Master’s Degree Program in Reading and Literacy

Join Bank Street’s collaborative and supportive educational community to earn your master’s degree in teaching reading and literacy across the grades. You’ll gain certification while continuing to work as a teacher.

Is Our Program Right for You?

Teacher reading with student

Reading and Literacy: Inclusive Teaching (MSEd)

Deepen your literacy and language arts teaching methods and become a reading and literacy specialist or literacy coach in schools, supplemental programs, and private practice.

  • For students who already have initial New York State certification in general or special education and are seeking a graduate-level specialization in reading and literacy.
  • Flexible fieldwork, including on-site advisement and peer conference groups.
  • Prepares you for New York State certification in Literacy-All Grades (Pre-K–12th Grade). Graduates who choose to teach outside of New York can usually arrange for reciprocity.

Our Approach

  • We’re for educators who want to spend every day face to face with the future.

    Bank Street holds a unique and highly regarded place in the world of education. We were trailblazers when we were founded in 1916—and our ideas, which were once radical, are widely practiced and accepted today. If you want to shape the future of education, this is where you start.
    Teacher smiling while two kids work
  • We’re for democracy and equity.

    Our commitment to democracy and social justice is at the heart of our innovative pedagogy and desire to help all learners, both children and adults, actively make sense of the world. Equity and equality are always in a Bank Street educator’s mind—we meet students “where they are” in their learning with strengths-based activities and socially, emotionally, and culturally appropriate support.
    Teacher and two students smiling
  • We're for sharing good ideas.

    For a small institution, our reach is broad. Our mix of graduate and continuing education coursework, research programs, and professional partnerships with school districts across the country aims to expand and improve educational opportunities for all students.
    Child smiles while painting with teacher

Financial Aid

At Bank Street, we believe education is an investment that will change your life—and the lives of the students you’ll work with. We’ll help you make it possible.

Every year, Bank Street’s Office of Financial Aid administers over $8.5 million in financial aid to students.  More than 50 percent of our students receive financial aid. Your individual financial status from the prior year is a key factor in determining your award. We encourage you to go through the financial aid process to find out what we can offer.

  • Do I qualify for financial aid based on my income?

    Your individual financial status from the prior year is a key factor in determining your award. Incoming students who earn up to $80,000 a year (or significantly more for students with families) are likely to qualify for a need-based scholarship at Bank Street. Our scholarship program makes the cost of attending Bank Street Graduate School of Education competitive with most other private schools in the New York region.

  • When should I apply for financial aid?

    You can apply for financial aid at the same time you complete your admission application. Filling out the FAFSA as early as possible is an important step for financial aid. Federal student aid, including scholarships, can significantly reduce your financial obligation without adding to student debt.

  • What types of scholarship opportunities are available for me?

    Our financial aid advisors would be happy to tell you more about the process and our many scholarship opportunities for new and continuing students, including external scholarships and program-based, diversity-oriented, public school-focused, and career changer scholarships, among others.

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Why Bank Street?

Meeting Student Needs

In developing your own deep knowledge of language learning and literacy concepts, you’ll be better prepared to meet your students where they are and help them prepare for lifelong learning in many core content areas.

Prepared in the Long Run

In a field that experiences high turnover rates due to underprepared teachers, Bank Street is proud that 87% of its graduates remain in the field of education and 87% feel more confident in their subject area than comparison teachers.

A Valued Specialty

Not only are reading and literacy specialists in demand nationally, but this professional path also can lead to school- and district-level advancement in areas like curriculum development and administrative leadership.


Alumni Voices
I’m a reading specialist at Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy 1. At Bank Street, I learned that being an educator is at once an intensely intellectual, emotional, and justice-oriented practice. The support I received from my mentors continues to be unparalleled as I learn on the job and pursue doctoral study. A former instructor, Laurie Rabinowitz, recruited me to co-author “Disability Sustaining Pedagogy: Literacy Instruction Informed by the Knowledge and Lived Experiences of Teachers with Disabilities.” Working on the paper taught me about the need for teacher voices in research and their critical role in bridging theory and practice.
Veronica Walton, GSE '23

212-652-8722
gseenrollment@bankstreet.edu