Graduation Information

• *Candidates for Spring, Summer, and Fall must submit a graduation application in February of that year.
• *Winter candidates must submit a graduation application by December of the previous year.
• Only matriculated students are eligible to apply for graduation.
• The Office of Records and Registration oversees graduation documents (diplomas and TCNJ certificates). Please allow 4-6 weeks after your commencement date to receive these documents.

• Complete all required coursework
• Reconciliation of financial accounts in PAWS
• Apply for graduation
• Confirm or update the mailing address in PAWS

Students who complete one of OSOP’s certificate programs and who wish to continue to complete their M.Ed. MUST do the following:

1. Apply for graduation from their certificate program
2. Reapply with the Office of Graduate Enrollment for a M.Ed.

The Office of Records and Registration MUST clear you for graduation before the Office of Graduate Enrollment approves your application and admits you to the M.Ed. program. (Please allow time for processing)

All M.Ed. and MA candidates are eligible to receive a TCNJ diploma upon program completion. Students apply for graduation through PAWS. The Office of Records and Registration orders diplomas through an outside vendor, which mails them directly to the student’s degree address. Please allow 4-6 weeks after your commencement date to receive this document. Please refer to the Graduation Mailing and Notarized Graduation Documents section below to obtain a notary.

All candidates completing a certificate program (domestic or global) are eligible to receive a TCNJ Certificate, issued by the Office of Records and Registration. Candidates must apply for graduation through PAWS to be eligible to receive a TCNJ Certificate. Please allow 4-6 weeks after your commencement date to receive this document.

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

Please refer to the Graduation Mailing and Notarized Graduation Documents section below to obtain a notary.

Off-Site and Online Programs (OSOP) will send an electronic letter of completion once your degree has been posted. If students need a TCNJ letter of completion, please email osgp@tcnj.edu with your request.

Counseling candidates who are US citizens may apply for certification through the NJDOE upon program completion. For questions concerning certification, please consult your academic advisor.

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

The official transcript is The College of New Jersey’s certified statement of a student’s academic record and can be ordered through PAWS or the Office of Records and Registration. The official transcript features the College seal and the signature of the Director of Records and Registration, listing all enrolled courses, grades, academic terms, programs of study, and conferred degrees.

The Office of Records and Registration orders diplomas through an outside vendor, which will mail diplomas directly to the student’s degree address. OSOP will mail the Certificate of Qualification (CQ), printed internally, separately to the student’s degree address via USPS. Graduation documents should be received roughly 4-6 weeks after the commencement date has been posted to transcripts. No additional fee is required for these one-time mailings.

A student looking to have their diploma and/or CQ notarized must order a duplicate diploma through the Office of Records and Registration. On the duplicate diploma request form, please request that it be delivered to Off-Site and Online Programs. We will retain a notary once our office receives the duplicate diploma (4-6 weeks). Students looking for a CQ to be notarized should contact osgp@tcnj.edu with their request.

OSOP asks students who have already received their CQ or diploma (or who have submitted a duplicate diploma for notary purposes) to incur the shipping and handling expenses. Please create and pay for an express mailing label with eglobalshipping and notify our office, osgp@tcnj.edu.

The Office of Records and Registration orders diplomas through an outside vendor, which will mail diplomas directly to the student’s degree address. Certificates of Qualification (CQ) are printed internally and are mailed separately to the student’s degree address via USPS. Please allow 6-8 weeks after your commencement date to receive your graduation document(s).

A student looking to have their diploma, CQ, and/or transcripts order one or more of these documents through the Office of Records and Registration.

• Duplicate Diploma
• Official Transcripts
• Certificate of Qualification (CQ) – email osgp@tcnj.edu

On the duplicate diploma and/or official transcripts request form, please request that it be delivered to Off-Site and Online Programs (OSOP) and email the Office of Records and Registration at trnscrpt@tcnj.edu to inform them that you would like to have your document(s) notarized and delivered to our office, OSOP. This process may take anywhere from 2 to 6 weeks.

Students looking for a CQ to be notarized should contact osgp@tcnj.edu with their request.

OSOP asks students who have already received their CQ or diploma (or have submitted a duplicate diploma for notary purposes) to incur the shipping and handling expenses. Please create and pay for an express mailing label with eglobalshipping and notify our office, osgp@tcnj.edu.

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 family or friends residing in another state have an Apostille issued there, possibly with their assistance, to expedite 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 required to obtain an Apostille in New Jersey, including mailing assistance from OSOP.

From start to finish, obtaining an affixed Apostille on your TCNJ document(s) can take anywhere from 3 to 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.