FAQs

Global Graduate Application (the application is located on TCNJ’s Office of Graduate Enrollment’s website)
•  $75 application fee (waived for TCNJ alumni)
•  Official Transcripts
•  Letters of Recommendations
•  Student Essay
•  Standardized Test Scores
•  Resumé/CV
•  *Copy of Teacher Certification
•  **Addendum and Interview

*Only for Educational Leadership Post-Master’s Certificate Program
**Only for School Counselor Education Program

Please visit our site for more detailed information.

Students looking to pursue a graduate program (Certificate, M.Ed., or M.A.) with Off-Site and Online Programs (OSOP) MUST submit a completed application, along with supplementary admission materials, to the Office of Graduate Enrollment.

Admission supplementary materials are uploaded into Slate, the admissions and enrollment management platform. The Slate Instructional Guide helps students access Slate. If you are having difficulty with Slate, please get in touch with the Office of Graduate Enrollment at graduate@tcnj.edu.

All graduate admission materials are submitted, stored, and communicated through Slate, a platform for admissions and enrollment management. The Office of Graduate Enrollment oversees Slate and the graduate application process. Students interested in managing their admission materials and tracking what they have submitted can do so through Slate. If you are having difficulty with Slate, please get in touch with the Office of Graduate Enrollment at graduate@tcnj.edu.

The Slate Instructional Guide helps students access Slate.

No, graduate applications for Off-Site and Online Programs are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Applications will be reviewed, and their admittance will be decided once a completed graduate application is received by the Office of Graduate Enrollment and reviewed by an academic advisor.

The Office of Graduate Enrollment will email decisions.

The Slate Instructional Guide helps students access Slate.

Graduate applications are submitted and processed by The Office of Graduate Enrollment . When a graduate application is complete, it will be reviewed by an academic advisor. Upon a decision, The Office of Graduate Enrollment will send a decision letter electronically to students.

Students may monitor progress through Slate. The Slate Instructional Guide helps students access Slate.

Yes, students are eligible to take up to 9 credits (3 graduate courses) as Visiting Students. If students wish to continue and complete a graduate program (M.Ed./M.A. or Certificate) they MUST apply for admissions. New students (Visiting Students) who have never taken a TCNJ course before must complete a visitor application with Office of Graduate Enrollment .

Visit the Off-Site and Online Programs website, click “courses by term” and the term (i.e., fall, winter, spring, summer) to view the course selection and how to register in PAWS. Students can only register if they have submitted a visitor’s application (non-matriculation) or submitted a completed graduate application (matriculation).

Off-Site and Online Programs – osgp@tcnj.edu (Elementary/Secondary Education)

Melissa Meagher -meagherm@tcnj.edu (Educational Leadership – domestic)

Elizabeth Sims-Pottle, Ed.D. – pottlee@tcnj.edu (Educational Leadership – global)

Stuart Roe, Ph.D. – roes@tcnj.edu (School Counseling)

Yiqiang Wu, Ph.D. – wuyiqian@tcnj.edu (Teaching English as a Second Language)

OSOP offers six graduate programs:

• Educational Leadership – Global
• Educational Leadership – Domestic
• Elementary Education – Global
• Secondary Education – Global
• Counselor Education – Global
• Teaching English as a Second Language – Global
• Teaching English as a Second Language – Domestic

The length of each program will vary from student to student based on each student’s commitments/limitations outside the scope of the program requirements. Program completion may vary based on whether students attend full/part part-time and course offerings. Please consult the academic advisors below for more information.

• Off-Site and Online Programs (osgp@tcnj.edu): Elementary/Secondary Education – Global
• Dr. Elizabeth Sims Pottle (pottlee@tcnj.edu): Educational Leadership – Global
• Melissa Meagher (meagherm@tcnj.edu): Educational Leadership – Domestic
• Dr. Jill Schwarz (schwarz@tcnj.edu): Counselor Education – Global
• Dr. Yiqiang Wu (wuyiqian@tcnj.edu): Teaching English as a Second Language – Global and Domestic
  

A maximum of twelve graduate credits may be accepted pending departmental approval. Individual graduate programs may have lower transfer limits due to accreditation or licensing requirements. Transfer courses must apply to the student’s current program of study and have been completed at an institutionally accredited graduate institution within the last six years with a grade of B or higher. Please read TCNJ’s graduate transfer of credit policy here.

For more information and approval of transfer of graduate credit, please consult an academic advisor.

Off-Site and Online Programs (osgp@tcnj.edu): Elementary/Secondary Education – Global
Danita Ishibashi (ishibasd@tcnj.edu): Educational Leadership – Global and Domestic
Dr. Jill Schwarz (schwarz@tcnj.edu): Counselor Education – Global
Dr. Yiqiang Wu (wuyiqian@tcnj.edu): Teaching English as a Second Language – Global and Domestic

The program planners include Certificate and M.Ed./M.A. course requirements and are located below either under the global or domestic program pages. Please consult the program planner and your academic advisor to map out your course sequence.

• Global Programs
• Domestic Programs

Academic Advisors:

Off-Site and Online Programs (osgp@tcnj.edu): Elementary/Secondary Education – Global
Dr. Elizabeth Sims Pottle (pottlee@tcnj.edu): Educational Leadership – Global
Melissa Meagher (meagherm@tcnj.edu): Educational Leadership – Domestic
Dr. Jill Schwarz (schwarz@tcnj.edu): Counselor Education – Global
Dr. Yiqiang Wu (wuyiqian@tcnj.edu): Teaching English as a Second Language – Global and Domestic

Please click here to see all course descriptions as outlined in the course catalog.

OSOP only offers in-person courses in Portugal during the summer. Courses available are in Counselor Education.

Students make travel arrangements. Global Counselor Education Students will be responsible for paying for their travel and hotel accommodations in Portugal (summer only).

OSOP offers online courses. Courses are offered either in *synchronous or asynchronous modalities.

*Synchronous means used in real-time, requiring participants and instructors/facilitators to meet virtually at the same time from different places.

Students are eligible to receive the following documents after completing the following OSOP programs:

1. TCNJ Diploma
Students MUST apply for graduation ($100 Application Fee)

Educational Leadership (MAES Program)
Elementary Education (M.Ed. Program)
Secondary Education (M.Ed. Program)
School Counseling (M.A. Program)
Teaching English as a Second Language (M.Ed. Program)

2. Certificate of Qualification CQ (Global Students)
The Certificate of Qualification (CQ) was developed by the School of Education at The College of New Jersey and verifies successful completion of the required graduate coursework in The College of New Jersey’s Off-Site and Online graduate certificate program. It is a credential widely recognized by International Schools and their accrediting agencies.

CQ’s are available to students at the end of their program and upon request. Students interested in obtaining a CQ from OSOP and who have successfully graduated from their OSOP certificate program, please complete this form. Allow 3-5 weeks for delivery.

If this is a duplicate request, students will incur shipping and handling.

Educational Leadership (Post-Master’s Certificate Program) – Global Only
Elementary Education (Certificate Program) – Global Only
Secondary Education (Certificate Program) – Global Only
Teaching English as a Second Language (Certificate Program) – Global Only

3. Standard Certificate (US Citizens)

School Counseling (MA program)

Students MUST apply to TCNJ’s Certification Office at the end of the program

Visit the Off-Site and Online Programs website, click “courses by term” and the term (i.e., fall, winter, spring, summer) to view the course selection and how to register in PAWS. Students can only register if they have submitted a completed visitor’s application (non-matriculation) or submitted a completed graduate application (matriculation). See the Admission FAQ section above.

1. Non-Matriculated Student (Overseas Visiting Student): non-matriculation)

Students with this status are eligible to take up to 9 credits (3 graduate courses).
Students who wish to complete a graduate program (M.Ed., M.A., or Certificate) MUST complete a graduate application for admission with the Office of Graduate Enrollment .

2. Matriculated Students – Students who have completed a graduate application for admission the Office of Graduate Enrollment and have been accepted into a graduate program.

OSOP will do our best to adhere to published class schedules as outlined on our website, under “Course Offerings,” organized by term. OSOP, however, reserves the right to cancel a graduate class if (low) enrollment does not reach 10 students or if an instructor contracted to teach an OSOP course becomes unavailable due to extenuating circumstances.

PAWS is a student database that allows students to initiate and complete many student services processes. Below are a few of the most widely used processes students have the ability to do in PAWS. Students can access PAWS through TCNJ today.

