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FAQs
Advanced Certificate Application Instructions
Teachers College is a graduate institution. In order to be considered for admission to an advanced certificate program:
Applicants from the U.S. are required to hold, or be in the process of obtaining, a 120-credit baccalaureate degree from a nationally accredited institution as recognized by the U.S. Department of Education .
International applicants must hold, or be in the process of obtaining, the equivalent of a 120-credit U.S. baccalaureate degree.
All applicants must have a conferred baccalaureate degree before matriculating at Teachers College.
When an application account is created, applicants will have the option to select one of the following application options: Degree, Advanced Certificate, Non-Degree. The Advanced Certificate application can be used to apply to one of these advanced certificate programs .
Applicants should select the Advanced Certificate option and the appropriate term of entry (e.g., 2027 Fall Advanced Certificate).
Please note:
Advanced certificate admission does not guarantee future admission as a degree student.
Financial aid, housing, academic advisement, and student visa sponsorship are not available to advanced certificate students.
It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the Office of Admission receives all required materials. After an application is submitted, you may monitor pending application materials via the TC Pathway Portal. Under no circumstances can any application materials submitted to the Office of Admission be returned to the applicant or forwarded to another college, university, or place of business.
STEP 1 - Complete Online Application Form
When completing the application, use a single email address that will not expire before your desired term of entry, as it will be used for all correspondence from the Office of Admission.
In addition to collecting your personal information, the online application form will also serve as the portal to submit the application requirements below. Expand the titles below to learn more about preparing these important required documents.
Upload Statement of Purpose
Your Statement of Purpose should discuss your objectives for pursuing an advanced certificate program and how you plan to apply the knowledge from your program to make a constructive impact on both the diverse Teachers College community and in the world beyond. Generally speaking, your Statement of Purpose should be one page max, typed, and double spaced.
Submit Supplemental Materials
Some programs require supplemental materials, such as a letter of recommendation, a writing sample, or additional questions specific to the course of study. Search for your intended program below to see what materials are required.
View application requirements for your desired program and degree.
STEP 2 - Submit Transcripts
As part of the application for admission, applicants are required to submit up-to-date transcripts reflecting a complete academic history, including all undergraduate and graduate coursework they have completed. Please be sure to add a new institution within your application for every school that has awarded you postsecondary-level course credits, including degree-granting institutions, transfer credit schools, postgraduate enrichment coursework, and study abroad programs. Full course titles, number of credits, and final grades must be reflected on all transcripts. Expand the titles below to read more about how to submit documents that meet our requirements.
To expedite the processing of your application, please utilize official e-transcript delivery. Transcripts received by postal mail will take longer to process.
Transcripts from academic institutions in the United States
If you attended an institution in the United States, you have the option to upload a scanned copy of your transcript—through your online application—to allow for faster application processing. This should be a scanned or electronic copy of a transcript obtained directly from the Office of the Registrar at the issuing institution. Both your name and the name of the institution should be clearly visible.
Uploaded transcripts for degree-granting institutions, transfer credit schools, postgraduate enrichment coursework, and study abroad programs for all undergraduate and graduate coursework completed should include the following information:
Full course titles
Number of credits
Final grades
Key or Legend of grades - usually the reverse side of a paper transcript
Degree conferral date, if available
Transcripts uploaded by the applicant are considered unofficial. This feature is offered in order to save you time and ensure that a record of your academic progress is included with your submitted application. It eliminates the need to have transcripts mailed to us during the initial processing and review of your application, and precludes any delays resulting from the non-receipt of a transcript.
Only if you are admitted to Teachers College and choose to enroll will you be required to have final, official transcripts submitted by all academic institutions listed on your application. Your offer of admission will be contingent upon the receipt and verification of these official transcripts, which must be submitted directly by the Office of the Registrar (or equivalent office) of your issuing institutions . Failure to supply final official transcripts may impact your ability to register for classes. Teachers College reserves the right to rescind an offer of admission if there is a discrepancy between the uploaded version/evaluation and the official original transcript(s).
While you are not required to submit official transcripts at the point of application, this is recommended to ensure your application is reviewed in its completeness. If your institution provides official electronic transcripts, you may have those transcripts issued to transcripts@tc.columbia.edu . Please note that transcripts that are emailed as an attachment—whether by the institution or the applicant—are considered unofficial.
