Mississippi State University (MSU) is a public university located just outside of Starkville, Mississippi, with a branch campus in Meridian. MSU was founded in 1878 as a land-grant college and received university status in 1958. The school now awards bachelor’s, master’s, specialist, doctoral, and professional degrees. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.
MSU began as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi in 1878, primarily as an agricultural and technical trade school. When it was first accredited in 1926, MSU consisted of eight different college, schools, and centers. The university adopted its current name in 1958.
MSU defines its mission as one of “to provide access and opportunity to students from all sectors of the state’s diverse population and to offer excellent and extensive programs and instruction, research, and outreach.”
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Mississippi State University
Academics
Eight colleges make up the primary undergraduate offerings at Mississippi State, including the College of Agriculture and Life Science, the College of Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, the College of Education, the James Worth Bagley College of Engineering, College of Veterinary Medicine, College of Forest Resources, and the College of Architecture, Art and Design.
Bachelor’s degrees are awarded in a number of different disciplines, including accounting, agribusiness, the sciences and humanities, education, music, social work, wildlife and fisheries, management, landscape architecture, and poultry science. There are some interdisciplinary majors available. Concentrations are available in a number of majors, and include such areas as botany, French, photography, pre-law, printmaking, forestry, and zoology. There are certificates in broadcast meteorology, criminal justice and corrections, entrepreneurship, environmental sciences, gerontology, materials engineering, operational meteorology, software engineering, teaching, and women’s studies.
Master’s degrees are awarded in approximately 60 areas, with an emphasis on education, engineering, and agriculture.
The school awards over 40 doctoral degrees, in fields such as education, agriculture, biology, engineering, public policy and administration, and weed sciences. The University also offers several educational specialist (Ed.S.) degrees.
Library Resources
The MSU library system offers a wide range of electronic catalogs and on-line databases, in additional to physical volumes stored on site. The library houses a number of different collections including manuscripts, Mississippi materials, rare books, the university archives, and United Nations official documents and records.
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Most Popular Fields of Study
The top 5 fields of study completed at Mississippi State University.
The Entomology Museum boasts more than 1 million insects, available for study regarding agriculture, crop effects, and insect biology. The collection is in part attributed to the detailed collections acquired by famed entomologist William H. Cross. The Museum offers an Insect Zoo that is open to the public and educates visitors on the vast array of insects that populate our world.
Trees, Trees, Trees
The Department of Forestry encourages hands-on, outdoor experience for its students and facilitates the acquisition of internships and, in some cases, employment for its graduates. The program results in a Bachelor of Science degree and is accredited by the Society of American Foresters. Students can major in Environmental Conservation, Forest Management, Wildlife Management, or Urban Forestry.
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Mississippi State University
Admissions
Applications to the undergraduate programs are accepted with no set deadline, but the priority date for scholarships is February 1 for the fall semester, with a modest application fee for out-of-state students only. Applications can be submitted online.
Along with ACT or SAT scores, a six-semester high school transcript must be mailed from an applicant’s high school to the Office of Admissions. Applicants with a GPA less than 2.5 and an ACT score of less than 20 are placed on “undeclared major” status. For students with a 3.20 or greater GPA, ACT or SAT scores are not required. Student athletes must qualify under NCAA Division I guidelines.
Prospective students are expected to have successfully completed four units of English, three units of mathematics, three units of natural science, three units of social sciences, two units of advanced electives, and at least half a unit of computer.
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Financial Aid
Financial aid is available with a combination of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs. Students are automatically considered for scholarships and waivers upon submitting their application for admission. Scholarship awards for entering freshmen are based on high school grades and ACT or SAT scores. Students must be enrolled for 12 credit hours per semester and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.85 at the end of each fall semester to maintain eligibility. Inquiries regarding awards from specific departments or disciplines should be directed to that particular college.
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Student Financial Aid Details
How many students use Financial Aid, and how much do they use?
Mississippi State University 3072nd for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best Mississippi scholarships and financial aid
Mississippi State offers over 300 student clubs and organizations throughout its campus to meet virtually every personal or professional interest.
Student residences include separate dormitories for female and male first-year students, as well as two co-residential dorms and a dormitory for students from all four years. Once all first-year dorms are filled, incoming students are assigned to the remaining dorms.
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Student Enrollment Demographics
How many students are enrolled at Mississippi State University?
