Course Registration and Transcripts for Inbound Exchange Students

Five Female Inbound Exchange Students with Rocky Mascot Red Hawk Day Fall 2024

Montclair State University is proud to offer more than 300 doctoral, master’s and baccalaureate-level programs. From African American Studies to Visual Arts, our 10 degree-granting schools and colleges provide exciting academic challenges for 22,000 students.

As students visiting Montclair State University, you will have the opportunity to take undergraduate level courses classes and learn from world class scholars across the following schools at the university (pending students have the appropriate prerequisites and educational experiences):

  • College of the Arts
  • College of Communication and Media
  • College for Community Health
  • College of Education and Engaged Learning
  • College of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • College of Science and Mathematics
  • Feliciano School of Business
  • John J. Cali School of Music
  • School of Computing

This unique collection of schools provides wide breadth of classes that can pique any of your interests. Whether you want to learn about localized history or try your hand at creating your own pottery, Montclair State University promises to offer you an educational opportunity unlike any other. As an exchange student, our faculty and staff are excitedly waiting for you to join their classrooms and provide unique lenses to their fields of studies.

To learn more about these offerings and these requirements, please review the areas below.

Academic Programs

Exchange and visiting students, in most cases, may select courses in any of Montclair’s Schools and Departments. There are a few exceptions, for example:

  • Prerequisites must be satisfied for some higher level courses. These are courses of equivalent value at a student’s home university. For upper level courses, all prerequisites must be met for registration.
    • Students are only allowed to take undergraduate level courses within the 100-499 level that have available seats. No exceptions can be made for graduate courses or those at capacity.
  • Writing Samples and Placement exams may be required for some courses including but not limited to writing, world languages, math, and more.
  • Classes within the College of the Arts and the John J. Cali School of Music may require auditions or portfolios for certain courses.
  • Exchange Students rarely complete Internships and it is not recommended to request an Internship course.
    • You cannot sign up for an internship class without having an internship already secured and receiving approval from the Office of Global Engagement.
  • Exercise Based Classes (PEGN – such as Yoga, Ice Skating, Weightlifting, etc.) are discouraged for registration requests as spaces are often filled by Senior/4th Year Graduating Students at Montclair.
  • MBA and graduate courses are not available to exchange students due to their cohort nature.
  • Students may not enroll in accounting, nursing, and most education courses due to certification requirements within the department.
  • Students cannot enroll in classes at the Bloomfield Campus (subjects ending in BC)

Course Selection at Montclair:

Students will work with Montclair staff to register for classes in advance of their semesters of study. Students will have the option to take 12-18 Credit Hours (four to six classes). View the Course Catalog in NEST for a list of all available classes. Fall Semester Courses are published in mid-March and Spring Semester Courses are published in mid-October.

After courses have been published, students will have approximately one week to make their initial class selections for their semester at Montclair. This course selection will have a firm deadline to ensure students can be processed within their selected departments for course requests prior to registration.

Our students will typically register with our third year/Junior level students. This allows them to bypass the majority of our students in the registration pool. That being said, some courses will be filled prior to our students’ registration time. We cannot bypass courses that reach capacity or are not approved by departments. We will make every effort to secure you a spot in all courses requested, but please understand that due to retiring professors, curriculum adjustments, prerequisites, and some full courses, not all course selections can be met.

Students can continue to modify their schedule through the first week of classes with the assistance of the Program Associate for Inbound Exchange. It is the students responsibility to work with their home institution to ensure that the courses they have selected will count towards their degree plan. 

 

Transcripts from Montclair:

After a semester has been completed at Montclair, it is the student's responsibility to retrieve their transcript. Montclair State University will not automatically send your transcript. Students should check that their professors have submitted all of their grades and ensure that they have a zero balance remaining on your student account. Students with late fees, unpaid bills, or debt owed to the university will be unable to receive their transcript until all balances are paid. 

 
Two Ways to Request Your Transcript

All Montclair State University students should visit the Clearinghouse website to request their transcripts.

There are two methods to request your transcript through the National Student Clearinghouse website: Electronic Processing and Standard Mail.

1. Electronic Processing

  • Delivery: A certified PDF document sent within 72 hours to the specified email address.
  • Processing Fee: $3.90 per recipient’s email address.
  • Eligibility:
    • Not available for students who attended Montclair State University prior to 1990.
    • You must request a standard mail transcript if you attended before 1990.
  • Important Considerations:
    • Make sure the recipient accepts electronically delivered official eTranscripts.
    • You can upload up to three pages of accompanying documents. Third-party documents will not be included.
    • Additional processing time may be required if you include extra documents.
  • Holds:
    • Transcripts will not be sent if there is a hold on your account.
    • Check NEST to make sure grades are posted before requesting.
    • Confirm your degree has been posted on Degree Works before submission.
  • Paper Option: You may also request an official paper transcript on the NSC site if preferred.

2. Standard Mail Through the National Student Clearinghouse

  • Delivery: Mailed via regular first-class US Postal Service within 72 hours of receipt.
  • Processing Fee: $5.75
  • Holds:
    • Transcripts will not be sent if there is a hold on your account.
  • If You Attended Before 1990:
    • Your request will be processed but there may be delays in mailing these records due to archival retrieval.

For more information or assistance, visit the Clearinghouse site.