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2024-2025 Academic Calendar | York University Faculty of Graduate Studies

Language & Literacy Education

Posted on 17 August 2022

All Programs

LocationEmail AddressProgram Website
113 Winters CollegeGradProgram@edu.yorku.cayorku.ca/edu/students/language-and-literacy-education/

The Graduate Diploma in Language & Literacy Education invites students with an interest in language and literacy to explore what it means to develop citizens whose personal, economic, and intellectual lives are enhanced by advancing their skills in language and literacy.

Course thematics include:

  • oral language in classrooms
  • language and literacy in contexts
  • second language and multilingual education
  • language and literacy as practices
  • language and literacy for specific groups of learners (e.g., young children, special populations)
  • modalities and literacy
  • children’s literature
  • the processes of and teaching of reading and writing.

The graduate diploma is offered in two ways:

Concurrent (Option A): The requirements for the Graduate Diploma in Language & Literacy Education are completed concurrently with a master’s or doctoral degree. This is referred to as a “type 2” diploma.

Direct-entry (Option B): The Graduate Diploma in Language & Literacy Education can be completed as a stand-alone non-degree diploma. This is referred to as a “type 3” diploma.

Admission Requirements

Both concurrent (type 2) and direct-entry (type 3) graduate diploma candidates must apply to and be accepted as students in the Graduate Program in Education: Language, Culture and Teaching. Admission requirements are the same as for the MEd and PhD programs.

For application deadlines, please consult the Graduate Admissions website.

Diploma Requirements

One three-credit course must be taken in addition to those required for the completion of an MEd or PhD.

MEd course-only students must complete 27 credits in total:

  • Education 5315 3.0: Frameworks for Language and Literacy Theory and Research/Core course
  • three three-credit courses from the approved course list (below)
  • plus 15 additional graduate credits selected by the student, as required for the degree program

MEd major research project students must complete 21 credits in total:

  • Education 5315 3.0: Frameworks for Language and Literacy Theory and Research/Core course
  • two three-credit courses from the approved course list (below)
  • plus 12 additional graduate credits selected by the student, as required for the degree program

MEd thesis students must complete 15 credits in total:

  • Education 5315 3.0: Frameworks for Language and Literacy Theory and Research/Core course
  • two three-credit courses from the approved course list (below)
  • plus six additional graduate credits selected by the student, as required for the degree program

PhD dissertation students must complete 24 credits in total:

  • Education 5315 3.0: Frameworks for Language and Literacy Theory and Research/Core course
  • two three-credit courses from the approved course list (below)
  • plus 15 additional graduate credits selected by the student, as required for the degree program

Students must write their major research paper, thesis or dissertation on a topic in Language & Literacy Education as approved by the Graduate Diploma Coordinator of Language & Literacy Education and their supervisor.

Approved course list:

Education 5300 3.0: Oral Language Learning in the Classroom
Education 5310 3.0: Literacy as Social Practice
Education 5311 3.0: Language in the Cosmopolis: Theory and Method
Education 5320 3.0: Reading, Writing and Critical Literacy
Education 5330 3.0: Reading Theories–A Critical Analysis
Education 5340 3.0: Adolescent and Children’s Literature
Education 5341 6.0: Children’s Literature: Approaches and Issues
Education 5360 6.0: African-American Literature
Education 5370 3.0: Indigeneity and Territory in Cultural Traditions
Education 5380 3.0: Second Language Instruction
Education 5381 3.0: Reading and Writing in a Second Language: Theory to Practice
Education 5382 3.0: Listening and Speaking in a Second Language; Theory to Practice
Education 5383 3.0: Multilingual Education
Education 5385 3.0: Multimodal Literacies
Education 5520 3.0: Teaching Writing
Education 5521 3.0: Research on Writing
Education 5525 3.0: The Act of Writing
Education 5527 3.0: Creative Writing Pedagogy
Education 5530 3.0: Emergent Literacy
Education 5535 3.0: Family Literacy
Education 5550 3.0: Play, Language and Learning
Education 5730 3.0: Issues in Language and Literacy Education for Special Populations

With the permission of their advisor/supervisor, students may substitute up to one three credit course relevant to Language & Literacy Education offered in graduate programs at York or other universities.

For more information, contact the Graduate Program in Education, 282 Winters College, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto,
Ontario, M3J 1P3. gradprogram@edu.yorku.ca.

Students must complete 12 credits in total:

  • Education 5315 3.0: Frameworks for Language and Literacy Theory and Research/Core course
  • three three-credit courses from the approved course list (below)

Approved course list:

Education 5300 3.0: Oral Language Learning in the Classroom
Education 5310 3.0: Literacy as Social Practice
Education 5311 3.0: Language in the Cosmopolis: Theory and Method
Education 5320 3.0: Reading, Writing and Critical Literacy
Education 5330 3.0: Reading Theories–A Critical Analysis
Education 5340 3.0: Adolescent and Children’s Literature
Education 5341 6.0: Children’s Literature: Approaches and Issues
Education 5360 6.0: African-American Literature
Education 5370 3.0: Indigeneity and Territory in Cultural Traditions
Education 5380 3.0: Second Language Instruction
Education 5381 3.0: Reading and Writing in a Second Language: Theory to Practice
Education 5382 3.0: Listening and Speaking in a Second Language; Theory to Practice
Education 5383 3.0: Multilingual Education
Education 5385 3.0: Multimodal Literacies
Education 5520 3.0: Teaching Writing
Education 5521 3.0: Research on Writing
Education 5525 3.0: The Act of Writing
Education 5527 3.0: Creative Writing Pedagogy
Education 5530 3.0: Emergent Literacy
Education 5535 3.0: Family Literacy
Education 5550 3.0: Play, Language and Learning
Education 5730 3.0: Issues in Language and Literacy Education for Special Populations

With the permission of their advisor/supervisor, students may substitute up to one three credit course relevant to Language & Literacy Education offered in graduate programs at York or other universities.

For more information, contact the Graduate Program in Education, 282 Winters College, York University, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto,
Ontario, M3J 1P3. gradprogram@edu.yorku.ca.