Visiting Doctoral Students

Eligibility for VDS status at the College is reserved for:

1) doctoral students outside of Teachers College who are currently enrolled in a doctoral program at a regionally accredited institution within the United States, or its equivalent from a country other than the United States,

2) who have been invited by a current TC faculty member on full-time professorial appointment to collaborate on that faculty member’s research or by a current TC faculty member on full-time professorial appointment who has agreed to serve as a member of the visiting doctoral student’s dissertation committee.

Please note: Individuals who do not qualify as a VS (Visiting Scholar) or a VDS (Visiting Doctoral Student) are not eligible for visa sponsorship from the College.

Visa Sponsorship for VDS: If you are a currently enrolled doctoral student in a school outside of the United States and do require J-1 visa sponsorship from Teachers College, you will need to initiate this request by submiting the "Initial I-20/DS-2019 Request" via TC-Compass. Please note that the application will not be reviewed until after the VDS has been officially admitted as a non-degree student.  

If you are a currently enrolled doctoral student in a regionally accredited institution within the United States or are a currently enrolled doctoral student in a school outside of the United States but do not require J-1 visa sponsorship from Teachers College, you may apply directly to the Office of Admission. 

Non-degree students making their own arrangements for immigration/visa status do not need to apply to or communicate with the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS).

The application requires that the VDS have official written sponsorship from a current TC faculty member on full-time professorial appointment.  Teachers College does not provide visa sponsorship for non-degree students who are not officially sponsored by a current TC faculty member. 

In order to be eligible for admission, please see the requirements outlined by Admissions at the Office of Admission website.  

Enrollment Requirements for J-1 Sponsored VDS

Visiting doctoral students sponsored by Teachers College in J-1 non-degree student status are required to demonstrate full-time enrollment at Teachers College (9 credits or the equivalent).

Enrollment Options:

• Enroll full-time (9 credits), with at least 6 credits in courses offered in an in-person modality. The remaining 3 credits may be earned through online or hybrid courses.
• Enroll in an in-person course that has been designated as a full-time equivalent course for at least one credit. You may consult your faculty advisor regarding eligible full-time equivalent courses.
• Enroll in at least one in-person course credit and provide written documentation from the academic official responsible for the program explaining why the academic rigor, structure, and intensity of the curriculum warrant designation as a full course of study despite enrollment below the standard full-time credit threshold. Where applicable, the documentation should also confirm that the program meets any required clock-hour standards pursuant to 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(C) or 8 CFR 214.2(f)(6)(i)(D).

You will be required to select your full-time enrollment option when completing the Non-Degree DS-2019 Application through TC-Compass.