Starting this spring, the University of South Florida (USF) College of Education will offer two new graduate certificate programs in global and digital literacies.
The two programs, “Critical Global Literacies” and “Digital and Transdisciplinary Literacies,” will each consist of five courses offered in a fully online format. Upon successful completion of a graduate certificate, students receive a USF certificate of completion and can transfer coursework into a variety of master’s programs in the College of Education.
The Critical Global Literacies graduate certificate focuses on understanding how literate practices across the globe help to situate students as citizens of the world. Coursework in the certificate focuses on cross-cultural perspectives, anti-racist pedagogies and decolonizing the literacies of racialized, multilingual and immigrant populations. Students in the certificate program will connect with networks of literacy educators and advocates who are working towards literacy access and justice for all.
The Digital and Transdisciplinary Literacies graduate certificate focuses on transdisciplinary, research-based approaches to STEM-focused and digital literacies that address complex issues of equity and justice in K-12 schools, educator training and community organizations. Students in the program will explore today’s global problems, such as such as flooding and sea level rise, and how technology impacts the teaching and development of eco-literacy skills needed to address issues connected to environmental justice.
“The Literacy Studies faculty are so excited to offer two new certificates that underscore the essential role of literacy in addressing some of the world’s most pressing problems,” said Jenifer Jasinski Schneider, PhD, professor and coordinator of USF’s Literacy Studies Program. “Our program connects networks of literacy educators and advocates who partner with our communities to work towards literacy access and justice for all.”
Coursework completed through both graduate certificate programs can be applied to USF’s Master of Arts in Reading Education, a fully online program that prepares literacy educators and leaders to expand their knowledge of global literacies, explore disciplinary literacy practices, develop critical literacies and advance their digital and media literacy competencies.
“We believe firmly that these certificates, along with our existing certificate on Reading Endorsement, represent the future of what literacy studies must be and what we as faculty currently have to offer to our amazing students here at USF, our communities in our region here in Tampa Bay and across our responsibilities around the world,” said Alexandra Panos, PhD, an assistant professor of literacy studies at USF.
Students seeking admission to a USF graduate certificate program must hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution and meet USF’s graduate admissions and English proficiency requirements. For more information about the graduate certificate application process, please visit USF Innovative Education’s website.
To apply to the graduate certificate programs, please visit USF’s online application for graduate admission.
About the USF College of Education:
Home to more than 2,200 students and 130 faculty members, the University of South
Florida College of Education values high-quality education and excellence in research,
teaching and learning. The College of Education is nationally accredited by the Council
for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and its educator preparation
programs are fully approved by the Florida Department of Education.