1. Course descriptions
2. Register for courses
3. Access course grades
4. Order transcripts
5. Update personal information
6. Make tuition payments
7. Apply for graduation
8. Review student financial account information

Please click here to access PAWS tutorials created by the Office of Records and Registration.

Course tuition and payment options can be viewed on OSOP’s site. Students receive e-bill invoices monthly from the Office of Student Accounts, and the payment due date is sent to their TCNJ email address. Please consult TCNJ’s billing calendar for important dates and deadlines. Questions about tuition and tuition payment can be emailed directly to the Office of Student Accounts at stuaccts@tcnj.edu.

Please consult this handout on how to view and pay for your bill in PAWS.

Tuition MUST be received before class commences. TCNJ offers three methods of payment.

All TCNJ offices on campus communicate with students through their TCNJ email addresses. Students MUST either check their TCNJ email addresses regularly or forward their TCNJ email addresses to their personal email addresses.

Students who don’t remember their TCNJ email address may access it in PAWS under the general overview tab, in account lookup, or by contacting OSOP at osgp@tcnj.edu

Students can access their course history and check their grades in PAWS. Please click here to learn how.

Live Text now Watermark is an electronic portfolio and assessment system, and it is used in the School of Education to gather data about student learning to maintain accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).

All matriculated students in the School of Education, including OSOP students, incur a one-time Live Text fee ($139). For questions about this assessment system or the fee, please contact TCNJ’s STEP office at step@tcnj.edu.

Students can verify tuition and whether their payment has been posted to their account through PAWS. Students can access their financial history at the bottom left-hand side under the student center homepage in PAWS. Please consult this handout on how to view and pay your bill in PAWS.

Tuition payments and fees are posted on OSOP’s website. Payment plan options are located on TCNJ’s Office of Student Accounts website. Every month, TCNJ’s Office of Student Accounts emails invoices to students’ TCNJ email addresses. Tuition MUST be received before class commences.

Students in need of an invoice can directly submit a request to The Office of Student Accounts at stuaccts@tcnj.edu. In your email request, please include your name, PAWS ID, and the term.

Please consult TCNJ’s billing calendar for important dates and deadlines. Questions about tuition and tuition payment can be emailed directly to the Office of Student Accounts at stuaccts@tcnj.edu.

Tuition and fees are posted on OSOP’s website. Payment plan options are located on TCNJ’s Office of Student Accounts website. Every month, TCNJ’s Office of Student Accounts emails invoices to students’ TCNJ email addresses.

Please consult TCNJ’s billing calendar for important dates and deadlines. Tuition MUST be received before class commences. Questions about tuition and tuition payment can be emailed directly to the Office of Student Accounts at stuaccts@tcnj.edu.

Students in need of an invoice can directly submit a request to The Office of Student Accounts at stuaccts@tcnj.edu. In your email request, please include your name, PAWS ID, and the term.

Yes, financial assistance is offered to matriculated full-time graduate students. Please refer to TCNJ’s Office of Financial Aid for more details and/or consult with a representative in their office for assistance at osfa@tcnj.edu.

If the course has not started and it is before the tuition payment date published on your TCNJ Invoice, please go into PAWS and drop the course. Once you have dropped the course in PAWS, no further action is required.

If you paid for the course, please inform the Office of Student Accounts at stuaccts@tcnj.edu that you are no longer interested in taking the OSOP course(s) and that you plan on dropping it in PAWS.

CREDIT: To have a credit applied to their account for future tuition, students must contact TCNJ’s Office of Student Accounts at stuaccts@tcnj.edu.

REFUND: Students wishing to have a refund MUST set up a direct deposit through PAWS. Please refer to this handout to set up direct deposit or consult a representative in the Office of Student Accounts at stuaccts@tcnj.edu for assistance.

Tuition is refunded only to students who have set up direct deposit. Students wanting a refund MUST set up a direct deposit through PAWS. Please refer to this handout to set up direct deposit or consult a representative in the Office of Student Accounts at stuaccts@tcnj.edu for assistance.

Please visit the Office of Records and Registration to learn how to order official and unofficial transcripts, and direct any questions you may have to their office at trnscrpt@tcnj.edu.

