Required Application Materials

Applicants should submit the required application materials listed below. Contact the Graduate Admissions Office with any questions at graduate.admissions@cortland.edu or 607-753-4800.

  1. Completed online Graduate School Application

  2. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher learning attended to be forwarded directly to the SUNY Cortland Graduate Admissions Office

    Note: Candidates for admission must present evidence of a bachelor’s degree conferral prior to the start of their academic program.

  3. Documentation of teaching certification from an accredited program.

  4. Two recommendation checklists (submitted online with the application).

  5. A statement demonstrating commitment to and interest in literacy education as well as an ability to write clearly and well (submitted online with application).

    Respond to the following questions:
    a. What does it mean to be literate in the 21st century?
    b. Share your experiences as a reader and writer. How does this inform your teaching of reading and writing?
    c. Why is SUNY Cortland's online asynchronous literacy program a good fit for you, and how will this literacy specialist degree support your long-term professional goals?



    Format directions:
    Essay should be: typed, double-spaced, 10-12 point font size, preferable font Times New Roman or similar font, two or more pages, at least one inch margins, all three questions/statements must be clearly addressed. Failure to observe format directions will automatically disqualify the essay.

    The statement will be evaluated in the following areas:
    a. Clarity of ideas
    b. Depth of content
    c. Organization
    d. Writing conventions

** Applicants no longer are required to submit scores for entrance exams such as the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT).

Contact us

Dr. Gillian Mertens
(she/they)
Assistant Professor
Graduate Program Coordinator
Cornish Hall, Room 1321
607-753-5567
gillian.mertens@cortland.edu