Online Graduate Certificates in Science Education

 Welcome

Registration and MyInfo

Accessing Online Courses

Software for Students

Program of Study

Health Insurance

FAQ

Welcome to the Science Education Graduate Certificates program!

The MSSE staff are your primary “point people” on campus.  Visit with us first about any questions or concerns.  We are always happy to help!

After admission to the graduate certificate program, there are several MSU requirements to be addressed:

• Immunization Records are required for all students before coming to campus. Information on what records are required and how to submit them are found on the University Health Partners website. If you are starting the program with only taking online courses, then you can have the Immunization hold lifted by emailing immune@montana.edu and let them know you are taking online courses for the upcoming term and need the hold lifted to register. 
• Prevention Education modules are required for all new MSU students, regardless of graduate-level status. Information on the modules and deadlines to complete them can be found on the Prevention Education website.

Once admitted, please do the following:

1.  Fill out a Graduate Program of Study Worksheet and email it to your Academic Advisor.

• View the Curriculum page to choose courses that you want to take in your selected Certificate option.
• For assistance with course selection and timeline planning, please contact the Academic Advisor Holly Thompson at hollythompson@montana.edu.

2.  Clear up any holds that you might have on your Student Account. Holds may prevent you from registering for classes. To see if you have any holds, log into your My Info account, then go to "Student Services", then "Student Records" to view any holds you might have. Contact the Student Support Manager for any questions about holds that you might have.

Note: Students who have not filled out a Program of Study (POS) will have a hold on their accounts after the completion of their first semester. See below for more information on submitting the POS.

• View upcoming science education courses by going to the Course catalog page and choose the semeter under the Courses by Semester  dropdown menu at the top of the page.
• Register for classes through the MyInfo system. Get your advisor PIN by contacting your advisor at hollythompson@montana.edu or 406-994-7485.

Registration and MyInfo

How to Register

Prior to registration, there are a few steps you must take:

• Claim your NetID and login to your MyInfo. This is a secure platform that is used as your student portal pertaining to registration, billing, transcripts and so on.
  • Explore and familiarize yourself with the platform tabs.

• Ensure your Immunization Hold is lifted.

In order to register, the MSSE program requires you to meet with the MSSE Academic Advisor, Holly Thompson, to discuss a plan of study. Please email  hollythompson@montana.edu to schedule. To prepare for this meeting:

• First, explore the MSSE Course Catalog and review the Courses by Semester tool to see the most current course listings for each term.
• By clicking on the course link itself, the course description and any textbook requirements will be available.
• An email from the MSSE office was sent after your completed admission to the program, with an advising checklist to get you started.
• See the sections below for further information about your Program of Study (POS).

How to Pay

Your bill will be available in your MyInfo under the Student Services tab, then Electronic Billing and Payment.

Note: Your bill may not be immediately available. Once Student Accounts activates a term’s billing process, bills will become available, and you will be required to Confirm Account/Attendance.  

Payment options:

• Pay online through MyInfo using the QuickPay feature.
• If you’re solely using Financial Aid, please connect directly with the MSU Financial Aid Office to confirm your award has been processed. Or check your financial aid status through the MyInfo system. 
• If you’re using a third-party pay (e.g. your school district is paying upfront), you will want to connect with Student Accounts and Financial Aid on how the payment should be accepted.

Financial Aid

There are various forms of Financial Aid available to graduate students. Please visit the MSU Financial Aid page or the MSU Cat Scholarship page for more information

• Please note that, in order to utilize Federal Student Loans, you must be enrolled in a minimum of six credits every term.
• In order to move into a Student Loan Referral status, you must be enrolled in a minimum of six credits every term. Please contact the Registrar’s Office for questions on Proof of Enrollment with your lender.

How to Add/Drop Courses

It is strongly advised to consult with the MSSE Academic Advisor, Holly Thompson, prior to adding or dropping courses.

• Dropping a course may have an impact on your Financial Aid or Loan Deferment Standing.
• Dropping a course may impact your Program of Study and timeline to degree completion.
• It is critical to understand the Add/Drop Deadlines from the Registrar’s Office. Review the Add/Drop Schedule  before you consider adding or dropping.
• Dropping a course beyond the open drop dates may result in a “W” for the course, which permanently remains on your academic transcript.

How to Withdraw Entirely

It is required to consult with the MSSE Academic Advisor, Holly Thompson, prior to choosing to withdraw entirely. In many cases, alternative options exist before a withdrawal is necessary.

• It is critical to understand the University Withdrawal schedule as it quickly impacts any refund you are entitled to. Review the University Withdrawal schedule before you consider withdrawing.

DegreeWorks

An advising tool used by MSU to offer an online overview of degree completion to date. Housed in MyInfo under the Student Services tab, access this tool by clicking the DegreeWorks link.

• DegreeWorks is updated by the Graduate School once the Program of Study is approved.
• The Graduate School will utilize DegreeWorks to determine eligibility for term of application for graduation.

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Accessing Online Courses

Brightspace/D2L

Online learning platform used for all online MSU courses. It is access via the Brightspace (aka D2L) link using the same login information for MyInfo.

• Brightspace/D2L can be accessed 24 hours after initial registration.
• Confirmed registered courses will not be available in Brightspace/D2L until the day they are scheduled to start each term. Some instructors will open their courses a few days before the scheduled start date. 

