The courses in the Master of Arts in Literacy Education (MALED) will provide a comprehensive, rigorous focus on literacy instruction and leadership.
	
Acquired skills and knowledge
Teachers who graduate from the MALED program will:
    - Develop the expertise, confidence and skills needed to become teacher leaders in their classrooms, schools and communities.
 
    - Gain experience staying abreast of literacy theory, research and classroom application.
 
    - Become supporters, promoters and advocates of literacy in schools and communities.
 
Conceptual framework and guiding questions
The Professional Education Program at Hamline University is committed  to developing teacher-leaders who promote equity in schools and  society, build communities of teachers and learners, construct  knowledge, and practice thoughtful inquiry and reflection. This  conceptual framework is reflected in a series of guiding questions woven  throughout the MALED curriculum.
Each required course has a set of guiding questions. The following is  a sampling from one of the required courses, GED 8030: Essentials in  Literacy & Learning:
    - What is literacy and how does the expanding definition of literacy affect teaching and learning?
 
    - What is the relationship between literacy theories and beliefs, values and practices?
 
    - How does a theoretical context for understanding research support study in diverse educational contexts?
 
    - How can seminal literacy research in language, literacy and culture inform practice?
 
    - What are the foundations of building and sustaining a learning community of literacy professionals?
 
    - How do the essentials in literacy and learning contribute to the research base for the capstone?