Degree-Granting Major Admission

• Spring 2020 courses: No
• Fall 2020 courses: Yes
• Spring 2021 courses: Yes
• Summer 2021 courses: Yes

Yes, the 0.0 grade will be included into your GPA calculations for Broad admission decisions.

There will be no impact. The Broad College will use original numeric grades from Fall 2020, Spring 2021, and Summer 2021 to calculate cumulative and College/Major Precore GPAs in admission decisions.

Per the Spring 2020 S/NS policy, original numeric grades cannot be used in GPA calculations; GPAs will be calculated without those grades.

No, as NS = no credit in a course. You may repeat the course in a future semester, and reapply in the next semester for which you are eligible.

Broad academic advisors are available to assist you. Visit our Advising page for our advising options.

You can use this GPA Calculator tool to help you determine how your GPA will be impacted if you choose S/NS for one or more courses (there are two sheets – one for cumulative GPA and one for precore GPA). Remember that numeric Fall 2020, Spring 2021, and Summer 2021 grades will be used to calculate cumulative and College/Major Precore GPAs.

You may also contact a Broad academic advisor for assistance.

• If you repeat any course that is designated as S or NS from Spring 2020, Fall 2020, Spring 2021, or Summer 2021, your new grade will be used to determine your admission (as will all non-repeated numeric grades earned in Fall 2020, Spring 2021, and Summer 2021).

See the “Submit Your Application” section, above, to begin your application. Do not begin an application if you are not actually qualified to apply in this particular semester.

• A resume? NO.
• An interview? NO.
• Letters of recommendation? NO.

Reapplication is an available option, but you should carefully consider whether this is the best plan for you. Students who are considering reapplying should meet with a Broad academic advisor to discuss their previous application, academic situation and best strategy for a future application. Reapplying is often a sound option, but not always; each student’s situation is unique.

Students can appeal an admission decision until the posted deadline. See your decision letter for appeal process details.

There is no “admission to major” process in the summer. Business Admitted majors can apply to a degree-granting major in the fall and spring semesters.

Students who have matriculated to MSU in a previous semester, but are not enrolled in the current semester, are eligible to apply for admission in the fall or spring (not summer – see question above). Note that all requirements remain in place.

Students who have been admitted to MSU but have not yet begun MSU courses are not eligible for admission to a degree-granting major.

Students who wish to apply for a competitive admission major (after already being admitted to a Broad major) must fill out a new application. Log into the application system, then choose the major you wish to become as your first choice. Be sure to choose a second-choice major as well.

Transfer courses from prior semesters must be reflected as “accepted credit” on a student’s MSU academic record by January 1, 2023. Unofficial documentation (such as is accepted for current semester dual-enrolled courses, see next question) will NOT be accepted. Students are responsible for making sure that official transcripts from other schools arrive at MSU and are added to their academic record in the months between the course end date and the current semester deadline.

To make sure your transfer course is considered in this semester’s admission decision, complete the following steps:

1. Declare this course as part of your Broad application (there is a place in the application for you to disclose this information).
2. Submit an unofficial transcript or a screenshot of your grade report (must include your name, the course code, name of school and the grade) via email to the Broad undergraduate admissions coordinator, by 8:00 p.m., January 2, 2023. The grade report must be a final grade officially posted by that school (similar to MSU’s SIS grade report, not a D2L-type report). Information not submitted by the deadline will not be considered in the Spring 2022 admission decision; you may apply again in the next application period. Late submission of this information will not be considered a valid reason to appeal an admission denial/ineligible decision.
3. Work with that school to have an official transcript sent to the MSU Office of Admissions as soon as possible (the admissions coordinator will follow up a few weeks into the next semester to make sure all transcripts have been received). Do not have official transcripts sent to any other location, including the Broad College. Official transcripts should be mailed to:

Office of Admissions
Michigan State University
Hannah Administration Building
426 Auditorium Rd Rm 250
East Lansing, MI 48824

There is no GPA equivalency used for credit earned from AP/IB/CLEP credit when calculating the Major Precore or cumulative GPAs.

No. Students must earn credit in all required courses – the AP waiver does not fulfill the requirement.

Major Precore GPAs are calculated using MSU grades only. Grades from transferred courses are not included in the calculation.

If you are repeating the course at MSU, the grade you earn this semester will be used. Note: the most recent grade is used, whether or not it is the higher grade.

If you are repeating the course at another institution, the transfer credit will remove the MSU grade from your cumulative (and Major Precore, if applicable) GPA calculation. The original grade will not be replaced by the grade earned at the other school in your cumulative GPA calculation. You must earn a 2.0/C grade at the other school for MSU to accept the transfer credit/course.

It is an opportunity for a student to share a circumstance beyond his/her control which impacted academic performance. Official supportive documentation of the extenuating circumstance may be requested to corroborate the statement content. Documentation must be sent to admissions@broad.msu.edu.

Some reasons to write a  statement: medical illness, family emergency or significant life event.

The desire to be admitted to a specific degree-granting major with no other extenuating factors is not a reason for a statement; this is assumed based on the act of applying.

No, it is optional.

Submit a statement via email by the last day of the current semester for full consideration.

While the decision to continue with majority online instruction and the ongoing pandemic applies to all students, we recognize that students have been impacted differently. Any applicant is welcome to submit a Statement of Extenuating Circumstances through the application system; while the presence of a Statement of Extenuating Circumstances is not itself a guarantee of admission, the statement will allow the Admission Committee to consider a student’s individual situation when reviewing their overall application profile.

Students who would like to submit a Statement of Extenuating Circumstances after the application closes must send the statement via email by the last day of the current semester. All statements must be substantiated with accompanying documentation.