This 39-credit program is designed for the certified teacher who wishes to be certified by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) as a Reading Specialist. (NOTE: The MSDE requires three years of classroom experience to be certified as a reading specialist.) In order to receive the MSDE certification in Reading Specialist, you must first be certified in another area by MSDE. If you are not currently certified in Maryland, you will need to show certification from another state and demonstrate that you will receive certification in Maryland no later than six months after entering the program. It provides candidates with a strong foundation in reading instruction and assessment at the PK-12 levels and the skills and knowledge required to take on leadership roles within their school or school system. Candidates completing this program satisfy the course requirements for Maryland state certification as a reading specialist.

Candidates should complete each block before proceeding to the next block. Courses within a block may be taken in any order unless otherwise stated. As a graduation requirement, candidates must obtain a score of 158 or above on Praxis II: Reading Specialist #5301 exam during Block III in order to graduate. For May graduates, candidates are responsible for providing Loyola official Praxis II exam scores by April 15. Similarly, January graduates are responsible for providing Loyola official Praxis II exam scores by December 15. In addition, September graduates are responsible for providing Loyola official Praxis exam scores by August 15. In addition, candidates submit to Records an electronic application for graduation the first week of the final semester.