Orientation for Freshman Students
Welcome to the Bobcat Family!
We are very excited for you to start your academic career at Montana State University! Orientation/Class Registration is your introduction to academic and non-academic life at Montana State University. All new students are required to attend an Orientation/Class Registration session. Through our Orientation/Class Registration program, students will have the opportunity to:
- Register for semester courses
- Connect with your Academic Advisor
- Engage with MSU course planning and class registration systems
- Learn how to use University services and resources
Click or tap on one of the options listed below to learn more.
Sessions & General Information
Start Term of Fall 2022
Registration for Fall 2022 Orientation/Class Registration will open on February 15, 2022.
All incoming freshman are required to participate in one of our Orientation/Class Registration sessions. During Orientation/Class Registration, students will meet their Academic Advisor and register for their Fall 2022 semester courses.
Orientation/Class Registration for Fall 2022 will consist of a short online "pre-Orientation" program hosted through CatsConnect and a two and a half day in-person Orientation/Class Registration program held on the MSU campus. Both components are mandatory.
- "Pre-Orientation" will be hosted on the CatsConnect platform and will cover several items that students should take care of before meeting with their Academic Advisor. These items will include things such as math and writing placement, submitting immunization records, etc. Students can complete online pre-Orientation as soon as Monday, May 2nd in advance of their selected on-campus Orientation/Class Registration session.
- Orientation/Class Registration will take place in-person on the MSU campus over two and a half days. Students will meet with their Academic Advisor and register for classes while in-person
and on-campus. Students cannot register for classes before the in-person sessions. We will offer four sessions for which students may register:
- Monday – Wednesday, June 13 – 15, 2022 (FULL)
- Monday – Wednesday, June 27 – 29, 2022 (FULL)
- Monday – Wednesday, July 11 – 13, 2022 (FULL)
- Saturday – Tuesday, August 20 – 23, 2022*
*The August Orientation/Class Registration programming will not be longer, but scheduling revolves around the beginning of the school year.
We strongly encourage students to participate in a June or July session, allowing them to get registered for classes well before the fall semester begins. Check-in will take place from approximately 8:00-10:30 AM on Monday morning and check-out will take place by 2:00 on Wednesday for June and July sessions.
The Orientation Office will arrange lodging for the nights you are required to stay on campus. If you need additional lodging outside of those required nights, please see available options here. If you cannot, or prefer not, to stay on campus during your Orientation/Class Registration session, please register for the August Orientation, which takes place at the end of August prior to the start of the fall semester.
The full Orientation/Class Registration program requires a non-refundable $135 Program Fee that directly covers a student's on-campus lodging for the two nights spent on campus of in-person Orientation/Class Registration and the six meals starting with lunch on the first day and ending with breakfast on the third day. It also helps cover additional programmatic costs such as student Orientation Leader pay, online pre-Orientation maintenance, mailings, etc.
Please see our Orientation/Class Registration Frequently Asked Questions for additional questions.
Start Term of Summer 2022
Freshmen 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 register for an available Orientation/Class Registration session that occurs before the start of the summer course you intend to take.
Non-degree seeking freshman students that are only taking classes at MSU for the singular 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 2023
Information regarding Spring 2023 Orientation/Class Registration will be available here soon.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Orientation Office at (406) 994-2827, toll-free at (888) MSU-CATS or via email at [email protected].
Specialized Orientations
Veteran Orientation
Incoming freshman students who are active duty or former active duty veterans, national guard members or reserve members can register for a specialized Veteran Orientation through their Undergraduate Admissions Checklist on MyInfo. Contact the Veteran Support Center at (406) 994-3661 or [email protected] for more information.
Non-Traditional Student Orientation/Class Registration
The Non-Traditional Student Orientation/Class Registration Program is designed to meet the needs of incoming non-traditionally aged students who are attending college for the first time. This program is by invitation only. Eligible students will be notified.
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. 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.
If you have 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 MT at 1-888-MSU-CATS.