Doctorate in Literacy Career Outlook
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The Ph.D. in Literacy program trains leaders who are prepared for a variety of roles that address literacy needs through research and instruction. Many of our graduates pursue university faculty positions. In these roles, your online Ph.D. will prepare you for job responsibilities that include:
- Serving as faculty for teacher preparation, research, and service
- Teaching undergraduate reading/literacy courses in both face-to-face and online environments
- Conducting an active research/publication agenda
- Providing service to the program, department, college, university, community, and profession
Hear directly from St. John’s University students how this program has helped elevate their career:
“I appreciate the different concentrations that the program offers. My background is not in literacy and is in special education. I chose the specialization in literacy to gain the foundation in literacy practice and research. What I have learned so far has definitely enhanced my work as a practicing clinician. When working with students with language learning disabilities, my intervention now includes strategy instruction needed to support language literacy learning and self-regulated strategy development.”
– Angeles Van Vleet, Speech Language Pathologist
“I was interested in pursuing a PhD program with a specific emphasis on research in the area of language/literacy. After a long search of online programs, I found SJU. I liked the high-quality reputation of the school. The professors had interesting backgrounds, and the program was well-developed. I’m teaching English at a university in Linz, Austria. Once I am done with my PhD, I plan to pursue teaching online courses. I would also like to work with the “Landeschulrat” (School board) of Austria in order to improve instructional practices in Austria.”
– Jennifer Preschern, Professor of English
Additional roles and Ph.D. career options for which you will be prepared include:
- Administrator of an Educational Foundation: Serve as a change agent for educational policy, practice, and advocacy
- Literacy Leader/Consultant: Agency, Community, or School District Curriculum Specialist – developing, organizing and supervising literacy programs
- School Literacy Specialist/Coach: Reading or Writing Specialist or Literacy Coach developing literacy for all learners
Literacy programs also enable teachers to develop a repertoire of literacy strategies that enhance teaching and learning in general education, special education, resource room, and English-language learning environments. If you already have a master’s degree, the literacy strategies you learn will improve your ability to teach a diverse population of students.
As a result, your Ph.D. in Literacy will additionally prepare you for rewarding career opportunities that include:
- Reading specialist and diagnostician
- Private practice as a multisensory instructor
- Resource room teacher
- Conference presenter
- Literacy coach or supervisor
- Curriculum/staff developer
Because the online Ph.D. in Literacy at St. John’s offers you a choice of two specialization tracks, it also provides you with specific job-relevant skills based on whether you choose the Educational Leadership, TESOL, or Special Education specialization . Following are some additional roles that each specialization will prepare you for.
Literacy roles:
- Professor of literacy
- Literacy specialist
- Literacy supervisor
- School district literacy leader
TESOL roles:
- Language instructor
- Program director
- Textbook writer
- Lecturer
Your degree will position you for a wide variety of literacy-focused roles. Following are just a few representative job titles, along with median salaries:
| Job Title | Median Salary1 |
|---|---|
| Administration position in education foundation | $85,000 |
| Private practice multisensory instructor | $80,000 |
| University or college professor with Ph.D. | $72,470 |
| Literacy coach or supervisor | $67,404 |
| Reading interventionist | $67,000 |
| Manager, instructional coaching program | $64,000 |
| Instructional coordinator | $62,270 |
| Intensive reading instructor | $65,000 |
| Literacy interventionist | $56,923 |
| Reading specialist and diagnostician | $55,000 |
Advance your career with an online graduate degree from St. John’s University. Contact us at 844-393-1677 or Request More Information today!