back to top button  History

Montana State University was established on February 16, 1893, by an act of the State Legislature. The first term of instruction began on April 17 of that year. MSU is a land grant institution as authorized by the Morrill Act of 1862.

  • Montana State University - July 1, 1965
  • Montana State College - 1920
  • State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts - 1913
  • Agricultural College of the State of Montana - February 16, 1893

Click here to learn more about the history of Montana State University.

back to top button  MSU Presidents and Administrators

President Term
Dr. Waded Cruzado 2010-present
Dr. Geoffrey Gamble 2000-2009
Dr. Terry Roark (Interim)        1999-2000
Dr. Michael P. Malone 1990-1999
Dr. William J. Tietz 1977-1990
Dr. Carl W. McIntosh 1970-1977
Dr. Leon H. Johnson 1964-1969
Dr. Roland R. Renne 1943-1964
Dr. August L. Strand 1937-1942
Dr. Alfred Atkinson 1919-1937
Mr. James M. Hamilton 1904-1919
Mr. James Reid 1894-1904
Mr. Augustus M. Ryon 1893-1894

 

University Administration

Organization charts for MSU's central administrative offices are available as links below. Each chart is produced by the respective office and linked here for the user's convenience. Please address any questions about the charts to the appropriate office.

Organizational charts are available for the following offices:

A list of Central Administration, Deans, Assistant and Associate Deans, Department Heads, Directors is available here.

back to top button  Affiliated Campuses

On July 1, 1994, the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education restructured the state's colleges and universities into two umbrella universities, Montana State University and the University of Montana. Bozeman is the home campus for Montana State University, with the following affiliates:

Additional data for schools in the Montana University System are available through the MUS website. Please keep in mind that data may vary from that of our individual websites' reports; depending on when they were generated and what criteria were required, there can be slight differences. MSU's websites generally report data from a snapshot taken each Fall semester on the 15th class day for our reporting throughout the year.

back to top button  Accreditation

MSU has been accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU) since 1932. Eligible professional academic and service programs within the University are accredited by the following agencies:

  • Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (for Student Health Service)
  • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
  • Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND)
  • American Psychological Association (for PhD level Internships in Counseling and Psychological Services) (APA)
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
  • Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
  • Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
  • National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)
  • National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
  • National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
  • National Collegiate Athletic Association (for Intercollegiate Athletics) (NCAA)
  • Northwest Association of Secondary and Higher Schools
  • Society for Range Management (SRM)

back to top button  Academic Programs

MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields with many different options, graduate certificates in 12 fields, master's degrees in 68 fields, and doctoral degrees in 35  fields. MSU also offers a specialist degree in Education. The College of Nursing also offers a Certificate in Nursing Education option. For more information on specific programs, see:

MSU also offers associate degrees and other programs through Gallatin College.

For online degree and certificate programs.please visit our Academic Technology & Outreach website. 

back to top button  Athletics

MSU is a member of the NCAA Division I Big Sky Conference.

  • Men compete in football (I-AA), basketball, indoor and outdoor track and field, alpine and nordic skiing, cross country, and tennis.
  • Women compete in basketball, volleyball, indoor and outdoor track and field, cross country, tennis, alpine and nordic skiing, and golf.
  • Rodeo competition for men and women is conducted through the Big Sky Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association.

The school colors are blue and gold, and teams are nicknamed "The Bobcats."

For more information about Bobcat Athletics, contact

Leon Costello
Director, Department of Athletics
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717

or visit Bobcat Athletics online.

back to top button  Alumni

MSU has granted 133,651 certificates and degrees in its 128 year history (1893-2021). MSU has awarded 632 non-degree certificates, 582 Certificates of Applied Science, 132 Professional degrees, 395 Associates of Applied Science, 362 Associate's, 110,135 Bachelor's, 18,860 Master's, 26 Specialist degrees, and 2,527 Doctorates.

For more information about the Alumni Association, contact

Kerry Hanson
Vice President of Alumni Relations
Montana State University
Bozeman, MT 59717

or visit the Alumni Association online.

back to top button  Research and Economic Development

As a land-grant university, MSU has a long tradition of supporting basic and applied research and creative activity. The university’s overall research enterprise did $193 million in work for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021. That includes $138.6 million in competitively won federal, state, and private  funds, as well as $2.7 million in gift and state appropriated funds for research.

MSU currently (2021-2022) holds 63 patents for innovations and processes developed through faculty research, with 53 additional patents pending, and has 332 license and option agreements, 91 of which are with Montana companies. Visit Research and Economic Development online for more information about MSU's research programs.

back to top button  Montana Agricultural Experiment Station

The Montana Agricultural Experiment Station was established at MSU by acts of the Legislature of Montana in 1893 under authorization provided by the Hatch Act of 1887. The research program encompasses several academic departments, service divisions, and laboratories located at MSU and the following seven research centers located around the state:

In addition, the Fort Keogh Livestock and Range Research Station at Miles City is a cooperative program with the US Department of Agriculture.

Visit the Montana Agricultural Experiment Station online for more information.

back to top button  Montana Extension Service

The Extension Service was created by the federal Smith-Lever Act of 1914. Programs of the Extension Service are funded cooperatively through a legal partnership among federal, state, and county governments. Extension offices are located in 53 counties and seven tribal reservations, serving 56 counties. Programs address societal needs in the general areas of agriculture, family living, community and economic development, and youth development. Visit the MSU Extension Service online for more information.

back to top button  Information Contacts

Please see our online directories for phone numbers and e-mail addresses for individual faculty, staff, and students.