All graduate level academic advising must be handled through the academic program. It is the responsibility of the graduate student to contact the graduate coordinator upon admission to a program.
Information regarding specific programmatic requirements is available in the Graduate School Bulletin/Catalog. It is the responsibility of the student to know and comply with all academic program requirements. Required forms are available on the graduate school website. Please contact the graduate coordinator regarding adding or dropping courses or withdrawal.
Graduate Advising FAQ
Advising is an important time of the semester during which students meet with their graduate advisors/coordinators to discuss classes for the upcoming semester as well as their overall academic plan.
Yes. The only way to be released to register for classes is to attend an advising session. Even if you have a financial hold on your account or if you’re unsure whether or not you will enroll the next semester, you should always plan to attend advising.
Advising appointments are typically held during a two-week period officially scheduled by the university each semester. Spring semester advising occurs each October, and summer and fall semester advising occurs each March. See the university academic calendar for official dates.
A few days prior to your appointment check the Master Class Schedule in Banner to see course offerings for the upcoming semester. With that information, put together a rough list of classes you plan to take the next semester. Although you will likely only enroll in three courses, plan to have a list of additional class options prepared as your “back up” choices. The graduate coordinator will review your list with you and provide guidance on how to best proceed. Also, prepare any questions you have about your academic progress or related issues before your appointment to best maximize your time with your advisor.
Login to myState by using your MSU netid and password. Click on the Banner tab. In the box labeled Registration you will find Register for Classes.
If a Public Administration or Political Science class you need to take is full before you register you will need to see if the instructor will allow you to be added to the course. If they approve you to be added to the class your advisor can sign an add/drop form.
Once students enroll in classes for the upcoming semester, they can make any changes they wish to through Banner for several weeks. Once the semester starts, students have until 5 p.m. on the fifth day of classes to drop and until 8 a.m. on the sixth day of classes to add. After that, students have until the mid-point of the semester to drop a class with a paper form that can be obtained in the main office (105 Bowen Hall). Dropping a class after the fifth day of classes through the mid-point of the semester will result in a “W” grade for the class and a $50 drop fee being assessed to the student’s account. After the mid-point of the semester, students can only withdraw from their schedule entirely. For official add/drop dates and deadlines, please see the university academic calendar.
