Non-Degree and Visiting Students

A prospective applicant who has completed a bachelor’s degree may qualify to take graduate-level courses without fully matriculating into a graduate degree program. Non-degree study may be an appealing option if any of the following applicant scenarios apply to you.

You are seeking to take graduate-level coursework for your own personal interests, career advancement, or professional development.
You wish to take coursework before being formally admitted to a program, or those who are taking classes for personal or professional development and are not pursuing any other program
You are currently in the process of applying for a graduate degree program at Montclair State University.
You are currently a graduate student in good standing enrolled at another college/university and wish to take courses at Montclair State with the intention of transferring credits earned back to their home institution.

How to Apply

Complete an application for Non-Degree study
- If you are interested in taking only undergraduate courses, please apply through the Undergraduate Admissions application.
- If you are seeking to take graduate-level coursework, please follow the instructions available on the How to Apply portion of our website. You will select “Non-Degree” as your academic program when filling out your application.

Admission Requirements

Admission requires a minimum GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale in a bachelor’s degree program and proof of degree conferral.
An unofficial transcript should be submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions from the U.S. college or university where you received your bachelor’s degree. If you are applying to be a visiting student, please also submit an unofficial transcript from the U.S. institution you are currently attending. Please visit our FAQ Page to learn more about Uploading Your Unofficial Transcripts.
There is a non-refundable $60 application fee.

International Non-Degree Students

Non-degree status is not available to international applicants seeking F-1 visas.
Applicants who did not receive an undergraduate or graduate degree from a U.S. accredited college or university must submit the required course-by-course transcript evaluation from a member of NACES.
If your undergraduate or graduate degree is from an institution where English is not the official language of instruction, please submit official TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test scores that are less than two years old. View TOEFL and IELTS score requirements.

Additional Information

If approved, non-degree status only lasts for one semester, and students are permitted to take two classes for a total of six credits during that semester. Non-degree students who are seeking to attend for more than one semester, or to take additional courses, must contact The Office of Graduate Admissions. Please note that you can only transfer a maximum of six credits into any graduate program.
Students may petition The Office of Graduate Admissions to extend their non-degree study to additional terms or for additional credits, but only six credits earned in this status may be transferred into a degree or certificate program
Admission or high-level performance as a non-degree student does not guarantee future admission to a graduate degree program.
Please note that not all courses are open to non-degree students.
You may register for courses on a space-available basis only; students already admitted to these programs are given registration priority.
Financial aid is NOT available for non-degree students.
The following programs DO NOT allow non-degree: