Michigan State University functions as a unit, with its colleges, divisions, schools, and departments serving one another. No single part is independent of the others. The Michigan State University College of Law, through a special affiliation, functions fully as a part of the University, although it remains financially independent.
Most schools and departments offer courses at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. During the first two years students begin taking (1) courses that apply to the university requirements as described in the Undergraduate Education section of this catalog, (2) courses appropriate to the particular major, and/or (3) courses of an exploratory nature. During the junior and senior years, students’ primary focus is on courses, whether given by the colleges of the majors or others, which meet the needs of the academic programs. For high-achieving undergraduate students, colleges, schools, departments, and faculty, in cooperation with the Honors College, provide programs to encourage the intellectual development and achievement.At the graduate level, colleges that offer graduate courses have developed graduate programs consistent with the highest national, international, and professional standards of the respective fields.
Education Abroad programs are sponsored by the University through its academic departments and schools and through cooperative arrangements with other universities. The University offers more than 350 programs in over 65 countries on all seven continents.
To provide broader access to its instructional resources, the University offers selected degree programs, certificate programs, and courses at various locations and via the web.
The materials throughout this catalog are intended to be cumulative. The Undergraduate Education section is applicable to undergraduate study, and the Graduate Education section refers to graduate study. The all–University policies and requirements given in the General Information, Policies, Procedures and Regulations section apply to both undergraduate and graduate study. These three sections serve as the foundation for the college statements, and the all-University sections and the college statements serve as the foundation for the department and school statements.
Each college statement addresses the purposes or role of the college in the University; the organizational structure of the college; undergraduate programs, including college policies and requirements for admission and graduation beyond the all-University requirements; and graduate study, including the college policies and requirements for admission and degree completion beyond the all-University requirements. The organization of the department and school statements is similar to that of the college statements.
Michigan State University maintains five academic calendars: one each for the College of Law, College of Human Medicine, College of Osteopathic Medicine, and College of Veterinary Medicine, and one for all other academic programs. Students follow the academic calendar for their academic program. Each academic calendar may have its own sessions and term start and end dates. The Office of the Registrar maintains the Academic Calendar. The university reserves the right to modify academic calendars, sessions, and deadlines when necessary.The university offers classes during the fall, spring, and summer terms. For academic programs that follow the university’s general academic calendar, the summer term includes three sessions: Full Summer Session, Summer Session One, Summer Session Two. For enrollment purposes, a term begins on the first day of classes published in the Academic Calendar and ends on the day before the first day of classes for the next term. Students must be enrolled in a term to receive services associated with that term.Each course must be associated with a single academic term and may not span multiple terms. Exceptions are granted only in limited circumstances and require approval. Academic units should consult the Office of the Registrar before proposing an exception.
The period covered by registration for a given semester or summer session is defined as commencing with the first day of classes as published in the University academic calendar, and extending through the day prior to the start of the first day of classes for the succeeding semester or the first summer session. The delivery of appropriate services requires at least minimum registration for that semester or summer session.
Michigan State University is a member of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, Association of American Universities, American Council on Education, American Council of Learned Societies, Association of Graduate Schools, Council of Graduate Schools, Big Ten Academic Alliance, and International Association of Universities. The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, Illinois 60604-1411, www.hlcommission.org, 1-312-263-0456. Some individual programs, schools, and colleges are recognized by the accrediting agencies in their respective fields. For a list, visit https://aacc.msu.edu/accreditation/accrediting-agencies.
Information about the accreditation of individual programs, schools, and colleges is included in program descriptions in Academic Programs.
Michigan State University seeks to make available to prospective and enrolled students full information on all pertinent matters that would affect their attendance at the University. These matters include academic programs, financial aid programs, eligibility requirements for financial aid, cost of attending the institution, refund policy, program integrity (complaints) and, to the extent available, patterns of retention in offered curricula. Information is accessible on the Consumer Protection webpage (aacc.msu.edu/compliance/consumer-protection). Information is also available in various University publications, such as this catalog and information brochures for prospective students; or inquiries may be made of appropriate MSU administrative offices and Web sites. Typical sources include:
Office of Admissions Hannah Administration Building 426 Auditorium Road, Room 250(For prospective students)www.admissions.msu.edu
Office of the ControllerHannah Administration Building 426 Auditorium Road, Room 305www.ctlr.msu.edu
Office of Financial AidStudent Services Building556 E. Circle Drive, Room 252www.finaid.msu.edu
Office of the RegistrarHannah Administration Building426 Auditorium Road, Room 50(For enrolled students)www.reg.msu.edu
Additional information on University rules and regulations affecting students and student organizations is published by the Office of Student Support and Accountability and other publications and is available at ossa.msu.edu.
Admission to Michigan State University is based upon academic preparation and ability. To assist students in their educational planning, as well as for institutional planning and reporting, first-time degree-seeking undergraduate students are included in a cohort each fall semester. This cohort is followed to determine the rate of retention and graduation from Michigan State University.Decisions by students to complete degree programs in more than four years may vary from personal to programmatic reasons. The most recent Graduation Rate Survey, based on the 2019 entering cohort, indicates that 81% of bachelor degree-seeking students graduated within 6 years, or 150% of the normal time to award, 79% graduated within 5 years, and 64% within 4 years. These data compare favorably to graduation statistics from similar institutions. Additionally, some students in the initial cohort will eventually graduate at other institutions through transfer or pre-baccalaureate entry into professional programs.
