The Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program at Middle Tennessee State University is designed to address one of education's most pressing needs—the shortage of scholars, practitioners, administrators, and policy-makers equipped to bridge the gap between the rapidly expanding body of scientific research on the development of literacy and educational practice, policy, and professional preparation. Drawing on the faculty from the College of Education, the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences, and the College of Liberal Arts, this interdisciplinary program offers a flexible framework of courses, field experiences, teaching, and research opportunities designed to provide professionals in various spheres of influence with the essential knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively address the literacy crisis in the United States and beyond.
“In spring 2013, I was collecting data for my dissertation, an investigation of the impact of literature circles (classroom-based book clubs) on reading outcomes for college students. I was especially interested in how the reading-writing connection could enhance comprehension and skill transfer for struggling students,” remembers Davonna Thomas, who says she was “up to her eyeballs in coursework and dissertation” but dreaming of a position in which she could teach developmental integrated reading and writing. A series of events she attributes to fate resulted in her landing a position at Coastal Carolina Community College as their developmental reading and English coordinator. “The new developmental curriculum has been enormously successful, as evidenced by statewide performance measures and observation of our successful students. I am wildly fulfilled in my position at Coastal. I am entrusted to develop course materials and assessments. I get to teach an incredibly special student population in the way that I believe is most effective. I can honestly say that none of this would have been possible if I hadn't earned my Ph.D. in Literacy Studies at MTSU,” says Thomas, who describes the interdisciplinary program as “tight-knit and supportive” with a breadth of experiential opportunities.
“I like that this program takes a unique and multi-faceted approach to understanding reading.” says Casey Brasher, who holds both an M.S. and Ed.S. from MTSU and is completing her Ph.D. dissertation. “The component of the program most interesting to me is the emphasis on translation of research to practice,” says Brasher, explaining that she had to continue working as a school psychologist while enrolled in Literacy Studies. “The courses and experiences I had in the program have directly informed and improved my practice as a school psychologist.” Not only have faculty members guided her studies but have supported her personally. During her second semester in the program, she found out she was having twins! “The faculty was very understanding about my taking time off due to complications with the pregnancy. They helped and encouraged me throughout the re-entry process. My twin girls are turning 5 now. I started the program with three kids and will be graduating with five!” In 2014, Brasher started teaching as a graduate adjunct one class each semester in the Department of Elementary and Special Education.
Graduates from the Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program may be employed in a variety of professional positions. Examples include, but are not limited to
Employers of MTSU Literacy Studies Ph.D. program alumni include
MTSU’s College of Education offers the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Literacy Studies. This program is a 60-hour, post-master’s, interdisciplinary program with faculty from the College of Education, the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts. Within the program are four specialization areas:
Admission to the program is based on qualifications including GRE scores, GPA, letters of recommendation, professional experience, career goals, and ability to communicate orally and in writing. Currently the program admits students in fall semester only. February 1 is the deadline for priority consideration for admission and graduate assistantships. Applications are accepted until June 1.
The Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program is prepared to supply a limited number of graduate assistantships to qualified applicants. Two types are available: 20-hour and 10-hour. The 20-hour assistantship provides full tuition plus a stipend of $14,000 per year and requires 20 hours of work commitment per week. The 10-hour assistantship pays half tuition plus a stipend of $7,000 per year and requires 10 work hours per week. Apply now using the application form.
For complete curriculum details, click on the REQUIREMENTS tab above.
The College of Education also offers a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Assessment, Learning, and School Improvement [Ed.D].
The Ph.D. in Literacy Studies is an interdisciplinary program drawing on faculty from the Colleges of Education, Behavioral and Health Sciences, and Liberal Arts. The program offers a flexible framework of courses, field experiences, and research opportunities designed to provide professionals in various spheres of influence with the knowledge, skills, and abilities to effectively address the literacy and learning crisis in the United States.
Applicants with master's degrees in a variety of disciplines are eligible for admission. Typically, a successful student will hold formal qualifications related to some area of PK-12 educational practice with three or more years of professional experience in their specializations.
Admissions are based on a comprehensive assessment of a candidate’s qualifications including Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores, undergraduate and graduate grade point average, letters of recommendation, prior professional experiences, and application essay.
Applicants are expected to have a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.50 in master’s coursework.
All application materials are to be submitted to the College of Graduate Studies.
Applicant must submit
Once admitted to the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Literacy Studies program, candidates must complete at least 60 semester hours with at least 70 percent at the 7000 level. Candidates are required to complete and successfully defend a research-based dissertation.
Candidate must complete 60 hours in the following course of study:
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Permission of department. Explores historical and emerging trends and issues related to literacy research methods, processes, and practices. Examines historical trends in theories of literacy development; linguistic, sociocultural, and instructional influences on literacy development; and development in academically diverse children.
