Transfer Student Transition
Transfer Students Beginning in the Fall
Welcome to the UM Family!
We are so excited you chose to become a Grizzly! Here's some information to help you get started with your transition to campus, which extends far beyond your first week here on campus. We are here at every step of the way, throughout your entire first year at UM and beyond to graduation.
We recognize transfers students may have already gone through an orientation and transition program, so each new students path to success might look a little different depending on your needs.
We also know that colleges and universities can be very different, so ensuring you have access to the right information, resources, and peer support throughout your entire first year here at UM is of the utmost importance to us.
If you are not a transfer student, please visit our First-Year Student Transition page instead.
New Student Orientation
Completed Online - Late Summer
All incoming students will complete this interactive and video-based program to better prepare for their first year. Students can complete this program at their own pace, on their own time, and in the comfort of their own home! It will take you approximately 1 hour to complete from start to finish, but you can pause and come back to it as many times as you would like.
This platform will include information about:
- Your Academic College and Resources
- Student and Campus Life
- Campus and Community Support
- Financial Matters
- Student Safety and Policies
- Bystander Interventions and Community Expectations
- and more!
Fall 2024 incoming students will get access to this platform in late summer.
The Big Sky Experience - Optional for Transfer Students
August 19 - 23, 2024
Since you may already feel prepared and ready to go, this award-winning week of welcome is not required for you...but you are definitely invited!
This award-winning week is specially designed to help students become integrated with their new community, both through peer-led activities and workshops, and through community-driven projects you will work on with your new friends.
In late summer, you will be asked to select which project you would like to work on. To get an idea of what activities there may be to choose from, view a list of the 2023 campus and community partners here.
What Should I Expect at the Big Sky Experience?
- Residence Hall Move-In Day;
- Parent and Family sessions like the BEAR Fair and First Meal;
- Community activities with partners like Free Cycles, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Blackstone LaunchPad and UM Student Life;
- Peer-led activities to get to know campus, how to access help, and tips and tricks for enjoying and successfully making it through your first year of college;
- Nightly Griz Welcome activities;
- River Rendezvous and the Freshman Float traditions; and so much more!
Registration will open in July 2024. To register, please contact Devin Carpenter at orientation@mso.umt.edu
Information for Other Student Types
The University of Montana recognizes your transition to college may be a bit different. As such, Adult Learners or "non-traditional students" do not need to participate in the on-campus Big Sky Experience program as long as you complete New Student Orientation online.
Incoming first-year students who wish to take Summer Start courses should let their academic advisor know during Bear Tracks. Your advisor will work with you to determine which courses make the most sense for meeting your academic goals. Students who attend Summer Start are required to complete New Student Orientation, as well as attend the Big Sky Experience in the fall. For more information on Summer Start you can visit their website.
To be considered a transfer student, you must have completed 12-semester credits at a college or university, post-high school graduation, and earned at least a 2.0 GPA. College credits earned by students still in high school do not count toward this 12-credit requirement. If you are a transfer student, please visit our Transfer Student Transition page.
Post-baccalaureate students are not required to complete an orientation program. You are able to register for classes on your own or contact an academic advisor for assistance.
Transfer Students Beginning in the Spring
New Student Orientation
As noted below, we launched a brand new online and self-paced New Student Orientation. Students beginning in Spring 2024 will get access to this program in November.
Spring Big Sky Experience (Optional)
January 17, 2024
Incoming transfer students at UM or the Missoula College are invited to attend a one-day in person program right before the spring semester begins. Families are welcome to attend for some morning programming as well.
Spring 2024 Big Sky Experience schedule of events
The official move-in day for students living in the residence halls is Tuesday, January 16, 2024 - keep an eye out for additional information from UM Housing on arrival and residence hall move-in.