Important Next Steps - Please Read the Entire Page!

If you have not accepted your MSU offer, please do so now through the admissions portal. 

HOUSING
You should apply for housing at the same time you are applying to MSU, or as soon as you receive your offer. Campus housing is the most affordable in the area: University Student Apartments. If you are interested in living off campus, please review the link to the Off-Campus Marketplace (You will need to be offered admission to use this agency, as you will need to secure an MSU Net ID).

NOTE: The NetID is DIFFERENT than your MSU Student ID.
The NetID allows you to access many campus services, including student email, Microsoft Office, and the Library (e.g., p12x345). Your MSU Student ID is found on the bottom of your acceptance letter and begins with a dash (Example: -01234567). Be sure to include the dash when you use it. 

1. Clear Holds: You cannot register for classes UNTIL all holds have been cleared:

  • Students registered in a program with any on-campus time will have an Immunization & Tuberculosis Hold, which will prevent registration. Only students in totally online programs (with no in-person time) will not have these holds. Use the following link to download the forms you will need to submit to the Student Health Services. If you have any questions, be sure to direct them to the Student Health Service.The Graduate School cannot assist with any Student Health Services holds. If you decide to submit your forms, you can email them to: immune@montana.edu. 
  • If you received a Conditional Admission (as noted on your decision letter). If so, it may mean that you are missing certain official documents; please read your letter and send the official docs to the Grad School.

  2. Before you get started on registering, take a look at the following links. Check on course availability, descriptions, and more:

  • See this link to the Schedule of classes
  • See this link for Course descriptions
  • Please check with your department to see if they would like you to register yourself, as some will work with you to select your courses and may even register you for your first term (or more).
  • If you are unsure of which class to register for, contact your program advisor. 
  • If you know you can register, check the Registration Timetable link for dates when graduate students can register (Typically, late October for Spring registration and late March for Summer and Fall).

NOTE: If you experience a permission or prerequisite request, please get in touch with the department offering the course; they can assist with your registration. 

3. Steps to Registering as a Graduate Student:

We want to make MSU registration as simple as possible. Step-by-step instructions for our online registration system are available on the Office of the Registrar's Registration Instructions page. You should work through the step-by-step instructions and not skip any steps.  Please know that you CANNOT obtain your student email OR access Canvas until you have registered. 

As a New Graduate Student, your first-term Advisor Pin/Alternate Pin will be 423185 (This should not be confused with the number you used when you logged into MyMSU). This Advisor Pin is used when you register for the first time; after the first term, you will meet with your program advisor for future advising/registration pins.

After registering for courses, please REMEMBER to sign up for Orientation!

4. NetID & Email Address:

Please follow the link to obtain your MSU Net ID (if you haven't already). Your MSU email address will be generated AFTER you register for courses. If you were faculty/staff before applying to Montana State, you may want to update your personal/preferred email address.  You can review your emails in MyMSU under the Personal Information tab.

Are you a NEW Graduate Teaching or Research Assistant? Then read this:

  • Graduate TA's automatically get another email address that is intended to be used in relation to their TA work. The format for this new email address is  firstlast@montana.edu. In order to set the password for this new email address, you will reset your NetID password. Since the netID controls access to other accounts, this change will also change the password for all accounts/services associated with the netID. Please see this page for details: https://www.montana.edu/uit/facultystaff/neo.html
  • Once the netID password has been reset, grad students will need to log in to M365 using the new email address and whatever they changed the netID password to
  • Remember, anytime a netID password is updated, be sure to update the password on any connected device, e.g., cell phones, tablets, etc.

5. Training & Orientation: 

As a new graduate student to MSU, you will need to register for the new graduate student training and orientation. Once you register, you will have access to the training and orientation in Canvas (previously D2L/Brightspace) about 2 weeks prior to the start of term. This training covers topics such as: FERPA, Residency, Title IX, Office of Research Compliance & Ethical Conduct, Disability Services, Veteran Services, and other important information necessary for all new graduate students. There are two parts to the training: a general section and a section geared towards new Graduate Assistants.

6. MSU- Required Prevention Education Courses:

Online Education- Thriving Together 

As part of our comprehensive prevention program for new students, Montana State University requires all incoming students to complete Thriving Together. This online training is designed to help build a campus culture of safety and well-being and to help you and your peers thrive in your new campus community. This training addresses campus safety topics such as sexual assault prevention, substance use prevention, hazing, and mental health issues, including strategies to address these issues in healthy ways. This training does not include explicit descriptions and has been designed with an intentionally trauma-informed approach. You can access the training through our new learning platform, Canvas. You will also receive an email with instructions. Please ensure your preferred email address is listed in MyMSU. If you have any questions, please contact the Thriving Together Team, at thrivingtogether@montana.edu.

 

7. Cat Card

The CatCard is your identification card for Montana State University-Bozeman. You can use the CatCard to enter buildings, such as the Renne Library, access the Fitness Center (when applicable), and other areas on campus. As a new graduate student, you were automatically charged a $20.00 fee. Please bring a valid government-issued photo ID to the CatCard office. A CatCard cannot be issued without photo verification.

8. Cost of Courses, Financial Aid, Paying your Bill, and more

Please see the following for:

9. Cannot attend the term you were admitted? Request a deferral: 

This request must be made in writing to both The Graduate School and the admitting department (email is acceptable). If approved, a deferral can be for up to one (1) year (two (2) terms, not including summer term.

Note: Some departments will not allow a newly admitted student to defer their starting term.

  INFORMATION YOU SHOULD KNOW:

Please look at this link to learn more about the steps to completing a master's or doctoral degree.

Link to MSU's Graduate School Policy and Procedures.