New Jersey Statutes & Regulations
Regarding Academic Degrees
N.J.S.A. 18A:3-15.1. Deceptive diploma practices
A person shall not with the intent to deceive buy, sell, make or
alter, give, issue, obtain or attempt to obtain any diploma or
other document purporting to confer any academic degree, or which
certifies the completion in whole or in part of any course of
study in any institution of higher education.
L. 1986, c. 87, s. 1, eff. Aug. 14, 1986.
NJ.S.A. 18A:3-15.2. Use of fraudulent degree
A person or other legal entity shall not use, or attempt
to use, in connection with any business, trade, profession or occupation
any academic degree or certification of degree or degree credit,
including but not limited to a transcript of course work, which
has been fraudulently issued, obtained, forged or altered. A person
shall not, with intent to deceive, falsely represent himself as
having received any such degree or credential.
L. 1986, c. 87, s. 2, eff. Aug. 14, 1986.
N.J.S.A. 18A:3-15.3. Letter designation restricted
A person shall not append to his name any letters in the
same form designated by the Commission on Higher Education as entitled
to the protection accorded to an academic degree unless the person
has received from a duly authorized institution of higher education
the degree or certificate for which the letters are registered.
For the purposes of this section, a duly authorized institution
of higher education means an in-State institution licensed by the
Commission on Higher Education or an out-of-State institution licensed
by the appropriate state agency and regionally accredited or seeking
accreditation by the appropriate accrediting body recognized by
the Council on Postsecondary Education* or the United States Department
of Education.
L.1986,c.87,s.3; amended 1994,c.48,s.36.
*- The Council for Higher Education Accreditation is the successor
entity to the Council on Postsecondary Education. For
a list of recognized regional accrediting bodies, please scroll
to the bottom of this page or click here.
N.J.S.A. 18A:3-15.5. Civil penalty
Any person who violates any provision of this act is liable
to a civil penalty of $1,000.00 for each offense, which shall be
collected pursuant to the provisions of "the penalty enforcement
law," N.J.S. 2A:58-1 et seq.
L. 1986, c. 87, s. 5, eff. Aug. 14, 1986.
Licensure
Rules - Subchapter 8
Fraudulent Academic Degrees
9A:1-8.1 Protected degree designations for earned degrees
(a) No person shall use or append to his or her name any academic
degree
designation, letters, derivatives thereof, or other designations
as evidence of having earned an academic degree unless
a duly authorized institution of higher education as defined
in Section 3 of P.L.1986, c.87 (N.J.S.A. 18A:3-15.3) conferred
the degree.
1. In states without a licensing requirement for institutions
of higher education, a duly authorized institution of higher education is one that is
regionally accredited or accredited by the appropriate
accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Secretary of
Education or one that is seeking such accreditation.
2. Regarding institutions located outside of the U.S. or its
possessions, a duly authorized institution of higher education is one that is recognized
by the appropriate body in the particular country
provided that the institution’s
requirements for awarding degrees are generally
equivalent to those accepted in the U.S. by an accrediting
body recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.
9A:1-8.2 Honorary degrees Any person who has received an honorary degree shall follow the
academic degree or the letters used to abbreviate
such a degree with the word “Honorary” or “Hon.” in parenthesis
when representing himself or herself as having received such
a degree or credential.
NJ Department
of Education Rules
For
teacher certification, the regulations of the New Jersey Department
of Education generally require a baccalaureate
degree from a regionally accredited institution
of higher education. Visit the NJ Department of Education
Licensure and Credentials web
page on this topic.
SEARCH the
U.S. Dept. of Education Listing of Postsecondary Educational Institutions
and Programs Accredited by Accrediting Agencies and State Approval
Agencies Recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education.
SEARCH The
Council for
Higher Education Accreditation Database
of Institutions Accredited By Recognized United States Accrediting
Organizations.
U.S. REGIONAL
ACCREDITING BODIES*
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- Western Association
of Schools and Colleges
* Please note that institutions without recognized
accreditation may claim accreditation from a body with a name similar
to a legitimate one.
Accreditation & "Diploma
Mill" Resources |
