Mission Statement

The College of Graduate and Professional Programs coordinates graduate and postgraduate education throughout the university. The JMU Graduate School was established in 1954, when the State Board of Education authorized the university to offer programs leading to the Master of Science in Education degree. In October 2001, the Graduate School and the Office of Continuing Education joined to form the College of Graduate and Professional Programs.

The College of Graduate and Professional Programs is authorized to offer graduate programs leading to master’s degrees, Educational Specialist degrees, Doctor of Audiology degrees, Doctor of Philosophy degrees and Doctor of Psychology degrees.

It is the mission of the College of Graduate and Professional Programs to support, facilitate and promote excellence in lifelong education through graduate programs of distinction, innovative continuing education programs, and a diverse student body.

Graduate Programs

Phone: (540) 568-6131

Fax: (540) 568-7860

Web site: www.jmu.edu/cgapp

Email: grad_programs@jmu.edu

The College of Graduate and Professional Programs is authorized to offer graduate programs leading to master’s degrees, Educational Specialist degrees, Doctor of Audiology, Doctor of Philosophy degrees and Doctor of Psychology degrees. Many graduate programs also offer concentration areas. Refer to the Graduate Catalog for details or review this information electronically at www.jmu.edu/cgapp/catalog/05.

The College of Graduate and Professional Programs offers the following programs and degrees.

• Accounting (M.S.)
• Adult Education/Human Resource Development (M.S.Ed.)
• Art Education (M.A.)
• Assessment and Measurement (Ph.D.)
• Biology (M.S.)
• Business Administration (M.B.A.)
• College Student Personnel Administration (M.Ed.)
• Combined – Integrated Clinical and School Psychology (Psy.D.)
• Communication Sciences and Disorders (Clinical Audiology (Au.D.)
• Communication Sciences and Disorders (Research Audiology (Ph.D.)
• Communication Sciences and Disorders (Research Speech Language Audiology (Ph.D.)
• Community Counseling (M.A./Ed.S.)
• Computer Science (M.S.)
• Education (M.A.): Early Childhoon Education
• Education - Fifth Year Format (M.A.T.): Elementary Education, Middle School Education, Secondary Education
• Education (M.Ed.) – students may elect to concentrate in more than one of the following areas of education: Educational Leadership, Educational Technology, Reading
• English (M.A.)
• Health Sciences (M.S.)
• History (M.A.)
• Integrated Science and Technology (M.S.)
• Kinesiology - Fifth year format (M.A.T.)
• Kinesiology (M.S.)
• Mathematics (M.Ed.)
• Music (M.M.)
• Nursing (M.S.N.)
• Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.)
• Physicans Assistant Studies (M.P.A.S.)
• Psychological Sciences (M.A.)
• Public Administration (M.P.A.)
• Public Administration - Fifth year format (M.P.A.)
• School Counseling (M.Ed./Ed.S.)
• School Psychology (Ed.S., M.A.)
• Special Education (M.A.T., M.Ed.)
• Special Education - Fifth year format (M.Ed.)
• Speech Pathology (M.S.)
• Studio Art (M.A., M.F.A.)
• Technical and Scientific Communication (M.A., M.S.)

Professional and Continuing Education Programs

Phone: (540) 568-6131

Fax: (540) 568-7860

Web site: www.jmu.edu/cgapp

E-mail: professionalprograms@jmu.edu

Professional and Continuing Education Programs are part of the College of Graduate and Professional Programs. It is the responsibility of Professional and Continuing Education Programs to oversee credit and non-credit, off-campus courses, online non-credit courses, and professional certificate programs offered by JMU. Professional and Continuing Education Programs also oversee the enrollment of non-degree seeking students. Non-degree seeking students are individuals who enroll in offered credit courses, but do not seek a degree.

Certificate Program Admission

Individuals who wish to pursue a certificate must apply to the program and be accepted before registering for classes. Individuals must complete the Non-Degree Seeking Student Application, select “Certificate” and write in the program to which they are applying. Virginia residents must also complete the “Checklist and Application for Virginia In-State Tuition Rates.” A non-refundable $45 processing fee must accompany the application. Although certificate program students are considered non-degree seeking students, applicants for certificate programs need only complete the Non-Degree Seeking Student Application once, for the semester in which they wish to begin the program. Applications for certificate programs are forwarded to the appropriate academic unit for review, and applicants should check with the academic unit for additional application materials that may be required. A list of available certificate programs can be found at www.jmu.edu/continuing education, “Certificate Programs.”

Non-Degree Seeking Student Admission

The non-degree seeking student classification includes adult non-degree students, audit students, certificate students, high school non-degree students, international non-degree students, post-baccalaureate students, post-master’s students, senior citizens, and term and transient students. Individuals seeking enrollment as a non-degree seeking student must complete the “Non-Degree Seeking Student Application.” Virginia residents must also complete the “Checklist and Application for Virginia In-State Tuition Rates.” A non-refundable $15 processing fee must accompany the application. Non-degree seeking students must submit the application and processing fee each semester they enroll in a course. Post-baccalaureate and post-master’s courses at the 600 level and above require approval by the appropriate department head. Term and transient students (students seeking degrees from other institutions) must provide a Term Student Supplement or Transient Student Supplement form in addition to the non-degree seeking student application and Virginia in-state form. Enrollment as a non-degree seeking student is completed through the Web site at www.jmu.edu/continuingeducation.

The courses taken in the non-degree seeking student category carry university credit and they may be transferred into a graduate program, once admitted, at the discretion of the program. Taking courses as a non-degree seeking student does not constitute admission to a program or imply later applicability of these courses toward a degree. An individual who has been academically dismissed from another institution or denied regular admission to JMU shall be required to wait for at least one calendar year for admission as a non-degree seeking student.

Non-credit Courses

JMU coordinates all non-credit instructional programs through CGAPP. These programs are available for supplementing and updating knowledge, skills, and abilities. Some non-credit courses and workshops award continuing education units (CEUs) as a uniform measure of professional development and to signify the student has completed the course or workshop. Information on CEUs is available online at www.jmu.edu/cgapp/faculty by clicking the “CEU Information” link. Information on non-credit course offerings and registration is available at www.jmu.edu/continuing education by clicking “Noncredit Courses” or “Online Noncredit Courses.” Additional information about Professional and Continuing Education Programs as well as other registration information can be accessed on the CGAPP home page at www.jmu.edu/cgapp.

Senior Citizen’s Tuition Waiver

Legal residents of the State of Virginia who have reached 60 years of age before the beginning of an academic term and who have a taxable income that did not exceed $15,000 for the year proceeding the term may register for and enroll in courses as a full-time or part-time student and pay no tuition or fees except fees established for the purpose of paying for course materials, such as laboratory fees. Senior citizens shall be subject to the admissions requirements of the institution and a determination by the institution of its ability to offer the course or courses for which the senior citizen registers. A senior citizen shall only be admitted to a course in which enrollment is sought after all tuition-paying students have been accommodated. A senior citizen tuition waiver form must be submitted to Professional Programs to determine eligibility according to section 23-38:56 of the Code of Virginia.