- How do I establish in-state residency?
In-state admission and fee status is granted to those individuals who have demonstrated over a period of time that their permanent residence is Montana, a state which they have supported through the payment of appropriate taxes. In general, a person must meet six requirements to qualify for in-state status. Please see http://www.montana.edu/wwwdg/cat_res&fees.shtml for a list of these requirements.
Students initially classified as out-of-state, or non-resident students must live and pay taxes in Montana for one year, taking no more than six (6) credits each semester during that year, in order to be able to successfully petition for residency. Students that come to Montana based on the verifiable offer of full time employment may be eligible for residency prior to the standard one-year limit.
- I took graduate courses at another university. Can I transfer those courses to MSU?
Yes, provided the following conditions are met (in addition to meeting all other course requirements): 1. The courses must have been taken at a regionally accredited 4-year college or university, 2. The student must have been in a degree seeking status at either MSU or the other university at the time the courses were taken, 3. The courses must be considered to be eligible for inclusion on a graduate program at the other university, 4. A grade of "B" or better must have been earned in the course, 5. No "P", "S" or other non-traditional grades are acceptable, and 6. A minimum of 2/3 of the required credits for a degree must be taken from MSU-Bozeman.
- I need to / want to take a semester off. What do I have to do?
MSU has a continuous enrollment policy. However, a masters or doctoral student may apply for a leave of absence for a maximum of three (3) semesters (not necessarily consecutive). Students who wish to take time away from their graduate program should contact the College of Graduate studies to apply for a leave of absence. Students should also make sure their advisor and department are informed of their plans. Students must understand that the six and ten year limits for completion of Masters and Doctoral degrees respectively are cumulative time from the start of the degree program.
Continuous enrollment as defined below is required of all graduate students in order to encourage students to complete their programs in a timely fashion. Masters students must register for a minimum of three credits each semester (a total of three during the summer sessions) after the completion of the required course work or after the student passes the comprehensive examination, whichever comes first. Doctoral students must register for a minimum of three credits each semester (a total of three during the summer sessions) after passing the comprehensive examination.
- I want to change my program of study – what do I do?
Submit the change on a "Change of Program Form". Make sure that all rules and regulations concerning the appropriate use and number of courses on a Graduate Program of Study are observed. Courses that have been completed with a grade issued may not be removed from a program of study. A student must repeat any course on the program of study where they earn less than a "C-". Additional information can be found online at ./catalog.shtml.
- I want to change my committee – what do I do?
Submit a Graduate Committee Revision Form with the change(s), reason(s) for the change(s), and signatures of those individuals being added or removed.
- I’m having problems scheduling my comprehensive exam/defense with all of my committee members. Can I change my committee for just the exam?
No. The Division of Graduate Education frowns on any practice where expediency outweighs the quality of a graduate program or graduate student education. The committee that advises a student from the beginning of their graduate career, and which was presumably selected based on the professor's ability to support the student's research, should be the committee that also examines the student. Students should make every effort to schedule committee related events as far in advance as practical to increase their chances of successfully coordinating committee member's schedules in time to satisfy CGS event deadlines.
- What are the requirements for formatting my thesis/dissertation?
The requirements for formatting thesis and dissertations can be found on the ETD web page at www.montana.edu/etd.
- I’m ready to take my comprehensive exam (or defense) – what do I do?
The student should make sure that his or her advisor concurs with their level of preparedness. Assuming the Advisor agrees that the student is ready for the comprehensive exam and/or defense, the student needs to schedule the event so that ALL members can be present. For the public presentation portion of a thesis or dissertation defense, the student should ensure that the time and place are announced at least two weeks prior to the presentation. The announcement must be posted and submitted to the College of graduate Studies for posting in the "What's New" section of their web site.
- I’m ready to graduate – now what?
Admissions