Online Graduate Certificates in Science Education

Welcome to the Science Education Graduate Certificates program!

MSSE Student Support Video

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 second 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.

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 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.

For More Information

Please contact: