Admissions Guidelines

Applicants must complete a Non-Degree Reading Specialist Program application form, available from the Office of Academic Services at the GSE, Room 110, 10 Seminary Place, New Brunswick 08901, or from the Office of Continuing Education, Room 354, same address.  The application can be downloaded as a PDF by clicking here.

Along with the application, the applicant must submit the following credentials:

• A photocopy of a New Jersey Standard Instructional Certificate or its out-of-state equivalent.
• Official academic transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate studies.  Applicants must hold a master's degree or higher degree equivalent from a regionally accredited college or university.  Applicants are not usually admitted with a  GPA of less than 2.75 in their most recent degree.
• A letter of recommendation from the applicant's current or previous school principal or supervisor, on school district letterhead, certifying the completion of two years of successful, full-time teaching under the appropriate certificate.

If the admission decision is positive, then the applicant must submit a non-degree student application and pay an application fee to the Rutgers Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions.  all applications are filed on-line at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu.  When it comes time in the process to choose a degree, please choose "Non-Degree."  When you need to choose a program, please  choose "Reading Specialist Certification".

When the entire application process is complete, students simply register for the courses in the program as described on the program handouts and on the GSE website.  It is the responsibility of the student to enroll in all of the required courses through Rutgers University.  No program requirements may be met at any other institution.  Students are expected to maintain a "B" or better average as a non-degree student in the Non-Degree Reading Specialist Program.

After completing all of the required courses in the program, students should contact the Office of Academic Services at the GSE to notify them and to secure an application for the state endorsement.  GSE personnel will then forward the completed application and the certification fee to Trenton along with a recommendation that the certification be awarded.