If your institution does not provide official electronic transcripts, you may have the institution mail your official paper transcript to the following address:
Office of Admission
Teachers College, Columbia University, BOX 302
525 West 120th Street
New York, NY 10027
Transcripts from academic institutions located outside the United States
Applicants who have completed, or are completing, undergraduate and/or graduate degrees at institutions outside of the United States are required to submit a full course-by-course evaluation including verified transcripts for U.S. degree equivalency. The evaluations must be prepared and sent by one of the providers listed below.
Please note this does not pertain to applicants from the United States who have spent a semester or year studying abroad. This requirement is only applicable for degree-granting institutions.
Teachers College will accept evaluations from the following organizations:
World Education Services (WES)
Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE)
The Evaluation Company (TEC)
These organizations provide several types of evaluations. Please select the course-by-course evaluation option to ensure your evaluation meets our requirements for admission review. All evaluations must include a full course analysis and degree summary. To have your evaluation sent to Teachers College, select "Teachers College - Columbia University" (for WES) and "Teachers College, Columbia University" (for ECE). Using our TC-specific TEC link (above) will default the school recipient to Teachers College automatically. Evaluations sent to Columbia University will not be received by Teachers College.
If a course-by-course evaluation is required, applications are not considered complete and will not be eligible for admission review until an official course-by-course evaluation is on file. The determination of degree equivalency to a U.S. degree is at the discretion of the College. Once submitted to Teachers College, the evaluation becomes an official academic record and sole property of Teachers College upon its receipt.
Applicants who attended institutions outside of the United States but did not complete degrees must submit these transcripts in order to be considered for admission review. Please note that if these transcripts are not in English, they must be accompanied by certified English translations. As with U.S.-based institutions, copies should be uploaded to your online application to ensure timely processing. If you are admitted to Teachers College and choose to enroll, you will be required to have final, official transcripts submitted by all academic institutions listed on your application. It is recommended that you also request official transcripts from the issuing institution as early as possible, as international transcript requests may be delayed.
Please note: Undergraduate-level course-by-course evaluations must clearly state that you have earned or will be earning the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s degree upon completion of your program. If you are admitted to Teachers College and your in-progress WES, ECE, or TEC course-by-course evaluation does not indicate that you will earn the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor’s degree, you will be expected to submit a second course-by-course evaluation from WES, ECE, or TEC confirming you have earned the equivalent of a U.S. Bachelor's degree upon conferral. You will not be able to register for classes or obtain a visa (if needed) at Teachers College without fulfilling this requirement.
STEP 3 - Submit Proof of English Proficiency (If Required)
If your native language is not English and you have not received a baccalaureate (undergraduate) degree from an institution where English was the sole official language of instruction, you must submit official scores from an accepted English proficiency exam. We accept the Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), and the Duolingo English Test.
In order to be considered official, scores must be sent directly from the testing administrator and have been taken within the past 2 years.
The accepted tests and minimum scores are:
Internet-based Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL iBT):
Taken before January 21, 2026: A minimum score of 100
Taken on or after January 21, 2026: A minimum score of 5.0
International English Language Testing System (IELTS):
A minimum score or 7.0
Duolingo English Test:
A minimum score of 130
For the TOEFL, Teachers College institution code is 2905 . If you have taken the TOEFL exam multiple times and your MyBest Score meets our minimum score requirement, please order an official score report that reflects your MyBest Score to be sent to Teachers College. Then, please contact the Office of Admission at admission@tc.columbia.edu to ensure that your MyBest Score is reflected in your application. We do not require individual score reports if a MyBest Score is submitted.
If you have not earned an undergraduate degree at an institution where English was the sole official language of instruction, but you have successfully completed a graduate degree at a school that meets this criteria, you are not required to submit official results from an accepted English proficiency exam. If you meet these conditions, in order to qualify for an English proficiency exam waiver, evidence of your conferred graduate degree must be displayed on the relevant academic transcript or course-by-course evaluation.
If you have completed or are in the process of completing your undergraduate degree at an international institution where English is the sole official language of instruction, please contact your department's admission inbox to inquire about your eligibility for an English proficiency exam waiver. You will be asked to provide an official document from your institution confirming that English is the sole official language of instruction.