Master's in Education | Reading Specialist Endorsement

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Credit Hours

Online,* 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Next Start Dates: January 19, 2026 | February 16, 2026 | March 23, 2026

Investing in Child Literacy Begins with Liberty’s Master’s in Education – Reading Specialist Program

Licensed reading specialists are needed in school systems to invest in and lead students to literacy success. Reading and comprehension skills are crucial for success in employment, personal growth, and communication.

Liberty University’s online Master of Education (M.Ed.) – Reading Specialist Endorsement degree program is an ideal track for you if you want to become a reading specialist. Throughout this degree program, you will be taught by experts in education with years of real-world experience.

We don’t just train educators – we train educators who want to make a positive impact on the next generation. It’s who you are and who you aspire to become. We want to help you reach your goals, so we’re making a master’s degree more affordable. You can add to your skill set, broaden your professional capacity, and make a bigger impact on your students with an online graduate degree in education from Liberty University.

Your officially conferred degree name will be Master of Education (M.Ed.) – Reading Specialist Endorsement.

Liberty maintains strict compliance with all licensure requirements for the Commonwealth of Virginia. Not a Virginia resident? We want to help find the best program for you! To view educational requirements and whether a specific program aligns with the licensure requirements for your state, please review our licensure/certification requirements webpage.

Please note: This program includes the required steps to pursue advanced licensure in Virginia, which requires initial Virginia teaching licensure in elementary, middle grades, secondary, or special education. If the initial teaching license is not from Virginia, a Virginia initial teaching license must be obtained during the program. If you do not currently have a teaching license, our Master of Arts in Teaching program may be a better fit for you. Additionally, students must have 2 years of full-time contractual teaching experience. This experience can be accrued while pursuing the M.Ed. degree, but at least 1 year of experience must be completed prior to the internship.

*Some exclusions apply. Please refer to our exclusions page for more information.

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Why Choose Liberty’s M.Ed. – Online Reading Specialist Master’s Program?

Liberty University strives to produce educators and school leaders who have dedicated their lives to educational leadership. Our instructors seek to model high academic, moral, and spiritual standards before their peers, and concurrent with this goal, the graduate programs offered by Liberty University’s School of Education are designed to prepare candidates for effective leadership in Christian, public, and private schools. Liberty University’s Master of Education – Reading Specialist Endorsement degree online is built on quality teaching techniques and methods that can be applied to classroom settings.

What Will You Study in Our Master’s in Education – Reading Specialist Endorsement Online Program?

Liberty University’s M.Ed. program in reading specialist endorsement is designed to help prepare you for advanced licensure. Students are required to complete an internship and a practicum. To help prepare you for this, the Master of Education – Reading Specialist Endorsement degree online covers training on children and adolescents with disabilities, educational leadership, and legal and ethical issues faced by teachers.

Additionally, it establishes a comprehensive study of reading instruction and language acquisition principles, techniques, and materials for reading development.

In our Master of Education – Reading Specialist online program, you can learn skills and gain specialized knowledge in many essential content areas for reading literacy. Through your online courses, you can learn how to construct, organize, and implement a quality curriculum that focuses on objectives, problems, and recent developments in various programs. You will receive training from our faculty of education professionals, who have years of teaching experience. Our instructors will teach you techniques in identification and intervention strategies, collaborations, and referrals.

At Liberty University, our mission is to Train Champions for Christ. To continue this mission, we have created instructional competencies for teaching, reading, and study skills in our Master of Education in Reading Specialist Endorsement online degree.

Potential Career Opportunities

Featured Courses

Degree Information

This program falls under the School of Education.
View the Graduate Education Course Guides (login required).
The School of Education will verify that students have completed one of Liberty’s Virginia state-approved licensure programs. Students should verify any reciprocity or additional licensure requirements. Visit our state approval disclosures page for more information.
After completion of the required program coursework (including internship), the passing of licensure tests, and a 3rd year of experience, the graduate of this program would be eligible for adding the VA state licensure endorsement.

Degree Completion Plan

State Licensure Requirements

Individual state licensure requirements may vary and are subject to change without notice. View your state’s requirements here: licensure/certification requirements.

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

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Tuition & Aid

At Liberty University, a private Christian education is less expensive than you think. Over the last 10 years, Liberty University’s Online Program has only raised its standard tuition costs by less than 5% – and most of our online tuition rates rank in the top 35% for affordability for 2025 when compared to our leading online competitors.

Graduate Education Full Time	$430/Credit
Graduate Education Part Time	$645/Credit
Military Graduate	$290/Credit

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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Admission Information for the Master of Education – Reading Specialist Endorsement

Admission Requirements

Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited bachelor’s degree with at least a 2.5 GPA is required for admission in good standing. Applicants who have earned a master’s degree or at least 12 graduate credits from an accredited institution will be assessed on the basis of the master’s-level degree work.
- Unofficial transcripts can be used for acceptance purposes with the submission of a Transcript Request Form.
Students enrolling in this M.Ed. program must hold a current initial teaching license and the accompanying 2 years of experience with that license in which the teaching of reading was an important responsibility. If the initial teaching license is not from Virginia, a Virginia initial teaching license must be obtained during the program. After completion of the required program coursework (including internship), the passing of licensure tests, and a third year of experience, the graduate of this program would be eligible for adding the VA state licensure endorsement.
Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.

