Article Purpose: This article provides an overview of Murray State accounts, usernames, and passwords, what they are used for, and password requirements. For information on how long you will retain access to your MSU accounts, please visit our Account Durations for Employees and Students article.
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Your M# (M-number, Mnumber, Murray ID)
At Murray State, each student and employee is assigned an M# (originally called your Murray number). This is a unique ID that begins with "M" and is followed by 8 digits. Your M# can be found on your myGate portal by clicking on the circle icon with your initial in the upper right corner; the M# will then be displayed below your name Your M# is unique to each individual and will never change during your time at Murray State, whether as a student or employee, even if you return as a student or employee at a later time. NOTE: While your M# may be requested to identify you for assistance, it is very likely that you may still need to provide personal identification information when needing assistance with financial questions, registration assistance, employee/HR matters, or username/password support.
Students - Your M# is assigned upon admission to Murray State University and is included in your Orientation packet. Your M# may also appear in other communication from Murray State University during the admissions and enrollment process.
Employees - Your M# is assigned during the hiring process, and will be communicated to you from your department and/or Human Resources.
Your Murray State username & password
Faculty, staff, and students will use one username and password for nearly every MSU system, including myGate, Canvas, RacerMail/MSU Google Account, network access, wireless networks, library resources, and more.
- New employees will receive a "Welcome to your Murray State account!" email from msu.rapididentity@murraystate.edu once their accounts have been created. This email will contain your username and information on claiming your account and setting up your password. The email will be sent to the personal email address you used to apply for a position at Murray State.
- Newly-admitted students will receive a "Welcome to your Murray State account!" email from msu.rapididentity@murraystate.edu once their accounts have been created. This email usually comes within 24 hours of receiving your admission acceptance email, and will be sent to the personal email address you used to apply for admission.
- Students who have been re-admitted, or have previously applied to Murray State, will not receive a "Welcome to your Murray State account!" email. You will need to contact the Service Desk at msu.servicedesk@murraystate.edu or 270-809-2346 for assistance.
Forgot your password, or need to set a new one? No problem! We have provided detailed instructions with screenshots in our Password Support & Recovery article to assist!
Password Requirements
Murray State's password requirements are designed to help our users set easier-to-remember passwords while continuing to stay secure. There are fewer requirements, which allow you to use a passphrase (such as combining random words into a longer string) rather than a shorter, but harder-to-remember complex password. The complexity of the password is up to you! The requirements are:
- 16-character minimum length
- Cannot include part of your first name, last name, or username
- Cannot use one of your last four passwords
Because of the minimum character length, your Murray State password will never expire! However, it's always a good idea to update your password, especially if:
- you feel your account has been recently compromised
- you have responded to a phishing email
- you have lost your phone
- you had a different account get hacked (bank account, email account, online shopping account, etc)
If Murray State discovers or suspects that your account has been compromised, we will make every effort to reach out to you, and take steps to secure your account. These steps may include forcing a password reset to lock out any bad actors.
About my Murray State University accounts
NOTE: For information on how long you will retain access to your MSU accounts, please visit our Account Durations for Employees and Students article.
Your Murray State username and password will provide you access to most MSU systems, including
- myGate - Our employee and student information portal. Students can register for classes, pay bills, view important announcements, apply for scholarships, view balances, and much more. Employees can enter and approve leave/time, view W-2 information, view class rosters, view important announcements and more.
- Canvas - Our learning management system. Students can view class information, submit assignments, syllabus, view grades, take online assessments, and communicate with your class and professor. Faculty can manage their online or hybrid (face-to-face and online) courses, including entering grades, contacting students, upload files and media, design assignments and assessments.
- RacerMail/MSU Google Account - Murray State uses Google to power our email system. In addition, this provides us access to Google Calendar, Google Drive, and other Google services.