Graduate Admissions FAQs

Resources

APPLICATION

Where can I find information about applying?

Applications to MSU School of Packaging are completed online through the Office of Admissions. Information on the requirements, the process, and links to the materials are available through the Graduate Program Application Information section. 

Does MSU School of Packaging offer an application fee waiver?

We do not offer application fee waivers.

When and where should I have my transcripts mailed?

    • Unofficial transcripts should be uploaded within the online Graduate Student Portal (application) for evaluation purposes only. We do not need official transcripts during the review process.
    • Students admitted to the program must provide official transcripts, sealed and stamped, from each institution they attended.

Domestic Applicants
Michigan State University
Hannah Administration Building
426 Auditorium Road, Room 250
East Lansing MI 48824-2603

If your institution participates with the National Student Clearinghouse, you can have your transcript(s) sent via email to the admis@msu.edu

International Applicants
Michigan State University
Hannah Administration Building
426 Auditorium Road, Room 250
East Lansing MI 48824-2603

or

Graduate Program Coordinator
School of Packaging
Michigan State University
110 Packaging Building
448 Wilson Road
East Lansing, MI 48824-1223

For international applicants, the MSU Office of Admissions only accepts official transcripts via mail. They do not accept any electronic transcripts.

Do I need to know which faculty I would like to work with and do I have to contact them in advance of applying?

PhD Applicants: PhD students interested in a particular faculty member’s research must email him or her directly. Once an agreement to participate in a research group is reached, the faculty member should be indicated in the application. Faculty members will not have an answer regarding your admissions status.

MS Applicants: MS students are not required to identify a faculty member. Those choosing the thesis track, and have an interest in working with certain faculty, may indicate a faculty member in their application.

Our faculty and staff cannot advise you on your application portfolio, please contact a trusted mentor for this important activity.

How does your review process work? When will I know if I’ve been accepted?

Applications are reviewed following the deadline dates of October 31st and February 15th. Recommendations for admission are made to the Office of Admissions following the review process. You will be notified via email of our recommendation for admissions status.  Official offers of admission are made only through the Office of Admissions.

PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC STATEMENTS

What is the difference between the Personal Statement and Academic Statement? How long should it be? Do I need to submit both?

PERSONAL STATEMENT

Your Personal Statement should concisely describe how your background and life experiences - including social, economic, cultural, familial, educational, or other opportunities or challenges - motivated your decision to pursue a graduate degree. There is no word or page limit.

When preparing your Personal Statement, please address the following questions:

    • How well do your personal goals for education and research fit with the interests of our faculty and the research activities within our department? Briefly describe research areas or questions that you find interesting and identify any specific faculty, labs or research projects at MSU that are of particular interest to you.
    • How have you demonstrated your leadership skills, or your potential as a leader? For example, you might share specific examples of how you made contributions as an officer in a student organization or how you assumed a leadership role within a team or during a professional internship. You could also discuss your potential for leadership in graduate school and afterwards by sharing your career goals and discussing your capacity to make a distinctive professional or scholarly contribution in your field.
    • How have you contributed to a diverse educational community, or how will you do so as a graduate student? How have you promoted understanding among persons of different backgrounds and ideas, or how will you do so as a graduate student? Examples might include service activities, leadership roles, education abroad, language study, etc.

If applicable, consider including the following:

    • Describe any barriers or obstacles that you have overcome in pursuit of your educational or personal goals. Examples might include economic, social or health challenges, being the first in your family to attend college, family obligations, etc.
    • Describe aspects of your personal background that will enhance the diversity of MSU's graduate student body, such as being multi-lingual, participating in a multicultural program, attending a minority-serving institution, etc.
    • Describe anything else in your personal history, experience, or aspirations that distinguishes you from other applicants to our graduate programs.

ACADEMIC STATEMENT

Your Academic Statement should be a concise statement of your plans for graduate study, your career goals, and how MSU's graduate program will help you meet your career and educational objectives. If you have already been in contact with faculty or staff at MSU regarding your application for graduate studies, please list these contacts in your Academic Statement. There is no word or page limit

When preparing your Academic Statement, please include the following information:

    • Briefly describe key experiences that led you to graduate studies. Examples might include research experiences, internships, coursework or extracurricular activities.
    • Share specific, relevant examples of how these experiences helped you develop skills for success as a graduate student. For instance, you might demonstrate ways that you have synthesized knowledge from the classroom, developed research skills, communicated effectively, acted as a leader, or gained skills and responsibility over time.
    • Make a clear connection between your previous experiences and your current interest in graduate studies. If your intended area of specialization in graduate school differs significantly from your previous experiences, please briefly explain why you decided to change focus.
    • If applicable, explain any gaps or discrepancies in your academic record and share unusual obstacles or hardships that you have overcome in pursuit of your educational objectives.
    • Explain how your goals for graduate study relate to your longer-term career plans, including the pursuit of additional degrees or certifications if applicable.

