Frequently Asked Questions

The following links have been provided to assist prospective and current students with all the possible questions that they may have regarding The Office of the Registrar. Each question is categorized by the relevant subject in which the questions pertain to.

The questions include the following:

Enrollment

• Q: How do I know if I am a Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, or Senior?
  • A:  All matriculating undergraduate students will be classified as follows: Freshman 0-24 earned credits; Sophomore 25-55 earned credits; Junior 56-89 earned credits; Senior 90 earned credits and above.

• Q: How do I get a letter from the university that I never attended?
  • A:  Please request an Enrollment Verification. On the form in the student status section, select "Did Not Attend".

• Q:  Can my parent(s) or others see or discuss my Academic Records?
  • A:   FERPA is the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act which protects the privacy of student records. FERPA provides students with certain rights with respect to their educational records if they are 18 and older. To find out more information from the US Department of Education about the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, please visit the US Department of Education page on FERPA. 
    • Learn more about Morgan State University's application of this policy.
    • Learn more about how to allow certain access to your class schedule, grades, financial aid awards, billing, and payments using Campus ESP. Students can grant and revoke access to users on demand. Parents and other third parties may request access directly from their student.
    • To grant access to a third party to have FERPA protected information disclosed/discussed with university representatives, please review these instructions. When you are ready, submit your request from Websis Student Self-Service under "Service Request". 
      • Only the student can submit a FERPA release.
      • This access is only valid for one academic year.
      • If you wish to revoke access to a party to whom you've already granted access, contact us at records@morgan.edu.

Graduation

• Q:  How do I apply for graduation?
  • A:  Students who meet the minimum earned credits threshold will automatically have the "Apply to Graduation" link available in their WebSIS student records tab. Students must apply for graduation by the posted deadline on the Academic Calendar for the semester in which they want to graduate. (NOTE: Completing the online graduation application in no way implies that a student is eligible for graduation, or that the student will have completed all requirements to graduate by the end of the semester for which the application is being made. Students are strongly advised to get a degree audit as soon as possible by the academic department to ensure that they are aware of what outstanding requirements are necessary to fulfill their academic graduation requirements.)

• Q: How do I get more information regarding commencement?
  • A:  Our office handles academic clearance only. Please visit www.morgan.edu/commencement for all information regarding commencement, including regalia, ceremonies, photographs, rehearsal, etc.

• Q:  What are the requirements to graduate with Latin honors?
  • A:  In order to be considered for graduation with honors, a candidate must have completed all the requirements for the degree; must have earned a minimum of sixty (60) semester credits at Morgan; and must not have been sanctioned by the student's Dean or by the Provost for violating the University's Policy on Academic Dishonesty. GPA Averages are: Summa Cum Laude-(With Highest Honor) 3.80-4.00; Magna Cum Laude-(With High Honor) 3.60-3.79; Cum Laude-(With Honor) 3.40-3.59

• Q:  I have lost or damaged my diploma. Can I get it replaced?
  • A:   To place your request, please use our third-party vendor, Parchment. Duplicate diplomas are ordered once on the 3rd Friday of every month through our 3rd party vendor, unless expedited processing is requested. Once received, we will mail or hold your diploma for 90 days depending on your selection. Diplomas held for more than 90 days will be destroyed and a duplicate diploma must be reordered. Replacement diplomas carry all information contained on the original, except that all signatories will be current administrators.

Records & Residency

• Q:  What is my student ID number?
  • A:  You can find your 8-digit student ID number on: a letter of acceptance; an official transcript; a bill; or in Websis. For security reasons, our office does not provide the student ID number under any circumstance.

• Q:  How do I get a copy of my unofficial transcript?
  • A: Currently active students can log into Websis under the Student Records menu. An option to print is in the top-right corner. To save as a PDF, change your printer settings once the print window populates. If you are not currently an active student, you do not have access to an unofficial transcript. You may request an official transcript here.

