Program Overview

Early Literacy (Certificate)

Description

Effective early literacy instruction has been a focus of educational reform since the first reports about Head Start programs in the early 1970s, and many universities and P-12 school districts are developing programs to enhance Early Literacy instruction.

This Early Literacy graduate certificate can provide:

• A pathway for gaining expertise for new educators, those who wish to change their focus, and those who want to gain greater expertise in this area
• A route for graduate students who are practicing teachers to organize their coursework in an area of need in their schools
• Help for graduate students to structure a master's degree in a purposeful manner
• Professional recognition of expertise for teachers who are or want to be engaged in Early Literacy instruction in schools and community settings

Additionally, students who complete the Early Literacy Certificate Program will be well on their way to completing a Nebraska Pre-Kindergarten-12th grade Reading Specialist Endorsement, should they wish to also pursue that designation.

Courses

No specific courses are listed in the provided context.

Admission Requirements

Standard Requirements for All Graduate Programs

• Application for Admission with $50 non-refundable application fee.
• Transcripts (unofficial): Uploaded as part of application form.
  • If International: Uploads must include all college- or university-level transcripts or mark sheets (records of courses and marks earned), with certificates, diplomas, and degrees plus certified English translations.
• After admission: Official documents are required from all students who are admitted and enroll. Photocopies of certified records are not acceptable.
• International students enrolled in other U.S. institutions may have certified copies of all foreign records sent directly to the Office of Graduate Studies by their current schools registrar office.
• If applicants native language is not English, verification of English proficiency is required.
  • When sending TOEFL scores, the institution code is 6877 and a department code is not needed.
• If applicant is not a US citizen and expects an F or J visa: financial information.
• Applicants must also fulfill any additional requirements the department specifies at the time of application.

Additional Requirements Specific to This Program

• Resume/CV
• Personal Statement: Describe how your goals and interests align with the goals of this certificate.
• Academics: GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Must be enrolled in the Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education program.

Admission Application Deadlines

• February 1 for admission in Summer or Fall.
• October 1 for admission in Spring.

Department and Faculty

• Department: Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education
• Graduate Chair: Lorraine Males
• Support Staff: Joelle Tangen

Program Faculty

The program faculty includes:

• Theresa Catalano
• Elaine Chan
  • Multicultural Education, Curriculum Studies, Ethnic Identity, Educational Equity Policies
• Emily Fisher
  • Emergent Literacy, K-8 Literacy, Writing Curriculum, Pedagogy, Instruction, and Identity, Teacher Preparation, Intersections Between Policy and Teacher Practice
• Lauren Gatti
  • Secondary English Education, Urban Education, Teacher Conceptions
• Tricia Gray
  • Social Studies Teaching, Multilingual Education, Culturally Sustaining and Revitalizing Pedagogies, Citizenship Education
• Edmund 'Ted' Hamann
  • Transnational Movement, School Reform, Policy Implementation, Anthropology of Education, Anthropology of Policy, Migration, Mexico, New Latino Diaspora, South Africa
• Jillian Harpster
  • Care in Education, Holistic Student-teacher Preparation, Partnerships Between Teacher Preparation Programs and K12 Learning Spaces
• Nicholas Husbye
• Lydiah Kiramba
  • Linguistics, Multilinguilism, Literacy
• Elizabeth Lewis
  • Science Education, Science Teacher Professional Development
• Lorraine Males
  • Teacher Learning (particularly at the early stages of teacher development), Mathematics Teacher Education and Induction, Curriculum Design, Development and Enactment
• Deepika Menon
  • K-6 Integrated STEM Education, K-16 Science Education (Physical science/Physics Education), Elementary Preservice and In-service Science Teacher Education, Integrated STEM Teaching Self-efficacy and Identity
• Amanda Morales
  • Diversity & Multicultural Education, Educational Foundations, Recruitment and Retention of Undergraduate Students from Underrepresented Groups, Management & Team Building, Professional Development, Public & School Programming, Informal Science Learning
• Ursula Nguyen
  • Equity in STEM Education, STEM Teaching and Learning, STEM Identity, Mathematics Education
• Justin Olmanson
  • Instructional Technology and Design
• Jenelle Reeves
  • Teacher Reasoning in Multilingual Classrooms
• Loukia Sarroub
  • Literacy Studies and Adolescent Literacies, Ethnography, Qualitative Research Methods, Educational Policy and Social Analysis, Language and Culture and Sociolinguistic Analyses, Cross-Cultural Studies, Immigrant Communities in the US and Europe, Youth Cultures, Middle Eastern Populations in the US, Including Fieldwork and Research in Yemeni and Iraqi Communities, Ethnography and Qualitative Research Methods, Discourse Analysis, Language and Gender in Education, Education Policy and Social Analysis
• Mardi Schmeichel
• Amanda Thomas
  • Math Education, Technology Integration
• Guy Trainin
  • Literacy, Motivation, Arts and Literacy Integration
• Kara Mitchell Viesca
  • Educator Development for Teachers of Multilingual Learners, The Actual Policies and Implementation of New Teacher Evaluation Systems
• Stephanie Wessels
  • Early Childhood, Language and Literacy, ESL Education

Eligibility for International Students

Certificate programs are not considered degree programs, so international students should be aware that admission to this program is ineligible for immigration forms for an F-1 student visa. Students enrolled in academic programs based entirely online are not eligible to apply for F-1 or J1 visas, per Department of Homeland Security regulations.