The Reading Specialist Program is housed in the Department of Professional Studies in Education a part of the College of Education and Educational Technology. The program is designed for educators who are certified to teach and demonstrate the ability to understand and apply educational theory at the graduate level. They are required to analyze and apply research, and to effectively design and implement teaching strategies for literacy instruction. Candidates in this program are expected to meet all of the Pennsylvania Department of Education standards for reading specialists as well as the standards set by the International Reading Association.

The theoretical framework for the Reading Specialist Program defines literacy as:

- A transactive process

- An integration of the processes of reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing

- An integration of the processes of reading, writing, speaking, listening, viewing, and visually representing

- Influenced by socio-cultural settings, cognition, and language proficiency

- Grounded in historical and political contexts

- Dependent upon children's skills, attitudes, and preferences for literacy materials and activities

- Enhanced by collaborations among educators, parents, and children