Please note: Guidelines are subject to change in federal or state regulations for the licensure of school personnel.

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

Be in your final term and planning to start your master’s degree after the last day of class for your bachelor’s degree.
Complete a Bachelor’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
Submit an official/unofficial transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show a minimum of 105 completed credit hours.
If you are a current Liberty University student completing your undergraduate degree, you will need to submit a Degree/Certificate Completion Application.
Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new master’s degree.

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy

Transcript Policies

Unofficial College Transcript Policy

Unofficial transcripts combined with a Transcript Request Form can be used for admission. Official transcripts are required within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first, and will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Before sending unofficial college transcripts, please make sure they include the following:

Your previous school’s name or logo printed on the document
Cumulative GPA
A list of completed courses and earned credit broken down by semester
Degree and date conferred (if applicable)

Official College Transcript Policy

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.

If the student uses unofficial transcripts with a Transcript Request Form to gain acceptance, all official transcripts must be received within 60 days of the admissions decision or before non-attendance drops for the first set of matriculated classes, whichever comes first. Failure to send all official transcripts within the 60-day period will prevent enrollment into future terms until all official transcripts have been received.

Admissions Office Contact Information

Submit your application online or over the phone.

Start Online Application

Apply by phone: (800) 424-9595

Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

Active Duty
Reserve/National Guard
Veterans/Retirees
Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
Current Department of Defense Employees

Available Benefits:

Tuition discounts – $290 per credit hour for graduate courses
Additional discount for veterans who serve in a civilian capacity as a First Responder*
8-week courses, 8 different start dates each year, and no set login times (may exclude certain courses such as practicums, internships, or field experiences)

*Not applicable to certificates.

These rates are reflective of academic year 2025-2026. Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

View Military Benefits

Frequently Asked Questions for Our M.Ed. Program – Reading Specialist Endorsement

What is a reading specialist?

A reading specialist is a certified expert in literacy programs designed to improve the reading level of elementary, middle, and high school students. With special expertise in how to help set kids up for success in school and how to help struggling students get back on track, reading specialists are an essential part of school districts.

Reading specialists work as teachers, coaches, and program directors for literacy programs at the grade school level and, as such, must have initial licensure in most states. Liberty University’s Master of Education – online reading specialist endorsement track program is designed to help you get the training you need to become a reading specialist.

What does a reading specialist do?

Reading specialists work with children in elementary, middle, and high school to identify and address reading challenges. They also work with schools to develop programs to encourage reading for fun, reading comprehension, and critical thinking skills. These skills help form the foundation of students’ education for the rest of their academic careers.

Reading specialists usually teach at a specific grade level and have experience teaching and mentoring students of a specific age group, but these skills are transferable to different levels. Reading specialists also work with colleges and universities to help develop education teaching courses for teacher educator programs.

What can you do with a reading specialist license?

With a master’s in reading or an M.Ed. – Reading Specialist Endorsement, you can pursue teaching opportunities in both public and private schools. You can also pursue opportunities to teach education courses at the college level. A reading specialist degree can help you stand out from your peers by showing you have the ability to help your students in new and innovative ways. You can help your school and your school district reexamine how to help students excel.

How do you become a reading specialist?

Liberty’s Master of Education – Reading Specialist Endorsement is designed to prepare you for advanced licensure as a reading specialist. Our online master’s in reading specialist endorsement is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and provides opportunities to complete the required practicum and internship hours to meet state licensure requirements.

After completing licensure requirements in the state of Virginia, you can then apply for reciprocity in your state.

Does this program have any special financial benefits?

While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we actually lowered our tuition for our Master of Arts in Teaching and Master of Education programs. At $430 per credit hour for full-time students, Liberty University’s M.Ed. online is available at one of the lowest tuition rates for this degree in the country.

Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.

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*Some restrictions may occur for this promotion to apply. This promotion also excludes active faculty and staff, military, non-degree-seeking, DGIA, Continuing Education, WSB, and certificate students.

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Master of Education – Reading Specialist Endorsement Improve Reading Success Rates as a Literacy Specialist

Investing in Child Literacy Begins with Liberty’s Master’s in Education – Reading Specialist Program

What Sets Us Apart?

Why Choose Liberty’s M.Ed. – Online Reading Specialist Master’s Program?

What Will You Study in Our Master’s in Education – Reading Specialist Endorsement Online Program?

Potential Career Opportunities

Featured Courses

Degree Information

State Licensure Requirements

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Tuition & Aid

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Admission Information for the Master of Education – Reading Specialist Endorsement

Admission Requirements

Preliminary Acceptance

Undergraduate Enrollment in Graduate Courses Policy

Transcript Policies

Admissions Office Contact Information

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Frequently Asked Questions for Our M.Ed. Program – Reading Specialist Endorsement

What is a reading specialist?

What does a reading specialist do?

What can you do with a reading specialist license?

How do you become a reading specialist?

Does this program have any special financial benefits?

Are you ready to change your future?

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