Prepare for Your First Semester

Create your BearPass

Your BearPass gives you access to your online campus portal, My Missouri State. Here, you can register for classes, check your grades, access your Missouri State email, visit Blackboard, and more. Once you arrive, you’ll use your BearPass to log on to computers on campus and access campus wireless networks.

To create your BearPass, you’ll need:

  • Your BearPass number. Find this unique code on your letter of admission.
  • Your confirmation code. Use your BearPass number to get your code on the CAMS website.
  • A personal email address that you check regularly.
  • Once you have created your BearPass and Missouri State email address, all official university communications will come to this address. Make sure to check it daily for important announcements and instructions.

Prepare for Missouri State academics

We need your official academic transcripts, sent directly from the issuing institution/agency to us in a sealed envelope. Request records from your previous institutions using the appropriate Educational Record Request form.
Determine which academic orientation is appropriate for you and register online.

Explore housing options

New international students have a lot of choices when it comes to housing options on campus at Missouri State University and off campus in the community of Springfield, Missouri.

Temporary housing

Most international students need temporary housing solutions for their first few days in Springfield, Missouri.

Reasons you might need temporary housing:

  • You plan to live on-campus
  • You plan to live off campus, but you aren’t sure where when you arrive
  • You plan to live off campus, but your lease move-in date is after you arrive

Temporary housing is located on-campus in a centrally-located residence hall.

If you plan to live on campus, your permanent housing assignment will be available to move-in on August 16, 2019. We will help you take your things from temporary housing to your permanent housing assignment.

If you plan to live off campus and need help finding a place to live, let us know. We can help provide transportation to properties near campus so you can take a tour and sign a lease. We can also help you move your things from temporary housing to your permanent off-campus home.

If you would prefer hotel accommodations for temporary housing, Missouri State students receive a discount at a few hotels near campus, including University Plaza and Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven. Let the hotel know when you make your reservation that you’re a Missouri State student in order to receive a discount.

On-campus housing

You are required to live on campus if you are under 21 years of age and have fewer than 30 hours of college credit. This is a good thing. Living on campus helps you meet new people, get involved in campus organizations, and focus more on your studies. Research shows that students who live on campus maintain better grades, too! You can submit your housing contract online at your My Missouri State account, but first, learn more about the types of residence halls.

Off-campus housing

You have lots of off-campus options within walking distance to Missouri State. A few even offer shuttle services to campus. When choosing a place to live, carefully consider:

  • the condition of the apartment,
  • terms of the lease agreement,
  • transportation and parking,
  • payment options,
  • price,
  • and what’s included in the cost of your monthly rent.

Some apartments will include utilities like electric, water, and sewer services into the lease agreement, while others leave that responsibility to the student. Make sure you’re a good tenant – review our International Student Guide to Apartment Living if you’re not sure what that means.

New International Student Checklist
The Guide: Everything International Students Need to Know 2019-20