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Academic
Advising Frequently Asked Questions
What does it take to graduate from JMU?
What
is the difference between a BA and a BS degree?
When should I declare my major?
What if I change my major?
Can I have a double major and still graduate
in four years?
Is a foreign language required of all students?
How many credit hours should I take in a
semester?
Can
courses be taken as credit/no credit?
What do the course numbers mean?
Is class attendance required?
How long do I have to change my schedule?
Does it matter whether I drop or withdraw?
Is 15 minutes enough time to get to my
next class?
What is a block class?
When do I start my major courses?
How long will I have my fall class schedule
and how will I register for the spring semester?
How much time should I spend studying?
How is studying/learning going to be different
than it was in high school?
What if I need help in this new way of studying
and learning?
Who's the best resource for information on
changing a major, declaring a major, dropping and adding classes,
how/where to get academic help, and making the transition
to JMU?
Where can I get help with deciding on a major?
Career
Development Frequently Asked Questions
I'm
not sure what kind of career I want to pursue, how can you
help me?
Where can I find out about academic majors
and careers?
I want to find an internship, how can
you help me?
How do I start writing a resume?
I'm thinking about graduate school, what
resources do you have?
How can I connect with employers?
How do I start my job search?
What have other JMU graduates done after graduating?
Do you have any career fairs?
I have my first interview, how can I
prepare for it?
What
does it take to graduate from JMU?
Students must complete 120 credit hours to graduate from JMU.
These credits are divided into four different categories:
- General
Education
- Major
and minor requirements
- Degree
Requirements
- Electives
What
is the difference between a BA and a BS degree?
A Bachelor of Arts degree requires a philosophy course and
proficiency in a foreign language at the intermediate level
(it's not a credit requirement). The Bachelor of Science requires
an additional mathematics course and a social or natural science.
These degree requirements are in addition to the General Education
courses. See BA
and BS Degree Courses List for more info.
When
should I declare my major?
Starting in fall 2004, students are required to declare a
major by the third week of their third semester at JMU. This
does not apply to students who entered JMU prior to fall 2004.
The following paragraph applies to students who entered prior
to fall 2004.
Students
entering JMU prior to fall 2004, should declare your major
whenever you feel you have a clear understanding of the expectations,
skills, and requirements of the major AND you have examined
your own aptitudes, values, and expectations and feel comfortable
that this is a good fit for you. In a few majors, it will
be difficult to graduate in four years unless you declare
as an incoming freshman. In most, you can declare as late
as second semester of your sophomore year and still graduate
on time, IF you are making good progress in your General Education
program and there are not too many pre-requisite courses that
you will need.
What
if I change my major?
More than half of the students who enter JMU with a declared
major change their minds at least once. DO YOUR HOMEWORK! Make sure that you have all the information about your new
major: talk to at least one faculty member in the department
about what skills you will have when you graduate and about
an academic plan, find some students who are majoring in that
area and get their "read" on the major, take a look
at the Career Guide to
JMU Majors and the JMU
Employment Survey and find out what kinds of jobs were
landed by last year's graduates with that major.
Can
I have a double major and still graduate in four years?
With careful, advance planning, students may be able to carry
two majors. A program that has numerous elective hours offers
the best opportunity for a double major. Students should select
a primary major first and then schedule the courses in the
second major wherever the primary major allows for electives.
Students must complete requirements for both majors.
Is
a foreign language required of all students?
Demonstrated proficiency in a foreign language is required
only for students earning a Bachelor of Arts degree or a Bachelor
of Business Administration degree in International Business.
How
many credit hours should I take in a semester?
If you do the math (divide 120 credits by eight semesters
/ four years) you see that you must take an average of 15
credits a semester / 30 credits a year to graduate in four
years. It is best to examine other obligations (family, work,
athletics, activities) and your own study style, to determine
whether 15 or 12 or 18 credits are best for you. Remember
that summer sessions are an option.
Can
courses be taken as credit/no credit?
Freshmen are NOT eligible to take courses as credit/no credit.
At least 28 credit hours at JMU are required with a 2.25 cumulative
grade point average or higher to be eligible.
What
do the course numbers mean?
