Graduate School Newsletter

March 2024

Important Announcements

Did You Know? Graduation Requirement: Electronic Thesis & Dissertation (ETD) Formatting

The MSU Graduate School requires that all students who are writing a formal thesis or dissertation conform to standard formatting guidelines before they graduate. For students graduating in Spring 2024, the deadline to have your ETD formatting APPROVED (not just submitted) is Friday, May 3, 2024, at 5PM. If you will be writing a thesis or dissertation during your time at Montana State, we highly encourage you to begin your formatting now.

All formatting requirements and deadlines, as well as step-by-step formatting guides, can be found on the ETD website. We will also be hosting an ETD Formatting presentation on March 26th from 9:30-11:00AM in Roberts Hall 210 to go over these requirements. Staff from the Grad School, MSU Library, MSU Writing Center, and CPS will be available to answer questions.

Students may submit drafts for formatting feedback before submitting anything to their committee; we review formatting, not writing or content. Some students have already submitted just their front matter and chapter one or two. This is a great idea! By doing this, we can catch any formatting mistakes in the first chapter(s) before you make them throughout your entire document.

Next Steps in Your Career with AYCSS

Monday, March 4, 2024 | 1-2PM | SUB Room 233/235

The GradCat 360 Professional Development program and AYCSS team up to offer a "Next Steps in Your Career" presentation for graduate students. Learn what you can do now to prepare for a career transition after grad school. Graduate School Career Education Manager Joan Lorraine will cover topics such as networking, interviewing, and negotiating.

Coffee and doughnuts provided!

Compassion Project Workshops

Friday, March 8, 2024 | 3-5PM | Jake Jabs Hall Room 103
Friday, March 29, 2024 | 3-5PM | Jake Jabs Hall Room 103
Friday, April 12, 2024 | 1:30-3:30PM | SUB Ballroom A (Held after GradCat Spring Summit)

The MSU Graduate School and Compassion Project are offering three, 2-hour workshops to support graduate student well-being through art, mindfulness, and community-building. Compassion is a skill and practice that increases resilience, boosts well-being, helps us navigate conflict, and strengthens relationships. Guests can expect to be led in a group mindfulness practice, creative art activity, and small-group discussion. All graduate students are welcome - we hope you join us! Sign up for Compassion Project Workshops here.

GradCat Spring Summit

Friday, April 12, 2024 | 8AM-12:30PM | Strand Union Ballrooms

The GradCat Spring Summit is a conference-style, half-day event with several presentations and workshops geared specifically toward Grad Students. Join us in the SUB Ballrooms for breakfast and a day of engaging and informative sessions. Students may choose to attend any or all sessions. View last year's agenda at the GradCat Spring Summit webpage.

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

March 11-15 – Spring Break (no classes, offices open).
March 29 – University Day (no classes, offices open).
April 17 – Last day to drop classes with a "W" grade.
April 26 – Last day for master's and doctoral comprehensive examination or thesis/dissertation defense if the student plans to graduate Spring 2024.
May 3 – Last day for approval of thesis or dissertation (ETD) formatting by 5PM. Recommended submission well before the deadline. See ETD website for details.

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Funding & Fellowships

Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program (SCGSR)

The Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program creates a pathway for you to advance your PhD thesis research while working at a Department of Energy (DOE) National Laboratory, collaborating with world-class scientists, and using state-of-the-art facilities and cutting-edge scientific instrumentation. While maximizing the impact of your own research, you will also expand your professional network and develop new opportunities for your future.

For more information and to apply, visit the SCGSR Program website. Next cycle's applications due May 1st.

Identify Scholarships and Research Funding for Your Graduate Education!

The MSU Graduate School maintains a Funding & Fellowships webpage listing various ways you may find funding throughout your time at MSU.

The University of Illinois has an excellent Fellowship Finder featuring awards that are open to grad students from any university. It features several filters to aid your search.

The National Research Council postdoctoral program is used by federal agencies across the country to support postdoc searches. This is a great place to look when you are close to finishing your PhD and the salaries are quite good. Quarterly application deadlines.

For more funding opportunities, visit MSU's Research Funding Opportunities and the MSU Graduate School's Funding and Fellowships webpage.

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Workshops & Events

"Eudaimonic" Happiness Workshop

Thursday, March 28, 2024 | 12:00-2:30PM | Zoom

The graduate school journey can be exciting and arduous. It can be emotionally challenging and stressful even when it's going well. Research reveals that graduate students in STEM fields can encounter even higher rates of stress than other grad students and the general public. Sources of grad-student stress include difficulty with life-work balance, feelings of impostor syndrome, isolation, financial challenges, and power imbalance. Graduate Students are invited to join Dr. Sommers-Flanagan and explore the concept of happiness and ways to cultivate it.

For more information and to register, visit the Happiness Workshop registration link.

First-Generation Graduation Celebration

Thursday, May 2, 2024 | 4-6PM | Strand Union Rooms 233/235 and Leigh Lounge

The First-Generation Committee is very excited to announce the inaugural First-Generation Graduation Celebration this spring on May 2, 2024 from 4-6pm! This celebration’s purpose is to celebrate first-generation students who will be graduating in the spring, summer, or fall of 2024. All First-Gen graduates who sign up will receive a blue and silver graduation cord to be worn at University Commencement.

If you are a first-gen student who is graduating in the fall, summer, or spring of this year and are interested in being celebrated at the First-Generation Graduation Celebration, please sign up on the first-gen website. If you are unable to attend, but still want the cord, please still RSVP and note that you will not be able to attend the ceremony.

Professional Development: GradCat 360

GradCat 360 is a comprehensive professional development program for graduate students at Montana State University. It is a series of programs and events designed by the Graduate School and departments across campus that center around nine focus areas. These areas are tailored to help students cultivate a unified set of skills and knowledge for educational success and professional preparation.

Check out our GradCat 360 Event Calendar, specifically curated for Graduate Students. We are constantly updating the GradCat 360 calendar with workshops and events that are uniquely useful for graduate students.

MSU Writing Center

The MSU Writing Center offers ongoing support to students working on graduate-level writing.