How do I provide the required documents, such as my statements or transcripts?

The online application system will prompt you for documents, most of which will be form-field entry and/or PDF uploads. 

My previous degree is not in Packaging. Can I still apply?

Yes, you can. We value a diversity of disciplinary perspectives and welcome applications from individuals who do not have a Packaging degree. However, the quality of your background must be strong and show potential for success in the packaging environment. We recommend your skills sets demonstrate proficiency in collateral courses that are equivalent to the experience gained in a BS in Packaging degree.

Is there anything specific you are looking for in my application materials?

While we are not looking for specific kinds of projects or specific uses of media, we are interested in how applicants demonstrate the relationship between form, materiality, and content. In the “description box” in MSU’s Graduate Admissions System please consider providing more than just materials and dimensions. Use that space to describe how the work connects to the ideas and subject matter it is addressing. Consider describing also how the work relates to the research interests you articulate in your statements. 

The application deadline has passed, can I still apply?

    • No. We do not accept late applications - there are no exceptions. Please consider applying next year.
    • The application deadline is October 31st (early consideration) and February 15th (final consideration) in each year for the following fall semester.

I’m graduating in December. Do you have a spring program?

We do not admit students in the spring. Our program is structured such that admissions are only for the Fall semester.

How much does it cost per semester to attend MSU?

Information on planning your budget can be found through The Graduate School.

INFORMATION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Do I need to submit any bank or financial statements into my MSU application?

If you do not have a promise of funding from your academic advisor, you will need to submit financial statements.  Additional information is found under "financial proof" at International Applicants | The Graduate School.

Are graduate assistantships available?

Most of our students are self-funded throughout their degree program. A limited number of teaching assistantship positions are available in the Fall and Spring semesters, and the number of applicants far exceeds the number of positions available.

Are the TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo required?

English proficiency scores are required for all international students.

All international students who received their degree from a NON U.S. institute MUST submit English proficiency scores. Previous teaching experience or courses being taught within the English language, does not exempt the need for English proficiency scores.

Not providing English proficiency scores will delay your application being reviewed by the admissions committee.

To find out more information regarding TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo score requirements and waiver information please visit English Language Competency|The Graduate School.

My TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo scores will not be available until after December 1st, what do I do?

Your file will not be reviewed until scores are available for the admissions committee to view within your graduate application, so please plan accordingly.

Once you receive your email from ETS with your scoring information, please upload that document into your graduate application and enter those scores directly into your graduate application as well.

How recent must my TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo score be?

TOEFL/IELTS/DUOLINGO scores are required by the University and scores older than 2 years will not be accepted per University guidelines

Does the school grant TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo waivers?

Applicants will receive an automatic English proficiency score waiver, ONLY if they earned a Bachelor’s degree in the U.S. The school requests TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo waivers only in rare circumstances.

I received my Masters degree in the U.S., can I get a TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo waiver?

If you received your Masters degree from a U.S. institute a waiver may be looked into. However; it is not a guaranteed approval. The University only provides automatic waivers for institutions who are AAU members.

What department code should I use to submit my scores through ETS?

Please submit your scores through ETS to MSU Department Code 1465. You do not need to worry about a direct School of Packaging code.

I submitted my scores through ETS to the wrong department, can you change it for me?

Should you want to send your scores through ETS, please make sure your scores are sent to MSU Department Code 1465. You do not need to worry about a program code, as the MSU Office of Admissions matches scores to students record once received.

My TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo scores will not be available until after December 15th, what do I do?

Your file will not be reviewed until scores are available for the search committee to view within your application, so please plan accordingly.

Once you receive your scoring information from ETS, please upload that document into your Graduate Education Student Portal; as well as entering the scores directly into your graduate application.

I am retaking my TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo exam, which score will you look at?

When retaking an exam, if the scores will not be available until after December 1st, you will want to upload your older exam scores and then upload your newer scores once those are received. The newer scores are what is taken into consideration by the search committee

Can I have the English Language Competency Requirement waived?

In certain cases, this is possible. For specific information about this, please visit the Graduate School’s English Language Competency website.  

Our department does not consider waiving the language requirement before applications are reviewed. We require a recorded video essay with your application before requesting a language proficiency waiver. Before receiving a teaching assignment, students still will have to take the SPEAK test.

Refer to MSU’s List of English Speaking Countries for more clarity.

What English Language Competency tests are accepted by MSU and what are the minimum scores for each that are accepted?

A full list of accepted tests and minimum scores for each, broken down by section, can be found on the Graduate School’s English Language Competency website.  Students still may still be required to take the speak test before receiving a teaching assignment.

 

 

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