Courses numbered 100 to 199 are often intended for freshmen,
200-299 for sophomores, etc. While this format is generally
true, department programs are not bound to follow this system
and many programs schedule 200-level courses in the freshman,
junior, or senior year. Students should usually not enroll
in courses more than one number level above their designation
and only those with a faculty member's permission should enroll
in courses two levels above their classification. Academic
advisors are the best resource.
Is
class attendance required?
Class attendance is an important part of your academic success.
Although mandatory attendance is determined at the discretion
of the instructor, it is to the student's advantage to attend
ALL classes regardless and is strongly recommended.
How
long do I have to change my schedule? Does it matter whether
I drop or withdraw?
The deadlines for processing specific course changes are stated
on the Registrar's
web site. The deadline for a free add is approximately
one week after the start of a regular semester's classes.
Freshmen will need their freshman advisor's signature but
no prior approval from an instructor to add an open section.
The end of the free drop period is approximately the last
day of the first week of semester classes. Freshmen will need
their advisor's approval to drop a course. After the free
period, an add will require the signature of the instructor
and the head of the department in which the course is offered,
as well as the freshman advisor. A course withdrawal at this
time will result in a "W" on the student's transcript.
The "W" has no effect on a student's grade point
average.
Is
15 minutes enough time to get to my next class?
Most buildings on campus are accessible in 15 minutes. Freshman
advisors, OPA's, and your own best judgement are good resources.
What
is a block class?
Block classes are courses that are compressed into 7-week
sessions, during half the semester. There are four blocks
in the academic year, two per semester. The deadlines for
adding and dropping block courses are different from those
for semester-long courses; always check each semester's deadlines
at the Registrar's
web site .
When
do I start my major courses?
It depends. In some majors, you will begin courses in your
discipline in your freshman year. In some majors, you will
not begin until your junior year. Check the JMU
catalog or speak with your freshman advisor for more specific
information.
How
long will I have my fall class schedule and how will I register
for the spring semester?
Fall semester classes will meet from the end of August until
just before winter break in December. Your freshman advisor
will assist you with web registration for the spring semester,
which will begin in early November. After the second semester
gets underway, you will be assigned to an advisor in your
major department (if you have declared) or to an advisor in
Career and Academic Planning (if you have not
declared).
How
much time should I spend studying?
There is, of course, no magic formula. A good rule of thumb,
especially in math, science, or heavy reading courses, is
2 hours for every hour you spend in class.
How
is studying/learning going to be different than it was in
high school?
In high school, most of the information was given to you in
the classroom and you were expected to reproduce it, pretty
much as you heard it, on an exam. In college, you are expected
to get most of the information from sources outside of the
classroom and on an exam, you will be expected to explain
and apply the information. It requires a different way of
studying.
What
if I need help in this new way of studying and learning?
We have resources on campus to help you in reading, writing,
math, study skills, time management, note taking, and lots
of other areas. Check with your freshman advisor or our academic
assistance page for specifics.
Who's
the best resource for information on changing a major, declaring
a major, dropping and adding classes, how/where to get academic
help, and making the transition to JMU?
Your freshman advisor.
Where
can I get help with deciding on a major?
You might want to check out the "Choosing
a Major/Career" part of our website.
I'm
not sure what kind of career I want to pursue, how can you
help me?
You might want to check out the "Choosing
a Major/Career" part of our website.
Where
can I find out about academic majors and careers?
Your Undergraduate Catalog and faculty in departments are always a great way to learn
more about the academic programs offered at JMU. Career & Academic Planning also coordinates an annual
Majors Fair (held in February) at which the various departments
are represented. Career and Academic Planning also has numerous resources for finding
out about major options and specific careers, located in the
Resource Center in Wilson 303.
I
want to find an internship, how can you help me?
Career & Academic Planning has many resources
to locate internships. We offer a small group workshop to
help orient you to the resources and answer questions about
the internship search process. We have internship directories,
which list internship opportunities by geographic location,
interest area and various other criteria. We also receive
internship postings directly from employers in a wide variety
of fields. These opportunities are posted with Recruit-A-Duke
where you can see internships listed for JMU students as well
as many other possibilities. Additionally, you may meet with
a career advisor to answer specific questions regarding your
internship search. Faculty and academic departments are another
great resource to consult when looking for an internship.
