Welcome to Montana municipal government! Through this six-week introductory course, participants will study the foundational elements of local government, including its purpose, laws, best practices, duties of elected and appointed officials, and much more. It is a great practical overview of municipal government in Montana for both new and experienced officials.* 

We offer this course twice a year, once in the spring (Jan-Feb) and again in the fall (Sep-Nov). If you can't make the upcoming course, you'll be able to take it during the next round. 

*This course is offered through Montana State University Extension and does not count for university course credit. However, municipal clerks, treasurers, and finance officers pursuing MMCTFOA or IIMC professional development certification can earn a total of 12 education hours (2 per unit) by completing the course. 

Join us for our Spring session, January 13 to February 24, 2026!

COURSE FORMAT  

Please read the following information carefuly to insure that you've completed all the registration steps and understand the course deadlines and timeframe.

This course follows a six-week, semi-asynchronous format based on the Montana Municipal Officials Handbook, 3rd ed.

Because participants have such busy schedules, there are no set course meeting times. Particpants will have the opportunity to intereact with their fellow cohort members through online discussion forums.

Units are due each week following posted deadlines and each of the components must be completed prior to the weekly deadline to earn credit: 

1. Read the assigned Handbook sections.

2. Complete the unit quiz.

3. Participate in the online discussion forums with one original post and one response post each of at least 50 words.

The upcoming spring session schedule is as follows:

  • Unit 1: January 13-20
  • Unit 2: January 20-27
  • Unit 3: January 27-February 3
  • Unit 4: February 3-10
  • Unit 5: February 10-17
  • Unit 6: February 17-24

Check out the syllabus for more detailed information on each unit.

PLEASE NOTE: The course will be available on Tuesday, January 6, one week before the course begins. Registered participants will receive an email with the course link and access instructions on the 6th.

 

 

REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1:

Course Registration

Registration Deadline: Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Register Here

STEP 2:

eXtension Campus Account

Create an account, which you'll use to access the course.

Create Account Here

STEP 3:

Payment Portal

Payment Deadline: Tuesday, January 6, 2026

Pay Here

 

COURSE MATERIAL

The Montana Municipal Officials Handbook, 3rd ed. can be viewed or downloaded from the MSU Local Government Center's website. Participants are welcome to download and print the handbook from the link below.

View or Download the Municipal Officials Handbook

 

We manually enroll participants into their course cohorts to avoid quorum issues, so you won't have access to the course until the week prior to the course start, as we wait till we have a complete list of participants before creating the cohort groups. If you'd like to be able to start working ahead, here's a course syllabus with the readings, course objectives, and major topics for each unit. 

View or Download the Fundamentals Course Syllabus

 

HOW TO CONNECT

If you have questions about the online course, feel free to email Kate Wade, kate.wade@montana.edu, or Lydia Maunz, lydia.maunz@montana.edu.