We extend a warm welcome to all the prospective students visiting Montana State University. Hearty congratulations to all the new students who have been admitted to MSU.

       Choosing to come to the US for education has become a very decision in India now, but the process itself involves a lot of details that need to be taken care off to secure an admission into a good university. Though education consultants in India take most of the burden out of our heads, it is always a good thing to know about the whole process.

       Now, if securing an admission is one of the steps, then getting to your university and settling into a very different culture and environment is another big step, not to forget the need to improvise on our cooking skills. Keeping all this in mind, we have divided this section into the following categories. Feel free to explore all these links to get all the information you need.

Application Process:

For Graduate School admission, please follow the instructions at Graduate Admission
For Undergradute admission, please follow the instructions at Undergrad Admission

Travel Information:

       Hearty congratulations to all you for making it into MSU. You will enjoy your time here. Now that you have been admitted, you will have to make travel arrangements and setup a communication between you and the department. Most departments have a Departmental orientation other that the School orientation. Book your tickets so that you report to your respective department well in time for both the orientations.

Reaching Bozeman:

       Bozeman is not connected by International direct flights. It is mainly connected to the following cities:

  • Salt Lake City (Utah)
  • Denver (Colorado)
  • Minneapolis (Minnesota)
  • Seattle (Washington State)
       People living on the eastern coast of India prefer to travel via Pacific route to either Los Angeles or San Francisco and then take connected flights via either Salt Lake City or Denver. People living on the western coast of India prefer Atlantic route (with one stop in Europe). Whichever the route be, expect a minimum of two stopovers between any major Indian city on your way to MSU. The airport in Bozeman is called the Gallatin Field Airport with BZN as the international airport code. It is usually advisable to bring a medical Insurance from India as it is less expensive and covers travel insurance as well.

Luggage Information:

This is a place where most of the students are in a dilemma what to carry and what not to. Read on and you should be able to decide.

CarryOn Baggage:
  • Carry a set of Xerox copies all of the documents
  • Passport (Visa)
  • I-20
  • Admission letter
  • Use traveler's checks for large amounts. (example: Course fees)
  • Carry just enough cash and change for emergencies. (~$200 should work)
  • Carry a set of clothes in case of emergencies.
  • Heavy books can be carried in your hand luggage or just held in hand.
Checked Baggage:
  • If you are reaching for Spring semester (January), please make sure you pack enough warm wear. Bozeman is a cold place and you will need all of them immediately after you land.
  • Bozeman DOES NOT have an Indian store. This city (Bozeman) is very small. It DOES NOT have an INDIAN store. So, please get all the masalas, Indian food and snacks that you can. (Sweets, Haldirams kind of stuff). Once you get here, ISA can be in touch with you and help you get all the extra supplies that you would need. Most of the Indian spices can be bought online.
  • Carry another set of Xerox copies of all the documents.
  • Carry any books that you might need here.
Before Leaving India:
  • Communicate your arrival well in advance to ensure an airport pickup (isa@montana.edu)
  • If you are a Graduate or Transfer Student, apply for graduate housing (FGHO) as soon as you are allotted a Banner ID no. School (there is a waiting list for on-campus housing, so the sooner the better. (VERY IMPORTANT!!!)
  • Contact other new students through the one of the forum channels to check if they can accommodate you temporarily or permanently.
  • While traveling, you can use Montana State University, Bozeman, MT- 59717 as your destination address

After Reaching Bozeman:
  • Report your arrival to the Office of International Programs (OIP), Culbertson Hall.
  • Get your ID Card (CAT Card)
  • Open your bank account
  • Visit your department officeGo to the FGHO and change your contact address to a local address
  • Look for temporary off-campus accommodation if you do not have one already.