Please see our schedule of
events and workshops to find out when the Applying for
an Internship Workshops are offered, or visit our Resource
Center to use the directories and internship postings. Employers
also come to campus during the spring semester to interview
students for internship positions through our Recruiting Services Program.
How
do I start writing a resume?
Writing a resume can seem like a daunting experience at first!
Don't worry; we have various services to assist you in writing
your resume. A good start would be to attend one of our Resume
Clinics; these are offered several times during the semester.
You will learn the basics of writing a great resume and may
ask questions about the process or your own resume. Please
see our calendar of events
for specific dates and times. If you have a draft started
you may schedule an appointment with one of our staff (call
(540)568-6555). You may also get your resume reviewed at one
of our events such as Resume Round Up or Resume Express walk
in days that are conveniently scheduled near many of our career
fair events. A copy of our resume writing handout is available
for pick up in Wilson third floor hallway or you may print
a copy directly from our web site.
I'm
thinking about graduate school, what resources do you have?
Career & Academic Planning has information
on graduate schools, financing graduate school and other related
topics in our Resource Center (Wilson 303). You may also make
an appointment with a staff member to discuss your graduate
school plans or concerns. Faculty are also a great resource
for graduate and professional school information!
How can I connect with employers?
Career & Academic Planning offers many opportunities
for you to connect with employers from a variety of settings.
One way is through our career fairs. We offer several career
fairs throughout the year, which bring over 100 employers
from a variety of business, government, industry, and private-for-profit
and non-profit settings. Students from ALL majors are encouraged
to attend (freshmen through seniors!). More information about
all of our events and fairs can be found here.
In
addition to our annual career fairs, we also have an extensive
Recruiting Services Program. Each year up to 200 employers
visit campus to interview seniors for full-time job openings.
These employers are interested in students from all majors
and are hiring for a variety of positions. Students should
visit the Recruiting Services
website to learn how to participate and register for Recruit-A-Duke,
and gain access to various employers who recruit JMU students. Not all employers have
the time or resources to visit JMU, but would still like to
see resumes of JMU students. Career and Academic Planning offers a resume referral
service for students to be able to post resumes that employers
from all career fields may access.
In
our Resource Center (Wilson 303), we have vacancy subscription
listings for a wide variety of fields and geographic regions.
Many of these are also available on-line through our website.
Employers also post individual and multiple job listings with
us. All of these position descriptions can be found in our
vacancy notebooks. The Resource Center also houses job search
directories that enable you to locate names and addresses
of employers in different locations and career fields.
How
do I start my job search?
One of the key elements to beginning your job search is to
know what career direction you would like to pursue. This
enables you to target the employers appropriate for your search.
If you are unsure of your career direction, you may utilize
our Major and Career Decisions Program, Resource Center or
career counselors to help you with your career decision-making.
Once you know more about your career goals you can start implementing
your job search. Career & Academic Planning
can help you with your job search through a variety of services.
The Recruiting Services Program is a great way to start your
job search. Many resources in our Resource Center (Wilson
303) will also aid you in your search. You may also meet with
a career counselor to assist you in planning your job search.
What
have other JMU graduates done after graduating?
JMU graduates have pursued many different paths from volunteer
service, graduate school to full-time employment. One way
to see the various directions JMU grads have taken is to look
at the annual Employment Survey. Each year the Office of Institutional
Research tracks the current graduates to find out where they
are and what they are doing. These surveys are available online through the IR website.
You may also want to check out the JMU Alumni On-Line Community.
You can connect with many graduates and possibly conduct informational
interviews to learn more about potential career fields. The
On-Line Community is accessible through the Alumni Office
homepage, but you will need to meet with a career counselor
to obtain the user id and password.
Do you have any career fairs?
Career & Academic Planning sponsors several
fairs each year.
Go to our Career Fair page
to learn more about the various events offered to meet the
needs of all JMU students.
I
have my first interview, how can I prepare for it?
Each semester Career & Academic Planning
offers a mock interview program. This is a wonderful opportunity
for you to have a practice interview with actual employers.
You will want to sign up early because the slots fill quickly.
The mock interviews are typically offered several times in
the fall and spring semesters. Go to our Mock
Interview page for more info.
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