Frequently Asked Questions

You need to inform the coordinator of the HALE Ph.D program of your admissions decision by April 15.

Admitted students are invited to attend Spartan Preview Days/HALE Graduate Research Colloquium (GRC), our official visitation weekend, in the middle of February. You may also email haleadm@msu.edu to set up an individual visit and to request additional information about the Ph.D program.

Policies regarding credit transfer for HALE Ph.D. degree program can be found in MSU’s Academic Programs Catalog on the webpage of the Office of the Registrar. With approval of the College and the student’s academic advisor, as many as nine (9) semester credits of graduate course work may be transferred into HALE affiliated degree programs from postsecondary accredited institutions (including MSU graduate courses and Lifelong Education credits) if they are appropriate to a student’s program.

HALE affiliated degree programs do not accept transfer credits for courses that are designated as core required courses. Courses proposed for transfer into a HALE affiliated degree program will be evaluated on a case by case basis with the following criteria, as applicable.

The course must meet the following three criteria:

1. the course has not been used toward the completion of another degree;
2. the course must have at least a 3.0 grade or its equivalent; and
3. the course was completed within the time limits approved for the earning of the degree.

The course must also meet one of the following criteria:

• the course currently does not exist at MSU and fulfills the student’s program plan as an elective course; or
• the course is equivalent to an elective course currently offered at MSU.

To request a transfer of credits, a Credit Evaluation form must be completed, signed by the student’s academic advisor, and submitted to the HALE Administrative Assistant along with an official copy of the transcript listing the course. Unofficial transcripts or those stamped “issued to student” will not be accepted.

If the course to be transferred is a required methodology course for the HALE Ph.D. program, the student should speak to their advisor for course transfer procedures.

There is no guarantee that requested transfer credits will be accepted toward HALE affiliated degrees.

The average time to degree is 5.5 years.

Go to netid.msu.edu to set up your MSU NetID and email account. Additional MSU technology resources are available at tech.msu.edu.

Students may enroll for classes Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Sundays are subject to availability. 

You must have your MSU NetID and password or your PID and PAN to enroll. Students cannot access the enrollment system until their assigned appointment time. All holds must be cleared before enrolling. For more information, read about Enrollment Information.

You can drop any course on the enrollment system through the middle of the term of instruction. To drop a course after the middle of the term, you must follow the regulations as enumerated in the General Procedures and Regulations section of Academic Programs. If you wish to drop a course but have a hold, call the Registrar’s Office at (517) 355-3300 for assistance.

You can visit Stuinfo.

Your MSU email address is the only email address that the university will use to send official communication to students. You may auto-forward all incoming email to another account.

For general academic resources, please visit: HALE Academic Resources

For questions about D2L, please visit: D2l Homepage

Support can be received through the MSU Writing Center.

More information can be found at the Comprehensive Exam section of the course requirements.