Dr. Melissa Wetzel

Professor

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Biography

Melissa Mosley Wetzel is a professor specializing in language literacy studies within the Department of Curriculum and Instruction at the University of Texas at Austin. Her scholarship focuses on the preparation of teachers through literacy coaching and mentoring in both preservice and in-service settings. Wetzel employs a diverse range of scholarship frameworks to equip teachers with field-based literacy teaching experiences. Her research interests include critical literacy learning throughout the lifespan, particularly how teachers and students collaboratively design literacy practices that foster transformative communities. She utilizes qualitative methods, predominantly discourse analysis, in her work. Dr. Wetzel teaches various courses related to elementary literacy methods, foundations of literacy and reading development, coaching and mentoring, literacy leadership, sociolinguistics, teacher inquiry, and classroom discourse. Her published research has appeared in notable journals such as the Journal of Teacher Education and Literacy Research: Theory, Method, Practice, and English Education, addressing themes like cultural-historical activity theory, hybrid spaces, disciplinary literacy, and transdisciplinary learning.

Research Interests

Courses

Research Reading Literacy Culture Supervised Teaching Curriculum Instruction Reading Assessment Development Literacy Leadership Change Elementary Grade Teaching Practice Community Literacy Literacy Inquiry

Requirements for University of Texas at Austin

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
GRE General
TOEFL
Total
Required:79
IELTS
Overall
Required:6.5
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Application fee
  • Official transcripts
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • CV/Resume
Specialization Notes

General requirements for the Graduate School at UT Austin apply to all programs unless otherwise specified.