Departments of instruction at Michigan State University are organized as follows:
College of Agriculture and Natural ResourcesAgricultural, Food, and Resource EconomicsAnimal ScienceBiosystems and Agricultural EngineeringCommunity SustainabilityEntomologyFisheries and WildlifeFood Science and Human NutritionForestryHorticulturePackagingPlanning, Design and ConstructionPlant BiologyPlant, Soil and Microbial Sciences
Residential College in the Arts and Humanities
College of Arts and LettersAfrican American and African StudiesArt, Art History, and DesignEnglishLinguistics, Languages and CulturesPhilosophyReligious StudiesRomance and Classical StudiesTheatreProgram in Women, Gender, and Social JusticeWriting, Rhetoric and Cultures
The Eli Broad College of Business and The Eli Broad Graduate School of ManagementAccounting and Information SystemsFinanceHospitality BusinessManagementMarketingSupply Chain Management
College of Communication Arts and SciencesAdvertising and Public RelationsCommunicationCommunicative Sciences and DisordersJournalismMedia and Information
College of EducationCounseling, Educational Psychology and Special EducationEducational AdministrationKinesiologyTeacher Education
College of EngineeringBiosystems and Agricultural EngineeringChemical Engineering and Materials ScienceCivil and Environmental EngineeringComputational Mathematics, Science and EngineeringComputer Science and EngineeringElectrical and Computer EngineeringMechanical Engineering
College of Human MedicineAnesthesiaBiochemistry and Molecular BiologyEmergency MedicineEpidemiology and BiostatisticsFamily MedicineMedicineMicrobiology and Molecular GeneticsNeurology and OphthalmologyObstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive BiologyOrthopedicsPediatrics and Human DevelopmentPharmacology and ToxicologyPhysiologyPsychiatryPublic HealthRadiologySurgeryTranslation Science and Molecular Medicine
James Madison College
College of Law
Lyman Briggs College
College of Music
College of Natural ScienceBiochemistry and Molecular BiologyBiomedical Laboratory Diagnostics ProgramChemistryComputational Mathematics, Science, and EngineeringGeological SciencesIntegrative BiologyMathematicsMicrobiology, Genetics and ImmunologyPhysics and AstronomyPhysiologyPlant BiologyStatistics and Probability
College of Nursing
College of Osteopathic MedicineBiochemistry and Molecular BiologyFamily and Community MedicineMicrobiology, Genetics and ImmunologyNeurology and OphthalmologyOrthopedicsOsteopathic Manipulative MedicineOsteopathic Medical SpecialtiesOsteopathic Surgical SpecialtiesPediatricsPharmacology and ToxicologyPhysical Medicine and RehabilitationPhysician Assistant's MedicinePhysiologyPsychiatryRadiology
College of Social ScienceAnthropologyCriminal JusticeEconomicsGeographyHistoryHuman Development and Family StudiesHuman Resources and Labor RelationsPolitical SciencePsychologySocial WorkSociologyProgram in Women, Gender, and Social Justice
College of Veterinary MedicineLarge Animal Clinical SciencesMicrobiology, Genetics and ImmunologyPathobiology and Diagnostic InvestigationPharmacology and ToxicologyPhysiologySmall Animal Clinical Sciences
Office of the ProvostAerospace Studies—Air ForceMilitary Science—Army
Michigan State University offers a wide variety of programs and areas of study that contribute to the overall strength of the University.
Although some programs and areas of study are not available as majors, the following list indicates the breadth and depth of opportunities available to students. In addition, special programs, suited to individual needs and purposes may be arranged, particularly at the advanced levels.
Michigan State University grants the following degrees upon satisfactory completion of appropriate programs of study in the departments, schools, and colleges.
Undergraduate programs and degree requirements are described in a section entitled Undergraduate Education. Graduate programs and degree requirements as well as dual degree programs and joint degree programs are described in a section devoted to Graduate Education. For detailed information about the programs of study and requirements in the colleges and their schools and departments, the section in Academic Programs describing each college should be consulted.
For information about teacher certification opportunities, options, and requirements, refer to the statement on Teacher Certification in the Department of Teacher Education section of this catalog.
Throughout the programs of study given in this section, courses are identified either by course subject codes, course numbers, and course titles (example: CSE 101 Computing Concepts and Competencies) or by course names and course numbers (example: Computer Science and Engineering 101).
Additional information about specific courses may be found in the frequently updated online version of Course Descriptions at: www.reg.msu.edu/Courses.
To assist in locating information about specific courses in the Course Descriptions, the course subject codes are listed below in alphabetical order. For each subject code, the corresponding name is given.
Refer to the Leadership webpage for information about university leadership (msu.edu/about/leadership).Refer to the Academic Governance webpage for information about the university's shared governance system (acadgov.msu.edu).