Doctor of Education in Literacy Studies

LITERACY STUDIES provides a broad framework with which to bring together doctoral students and faculty interested in numerous facets of language and literacy research, theory, and practice, including: reading/writing/listening/speaking, new literacies/multimodalities, literature, linguistics, P-12 and college literacy learning and teaching, English as a second/foreign language, miscue analysis, English education, bi-and multilingualism, as well as foreign language learning and teaching.

The intradisciplinary nature of the program is most evident in the five core doctoral courses designed to examine literacy through multiple lines of inquiry: social, cultural, literary, aesthetic, historical, sociopsycholinguistic, personal, and pedagogical. The doctoral core courses provide doctoral students and faculty the opportunity to engage in intellectual discussions and, by so doing, to create a dynamic and responsive context for building knowledge about the epistemological, philosophical, theoretical, and pedagogical questions that frame the field. Our goal is that students in the program, as well as the faculty, strive to improve the literacy experiences of all learners by means of research, advocacy, and distinguished teaching. We stand with teachers, children, families, and schools.

Students may apply for admission to the doctoral programs at any time throughout the academic year. In addition to University requirements the following criteria are required for admission to the Literacy Studies doctoral programs:

Evidence of three years of full-time teaching experience, or the equivalent.
Master's degree in education, or a related field, with a minimum GPA of 3.2.
Official copies of transcripts of all post-secondary degrees.
A current resume or curriculum vitae.
Three letters of recommendation, including at least one from a school administrator or former professor. Hofstra graduates may ask for a recommendation from no more than one member of the Hofstra faculty.
A carefully written Statement of Purpose (minimum of 500 words in length) indicating the applicant's reasons for pursuing advanced scholarship in literacy studies at Hofstra. The statement should include the applicant's academic and professional history and a statement of academic and professional goals.
A writing sample (e.g., a college paper, a published article, or any other example of scholarship). The paper should demonstrate how the applicant works with a body of literature and builds an argument. Typically, the sample paper is from a university course completed within the last five years.
An interview with two members of the literacy studies faculty to discuss the applicant's academic, professional, and research experiences and interests.
GRE scores may be required after an initial assessment of an application.
Internet-based TOEFL (IBT) score of 80 or higher, paper-based TOEFL score of 550 or higher, or computerized TOEFL score of 213 or higher.IELTS 6.5 ,TOEFL-(IBT)- 80, PTE-53