All TCNJ offices on campus communicate with students by way of their TCNJ email addresses. Students MUST either check their TCNJ email addresses regularly or forward their TCNJ email address to their personal email address.

Students who don’t remember their TCNJ email address may access it in PAWS under the general overview tab, in account lookup, or by contacting OSOP at osgp@tcnj.edu

Students having difficulty accessing their passwords and accounts (after following the steps in account lookup), should contact the IT Help Desk at helpdesk@tcnj.edu. Students who have forgotten their username (the first part of your TCNJ email ie: xxxxx@tcnj.edu), which is different from PAWS ID, please contact osgp@tcnj.edu.

Canvas is a learning management system (LMS). Instructors use Canvas to post messages, upload class materials, grade, and synchronously set up class time for online learning.

Students may access Canvas through TCNJ today. To learn how to use Canvas please click here.

PAWS is a student database that allows students to initiate and complete many student services processes. Below are a few of the most widely used processes students can perform in PAWS. Students can access PAWS through TCNJ today.

1. Course descriptions
2. Register for courses
3. Access course grades
4. Order transcripts
5. Update personal information
6. Make tuition payments
7. Apply for graduation
8. Review student financial account information

Please click here to access PAWS tutorials created by the Office of Records and Registration.

Please refer to this instructional handout for how to access and get assistance with TCNJ’s information technology.

Please click here to look up/reset your password if you are unable to access PAWS, Canvas, or TCNJ Email. If you continue to have difficulty, please contact the TCNJ Helpdesk at helpdesk@tcnj.edu.

Students in need of an invoice can directly submit a request to The Office of Student Accounts at stuaccts@tcnj.edu. In your email request, please include your name, PAWS ID, and the term.

All replacement diploma requests are handled by TCNJ’s Office of Records and Registration.

Apostilles verify the legal status of New Jersey Notaries Public and certain public officials (e.g., notaries). Apostilles can be obtained in any state; therefore, we suggest that students with residences, family, or friends in another state have an Apostille issued there, possibly with the help of family or friends, to speed up the process. 

Apostille mailing is a courtesy our office provides only to OSOP students during fall and spring terms. Winter and summer students must handle it themselves; however, the process and payment are managed by the NJ Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES), outside of TCNJ, and must be initiated and completed by the student.

If this is the spring or fall semester, please complete and submit the Apostille mailing assistance request form. After submission, you will receive an automated response with additional details about the process and the steps needed to obtain an Apostille in New Jersey with mailing assistance from OSOP.

From start to finish, obtaining an affixed Apostille to your TCNJ document(s) can take anywhere from 3-6 months. Most of this process is done outside of our office. That is why we also encourage students to seek assistance from family members or friends who live stateside. Apostilles can be obtained in any state, and this process may be quicker if a family member or a friend in another state assists you in obtaining an Apostille.

OSOP students looking for their graduation documents (diploma, official transcripts, and/or CQ) to be notarized, please email OSOP at osgp@tcnj.edu with your request and include the following information: name, PAWS ID, the program completed/date of graduation, and address (if applicable) where you would like your documents mailed. *Students may incur the S&H costs depending on location.

Candidates who are completing an M.Ed., M.A., or a Certificate must apply for graduation. M.Ed. and M.A. candidates incur a $100 graduation fee (the application fee is waived for Certificate candidates). Only matriculated students are eligible to apply for graduation.

Graduation applications are due (for May, August, and December graduation) in February of the same year. OSOP cannot guarantee the diploma/TCNJ certificate will be available to students at the summer graduation ceremony if the graduation application is received past the February deadline.

Diplomas and TCNJ Certificates will be mailed by the Office of Records and Registration to students 4-6 weeks after their degree or certificate is posted on their TCNJ transcripts. For more graduation information, please visit OSOP’s graduation information page.

Students who have completed a certificate and are interested in pursuing another graduate program with TCNJ/OSOP must reapply with the Office of Graduate Enrollment by submitting another graduate application.

Please complete an online global graduate application with the Office of Graduate Enrollment . The application fee of $75.00 is waived for former TCNJ students who have completed a graduate program and *no other supplementary materials are needed. (for OSOP M.Ed. programs)

*Supplementary materials may be needed for specific graduate programs.

