Academic Programs Catalog

The Department of Art, Art History, and Design organizes exhibitions featuring undergraduate and graduate students, alumni, and work resulting from national and international juried exhibition calls in the Kresge Art Center Galleries 101 and 114, MSU Union Art Gallery, and off-campus at (SCENE) Metrospace. Each academic year, the department hosts 15 to 20 free public visiting artist and scholar lectures. Annually the department features undergraduate research in the Art History and Visual Culture Symposium, the Apparel and Textile Design Fashion Show, and the Undergraduate Juried Exhibition. Students completing their M.F.A. present their graduate student research each spring in the Master of Fine Arts Exhibition at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum. All students are welcome to view exhibitions, attend lecture series events, and join in activities offered by the department. For additional information call 1-517-355-7610, email art@msu.edu or visit www.art.msu.edu.

 

The Department of Theatre sponsors a wide variety of productions including dance-related events. Productions occur at the Pasant Theatre in the Wharton Center for Performing Arts, the Fairchild Theatre, Arena Theatre, and Studio 60 Theatre in the Auditorium, the Residential College in the Arts and Humanities Auditorium, and site-specific locations. Graduate and undergraduate talent is featured in these productions, and all students of the university are invited to participate.

Student theatrical productions occur throughout the year in the Arena Theatre and Studio 60 Theatre. Dance performances are also sponsored by the Michigan State University student dance association, ORCHESIS. Summer Circle Theatre offers students the opportunity to be involved in theatre production during the months of May and June. For additional information, call 1-517-355-6690, e-mail: theatre@msu.edu, or visit www.theatre.msu.edu.

 

In nearly every aspect of campus life, Spartans can feel the presence and positive impact of the College of Music. Offering dozens of opportunities each year for the entire community to witness the skill and artistry of students, faculty, and visiting artists, the College provides meaningful ways for every student to engage with music.  While music majors are deeply involved and regularly audition for ensembles such as the MSU Symphony Orchestra, MSU Wind Symphony, University Chorale, and Jazz Orchestras, these premier ensembles are open by audition to qualified students from across the university. Beyond ensemble participation, undergraduate and graduate students from all fields of study can perform and take courses with distinguished faculty in composition, music theory, and music education, exploring music through culture, creativity, theory, education, and history.

Performance opportunities extend broadly across campus. Non-majors can participate in ensembles such as the Concert Orchestra and a wide range of MSU Bands that perform chamber, contemporary, and traditional wind repertoire. The powerful Spartan Marching Band and Spartan Brass offer high-energy performance experiences at athletic events and major university functions.  Jazz ensembles provide dynamic opportunities to explore and perform diverse repertoire, while multiple choral ensembles welcome singers of all backgrounds, with faculty guidance available to help students find the best fit. The College of Music also supports a variety of chamber groups including Musique 21, the Percussion and African Diaspora Percussion ensembles, Trombone Choir, and the Tuba/Euphonium Ensemble. For additional information, call 1-517-353-5340 or visit music.msu.edu.

The Class Councils (senior, junior, sophomore, and freshman) consists of up to 25 students, each chosen to represent the views of and initiate activities for  Michigan State University. During the year, the Class Councils are involved in sponsoring workshops, hosting events pertinent to their class and coordinating special projects. For more information, contact ASMSU at 1-517-355-8266, or https://asmsu.msu.edu/.

The University Activities Board (UAB) programs events for students, by students, to enhance the Spartan experience at Michigan State University.  UAB strives to provide unique, high quality experiences that contribute to student growth. Involving the diverse student body, we aspire to have a substantial impact on campus life and for every student to graduate with a UAB memory. Our core values are: Inclusion, Collaboration, Student Voice, Flexibility, Accessibility, and Development. Our events include live music, comedians, craft nights, open mic nights and so much more. UAB membership is free and open to all MSU undergraduate students.  Visit www.uabevents.com or@UABatMSU on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat and Twitter, phone 1-517-355-3354 or e-mail: uab@msu.edu.

Associated Students of Michigan State University (ASMSU). As the all-university undergraduate student governing body, ASMSU provides representation through the General Assembly. The work of ASMSU is conducted through its boards and committees. ASMSU represents students on relevant issues; provides a forum for discussion of these issues; provides free legal services, bluebooks, printing and copying, and interest free loans; approves appointments of undergraduates to various university committees, provides the free Readership Program and special student services and acts as the official representative for the welfare and rights of undergraduate students. ASMSU also provides a free iClicker, calculator rental program and a safe ride program.  Offices are maintained in the Student Services Building. The web site is asmsu.msu.edu.

ASMSU Student Allocations Board provides funding for Registered Student Organizations (RSOs). RSOs are eligible to receive up to $4,500 in funding through a reimbursement process once each academic year. Groups can apply for funding for a wide variety of projects, including speakers, conferences, and educational programming events.
 

