Orientation for Transfer, Veteran, and Non-Traditional Students
Welcome to the Bobcat Family!
We are very excited for you to join us for the start and/or continuation of your college career! Orientation/Class Registration is your introduction to academic and non-academic life at Montana State University.
During Orientation, students will have the opportunity to:
- Learn how to successfully transition to life at MSU
- Engage with University services and resources
- Connect with MSU staff, faculty, and Academic Advisors
- Engage with MSU course planning and class registration systems
- Register for semester courses
Program Overview
Transfer, Veteran, and International students are required to complete Orientation/Class Registration to register for their first semester courses.
We hope to see you join us at Montana State University! If you are ready to reserve your spot in your incoming class, make sure you register for Orientation/Class Registration! Orientation is required for all new MSU students and is when you register for classes. Signing up for Orientation is viewed as a student's intent to enroll.
The Transfer, Veteran, and Non-Traditional Orientation/Class Registration program consists of an online Orientation, which is required for all students, and, depending on your intended start term and student type, an optional or required in-person Orientation session:
- For incoming Summer and Fall Transfer and Non-Traditional students, in-person Orientation is optional. For incoming Spring Transfer and Non-Traditional students, in-person Orientation is required.
- For incoming Veteran and active duty students for Fall and Spring terms, there is a required in-person Orientation session.
The Orientation/Class Registration program requires a non-refundable Program Fee that directly covers programmatic costs such as Orientation maintenance, mailings, etc.
Online Orientation
Online Orientation/Class Registration is required for all incoming Transfer, Non-Traditional, and Veteran students and is designed to give you an overview of what is needed to start classes at MSU. The program is hosted through our CatsConnect platform and will review your admissions requirements, including any transfer credits or placement tests to be evaluated. The program will also give you an overview of various MSU technology platforms and teach you how to contact your Academic Advisor and register for classes.
In-person Orientation
An in-person Orientation session is hosted for incoming Transfer and Non-Traditional students prior to the start of term. During the in-person session, you will have the opportunity to meet with your academic college, attend various information sessions, and connect with other students. Veteran and active duty students will attend an in-person Orientation session hosted by MSU Veteran Services that will include information on documentation and VA education benefits.
Start Term of Fall 2025
Orientation Registration for Fall 2025 is open.
Transfer, Non-Traditional, and Veteran students wishing to enroll in courses in Fall 2025 must register for and complete the required Online Orientation. There will be optional in-person sessions August 17-19 for Transfer and Non-Traditional students, and Veteran students are required to attend an in-person Orientation session on Tuesday, August 19.
Online Orientation
Transfer, Veteran, and Non-traditional Student Orientation/Class Registration will be conducted online and is open for registration starting February 2025 and will kick off on May 1, 2025.
Online Orientation will cover several items that students must take care of before meeting with their Academic Advisor. Priority deadline to complete Online Orientation is Wednesday, July 9.
- Orientation will include items, such as:
- Course placement
- Sending final transcripts
- Submitting immunization records
- Online Orientation is self-paced and does not require students to login at specific times.
- As you progress through online Orientation, you will schedule a remote appointment with your Academic Advisor to discuss course registration. Students cannot register for classes until they complete their online Orientation pathway, which opens on May 1, 2025.
Transfer and Non-traditional Students
An optional in-person Orientation will be hosted on campus for incoming Transfer, Veteran, and Non-Traditional students from August 17 - 19, 2025. You will have the opportunity to meet your academic college, attend various information sessions, and connect with other students while at the in-person Orientation program. Once you have registered for Orientation, you will receive further details regarding the optional in-person session.
Veteran and Active-Duty Students
Veteran and active-duty military students are required to attend an in-person Orientation session hosted by MSU Veteran Services from 8:00am to 5:00pm on Tuesday, August 19. This session includes information on documentation and VA education benefits.
Start Term of Summer 2025
Orientation Registration for Summer 2025 is open.
Transfer students starting in the summer and intending to continue in the fall will need to complete a formal Orientation/Class Registration session during the summer term before registering for their summer and fall course schedules. Please complete the online Orientation before the start of the summer course you intend to take.
Non-degree seeking transfer students who are only taking classes at MSU for this single summer term do not need to complete a formal Orientation/Class Registration program to register for their summer courses. These students can contact the Academic Advising Center at (406) 994-3532 to discuss their summer course schedule and register for classes. Please note that if you decide to continue taking classes at MSU during the fall semester, you will be required to complete a formal Orientation/Class Registration program.
