Overview:
St. John’s is a Catholic, Vincentian, and global university
that, since its 
founding,
has striven to provide an excellent educational for all, especially
for those individuals lacking economic, social, and educational
advantages. There is overwhelming evidence documenting the
debilitating influence of poverty upon social, emotional, physical,
and educational well-being of children limiting and ultimately
impeding their academic performance and achievement. The Ph. D. in
Literacy Program is designed to encourage proactive research that
seeks solutions to these situations and advocates for equity and
social justice.
Program
Benefits:
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program in Literacy focusing on
Diverse and At Risk Learners prepares professionals for these role
options:
- Teacher
Educator: College or
University Faculty for Teacher Preparation, Research, and
Service
- School Literacy
Specialist: Reading
or Writing Specialist or Literacy Coach Developing Literacy for All
Learners
- Literacy Leader
Advocate: Agency,
Community, or School District Curriculum Specialist - Developing,
Organizing and Supervising Literacy Programs
Program
Tracks:
There are two routes to the Ph. D. degree:
Route 1: If you already have
a Masters in Literacy or State certification in Literacy, this
track requires that you take 42 semester hours of doctoral course
work completed at St. John’s.
Route 2: If you do not have a
Masters in Literacy, but have a Masters degree in another
educational field, 21 or more credits are needed in addition to the
42 doctoral credits. Some coursework that has been taken in
Literacy related courses in other programs may be accepted.
Required
Courses:
Click here for the Ph.D. Literacy program planning sheet.
Certification:
If you are not already certified in Literacy, this program will
enable you to acquire New York State certification after completing
the pre-requisite coursework and passing the NYS Content Specialty
Exam in Literacy.
Eligibility for
the Program:
Applicant must have an undergraduate GPA of B or better,
with initial teaching certification. A minimum GPA of 3.2 is
required for graduate courses.
Department Contact:
E. Francine Guastello, Ed.D., Coordinator and Chair
(718) 990-1475
guastelf@stjohns.edu