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 6-8 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

TCNJ will incur a one-time mailing cost for shipping graduation documents. Documents will be mailed via USPS. For students living in remote areas where USPS is not an option, TCNJ/OSOP will incur a one-time express mailing cost with eglobalshipping.

For students receiving multiple graduation documents (i.e., diploma, Certificate of Qualification (CQ), and/or TCNJ Certificate), TCNJ/OSOP will bundle your graduation documents into one mailing. As a reminder, the Office of Records and Registration receives diplomas 4-6 weeks after the commencement date is posted to transcripts.

Students wishing to obtain their graduation documents separately (i.e., CQ before the arrival of the diploma) must incur the shipping and handling expense if they are express mailed before the arrival of their diploma. Please create and pay for an express mailing label with eglobalshipping and notify our office, osgp@tcnj.edu, about your preference.

All M.Ed. and MA candidates are eligible to receive a TCNJ diploma upon program completion. Students apply for graduation through PAWS. All diplomas are processed and disseminated by the Office of Records & Registration. Please allow 6-8 weeks after your commencement date to receive this document.

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 6-8 weeks after your commencement date to receive this document.

The Certificate of Qualification is a TCNJ graduation document developed by the School of Education, verifying successful completion of a TCNJ certificate global program. Candidates must apply for graduation through PAWS to be eligible to receive a CQ. Please allow 6-8 weeks after your commencement date to receive this document.

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.

Upon program completion, Counseling candidates who are US citizens may apply for certification through the NJDOE. 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 oversees graduation documents (diplomas and TCNJ certificates).
• For students living overseas in locations where the USPS cannot deliver, OSOP will work with the Office of Records and Registration to coordinate the procurement and distribution of graduation documents. Please contact osgp@tcnj.edu for requests and next steps.

All graduation documents are issued and disseminated by the Office of Records and Registration. Please allow 6-8 weeks after your commencement date to receive your graduation document(s).