• Q:  How do I update my residency status?
  • A:  Please review the information below based on your current student status:
    • Newly admitted undergraduate student, you must submit an updated residency verification form.  Further information on the residency verification process for newly admitted undergraduates can be found at morgan.edu/rsv. For additional assistance or questions about this process, you are welcome to contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission & Recruitment at apply@morgan.edu. Please note, new first-time students, are not eligible to complete a residency reclassification petition in their first semester of attendance. 
    • Newly admitted graduate student, you are welcome to contact the graduate admissions office to see if there is any possibility to update your residency status for this semester. They can be reached at gradapply@morgan.edu. Please note, new first-time students, are not eligible to complete a residency reclassification petition in their first semester. If you have completed an undergraduate program at Morgan and are a new graduate student, this also applies to you.
    • Returning student, that has attended Morgan in a previous semester, you can complete the Residency Reclassification Petition. The completed packet and ALL supporting documents can only be submitted via certified mail (with the green return postcard) or FedEx tracked mail. If you are dependent and require notary services, click here to schedule an appointment. 

• Q:  How do I submit my official transcript(s)?
  • A:  There are 3 ways to submit official transcripts
    • The best method is an e-transcript sent directly from the school/university to records@morgan.edu.
    • You may drop off a sealed copy to the Bear Essentials One-Stop counter on the main floor in Tyler Hall.
    • You may also have it mailed to:

Office of the Registrar
Morgan State University
1700 East Cold Spring Lane
Baltimore, MD 21251

• Q:  I submitted my official transcript, but I do not see the credits reflected on my record. What should I do?
  • A: Please confirm that you have sent your official transcripts or test scores. 
  • Once you have been admitted, transfer evaluations can take up to 20 business days once official transcripts have been received by our office. You will receive an email notification once your evaluation is completed to your MSU email account. If it has been more than 20 business days, please contact us at transfer-evaluation@morgan.edu. Be sure to include your full name, SID, and the name of the school(s) or exam for which you are seeking credit.

Registration

• Q:  I received an error message when trying to register for a course. What should I do?
  • A: Please view our registration page for more information. 

• Q:  I have a hold on my account. How do I resolve this?
  • A:  You can view all active holds in your WEBSIS account by going to the “Student Profile” tab, then in the top right corner view  "Registration Notices" and "Holds”. The type of hold is listed. If it only reads "Some holds are sensitive and may not be displayed" you do not have any active holds. Please contact the appropriate department to resolve the hold. 
    
    Admissions Office Hold
    admissions@morgan.edu
    
    Graduation Applicant Hold
    graduation@morgan.edu
    
    Accounts Receivable Hold
    bursar@morgan.edu
    
    Graduate School Hold
    gradapply@morgan.edu
    
    Academic Suspension
    records@morgan.edu
    
    Housing Hold
    reslife@morgan.edu 
    
    Advisor Hold 
    Varies (use Starfish)
    
    International Hold
    international.affairs@morgan.edu
    
    Bursar Hold
    bursar@morgan.edu
    
    Judicial Hold
    seymour.chambers@morgan.edu
    
    CASA Hold
    casa@morgan.edu
    
    Loan Office
    msuloanoffice@morgan.edu
    
    Collections Hold
    bursar@morgan.edu
    
    Registrar Hold
    records@morgan.edu
    
    Expelled from University
    records@morgan.edu
    
    RT - Readmission Missing Transcript
    records@morgan.edu
    
    Exit Interview Hold
    msuloanoffice@morgan.edu
    
    Transfer Orientation
    tsp@morgan.edu
    
    Financial Aid Hold
    finaid@morgan.edu
    
    Transfer Student Programming
    tsp@morgan.edu
    
    First-Year Freshman Advising Hold
    access@morgan.edu or casa@morgan.edu
    
    Veteran's Benefits
    veterans@morgan.edu
    

• Q:  Where do I find the schedule of courses?
  • A:  If you are a current student, log into Websis. Under the Registration menu click "Lookup Courses". If you are not a current student, please visit the schedule of classes.

• Q:  How do I find the instructor and the location of my course?
  • A: In the schedule of classes, you can click on "Schedule Details" to see specific details such as instructor, meeting times, location, and the course CRN. You can also click on the individual course title and a separate window will be generated showing all course details. For a visual aid, please visit our How to Register in Self-Service document.

• Q:  What do I do if I am experiencing an issue with Canvas?

• • A:  Canvas is a learning management system, and does not impact registration or student records. Only courses reflected in Websis impact student registration and records. Students are able to check actual enrollment information on their own in WEBSIS by going to "REGISTRATION" then selecting "ACTIVE REGISTRATION". For more assistance regarding Canvas, please visit the Division of Technology's Canvas help page for students.

• Q:  How do I find my priority registration time ticket information?
  • A:   You can find your priority registration appointment time on the Office of the Registrar's main webpage and selecting the Priority Registration Time Ticket Groupings link under the "Additional Links" section. You can also view this in Student Self Service in the top right under "Time Ticket".

Transfer Evaluation and Articulation

• Q: Does Morgan State University have transfer credit policies?
  • A: Morgan State University welcomes applications from transfer students from community colleges and four-year colleges and universities accredited by Maryland and/or a regional accrediting association. Morgan State University, a Maryland public higher education institution adopts and complies with Transfer Student policies and procedures set by the Maryland Higher Education Commission.

• Q: What courses will be accepted as transfer credit by Morgan State University?
  • A: Generally, college-level courses completed at regionally-accredited institutions will transfer, provided the course is similar in scope, content, and level to courses offered at Morgan State University and a grade of D* or higher is earned. Transfer courses and credits are reviewed and accepted depending on the accreditation status of the college or university during the student's time of enrollment. Morgan State University requires an official transcript from EACH institution that you have attended (this includes credit-by-exams i.e. Advanced Placement, CLEP, IB DSST, Military, etc.) to be sent to the University for review. If your credits were not earned at a regionally accredited institution, please check with your home college to see if the credits will be accepted for transfer through another type of advanced standing credit.

    *Some MSU requirements require a grade of C or better. While a course with a D may be                   transferred, it may not be applicable to satisfy a requirement that has a requirement of C or             better.

Statement on the Acceptance of Academic Credit in light of COVID-19

In light of the potential impact of COVID-19 on academic coursework in the Spring 2020 semester, Morgan State University has temporarily relaxed its transfer course policy. Passing grades from the Spring 2020 semester (e.g. "Pass," "Satisfactory," etc.) that are equivalent to a minimum letter grade of "C" or higher will be considered for transfer credit. Furthermore, any grade of "P" achieved in the Spring 2020 semester will be accepted for transfer credit for the applicable course. Morgan State University will allow any P+, P, or S, or other equivalent marks, to meet degree requirements. Examples:

• Use of the course to satisfy prerequisites or corequisites for other courses.
• General education requirements
• Courses in the major/minor

Students will be awarded course equivalency credit for transfer courses with a P+, P, or S, or other equivalent marks earned if the mark signifies content mastery at the "C" level or higher. Schools and Colleges with programs that have selective admissions requirements use letter grades for calculating points towards admissions criteria. Final official transcripts and score reports are still required in order for credit to be applied to a student's academic record and must be received by August 1, 2020. The answers below are specifically regarding Spring 2020.

• Q:  Will my class transfer and apply to my degree requirements if a grade of a P+, P, or S is earned in Spring 2020?
  • A: Yes, if content mastery is at the C level or higher during Spring 2020, then the credit will transfer to Morgan State University

• Q:  How will a grade of P+, P, or S impact me if I'm applying to a competitive major?
  • A: This will depend on the major you're applying for, and each department will address this question on an individual basis.

• Q:  What if I have a P grade from a previous or subsequent semester?
  • A: Courses taken prior to or after Spring 2020 must be completed with the minimum letter grades (e.g. B-, B-, or C-) for general education, major and minor requirements.

• Q:  What counts as passing (P, P+, or S)?
  • A: At Morgan State University, a P is any grade above a low C-. Students transferring to Morgan State University from another institution should consult their school to better understand the P/F grading policy. Many schools are adopting similar grading methods for their students. Morgan State University will honor a passing grade from all external transfer institutions that have adopted this policy for the Spring 2020 semester.