Graduate School Newsletter

August 2024

Message from the Dean

Welcome to the Fall semester! Whether you are just starting your graduate program or getting ready to defend your thesis, I hope this semester is exciting, fulfilling, and healthy for you.

I encourage you to build community with your fellow students, whether they are taking online classes with you, or in the same research group, or fellow members of a student organization. Being connected and helping each other is so important.

As always, graduate students are the very best students at MSU. I hope you have a great semester.

Your Graduate Dean,
Craig

Important Announcements

Exciting in-person events are happening on campus to kick off the new school year! If you're near Bozeman, we invite you to join us. For those taking online courses, each department also offers online resources to support you. Everyone is welcome to participate and stay connected!

New Students: GradCat Kickoff

Tuesday, August 20 | 9-11AM or 1-3PM | Romney Hall 008

GradCat Kickoff is the Grad School's orientation event for new students. This event consists of a welcome from Dean Craig Ogilvie, a student panel, and a well-being activity. It is a wonderful way to begin your graduate journey, start networking, and learn about how to move through your graduate journey. Only one session is required. Refreshments will be provided!

New Students: Convocation and First Meal

Tuesday, August 20 | 4-5:30PM | Brick Breeden Fieldhouse

MSU’s First Year Student Convocation and First Meal is the formal welcome of the incoming class, where the university focuses attention on the start of the academic, intellectual, and personal journey of first-year students. Tommy Orange, an author whose novels chronicle contemporary Native American life, will speak at Convocation.

New graduate students are encouraged to attend! We will gather on the west side of Brick Breeden Fieldhouse on the patio at 3:30PM and make an entrance as a group. After, we will go to the FREE First Meal event on Romney Oval at 5PM.

New and Returning Students: Welcome/Welcome Back Picnic

Friday, August 23 | 3:30-5PM | Lawn on North Side of Montana Hall

The Graduate School will be hosting its annual Welcome/Welcome Back Picnic event for new and returning graduate students on Friday, August 23rd from 3:30-5:00PM on the north side lawn of Montana Hall. This event is a great way for students to get to know their own departments as well as make new connections across campus. Appetizers will be provided by the Graduate School. Bring a blanket or something to sit on and help us kick off the new academic year!

New and Returning Students: Wellness Champions Application

To support the well-being of graduate students, department-level initiatives are key – both in running local well-being events, but also to help change culture and practices. A $500 fellowship ($250 per semester) is available for graduate student wellness champions who will advocate and organize well-being events in their departments. This fellowship is to support the student for organizational work during the academic year. For more information, please read the Graduate Wellness Champion position description (PDF). Graduate Wellness Champion Applications are currently open for the 2024-2025 academic year.

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

Aug. 21 – Classes begin!One-credit Extension deadline, 5PM ETD formatting approval deadline. Last day for non-degree applications to be submitted.
Aug. 26 – Last day to self-add fall classes online.
Sept. 2 – Labor Day (no classes, offices closed).
Sept. 4 – Last day to self-drop fall classes online.
Sept. 11 – Last day to drop fall classes without a "W" grade.
Sept. 20 – Last day for graduate students to file for graduation in MyInfo or via a Graduation Application (only used when a student has applied for the same degree in a prior term).

Funding and fellowships graphic

Funding & Fellowships

Food Security Scholarships

Find more information and apply for the Food Security Scholarship here.

Food Security Scholarships provide students who experience food insecurity with a 25-pass meal plan to campus dining halls which can be used over the duration of the semester. If you are a student with barriers to accessing enough nutritious food, please consider applying. The Fall 2024 Scholarship application is open now and will close on August 28th, 2024 at 11:59pm.

Additionally, the Office of Health Advancement offers many other programs for a balanced lifestyle, including several programs for basic needs. Below are two additional food security assistance programs.

Bounty of the Bridgers Campus Food Pantry
The Campus Food Pantry offers free supplemental and emergency food assistance to students, faculty, staff, and families of MSU. Location: 1102 S. 6th , entrance is on the side of the building off Arthur St. Summer Hours: Monday and Wednesday from 1-5 pm, Tuesday and Thursday from 2-6 pm. Fall Hours: Monday-Thursday from 2-6 pm.
Saturday Pop-Up Pantry
The Pop-Up Pantry offers food assistance to students, faculty, staff, and families of MSU over the weekend at Family and Graduate Housing. This pantry location is the best place to get produce and bread for the week. Location: 1218 S. 15th St. Hours: Saturday from 1-3pm, or until supply is gone.

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.

Workshops and events graphic

Workshops & Events

Fall 2024 Mindfulness Based Graduate Mentorship Program (MBGMP)

The next offering of the Mindfulness Based Graduate Mentorship Program will occur during the Fall 2024 semester. The MBGMP is a program for graduate student mentees interested in learning how to mindfully cultivate and sustain functional mentoring relationships. In the program, graduate students gather weekly in peer community to inquire into questions around the qualities of effective mentorship, what functional relationships look like, and how to get support from mentors. MBGMP Applications are open now through August 30, 2024.

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.