Morgan State University Student Portal Guide

Welcome to Morgan State University, a National Treasure! This guide provides essential information for navigating the student portal and accessing crucial resources for academic success. Whether you're a new freshman, a transfer student, or a returning Bear, understanding the portal is key to managing your academic journey.

Getting Started: Accessing University Systems

To access Morgan State University's online systems, the first step is to set up your Morgan account.

Morgan Account Setup - Quick Start Guide

Use the password management tool to quickly set up your Morgan account. A one-page guide is available to assist you. Your username remains constant, but your password must be reset annually.

Note: Students who are also university employees may have a separate MSU employee account. The username format for employee accounts is firstname.lastname (first name + period + last name).

Resetting Your Passphrase

Requirement: Reset your passphrase annually and across all devices. Use the password management tool to change your passphrase or unlock your account. Immediately after changing your MSU passphrase, update the passphrase on all devices used to connect to MSU Wi-Fi. Follow the steps outlined in the guide to ensure successful resetting on each device while on campus.

Technical Assistance: IT Service Desk

For technical issues, begin with the self-help resources on the IT Service Desk web page. If further assistance is needed, contact the Service Desk during EST hours (excluding university closures). You will need your username and 8-digit student/employee ID number. If you don't know your ID number, contact the appropriate department:

Undergraduate Students: Registrar's Office
Graduate Students: School of Graduate Studies
Employees: HR

Connecting to the University Network

MSU-Secure Wireless Network

Access to Morgan's wireless network is available campuswide. To connect, select "MSU Secure" from the list of available networks and enter your Morgan Network Account username and passphrase when prompted.

Accessing Canvas

Log into Canvas at www.morgan.edu/canvas. Canvas support is available 24/7/365.

Note for Chromebook Users: Use the Chrome browser to access Canvas.

Click on the Courses button on the Global Navigation Bar, then ALL Courses.
A list of registered courses will appear. Only published courses for the current semester display on the Canvas Dashboard.
As long as the instructor has not concluded a course, it can be accessed in "view only" mode via Courses > All Courses.

Registration Information

The Office of the Registrar manages the registration process at Morgan State University.

Adding Courses with Schedule Planner

Create a preferred schedule using Schedule Planner.
Send the schedule to your "shopping cart."
The system will navigate to your Registration Cart in Student Self Service.
Click the Register button to complete registration.

Dropping Courses

Classes may be dropped without academic penalty according to the deadline published in the academic calendar. Discontinued attendance DOES NOT constitute dropping a class and may result in a grade of "F" and accountability for the class cost. To drop a course, select the ADD/DROP option under the Registration menu in Student Self Service.

Withdrawing from Courses or the University

Withdraw (from an individual course): A student may withdraw from a course after the add/drop deadline, receiving a grade of "W" on their transcript. This grade does not impact the GPA but counts as attempted credit.
Withdraw (from the semester/term or University): A student may withdraw from a specific semester/term based on the Academic Calendar's deadlines. Entire semester withdrawals after the add/drop deadline will appear on the transcript with a grade of "TW" and count as attempted credit. Continuing undergraduate students must complete a withdrawal form in their student portal to cancel or withdraw from a semester or the university entirely.

Understanding Registration Errors

The system provides error messages to explain why registration for a course is not permitted. Common errors include:

