Overview

Students of the Language and Literacy Education program offered by Boston University choose one of the three specializations: (a) Language Education, (b) Literacy Education, or (c) American Sign Language (ASL) and Deaf Studies. The program of 32 credits comprises study of literacy development and language acquisition, with a strong emphasis on building on students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds and on students’ development of bilingual/multilingual competence. This program does not lead to a teacher license. It is best suited for graduate students who have a clear sense of what they want to learn in their master’s program and wish to tailor their program of study to fit their educational needs and intellectual interests.

Unlike the Reading Education, TESOL-Licensure, Modern Foreign Language Education, and Deaf Education programs, the Language & Literacy Education program does not offer students the opportunity to meet state licensure requirements for teaching in public schools. Therefore, although there is substantial overlap with these licensure programs in the course of study, students in Language & Literacy Education are not required to complete the field experiences required to meet licensure requirements.

Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of representative language/literacy/deaf studies research and theory and the ability to critically analyze the literature.

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of effective practices in language/literacy assessment and instruction.

Demonstrate knowledge of new and multimodal texts (including ASL texts, when applicable) and their effects on language/literacy learning in school, family, and community contexts.

Demonstrate knowledge of cognitive, sociocultural, socioemotional, economic, and political components of language/literacy learning in school, family, and community contexts.

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of role of language and culture in the literacy development and learning of children and adolescents.

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the evidence-based approaches to educating bilingual and multilingual learners.

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of strategies for building on students’ linguistic and cultural backgrounds as assets in the learning process.

Programme Structure

Courses include:

Educational Issues in Bilingualism

History of Reading Research

Critical Analysis of Children’s and Young Adult Literature

Exploring Picture Books for All Readers

Looking at YA Literature through Multiple Lenses
Languages

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 12 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-09-02 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-08-01 00:00:00
Starting 2027-01-20 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-12-15 00:00:00

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

125

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Credits

32 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Boston, United States

Disciplines

Language Studies Literature Literacy Education View 351 other Masters in Literature in United States

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

We are not aware of any specific GRE, GMAT or GPA grading score requirements for this programme.

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

125

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General requirements

Online Application

Statement of Qualifications and Objectives

Equity & Inclusion Statement

Resume or Curriculum Vitae

Unofficial transcripts from all universities attended

Two letters of recommendation

Official standardized test score reports

Non-refundable $95 application fee

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

66670 USD / year

≈ 66670 USD / year
Out-of-State

66670 USD / year

≈ 66670 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

66670 USD / year

≈ 66670 USD / year

Living costs

Boston

United States

1560 - 3239 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Financing

Interested in financing your studies? Find a student loan that works for you.

MPOWER Financing No cosigner. No collateral. No hidden fees.

Check your Eligibility

Get the funding you need to study in the U.S. or Canada - with a process that's fast, simple, and built for international students.

Flexible loans from US$2,001 to US$100,000
Fixed interest rates -- no inflation surprises
No upfront fees or prepayment penalties
Accepted at 500+ universities across the U.S. & Canada
100% online application -- instant conditional offer
Free visa & career support through our Path2Success program

Funding

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Win a €10000 Scholarship! Deadline: 30 June 2020

Embark on your journey with the Studyportals Scholarship! We're giving away a total of 20,000 euros to help you achieve your dream of studying abroad.

Need help with your student visa?

Get Visa Support

Get personalized guidance from a certified VFS Global advisor and save 20% through Studyportals.

Avoid common visa mistakes and delays
Know exactly what documents you need
Get a clear checklist tailored to your situation

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find Master's scholarship opportunities for Language and Literacy Education.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

On this page

About

Overview

Learning Outcomes

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Boston

Financing

Funding

Need help with your student visa?

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners