Graduate School Application: How-To

Are you thinking about applying for a graduate degree?

Step 1: Go to apply.grad.msstate.edu.

Step 2: Click on the apply online link for the desired term.

Step 3: Login.

Step A1: If you have never applied through this application portal, create an account as a first-time user.

Step A2: Enter your information to register for an account and click continue.

Step A3: Enter the temporary PIN code that was sent to your email and birthdate to continue.

Step A4: Create a password to finalize your account.

Step B1: If you have previously applied through this application portal, login as a returning user.

Step B2: Enter your email address and password to login to your application portal.

Step 4: Click start new application.

Step 5: Verify application details and click create application.

Step 6: Click open application.

Step 7: Review the welcome page for important application details and click continue.

Step 8: Fill in all personal information and click continue.
*Be sure that your permanent address matches your state of legal residence or country of citizenship/ residency.

Step 9: Complete all residency and military status fields and click continue.

Step 10: Complete all fields on the admission information section.

Step 10a. Select campus.

Step 10b. Select program.
*Please note that programs listed are filtered based on campus offered.

Step 10c. Select desired admission term.
*If desired term is not listed, check apply.grad.msstate.edu for dates that each application group opens and/ or to select appropriate apply link for desired term.

Step 10d. Answer questions about MSU employee status and attendance history.
*If you answered yes to either questions, please enter MSU ID or NetID.
*If you have previously attended MSU, select the level that you have attended.
**If you have previously attended at the graduate level and are applying to a different program than the one you were last in, answer NO to the question that asks if you are applying to the same program and degree level already started.
**If you have previously attended at the graduate level and are applying to the same program that you were last enrolled in, answer YES that you are applying to the same program and degree already started and email recordchange@grad.msstate.edu.

Step 10e. Answer concurrent degree program questions. If you answered yes, select if you would like this program to be your primary or secondary curriculum. If you answered no, click continue.

Step 11: Add each institution that you attended beginning with your bachelor’s degree and all academic coursework completed afterwards.
*If your institution is not available in the drop-down menu, then please use the appropriate code and type your institution’s name in the corresponding field.

Step 12: Complete supplemental information fields and upload document(s) if available, then click continue.

Step 13: Add 3 recommenders. Then, click continue.
*At minimum, name, organization, and email fields are required.

Step 14: Answer both conduct questions and click continue

Step 15: Review the signature page, sign, and click continue.

Step 16: Review application and correct errors. Red= Fix now. Orange= Can fix later.

Step 17: Click finalize application and pay and ok in the confirmation pop-up screen.
*Please note that you will not be able to make changes to your application after this point. However, you will still be able to upload supporting documents and edit recommenders.

Step 18: Click submit payment to submit the non-refundable application fee. Domestic applications cost $60, International applications cost $80.

Step 19: Check application portal to view application checklist and upload additional documents and/or edit recommenders. If you have questions, contact your Admission and Enrollment Assistant.

Step 20: Regularly check your email and application status portal for changes to your application status.