March 23, 2015

Orientation registration is finally here!

You must be admitted to the main campus in Starkville in order to register for Orientation. If you submit an "in-progress" transcript, you can be admitted sooner!

Orientation Dates:

*April 27th - PTK Members      *May 21st - Transfer 1      *June 24th - Transfer 2      *July 10th - Last Session

Dates for the Transfer Workshops at MSU-Meridian will be released soon.


Bulldog Bound Perspective - Amber Wood


Meet Amber Wood, a transfer student from Meridian Community College. A heart for children and a desire to make a difference in the world are the reasons why Amber decided to major in elementary education.

She chose MSU-Meridian because she heard about their amazing education program and with the help of scholarships she received, was a very affordable option for her.

"I love this university, it is like a tight-knit family," said Amber. "The professors push each of us to be the very best we can be. They also showed us how to make learning fun and now I have the skills I need to carry that passion into my own classroom someday."

Amber advises other transfer students to take one step at a time and enjoy the ride. "Get involved in as many activities at MSU-Meridian as you can. Going to school here has been an amazing experience and I would not trade it for the world!"

Amber Wood, Collinsville, MS


Major Insight - Elementary Education


The elementary education undergraduate degree program is designed to prepare teacher candidates with the essential foundations for instructing children in grades K-8. Students have the option of enrolling in the program on the Starkville campus, Meridian campus or online through The Center for Distance Education.

The Elementary Education undergraduate degree program offers two concentrations. Students can choose the early childhood concentration (Starkville campus and online only), which leads to endorsement in elementary (grades K-3 or K-6) and early childhood/preschool education (Nursery through grade 1), including early childhood special education.

Students can also choose the middle school concentration, which leads to endorsement in elementary (grades K-6) and two middle school content areas. In addition to elementary licensure, candidates at the Starkville campus can also earn add-on endorsements in music, art, physical education and technology. Students at both campuses can also add on an endorsement in special education.


Information Technology Systems (ITS)


The Information Technology Systems (ITS) department at Mississippi State University offers a variety of services to students. ITS was created in 1998 from a merger of the Thomas E.Tramel Computing Center and the Telecommunications department. MSU negotiates with vendors to make software available for discounted rates or, in many cases, at no charge. The department provides students with documentation for downloads and installations, workshops and training, as well as patches and updates. Students can directly contact the ITS help desk with questions and review a list of software on the website.


Templeton Ragtime & Jazz Festival


Mississippi State University Libraries will hold the ninth annual Charles H. Templeton Ragtime and Jazz festival March 26-28, 2015. This year's activities begin on the 26th at 5:30 p.m. with the popular Gatsby Gala fashion show. Members of the MSU Fashion Board will model 1920s-inspired creations of students in the university's fashion design program.

The festival will have tours of the museum, along with seminars and silent movies at Mitchell Memorial Library, the 136-year-old land-grant institution's primary repository. General admission fees range from $50 each for all festival events to $10 each for the major concerts, with lesser amounts for senior citizens and retired MSU faculty and staff members. University students with current identification cards attend free. Program and admission details are found on the library website.


How to get tagged:

Community College Freshmen - If you're bound for Mississippi State, go ahead and Get Tagged! There are 2 ways to become part of our Transfer Admissions Guarantee (TAG) program.

If you were admitted to MSU as a freshman for Fall 2014 but decided to attend a community college first, just go back to apply.msstate.edu, log back in to your application and click the "TAG ME" button. Please tell us where you're attending community college and update your contact information as needed.

If you're in your first year of Community College but did NOT apply for admission to State as a freshman, you can still Get Tagged, too. Go to apply.msstate.edu and follow the directions to apply to the TAG program.

If you're a community college sophomore or a student planning to transfer from another 4-year institution, then the TAG program will not be the best fit for you. The traditional application for admission for Fall 2015 will be your best route.

Questions about Getting Tagged? Email us at TAG@msstate.edu.