Graduate School Newsletter - Graduate School | Montana State University


	September 2026

	Important Announcements Message from the Vice Provost Dear Graduate Students, I hope your start to the Fall semester has been energizing and productive! It was great to see so many of you at our Welcome/Welcome Back Picnic last week. We trust that the picnic was a good opportunity for you to meet new people, re-connect with others, enjoy a meal, and pick up a Graduate School t-shirt! In this newsletter, you'll see many opportunities for professional development; we do encourage you to participate in all that you can. We are confident that the topics covered and the skill development you can expect to receive will help you be successful in your journey as a graduate student, regardless of your field of study. Thanks to the many campus partners whose expertise we rely upon to help deliver this programming! As always, if you have questions for the Graduate School, do not hesitate to contact us. Please take care of yourselves and Go Cats! Warmly, Matthew Lovern, Ph.D. GradCat 360: Invest in Your Success It’s easy to get caught up in the bustle of a new semester and feel like there just aren’t enough hours in the day for everything on your to-do list. But the secret to getting ahead isn't working more, it's working better. The Graduate Student Success team invites you to take the time to invest in developing skills and strategies to be more productive. Even recharging with a wellness break or making new connections on campus can make you more successful later. Join us for our fall professional development events and invest in your success. Sept 16, 3:15-4:30, Library Heathcote Classroom (lower level) Reading Without Dread: Navigating Complex Academic Articles, with MSU Library partners. Snacks provided. Sept 22, 11:30-1pm, SUB 235 Rewiring the Narrative: Identifying & Overcoming Negative Self-Talk, with CAPS partners. Lunch provided. Oct 6, 1:30-2:30pm, SUB 235 Finding Your Rhythm: A Supportive Guide to Graduate Writing & Focus, with Writing Center partners. Snacks provided. Oct 12-16 Wellness Week in The Graduate School! Theme and event info coming soon. Oct 27, 9:30-10:30am, SUB 233 Taking the Lead: Getting the Most out of Your Mentoring Relationship with The Graduate School. Snacks provided. Nov 2, 4, & 6, 1-2pm, Cheever 212 Research Unfiltered: Low-Stakes Presentation Opportunities with The Graduate School. More details and a sign-up form coming soon. Degree Works Update Sept. 21-28 As a reminder, Degree Works will be down from September 21-28 while the new upgrade is prepared. If you are planning on graduating this Fall, make sure to complete your Graduation Application in MyMSU or via a pdf Graduation Application (only used when a student has applied for the same degree in a prior term) by Sunday September 20th. Upcoming Dates & Deadlines Full List of Grad School Dates & Deadlines September 4: Last day for master’s and doctoral comprehensive examination or thesis/dissertation defense for One-credit Extension. September 7: Labor Day (no classes, offices closed) September 9: Last day to self-drop classes online. September 11: One-credit Extension deadline; last day for formatting approval of Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) by the formatting advisor. 5PM deadline. September 16: Last day to drop classes without a "W" grade. September 20: Last day for graduate students to file for graduation in MyMSU or via a pdf Graduation Application (only used when a student has applied for the same degree in a prior term). Degree Works will be down for an upgrade from 9/21-9/28. Get your grad apps in early! A Degree Works Note is needed to apply to graduate in MyMSU.

	Workshops & Events Graduate Wellness Champions The Graduate School is accepting applications for the 2026-2027 academic year. 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 or to apply, please visit the GradCat Wellness Champion Program website. Applications open for the Fall 2026 Mindfulness Based Graduate Mentorship Program! TheMindfulness Based Graduate Mentorship Program (MBGMP) is 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. Applications are open now through September 4th! MSU Writing Center Sign up for a writing group with the MSU Writing Center!Our graduate writing groups meet weekly and offer participants accountability, support, and feedback. The Writing Center provides the facilitator and the space. https://www.montana.edu/writingcenter/graduate-students/graduate-writer-support.html 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. CatsConnect The beginning of the semester is a great time to join a student organization or club! The organizations tab on CatsConnect includes a list of all registered student organizations at MSU. All student organizations are open to any enrolled students, though some may cater to graduate students more than others. Each club listing includes contact information that you can use to ask if you have questions about graduate student involvement. You can utilize the "Multicultural and Diversity" filter to find cultural communities on campus like: Asian Student Interracial Association, Black Student Union, Fuerza Latinx, the Queer-Straight Alliance, Society of American Indian Graduate Students, Graduate Women in Stem and Engineering, and many more!
	Funding & Fellowships Identify Scholarships and Research Funding for Your Graduate Education! 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.
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