Graduate School Newsletter

November 2025

Important Announcements

Message from the Dean

Hello all MSU graduate students,

We are now more than halfway through fall semester, and I hope your work is going well. I especially want to acknowledge first generation students this week. I personally benefitted from a family whose various members had bachelor’s degrees. I remember when I first went to college, my dad sat me down in the student union and made me a four-year plan from the catalog, since he knew that the catalog was the source of information regarding the requirements for the completion of the bachelor’s. I took that plan seriously and graduated in the four years.

However, first generation students work through the mysteries of the catalog and many other unknowns without the guidance of experienced family members. No doubt the families are supportive in many other important ways, but there is still an element of “breaking the mold” that first generation students navigate. Bravo, especially, to first generation graduate students, since they may be from families with members who have bachelor’s degrees but no graduate degrees. And we all know that graduate school is different from the undergraduate experience.

I hope you all make great progress in your work during the month of November. Please take a little time to feast and rest during the Thanksgiving break! Let us know if we can help you.

Deborah Haynes, Ph.D.
Dean
MSU Graduate School

First-Generation Student Week Nov. 3-7

Join the campus in celebrating National First-Generation Day with a week of special events, workshops, and exhibitions. Check out the First-Generation website for more info on the week's events.

The Psychology of Leadership- A Seminar for Graduate Students

Nov. 14th, 12:30-2:00pm, JABS 111

Interested in growing as a leader? Understanding the psychology behind group dynamics, communication, emotions, and behavior is a fundamental place to begin. Attend this seminar-style event with psychologist, Dr. Levenae Buggs, to learn and engage with a thoughtful discussion on leadership. Whether you’re working under a P.I. or leading an organization on campus, developing deeper awareness of yourself and others is critical in navigating hierarchical relationships and systems.

Complementary lunch will also be included at this event! Please RSVP for lunch.

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

Full List of Grad School Dates & Deadlines

November 11: Veteran's Day (no classes; offices closed)
November 12: Last day to drop classes with a "W" grade.
November 24-28: Fall Break (no classes; offices closed 11/27-11/28)
December 1: Last day for master's and doctoral comprehensive examination or thesis/dissertation defense if graduating fall 2025.
December 5: Last day for formatting approval of Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) by the formatting advisor. 5PM deadline.
Dec. 11: Last day of classes. Fall Semester ends. Last day to withdraw Graduation Application and file for One-credit Extension.

Funding & Fellowships

Critical Language Scholarship Applications Open for 2026

Applications for the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program are open until Tuesday, November 18^th at 5pm Eastern. The CLS Program provides immersive summer programs for U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to learn languages of strategic importance to the United States’ national security and economic prosperity. Participants receive the equivalent of one year of language study in eight weeks, through intensive language instruction and cultural activities that reinforce both language learning and intercultural competence.

For more information or to apply, visit the CLS Website.

MSU Launchpad Big Idea Challenge

MSU's Launchpad will host the Big Idea Challenge competition on Wednesday, November 19th starting at 5:30 pm in Jabs Hall.
This competition is open to all Montana State University students (undergraduate and graduate) and will feature $10,000 in prize money. All ideas are welcome, including but not limited to new products, services, non-profit ventures, and social impact focus.
The finalists will present their ideas in a 3 to 5 minute pitch on November 19th. This event will be held in Jabs Hall and is free and open to the public for viewing.

Questions? Contact the LaunchPad: info@msulaunchpad.org or 406-994-4383.

Identify Scholarships and Research Funding for Your Graduate Education!

The University of Illinois has an excellent Fellowship Finder featuring awards that are open to grad students from any university. It features several filters to aid your search.

The National Research Council postdoctoral program is used by federal agencies across the country to support postdoc searches. This is a great place to look when you are close to finishing your PhD and the salaries are quite good. Quarterly application deadlines.

For more funding opportunities, visit MSU’s Research Funding Opportunities and the MSU Graduate School's Funding and Fellowships webpage.

Workshops & Events

ETD Drop-In Hours

You can get help from the Formatting Advisor during weekly Drop-In sessions in the MSU Library. Additional sessions have been scheduled for November. For session information, please see the ETD website.

Graduate Wellness Champions

The Graduate School is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year. To support the well-being of graduate students, department-level initiatives are key – both in running local well-being events, but also to help change culture and practices. A $500 fellowship ($250 per semester) is available for graduate student wellness champions who will advocate and organize well-being events in their departments. This fellowship is to support the student for organizational work during the academic year. For more information, please visit the GradCat Wellness Champion Program website.

MSU Writing Center

Our graduate writing groups meet weekly and offer participants accountability, support, and feedback. The Writing Center provides the facilitator and the space. To join a Fall 2025 writing group, sign up here:

https://www.montana.edu/writingcenter/graduate-students/graduate-writer-support.html

Professional Development: GradCat 360

GradCat 360 is a comprehensive professional development program for graduate students at Montana State University. It is a series of programs and events designed by the Graduate School and departments across campus that center around nine focus areas. These areas are tailored to help students cultivate a unified set of skills and knowledge for educational success and professional preparation.

Check out our GradCat 360 Event Calendar, specifically curated for Graduate Students. We are constantly updating the GradCat 360 calendar with workshops and events that are uniquely useful for Graduate Students.