Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia

The fully online Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia provides students with the strategies and techniques necessary to effectively assess and plan instruction for students with dyslexia. This certificate will benefit individuals who wish to incorporate instructional strategies in the classroom or as a dyslexia interventionists. This dyslexia certificate coursework covers the necessary components that the State of Texas outlines in The Dyslexia Handbook (2021). SHSU students who complete the course work for this certificate will gain competence in assessment and differential screening, instruction in the components of phonological and graphophonemic knowledge, and instruction that is multisensory, explicit, sequential, and cumulative. This certificate is not a licensing or national certification program but rather focuses on the classroom practitioner and/or interventionist. Fifty (50) field experience/practicum hours are embedded in the coursework.

The coursework for this certificate can apply toward the Master of Education in Reading/Language Arts degree concurrently and/or post-completion. Information on that program can be found at MEd in Literacy Instruction. 

This Graduate Certificate is eligible to receive Title IV funding – Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Graduate PLUS loans by request. To be considered for aid, students need to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Additional information: Reference the Program Landing Page for additional information, such as cost, delivery format, contact information, or to schedule a visit.

Applicants seeking admission to the graduate Dyslexia certificate program in Education must submit the following directly to the Office of Graduate Admissions:

Spring 2025

1. Graduate Application
2. Application fee
3. Official transcripts from Bachelor's and Master's degrees
   1. Minimum GPA of a 3.0, either overall or in the last 60 credit hours
   2. If you are interested in the program but have less than a 3.0 GPA, contact the program coordinator.
4. Acceptable Professional Goals writing sample. This writing sample should be no more than two pages double-spaced and 12 pt font with proper essay format. The writing sample will be scored on the ability of the applicant to demonstrate awareness of context, audience, and purpose. Additionally, the writing sample should demonstrate the ability to use appropriate and relevant content, to provide at least one credible source to support a point of view(s), and to use written language to convey meaning with clarity.
   1. What have your professional literacy experiences been thus far which have led you to pursue the Dyslexia graduate certificate? 
   2. Select one belief about teaching literacy that you feel passionate about and explain why, as well as how, you came to this belief.
   3. Upon completion of the program, what are your goals for your earned Dyslexia Certificate?

University Application Deadlines
Fall: August 1st
Spring: December 15th
Summer: May 15th

Fall 2024

1. Graduate Application
2. Application fee
3. Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended, both undergraduate and graduate (Note: A minimum GPA of 2.8 in undergraduate and graduate work is expected either overall or within the last 60 hours).
   1. If you are interested in the program but have less than a 2.8 GPA, contact the program coordinator.
4. Acceptable Professional Goals writing sample. This writing sample should be no more than two pages double-spaced and 12 pt font with proper essay format. The writing sample will be scored on the ability of the applicant to demonstrate awareness of context, audience, and purpose. Additionally, the writing sample should demonstrate the ability to use appropriate and relevant content, to provide at least one credible source to support a point of view(s), and to use written language to convey meaning with clarity.
   1. What have your professional literacy experiences been thus far which have led you to pursue the Dyslexia graduate certificate? 
   2. Select one belief about teaching literacy that you feel passionate about and explain why, as well as how, you came to this belief.
   3. Upon completion of the program, what are your goals for your earned Dyslexia Certificate?

Application Deadlines
Summer start: May 1st
Fall start: August 1st

¹

Includes 10 hours of field experience.

²

Includes 30-40 hours of field experience.

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) marketable skills initiative is part of the state’s 60x30TX plan and was designed to help students articulate their skills to employers.  Marketable skills are those skills valued by employers and/or graduate programs that can be applied in a variety of work or education settings and may include interpersonal, cognitive, and applied skill areas.

The Graduate Certificate in Dyslexia is designed to provide graduates with the following marketable skills: 

• Learn appropriate learning activities and assessments for students
• Diagnostic skills for assessing students
• Learn structured literacy planning and teaching