Diplomas and Certificates (TCNJ and CQ) will be mailed to students 4-6 weeks after their degree or certificate is posted to their TCNJ transcripts. For more information on graduation, please visit OSOP’s graduation information page.

Please refer to TCNJ’s academic calendar for conferral dates (graduation dates).

Students interested in having their official documents notarized, please visit OSOP’s website. Please be aware that requesting your documents to be notarized will increase delivery by an additional 1-2 weeks.

Upon completing an OSOP certificate program, students will be eligible to receive one or more of the following documents:

1. Certificate of Qualification CQ (Global Students)
The Certificate of Qualification (CQ) was developed by the School of Education at The College of New Jersey and verifies successful completion of the required graduate coursework in The College of New Jersey’s Off-Site and Online graduate certificate program. It is a credential widely recognized by International Schools and their accrediting agencies.

CQ’s are available to students at the end of their program and upon request. Students interested in obtaining a CQ from OSOP and who have successfully graduated from their OSOP certificate program, please complete this form. Allow 3-5 weeks for delivery.

If this is a duplicate request, students will incur additional shipping and handling costs.

Educational Leadership (Post-Master’s Certificate Program) – Global Only
Elementary Education (Certificate Program) – Global Only
Secondary Education (Certificate Program) – Global Only
Teaching English as a Second Language (Certificate Program) – Global Only

2. Standard Certificate (US Citizens – Counseling Students ONLY)
Students MUST apply directly to the NJDOE. Please consult your academic advisor for more information.

Students completing a NJ Domestic OSOP Certificate Program (ESL initial certification, Bilingual Endorsement (initial or standard), or EdL Supervisor Certification (US Citizens in the domestic program) may be eligible to apply for their certification with TCNJ’s Certification Office. (To ensure you complete the correct application, please consult with your academic advisor before completing/submitting it)

Official transcript requests and disbursement is handled by TCNJ’s Office of Records and Registration. Students may order official transcripts through PAWS. Please refer to TCNJ’s Records and Registration website, this handout, or consult a representative in their office at trnscrpt@tcnj.edu for assistance.

Apostilles verify the legal status of New Jersey Notaries Public and certain public officials (e.g., notaries). Apostilles can be obtained in any state; therefore, we suggest that students with residences, family, or friends in another state have an Apostille issued there, possibly with the help of family or friends, to speed up the process. 

Apostille mailing is a courtesy our office provides only to OSOP students during fall and spring terms. Winter and summer students must handle it themselves; however, the process and payment are managed by the NJ Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services (DORES), outside of TCNJ, and must be initiated and completed by the student.

If this is the spring or fall semester, please complete and submit the Apostille mailing assistance request form. After submission, you will receive an automated response with additional details about the process and the steps needed to obtain an Apostille in New Jersey with mailing assistance from OSOP.

From start to finish, obtaining an affixed Apostille to your TCNJ document(s) can take anywhere from 3-6 months. Most of this process is done outside of our office. That is why we also encourage students to seek assistance from family members or friends who live stateside. Apostilles can be obtained in any state, and this process may be quicker if a family member or a friend in another state assists you in obtaining an Apostille.

OSOP students looking for their graduation documents (diploma, official transcripts, and/or CQ) to be notarized, please email OSOP at osgp@tcnj.edu with your request and include the following information: name, PAWS ID, the program completed/date of graduation, and address (if applicable) where you would like your documents mailed. *Students may incur the S&H costs depending on location.

OSOP works together in conjunction with TCNJ’S Office of Records and Registration in coordinating the procurement and disbursement of graduation document mailings for OSOP students. The procurement of documents begins only after the conferral date is posted. Please check TCNJ’s academic calendar for each term’s conferral date. The procurement will only begin after students have applied and have been cleared for graduation. Please allow 4-6 weeks from the conferral date to receive your documents.

Diplomas and official transcripts are mailed to students from an outside vendor. OSOP sends a certificate of Qualifications (CQ). If you have not received them within the 4-6 week time frame, please contact Off-Site and Online Programs at osgp@tcnj.edu.

Students MUST apply for graduation in PAWS (M.Ed. candidates incur a $100 application fee, and the certificate candidates’ fee is waived). The graduation application deadline is February of that year (spring, summer, and fall terms). Graduation applications received beyond February may be subject to delays in receiving graduation documents (diploma/certificate).