Class Restriction: The course section is reserved for specific academic levels (Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior).
Closed Course: The course section is full.
Co-requisite: Enrollment in another course is required simultaneously.
Field of Study Restriction: The course section is for specific majors only.
Level: The course section is reserved for certain academic levels (Graduate, Undergraduate, etc.).
Linked Course: Registration requires simultaneous enrollment in a smaller discussion course (designated with a "D" in the section number) with the same professor.
Maximum/Minimum Credit Restriction: The maximum class load is 18 credits (19 for Engineering majors) for students in good standing and 15 credits for students on probation. The minimum class load is 1 credit.
Prerequisite not met: The required prerequisite course(s) has not been completed.
Registration Alternate PIN: An Alternate PIN is required from the advisor.
Student Status Prevents Registration: The student account has been inactivated due to non-attendance, withdrawal, dismissal, or graduation.
Time Conflict: Selected courses have overlapping start or finish times.
Excess Credits: To request to take more than the maximum allowable credits, students must complete an Excess Credits Form and obtain approval before the add/drop deadline.
Inactive: The student account has been inactivated due to non-attendance, withdrawal, dismissal, or graduation.
Withdrawn Students: Undergraduate students who took courses more than one year ago must complete a readmission application. Those who last attended within a year should complete a Reactivation Request Form.
Alumni: Alumni pursuing another degree should complete a Second-Degree Bachelor Degree or Graduate admission application. Those wishing to complete additional courses should complete a visiting student application.
Override: Approval from the department to bypass a registration restriction. The override must be entered by the department before the add/drop deadline.
Time Conflict: Students should use Schedule Planner to avoid conflicting course sections.

Schedule Planner

Students can use Schedule Planner to easily search course offerings and find suitable schedules. Students are strongly advised to plan and register for courses well in advance of the registration deadline. Due to MHEC regulations, the office cannot accept any time conflict form that exceeds a 15-minute conflict.

Degree Works

Degree Works is an online advising tool that helps advisors monitor students’ progress toward degree completion. It matches completed, enrolled, or registered coursework to degree requirements in an easy-to-read worksheet. Degree Works is available for undergraduate students initially admitted on or after Fall 2010 and beginning with the 2010-2013 Undergraduate Catalog. To access Degree Works, log into Student Self Service, select Student, and then select Degree Works. Students admitted prior to Fall 2010 or under a catalog prior to the 2010-2013 Catalog should consult their advisor for degree audit information.

Housing Information

Freshman Housing Process for the Class of 2029

Welcome, Class of 2029! Use the following information as a guide in navigating the Freshman Housing Process:

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Log in to the student housing portal using your University username and password. Remember that your username is all lowercase ending after the number in your address.
Select the Freshmen application link.
Select four (4) different building preferences.
Complete roommate compatibility information (Note: This is a system-generated compatibility survey for general assignment purposes). The University does not offer roommate selection.
Students residing in on-campus housing are required to have minimally the Silver Anytime Dining Plan.
Remember, your application has not been submitted until you have clicked on the big red ﬁnish button at the end of the application.

The Fall 2025 Housing Application will close on May 30, 2025.

Fall 2025 Freshman Housing Waitlist

As of May 13, 2025, Morgan State University has reached its Incoming Freshman Student housing capacity. Therefore, the Fall 2025 Incoming Freshman Student waitlist has been activated. If you would like to be considered for housing should space become available, complete the waitlist application as soon as possible. Be sure to complete all required information and hit the FINISH Button to submit your application. Students will remain on the housing waitlist until an offer can be issued if space becomes available. It’s important to note that students on the housing waitlist are not guaranteed housing.

Transfer Students: Bear TraP

Bear TraP is a new undergraduate transfer portal for prospective students. It is a student guide that estimates how many course credits may transfer to your anticipated degree program at Morgan State University. Students can create an account to enter completed or anticipated courses at two-year or four-year universities and colleges and see how they would transfer to Morgan State.

Housing Assignments: Self-Selection Process

The Self-Selection process provides a fair and efficient way for students to make a housing assignment request. The process starts with the completion and submission of a housing application, following all guidelines. Housing assignments are based on the date and time an application is submitted, ensuring a fair opportunity for all students. The Office of Residence Life & Housing (ORL&H) aims to make student housing assignments via a fair and equitable process.

Move-In Process

Morgan State University uses a Cruise Ship style check-in process to quickly and efficiently move students into their new homes, limiting parent and student efforts. The move-in process is the same for each on-campus residential facility, with the only difference being how you access your residence hall. Review the instructions and video provided as an example of how the process works for on-campus housing.

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