Candidates for admission to the M.ED. Reading program must meet the criterion for admission to all graduate programs at the university: a 3.0 gpa for the last 60 credits of the bachelor's degree. Students can be admitted conditionally to the M.ED. Reading program with a 2.75 gpa. Those admitted conditionally must receive an A or B in the first three REED courses they take in the program. Candidates who completed their bachelor's degree more than 10 years ago with less than a 3.0 can be admitted to the program by documenting five years of successful work experience in a field related to education.

Candidates in the M.ED. Reading Program are not required to have or be eligible for a teaching certificate. This is to allow individuals interested in careers that do not require a state teaching certification (e.g. community college developmental reading) to pursue the degree. It is, however, important to understand that completing the M.Ed. in Reading does not carry automatic state certification. Maryland State certification for reading specialist has three requirements:

1. eligibility for teacher certification in early childhood, elementary, secondary or special education;
2. three years of classroom teaching experience; and
3. An M.Ed. in Reading from an approved program (e.g. Towson University's) or a master's equivalency.