University Admissions Requirements

Applicants must submit a complete graduate application by applying through the CSU Cal State Apply and meet all the university admission requirements . Required documents include:

• Transcripts.
• Applicants must have earned a Bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.
• Two letters of recommendation are required.
• A resume or CV. 
• Applicants  who are interested in earning the California Reading Specialist Added Authorization or the Reading and Literacy Leadership Credential must hold a current preliminary teaching credential.
• Applicants should have the ability to work in a PK-12 classroom.
• Applicants from countries in which the native language is not English must submit TOEFL scores. Minimum TOEFL scores acceptable for admission are 600 (Paper-based), 250 (Computer-based), or 100 (Internet-based).

Advancement to Candidacy

The university requirements for advancement to candidacy  for the master’s degree are outlined in the Graduate Policies and Procedures  section. Students should seek advancement to candidacy as soon as possible for their given program and on the advice of their graduate program coordinator. Graduate students may submit a Petition for Advancement to Graduate Candidacy form to the Graduate Admissions & Program Evaluations (GAPE) office after satisfying the following: achieved classified status; completed a minimum of nine letter-graded units with all grades “C” or higher; fulfilled the Campus Graduate Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement (CGGWAR) requirement; achieved a minimum cumulative and program 3.0 GPA, and, graduate within the seven-year time limit for degree completion. Graduate students must submit their petition no later than one semester prior to graduating. Courses that satisfy the CGGWAR are listed in the course requirements for the program. Students must maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 at all times; otherwise they will be placed on academic probation and required to raise the overall GPA above the 3.0 minimum during the subsequent semester. Failing to do so will result in disqualification from the program.

Program of Study Requirements

Students must complete all residency, curriculum, unit, GPA, and culminating experience requirements as outlined in the Graduation Requirements  section of the Graduate Policies and Procedures . Completion of the degree also requires a minimum grade of “C” in all courses taken and a minimum overall GPA of 3.0.

Culminating Experience (Plan B) 

Portfolio

The culminating project for the MMLE program is an online portfolio that evidences candidates mastery of the PLOs and California Commission on Teacher Credentialing program standards. The portfolio is a significant undertaking that evidences originality and independent thinking, appropriate form and organization, and a rationale. It is described and summarized in a website that includes the portfolio’s significance, objectives, methodology, and conclusion.

The portfolio is cumulative over the course of the 30-unit program. The final two courses (EDTE 212 - Critical Literacy Leadership Practicum  and EDTE 242R - Critical Literacy Student Practicum ) ensure completion and finalization, including ensuring that all PLOs and standards are met. EDTE 212 addresses aspects of literacy leadership, and EDTE 242R addresses candidates’ literacy teaching. The portfolio also serves as a tool that candidates can use for providing ongoing professional learning for their peers, as it contains examples of assessments and instruction that can be shown to colleagues in professional learning settings. A tertiary purpose for the portfolio is for participants to use it to advance their professional opportunities, such as providing evidence of their accomplishments to future employers.