 The Council of Graduate Students represents all registered Michigan State University graduate and graduate-professional students. COGS is composed of one representative from each degree-granting college and seven officers. COGS exists to promote the academic, social, and economic goals of graduate and graduate-professional students; to establish effective communication among these students, and to create channels of communication with other student organizations and with the academic and administrative units of the University. COGS maintains an office at 120 Chittenden Hall where it provides a copy service and a thesis and dissertation printing service. A loan program, sponsored by COGS, is administered by the Office of Financial Aid. ASMSU/COGS Legal Services provides graduate students a prepaid legal services plan. Visit https://cogs.msu.edu/.

Since 1872, Michigan State University students have had the choice of participating in a nationally affiliated Greek letter organization.  Today, the Fraternity and Sorority Life (FSL) community is comprised of internationally affiliated social Greek letter organizations with a combined membership of over 5,000 students.  Greek letter organizations merge almost every segment of the campus community into their chapters-leadership development, community service, athletics, social life, housing, management, and business functions, alumni relations, accountability, and responsibility. Through quality educational experiences, fraternities, and sororities support the guiding principles of the institution, as well as provide an avenue whereby all students experience active learning through self-governance.

The fraternities and sororities are governed by governing councils responsible for representing constituents to the greater campus and East Lansing communities, providing programs and services to chapters and their members, and creating and enforcing standards and policies throughout the Greek community.  Through mutual interdependence, the governing councils assist all member organizations in providing a quality Greek experience for their members. The governing councils include:

• Interfraternity Council (IFC), governing 31 internationally affiliated men's Greek letter organizations.
• Panhellenic Council (Panhell), governing 14 National Panhellenic Council Greek letter organizations.
• National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), governing nine historically African-American men's and women's Greek letter organizations.
• Multicultural Greek Council, governing eight multicultural men’s and women’s Greek letter organizations.

Other community-wide organizations that are collaboratively coordinated by the governing councils are Greek Week and the Order of Omega National Greek Leadership Honorary.
For more information on the Greek community, contact Fraternity and Sorority Life, 316 Student Services Building, 1-517-355-8286 or www.greeklife.msu.edu.


 

The Student Housing Cooperative (SHC) is the governing group for cooperative living units. Cooperatives are student owned and managed organizations that contribute to the living experiences, social benefits, and economic savings of the members. The SHC meets regularly to discuss problems and coordinate activities of cooperative living and is represented on the ASMSU General Assembly. The primary goal of the SHC is to provide affordable housing for the East Lansing area. Additional purposes and goals are: democratic control, open and voluntary membership, continuous education, improvement of services, and cooperation and communication among cooperatives.

Information about cooperatives is available at the MSU Student Housing Cooperative office, 541 E. Grand River, East Lansing, MI 48823, telephone 1-517-355-8313.

The University Apartments Council of Residents (UACOR) is the recognized governing group for MSU University Apartments residents. UACOR works to improve the quality of life in the University Apartments community by providing a public forum for residents to share concerns, opinions, and ideas. Those concerns help guide UACOR’s advocacy with Residence Education and Housing Services and other university partners. 

UACOR plans programs, activities, and services for apartment residents. Its Central Executive Board and Community Representatives are elected by eligible residents and work together to oversee operations, communicate with the community, and advocate for issues affecting apartment residents. 

Residents are encouraged to attend UACOR meetings, participate in elections when eligible, and bring forward ideas, interests, and concerns. 

Residence Halls Association (RHA) is MSU’s on-campus student government for students living in the residence halls. RHA serves as a bridge between residents, the university community, and university administration, including Residence Education and Housing Services (REHS), by elevating the experiences, concerns, and priorities of on-campus residents. Through the General Assembly (GA), representatives from hall governments, recognized neighborhood and campus-wide caucuses, and other registered student organizations bring forward issues affecting residential life on campus. 

RHA supports residents through advocacy, funding, leadership development, free services, programs, and events. RHA also provides sponsorship and funding opportunities to registered student organizations that contribute to the broader MSU campus community, including CORES and CAMS groups, many of which participate in or hold seats in the General Assembly. Available services may include free equipment rentals such as projectors, karaoke equipment, Xboxes, and Nintendo Switches. 

Students living in MSU residence halls who pay the semester RHA tax are RHA constituents. Constituents may participate through their hall government or caucus, attend open GA meetings, make public comment, petition RHA, and access RHA’s services and programming.

Owen Graduate Association OGA) represents the interests of Owen Graduate Hall residents and functions as the major governing body for that hall. OGA provides a program of information and services for Owen Graduate Hall residents and participates in the formulation of policies and regulations pertaining to residents of that hall. All residents of Owen Graduate Hall are members of OGA and pay a tax to support the activities of the OGA.