Program Requirements

In order to earn a degree through the Adult Degree Program at JMU, you must:

• Earn a minimum of 120 semester hours of credit acceptable at JMU.
• Earn a minimum of 25% of those credit hours at JMU. (No more than eight semester hours of nontraditional credit may be counted toward the 25%).
• Earn a minimum of 60 semester hours from four year colleges or universities. (No more than sixty semester hours of nontraditional credit may be counted toward the 120 hour total).
• Complete an approved IS program of study.

General Education Program course work is designed to provide returning adult students with knowledge and skills that form the foundation for completing a baccalaureate degree, including a professional concentration, in the Individualized Study major. While providing a backbone for lifelong learning and graduate degrees, this program recognizes the individual goals of adult learners and encourages nontraditional students to become active in designing their own education.

Adult Degree Program Majors may earn one of the following degrees: 

• Bachelor of Individualized Study (BIS) degree
• Bachelor of Science (BS) degree
• Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree

To earn a degree, credit hours must be earned as follows:

• credit hours in Social/Behavioral Science:
  Sociology, Psychology, Economics, History, Anthropology, Geography,  and Political Science.
• 6 credit hours in Humanities:
  Philosophy,  Religion and GHUM courses. Only the following type courses from the Art, Foreign Languages, Theatre, English, Music, and Dance/Theatre Departments count as Humanities credit: Art Appreciation, Art History, Literature, Theatre and Dance History, Theatre and Dance Appreciation, Foreign Language Literature or Culture, Music Appreciation or History.
• 6 credit hours in Natural Science:
  Biology, Chemistry, Geology, Physics, and GSCI.
• 6 credit hours in Written Communication:
  English Composition (If GWRTC 103 is waived through writing assessment, credits may be earned in GWRTC 103, advanced composition or Technical and Scientific Communication. Choose from WRTC 100, GWRTC 103, WRTC 210, WRTC 320, WRTC 340, ENG 290, ENG 299, ENG 347, ENG 390, ENG 392, ENG 393, ENG 396,
• 3 credit hours in Oral Communication
  Speech Communication.  
• 3 credit hours in Mathematics
• 4 credit hours in U.S.History
  GPOSC 225 or GHIST 225, HIST 233, 234
• Additional Gen Education credit hours 
  May be satisfied by exceeding minimum credits in areas listed above or by courses accepted by General Education: The Human Community, and selected additional courses from academic departments that host courses in general education program. 
• 41 Total
  A minimum of 41 general studies credit hours in the seven areas of social and behavioral science, humanities, natural science, written communications, oral communications, mathematics, and U. S. History.

General Education Requirement

The General Education Program contains a set of requirements each Individualized Study major must fulfill. The University recognizes this alternate general education program as a nontraditional equivalent to the General Education: The Human Community.

• To earn a BS degree through the Individualized Study Program, a student must complete the above 41 credit hour requirements, plus the following:

• To earn a BA degree through the Individualized Study Program, a student must complete the above 41 credit hour requirements, plus the following:

• Students must earn a concentration containing at least 30 semester hours
• At least 24 semester hours must be upper level (300+) credits
• A senior project (IS 498 or 499) of 3 to 6 semester hours must be included
• At least 15 hours of concentration must be JMU hours
• Any title may be used for the concentration except the titles of existing majors

• No more than 60 hours of non-traditional credit may be planned in the program agreement.
• Students must complete a computer literacy component, as well as the JMU Honor Code test.
• The Program Development course (IS 200)
• The Portfolio Development course (IS 203) if requesting experiential learning credit

Note: Portfolios are to be submitted for evaluation early in the program of study.  This policy enables students to be certain of credits earned in order to adapt their program if needed.  Graduation applications will not be processed until portfolio assessment is completed.