Start Term of Spring 2025
Registration for Spring 2025 Orientation is closed.
We hope to see you join us at Montana State University for the Spring 2025 semester! Orientation is required for all new students and is when you receive your Spring 2025 class schedule. Signing up for Orientation is viewed as a student's intent to enroll.
MSU’s Spring Transfer and Non-Traditional Orientation/Class Registration program consists of an online Orientation component and a half-day in-person program. Both components are mandatory.
Online Orientation
Opens December 2, 2024
Hosted online via CatsConnect.
Required In-person Orientation
January 13, 2025
Hosted on MSU campus.
Online Orientation
The online portion of Orientation must be completed prior to attending the half-day in-person program.
During online Orientation, students will progress through an online pathway in our CatsConnect platform where they will learn about MSU resources and services, explore MSU technology, and receive instruction on how to remotely connect with their Academic Advisor.
Students are not eligible to register/be registered for classes until they have registered for Orientation, completed the online pathway, and met with an Academic Advisor.
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Transfer, Veteran & International
- Orientation registration will open on November 4th.
- The online Orientation pathway for incoming Transfer, Veteran and Interntional students will open December 2nd (including advising and class registration) and must be completed before the start of the spring semester.
- The priority date to complete online pathways is January 3rd, but online Orientation will remain open until January 10th.
- Transfer, veteran, and international students will participate in online Orientation which includes instructions on how to request advising appointments. Students will receive pin during advising and can register once they have completed online pathway and met with advisor.
- Students that are not registered for courses by January 10th will register during in-person programming on January 13th.
- If students have questions about their schedule or would like to modify, they can do so during in-person Orientation on January 13th.
Freshman & Non-Traditional
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- Orientation registration will open on November 4th.
- The online Orientation pathway for incoming Freshmen and/or Non-Traditional students will open November 20th and must be completed before the start of the semester.
- Students are encouraged to complete their online Orientation pathway by the priority deadline on December 9th. Students that have completed the online Orientation pathway by this date may receive their course schedule prior to January.
- If students have completed online pathway (including placement, holds, questionnaire) by January 3rd, they will be pre-registered into courses by their Academic Advisor.
- Students that are not registered for courses by January 10th will register during in-person programming on January 13th.
- If students have questions about their schedule or would like to modify, they can do so during in-person Orientation on January 13th.
Students are not eligible to meet with an Academic Advisor and register for Spring 2025 classes until the dates outlined above.
Required In-person Orientation
Prior to the start of the Spring 2025 semester, a required in-person session will be held on January 13th from 8:00am – 12:00pm noon in the Strand Union Building (SUB). During in-person Orientation, students will progress through information sessions and meet other incoming Bobcats. Once you have registered for Orientation, you will receive further details regarding check-in, parking, etc.
Specialized Orientations
Veteran Orientation
Incoming Transfer students who are active duty or former active duty veterans, national guard or reserve members, and dependents of veterans that are using VA Educational Benefits can register for a specialized Veteran Orientation through your Undergraduate Admissions Checklist on MyInfo.
The Veteran Orientation/Class Registration program will consist of an online Orientation component and a full-day in-person program prior to the start of term. Both components are mandatory. Once you have registered for Orientation, you will receive further details regarding check-in, parking, etc.
Contact the Veteran Support Center at (406) 994-3661 or [email protected] for more information.
College of Nursing Students
If you have been formally admitted to the College of Nursing program and been officially placed on one of five campuses OR are in the accelerated Nursing program, please DO NOT sign up for Orientation.
If you are a student who has been generally admitted to MSU - Bozeman and have declared a Pre-Nursing major, you are required to register for and complete Orientation.
Contact the College of Nursing at (406) 994-3783 or [email protected] if you have questions about your requirements.
Non-degree Seeking Students
Incoming Non-degree seeking students are not required to complete a formal Orientation/Class Registration session before registering for their semester courses. These students can contact the Academic Advising Center at (406) 994-3532 to discuss their course schedule and register for classes.
Please note that if you decide to pursue a degree at MSU, you will be required to complete a formal Orientation/Class Registration program.
Questions? We're here to help.
Please see our Orientation/Class Registration Frequently Asked Questions for additional questions.
Please don't hesitate to reach out to us! You can email our staff at [email protected], or call us Monday - Friday, 8:00am-5:00pm MST at 1-888-MSU-CATS.