (if applicable)

For more information or if you have additional questions, contact the School of Education at 601.266.6987 ,the office of Online Learning, or Anna Curtis at 601.266.5223 or a.curtis@usm.edu.