Credits obtained in French courses taken for the MA or MAT in French can count towards Certification in French, and vice-versa. This is because Certification is not a degree. Even though students take classes for it at institutions of higher education like MSU, Certification remains a program under the control of the State of New Jersey.

One cannot count the same course for two degrees. For instance, someone with an awarded MA in law or business cannot count courses taken in that MA toward an MA in French.  Credits taken in one MA can count toward another only if the previous MA degree was never completed. Only a maximum of 6 credits can be transferred in this fashion and only if the Graduate Program Coordinator approves them as being relevant to a student's course of study.

Students at the MA level can only count two 400-level (undergraduate) courses towards their MA

Students can transfer only a maximum of 6 credits from another institution, at the discretion of the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Courses taken for the NYU proficiency test do not count towards the MA program in French, nor the teacher certification in French. MSU policy does not allow this.

The Praxis II Subject Assessment test is required of all students seeking certification in French.

Students applying for admission to the MA or MAT in French must satisfy the standard College requirements for admission to graduate study. International students are required to have as part of their application file the World Educational Services (WES) course equivalency evaluation, as well as adequate Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) results. TOEFL is required of all students who have degrees from institutions where English is not the language of instruction. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is also required of all students (citizens and non-citizens of the United States) seeking to enter the program. Scores from these tests must be sent to MSU directly by ETS (Educational Testing Services), the organization that administers the above tests. As of December 2003, Montclair State requires GRE scores of at least 425 in the Verbal and Quantitative components, and 2.5 in the Writing Assessment. TOEFL scores must be 550 minimum. International students who earned graduate and undergraduate degrees in a country where English is not the official language will also be asked to take the MSU ESL placement test and score at Level IV or higher. The students who are admitted but did not score at this level may be required to take English classes that will help them improve their abilities in English.