Being a productive online learner can be initially challenging, but there are key aspects to understand.

• Each course is structured differently, but all are asynchronous and allow flexibility on when to login and complete assignments.
• It is crucial to immediately review syllabi to obtain a strong sense of course assignment deadlines and expectations.
• Instructors are able to see how often students login to their course, so regular participation and communication is recommended.

Support for new online learners

• Basic support questions on the platform itself can be found under Brightspace/D2L Getting Started
• In short, pay attention to deadlines and maintain organization for multiple courses at a time.
• Always reach out to instructors first for questions and concerns about the course.

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Software - Free to students!

MSU holds campus-licensed software for students including, but not limited to, the following:

Office 365 which includes:

• Office for Windows applications: Word*, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, PowerPoint, OneDrive, Access
• Office for Mac applications: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote

Adobe Creative Cloud which includes: Acrobat Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator, and more. 

For a full list of campus-licensed software available to students, please visit the link provided in the UIT Student webpage.

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Online Learning Platform

 http://www.montana.edu/ecat/technical/index.html

What is a Program of Study?

A Program of Study (POS) is a document required by the Graduate School that outlines your timeline to complete the graduate certificate (minimum 12 credits). This document is due by the end of the first term of enrollment in a certificate program.

• A POS is amendable. If a student chooses to make changes to their POS they should first consult with their academic advisor to make sure they are still on track to graduate.
• A revision form can be submitted to add or remove courses to a POS if those courses have not been assigned a grade on the transcript. There are no fees associated with revisions.
• If any type of grade is earned, including an “incomplete”, the course must be finished and remain on the POS, barring extraordinary circumstances
• Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA as well as a grade of “C” or better for each course for a course to count towards program completion.
• Once the POS is approved by the Graduate School, DegreeWorks will be updated to reflect the plan of study.

Preparing the Program of Study

In partnership with the MSSE Academic Advisor, Holly Thompson, a Program of Study (POS) can be developed by reviewing the Certificate Curriculum and the MSSE Course Catalog. The Courses by Semester drop down tool located at the top of the course catalog can be useful to see what is typically taught each semester. You can use the MSSE Program of Study Worksheet to draft a plan to share with your Academic Advisor. 

Submitting the Program of Study (POS) Form

The MSU Graduate School requires graduate certificate students to submit their POS by the end of their first semester in the program. There is a $50 fee associated with submitting this form.

To submit your POS log into MyInfo, then go to Student Services > Graduate Program of Study Request.

In the form, you will enter the following:

• Department Head Email: graves@montana.edu
• Department Reviewer Email: hollythompson@montana.edu

• Your Committee Member should already be filled in as John Graves
• Recommended Courses: Select all courses you intend to take to complete the certificate (at least 12 credits). Please include the semester and year. 
• Additional Graded Courses: These are any courses that are not available in the Recommended Courses section. Must be approved by the academic advisor.
• Transfer/Non-Degree/Reserved Credits: These must be preapproved by the academic advisor. 
• Check the acknowledgment boxes and submit.

Once your POS is approved your DegreeWorks in MyInfo will be updated. If your course plans change, revisions can easily be made. There are no fees associated with POS revisions.

While you are completing the program:

• Follow your Program of Study. This is your roadmap to completing your certificate in a timely manner. We understand that sometimes "life happens" and we need to make changes, so please contact us if you need to make changes to your program of study.
• Coursework that is over 6 years old cannot be counted towards a Certificate Program of Study
• Coursework that is 3XX (or lower numbered) will not be applicable to Graduate Certificate requirements
• Pass/Fail credits are not allowed on a Graduate Certificate Program of Study
• No more than 1/3 of the coursework on a Graduate Certificate Program of Study may be 400-level.
• Be advised that only 3 credits of coursework on the Program of Study can be transfer work. Transfer credits are defined as credits coming from an outside institution, credits taken prior to being admitted to the certificate program in Continuing Education status at MSU, and credits reserved for graduate credit at MSU while pursuing a bachelor's degree.

In your final semester of the program, you must:

• Be registered for at least 1 credit in your final semester of the program. 
• Submit an Graduation Application for a Certificate (CERT); note there is a $20 fee associated with filing this document.
• You will need to pay this fee every time you submit this form. Thus, if you do not finish in the intended semester, you'll need to pay this fee again if you have to re-submit it.

Your certificate of completion will be mailed to you upon the successful completion of your final course(s). You will also have notation on your official MSU transcript that indicates you have completed this program.

Health Insurance

Health insurance is mandatory whenever you are enrolled for 6 or more academic credits. If you have your own insurance, you may waive participation in the student policy.

Students must waive health insurance each semester that they are registered for 6 or more credits. All online students may waive through MyInfo, MSU's online student information system, after they register. How?

If you experience difficulty while requesting a waiver or if you have questions, please call the student health insurance office at (406) 994-3199.

Students with fewer than 6 credits may be eligible for coverage depending on their enrollment circumstances. For more information, call (406) 994-3199.

For information about the student Blue Cross Blue Shield policy, including current rates, please visit the BCBS Student Health Insurance Plan website.

FAQ List

For More Information

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