MSU operates on a semester basis with 14 weeks in each semester.
The semesters are referred to as Fall (late August – December) and
Spring (January – early May).
Like many American universities, MSU uses a credit system that can be
used to determine contact hours.
MSU courses range from 1 to 6 credits. Most undergraduate courses will
be 3 or 4 credits.
The recommended load for American Semester students is 12 credits.
The class contact hours for the semester can be determined by multiplying
the credits by 14 weeks. For example, a 4-credit course will meet for
56 contact hours. This calculation only includes class meeting time.
The level of the course is indicated by the course number. 100-level
is the lowest level. Undergraduate courses are 100-400 level. 800
and 900-level courses are for graduate students only.
American Semester students will be enrolled in classes by their advisor,
based on the courses approved by academic departments.
For approval of upper level courses, applicants may need to submit
details of previous coursework. It is recommended that students
bring this information with them to MSU in case course changes are
necessary.
Upon arrival to campus, American Semester students will be assigned an
academic advisor in addition to their American Semester advisor.
All courses at MSU are taught in English, with the exception of upper
level foreign language courses
Applicants should become familiar with the
MSU Schedule of Courses
in order to navigate the MSU academic system. Clicking on the course
code will provide detailed information on the course.
Course descriptions can also be accessed on the
registrar's web site.
Additional information can be obtained from the academic department web site,
which can quickly be found using the search function on the main MSU web page.
An official academic transcript will be available to all students
following the completion of semester. Due to privacy regulations,
the Office of Study Abroad is unable to obtain official records on
behalf of students – all transcripts must be ordered by students on the
Office of the Registrar web site.