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: CDIS 6000 or ENGL 7520. Exploration of how language and socialization patterns within families of various cultural groups (ie., Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans, and Native Americans) may influence acquisition of literacy skills and performance in literacy instruction.
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: CDIS 6000 or ENGL 7520 and permission of department. Advanced introduction to the functional anatomy of language acquisition, perception, comprehension, and production. Contemporary anatomical and functional neuroimaging techniques in research and clinical applications.
3 credit hours
Major linguistic approaches to the study of language-dominant trends and current issues in linguistics; the phonological, morphological, and syntactic structure of the English language.
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Permission of department. Examines frames of reference within which approaches to diagnostic and achievement testing reside. Topics include grade level achievement models, discrepancy models, curriculum-based assessment, process models, and value-added models.
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Permission of department. Explores context that spawned the evidence-based movement and the founding of What Works Clearinghouse. Evaluation of instructional programs and methods for reading and spelling within the framework of scientifically based evidence of effectiveness.
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Permission of department. Integrated review of current and historical designs and methodologies in literacy research. Analysis of theoretical principles and underlying assumptions will be addressed.
3 credit hours
Prerequisite: PSY 3020 or equivalent or admission to Psychology graduate program. Corequisite: PSY 7291. Review of basic statistics. Scientific quantification, research design, and statistical analysis from the perspective of analysis of variance: one-way, factorial, repeated measures, and mixed designs. Laboratory included.
1 to 3 credit hours
Prerequisite: Admission to the program; good academic standing; completion of at least 20 hours of core coursework; Practicum Contract forms; permission of department. Field-based experiences, in as many as three settings, selected by the student in collaboration with the program advisor. Purpose is to expand the student's world view of a career path/field as one connected to literacy issues across a spectrum of disciplines.
Selected with advisor:
Selected with advisor
1 to 12 credit hours
Prerequisite: Permission of department. Selection of a research problem, review of pertinent literature, collection and analysis of data, and composition of dissertation. Once enrolled, student should register for at least one credit hour of doctoral research each semester until completion. S/U grading.
Currently, the program admits students in Fall semester only. All students in the graduate program will be expected to satisfy a residency requirement.
Candidate must
The Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program is prepared to supply a limited number of graduate assistantships to qualified applicants. Two types are available: 20-hour and 10-hour. The 20-hour assistantship provides full tuition plus a stipend of $14,000 per year and requires 20 hours of work commitment per week. The 10-hour assistantship pays half tuition plus a stipend of $7,000 per year and requires 10 work hours per week.
Applicants wishing to be considered for a graduate assistantship, in addition to supplying the materials for general application (including a general application form), must fill out an application for an assistantship. The graduate assistantship application form may be found at the back of the Graduate Catalog as well as at the College of Graduate Studies website.
Applications will be awarded by merit. The merit of applications will be judged based on students' grades, GRE scores, letters of reference, availability of students during daytime on campus and skills that students have developed in prior graduate study and professional experience.
Full-time students entering the literacy studies doctorate may apply for up to four years of support through an assistantship. The four year limit is an appropriate amount of time for full-time students to complete a 60 hour degree program. Students who have been taking courses on a part-time basis may apply for support that is proportional to the number of credits remaining to be completed. For instance, a student who has completed 21 of 60 credits may apply for no more than two years of full-time support.
Students who are awarded an assistantship will typically receive all four years of support, unless their academic performance or performance of duties within the assistantship warrants termination. The MTSU College of Graduate Studies specifies that retaining support is dependent on maintaining a 3.25 cumulative GPA in graduate courses. Graduate assistants found responsible for academic misconduct will have their assistantship terminated.
Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program - Director
MTSU Box 402
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
February 1
More information about Graduate Assistantships can be found on the Graduate Studies website.
2016-2017 - Weon H. Kim and Adam B. Rollins
2015-2016 - Heechun Moon and Summer K. Talbert
2014-2015 - Jennifer L. Cooper and Katie M. Schrodt
2013-2014 - Michelle M. Hasty and Kyungtae Kim
2012-2013 - Casey F. Brasher
2011-2012 - Davonna M. Thomas
2010-2011 - Melissa L. Brock
Empowering School Librarians to be Literacy Instruction Leaders Through Professional
Development
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Eric L. Oslund, Chair
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. Charles D. Milligan
Dr. Terri J. Tharp
Weon H. Kim - Summer 2017
Application of the IRT and TRT Models to a Reading Comprehension Test
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Amy M. Elleman, Chair
Dr. Ying Jin
Dr. Mohammed Albakry
Beyond Screening and Progress Monitoring: An Examination of the Reliability and Concurrent
Validity of Maze Comprehension Assessments for Fourth-Grade Students
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Amy M. Elleman, Chair
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Dr. Aimee Holt
A Comparison of Narrative and Expository Text Comprehension for Students at Varying Levels of SES: A Latent Growth Curve Analysis
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Jwa K. Kim, Chair
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. Ying Jin
Metrical Stress Sensitivity and Reading Skills in Adults
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Cyrille L. Magne, Chair
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. Aleka A. Blackwell
The Effectiveness of Readers’ Theatre on Fluency, Comprehension, and Motivation on
Primary Students
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Amy M. Elleman, Chair
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Dr. Alyson Bass
Dr. Joan Boulware
Examining Professional Development and Teacher’s Learning About Literacy Instruction
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Cyrille L. Magne, Chair
Dr. Terri Tharp
Dr. Joanna Durham-Barnes
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
A Psychometric Analysis of Teacher-Made Benchmark Assessment in English Language Arts
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Jwa K. Kim, Chair
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. Cyrille L. Magne
Measurement of Morphological Awareness Use of Fourth and Fifth Grade Students with
Reading Difficulties
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Eric Oslund, Chair
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. Cyrille L. Magne
The Influence of Implicit Speech Rhythm Sensitivity on Reading Comprehension
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Cyrille L. Magne, Chair
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Examining Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition by Person- and Item-Level Factors in Secondary
Students
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Amy M. Elleman, Chair
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Dr. Aleka A. Blackwell
The Impact of Race and Socioeconomic Status on the Reading Comprehension Growth Trajectories
of Adolescents
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Jwa K. Kim, Chair
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. Eric Oslund
Common Core State Standards Benchmark Assessments: Item Alignment to the Shifts in
Tennessee
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Jwa K. Kim, Chair
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. James Herman
Scaffolding Emergent Literacy Skills in Pre-Kindergarten through Writing Instruction
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Amy M. Elleman, Chair
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Dr. Joanna Durham-Barnes
Dr. Robin Ridgley
The Relationship Among Mindset Instruction, Kindergarteners' Performance, and Motivation
in Writer's Workshop
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Amy M. Elleman, Chair
Dr. Joanna Durham-Barnes
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Dr. Terri Tharp
Model Comparisons Among Testlet Response Theory (TRT) on a Reading Comprehension Test
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Jwa K. Kim, Chair
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. Cyrille L. Magne
The Relationship between Prosodic Sensitivity at the Discourse Level and Reading Skills:
An Electrophysiological Investigation
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Cyrille L. Magne, Chair
Dr. Aleka A. Blackwell
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
How Students’ Critical Engagement with Text and Self-Perceptions as Literate Learners
Can Explain Literacy Performance and Inform Classroom Literacy Practice
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Cyrille L. Magne, Chair
Dr. Jeanne G. Fain
Dr. Aleka A. Blackwell
Psychometric Analysis of the Elementary Experience Scale and its Predictability of
Elementary Literacy Scores
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Jwa K. Kim, Chair
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. James O. Rust
Scaffolding Content-Area Vocabulary Instruction for English Learners
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Amy M. Elleman, Chair
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Dr. Laura Clark
The Effects of Single and Dual Coded Multimedia Instructional Methods on Chinese Character
Learning
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Aleka A. Blackwell, Chair
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Dr. Cyrille Magne
The Effects of Literature Circles on the Reading Achievement of College Reading Students
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Jeanne Gilliam Fain, Chair
Dr. Aleka Akoyunoglou Blackwell
Dr. Amy M. Elleman
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Predicting College Students’ First Year Success: Should Soft Skills be Taken into
Consideration
to More Accurately Predict the Academic Achievement of College Freshmen
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Amy M. Elleman, Chair
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Dr. Aleka A. Blackwell
Dr. Jeanne G. Fain
Dr. Charles Milligan
The Effects of Cross-Age Tutoring on the Reading Achievement of First and Second Grade
Students
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Amy M. Elleman, Chair
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Dr. Stuart E. Bernstein
Literacy Practices as Predictors of Reading Achievement
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Jeanne G. Fain, Chair
Dr. Dana Fuller
Dr. Cyrille Magne
Contributions of Prosodic Sensitivity and Morphological Awareness to Word Level Reading:
A Perceptual Task Development Study
Dissertation Committee
Dr. Jwa K. Kim, Chair
Dr. Stuart Bernstein
Dr. Cyrille Magne
Dr. Dana Fuller
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Director
615-904-8419
Jwa.Kim@mtsu.edu
Angela Morrell
Secretary
615-904-8434
Angela.Morrell@mtsu.edu
Dr. Jwa K. Kim
Director
615-904-8419
Jwa.Kim@mtsu.edu
Literacy Studies Ph.D. Program
Middle Tennessee State University
MTSU Box 402
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
College of Graduate Studies
Middle Tennessee State University
MTSU Box 42
1301 East Main Street
Murfreesboro, TN 37132
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