FAQ

If you've already been accepted to MSU, you'll need to attend an orientation session. At your orientation session, you will register for courses, connect with an academic advisor,  learn to use the MSU course planning and class registration systems.

You'll register for classes at your orientation session. Before you register, you'll speak with a CLS advisor to talk about degree requirements, and answer any questions you have. Your facutly advisor will be assigned prior to the start of your first semester. 

Each student is assigned an academic advisor by the department's Academic Services Coordinator. You can reach out at history@montana.edu with questions about how we assign advisors.

Please contact your advisor to set up an appointment to discuss any questions you may have on curriculum, career paths or other advising needs.  

You can find your advisor by logging into MyInfo -> Student Services -> Show Advisor. We recommend checking your advisor every semester prior to advising/registration. Although we try to keep your faculty advisor consistant, when faculty on leave and sabbaticals we often have to reassign advisors for a semester or more. 

An advising meeting is required to receive your registration pin. Please contact your advisor to schedule an advising meeting. 

If you have no advisor listed in Degree Works, or on MyInfo, please contact us at 406-994-4395 or by emailing history@montana.edu, and we can assign you a new advisor. 

If you switched majors, it may take a few days for you to be assigned a new advisor. If you do not hear from us for more than a week after switching, please contact us at 406-994-4395 or by emailing history@montana.edu.

Please contact the department at 406-994-4395 or history@montana.edu to be assigned a minor advisor. Please note: you are not required to meet with your minor advisor every semester, but your minor advisor will need to sign off on your degreeworks for graduation. 

If you feel more comfortable talking with a specific faculty member, or your current advisor is gone (i.e. on sabbatical, research trips etc.) please contact the history office about switching advisors. We will be able to answer questions about who is advising, or find another person who fits with your research interests. Please contact us at 406-994-4395 or by emailing history@montana.edu

If you're thinking about switching majors, you should make an appointment with your current advisor to talk about your options. We also encourage you to talk to a faculty member in the department you are considering swithcing to. If you decide that changing majors is the right decision for you, the academic services coordinator in your NEW department can assist you with your curriculum change request. 

Transfer students have an orientation session at the beginning of every semester. Information is included in your Admissions packet, or can be found on the Office of Admissions' transfer students page. If you would like to schedule a one-on-one with a department advisor, please contact us at 406-994-4395 or by emailing history@montana.edu

Visit the Admissions page regarding transferring credit for up to date processes on credit transfers. Please note: transfers can take serveral weeks to process. Please reach out to admissions if your credits are not showing in DW. 

You will be assigned a faculty advisor by the department. 

The first time you register, you'll get your pin during orientation. After that, you'll have to meet with your advisor to receive your pin.

Visit the Office of Admissions' Transferring to MSU Page to find more information about transferring to Montana State University.

If you're trying to transfer to another university besides MSU, please contact that university directly. If you need something (like syllabi or course descriptions) please contact us at 406-994-4395 or by emailing history@montana.edu

Yes! We encourage our students to take advantage of the study abroad opportunities offered. Studying abroad requires planning in advance so we suggest you start thinking about it early and have a conversation with your academic advisor. 

The best place to start is the Study Abroad website. 

Estimating credit transfers is tricky because we are not able to guarantee credit hour conversions prior to receiving your international transcript and evaluating it.

However, you can get an idea of credit conversions by reviewing the Montana State University Credit Hour Policy. At MSU, one credit of instruction should be 45 hours of combined direct instruction (counting a 50-minute class as 1 hour of instruction) and out of class student work. This means that every 15 hours of classtime will generally transfer back as one credit.

Official transcripts from host universities take time to be received and processed. Please allow at least one semester after you've returned for all of the following credit transfer steps to be completed.

1. International Transcript received by MSU Study Abroad. International transcripts must be received directly from the host intitution or study abroad provider and will not be accepted from the student. A copy of your international transcript will be uploaded to your My Global Connection account for personal use.
   
2. Transcript evaluated by MSU Study Abroad - We must have the most up to date Study Abroad Course Approval Form for evaluation.
3. Transcript sent to Registrar's Office for input onto your MSU transcript.
4. Once they are entered onto your MSU transcript, the Exceptions Manager for your major will be able to enter exceptions on Degree Works based on your updated Study Abroad Course Approval Form.