The athletic department at MSU is known as the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I athletics and the Southeastern Conference. Men’s sports include baseball, basketball, football, golf, tennis, and track & field. Women’s sports include basketball, cross-country, golf, soccer, softball, tennis, track & field, and volleyball. Spirit groups include a co-ed cheer team, a pom squad, and a mascot. Prospective student athletes can use the Mississippi State web site to download questionnaires or contact coaches directly with questions about becoming part of the teams.
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Mississippi State University
Traditions
A standout tradition at Mississippi State is the cowbell. Though its origins are unknown, hordes of students gather at various sporting events and clang their festively decorated cowbells as loudly as possible. Some sport authorities and other schools have attempted to get these symbols of spirit banished, only to make supporters more adamant about keeping them around.
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Local Community
The Starkville area boasts over 23,000 residents. Aside from MSU, it is best known for the nearby 48,000 acre Noxubee Wildlife Refuge Park, which offers innumerable fishing, boating, and wildlife viewing opportunities.
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Bibliography
2010 Fact Book. Mississippi State University. Web. 20 June 2011.
Colleges. Mississippi State University. Web. 20 June 2011.
Fiske, Edward B. Fiske Guide to Colleges 2011. Chicago: Sourcebooks, 2010. Print.
Pope, Loren. Looking Beyond the Ivy League: Finding the College That’s Right for You. New York: Penguin. 2007. Print.
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Familiar with this school? We would love to hear about your experience. Feel free to add comments or additional information regarding Mississippi State University, or discuss this school in the University Discussion Forum
over 2 years agoJ B Wright
The demographics section is incorrect. It states that the school enrollment is 16,206 and the population of Miss State is 856. The Miss. State population figure must be for the on-campus post office. The school is immediately adjacent to Starkville, MS with a population of 22,000 in addition to the school enrollment of over 17,000 in spring 2009.
over 3 years agoA current student 08-09' seminole608 ((at)) msn dot net
Awesome school. Love it. Great and beautiful people. All around a great place to enjoy your college experience. Great greek system as well.
over 4 years agoMark Adkins thawanderer777 ((at)) wmconnect dot com
I am a former MSU student -- a minority student of Native American ancestry -- who was victimized in a crime committed by my MSU art professor, Professor Robie Scucchi, in 1981. The crime was covered up by the former MSU administration, and the current administration refuses to properly investigate the crime by questioning any witnesses.
The crime is legally defined as being "harassment with the intent to commit emotional distress." Basically, Scucchi set me up to make it appear as though I had stolen a slide projector from the MSU art department. Unable to get the art department to investigate the crime, I made an appointment with the Dean of Arts and Sciences to discuss the incident. They illegally forewarned Professor Scucchi of my appointment, and Scucchi was waiting for me in the Dean's office on the appointment day to harass and intimidate me. When they finally called me into the Dean's office, Scucchi sat outside his office door, listening in, and the Dean refused to close the door after I asked him to do so -- PURE INTIMIDATION TACTICS. When I asked the chief of campus security, John Moore, to investigate the crime committed in his jurisdiction by his buddy Scucchi, he refused to investigate it, telling me that "this is a man's world, and things happen." Moore later illegally sent a campus security car, with two armed security officers, to my trailer, which was off campus and totally out of their jurisdiction, to hand-deliver to me a letter from the Dean of Student Affairs. The letter demanded that I come to his office to "discuss" fliers which I had been posting around the MSU campus describing the crime and cover-up. Moore, along with Scucchi, and possibly even the Dean of Arts and Sciences, should have been FIRED for their criminal actions.
NO DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS WHATSOEVER have ever been executed regarding this crime and cover-up. Nobody was fired, nobody was reprimanded, and nothing was ever recorded in anyone's record regarding their criminal behavior. Scucchi remained on staff for another 15 years, until two other students filed complaints against him in 1995 for yet another crime. The MSU provost finally had the good sense to fire the bastard in '96, making Scucchi the first and only "tenured" professor to ever be fired from MSU.
The MSU administration should be ashamed of the way they handled my case. I myself dropped out of college because of the harassment, and I have suffered through life without a degree.
over 4 years agoToni Creecy tcc94 ((at)) msstate dot edu
I absolutely love Mississippi State!!! It's such a home-like environment. It's like a small town where everyone knows everyone. The campus is large...but it's in no way overwhelming.
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The demographics section is incorrect. It states that the school enrollment is 16,206 and the population of Miss State is 856. The Miss. State population figure must be for the on-campus post office. The school is immediately adjacent to Starkville, MS with a population of 22,000 in addition to the school enrollment of over 17,000 in spring 2009.