General Information
Degree Information
Degree Requirements at James Madison University
Undergraduate Degrees at James Madison University
Subject Abbreviations
Undergraduate Programs
Teacher Education Pre-professional Licensure Programs
Academic Terms and Definitions
Degree Requirements at James Madison University
Credit Hours |
|
| Foreign language courses (intermediate level required)1 |
0-14 |
| General Education courses2 | 41 |
| Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses)3 |
3 |
| Major concentration courses and electives4 | 62-76 |
120 |
|
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)
Credit Hours |
|
| B.B.A. core courses | 44-45 |
| General Education courses2 | 41 |
| Major courses | 24 |
| Electives | 11-21 |
120 |
|
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
Credit Hours |
|
| Core program – art courses | 24 |
| General Education courses2 | 41 |
| Art emphasis courses | 54 |
| Electives | 1 |
120 |
|
Bachelor of Individualized Study (B.I.S.)
Credit Hours |
|
| General Education courses7 | 41 |
| Major concentration courses | 30 |
| Electives | 49 |
120 |
|
Credit Hours |
|
| Core music program courses | 27 |
| General Education courses2 | 41 |
| Major concentration courses and electives | 56-63 |
124-131 |
|
Credit Hours |
|
| General Education courses2 | 41 |
| Quantitative requirement (in addition to General Education courses) 5 |
3 |
| Scientific Literacy requirement 6 (in addition to General Education courses) |
3-4 |
| Major concentration courses and electives 4 | 72-77 |
120 |
|
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)
Credit Hours |
|
| General Education courses 2 | 41 |
| Nursing courses | 61 |
| Other supportive courses | 14 |
| Electives | 5-8 |
120 |
|
Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)
Credit Hours |
|
| Core program – social work courses | 42 |
| General Education courses 2 | 41 |
| Social work electives | 6 |
| Electives | 32-35 |
120 |
|
1 The foreign language requirement may be satisfied by successful completion of the second semester of the intermediate level of the student's chosen language (typically 232), or by placing out of that language through the Department of Foreign Languages, Literatures and Cultures' placement test.
2 The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. The number of credit hours necessary to fulfill these requirements may vary.
3 100-, 200-, 300- or 400-level course are acceptable, or consult the list of courses satisfying Bachelor of Arts degree requirements. Click here.
4 Would include education courses leading to licensure in teacher education.
5 Students are strongly encouraged to complete one of the following sequences: MATH 107-108, MATH 135-235, MATH 155-220, MATH 156-220, MATH 205-206 or MATH 235-236.
6 Scientific Literacy requirement to be chosen from the list of courses satisfying Bachelor of Science degree requirements. Click here.
7 The Adult Degree 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 Human Community.
Undergraduate Degrees at James Madison University
The following is a list of undergraduate degrees and programs offered at James Madison University. For more information, contact the academic unit.
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Anthropology
Art History
Art, Studio
Biology
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Communication Studies
Earth Science
Economics
English
Geographic Science
History
Individualized Study
International Affairs
Justice Studies
Mathematics
Media Arts and Design
Modern Foreign Languages
Philosophy and Religion
Physics
Political Science
Psychology
Sociology
Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication
Theatre and Dance
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)
Accounting
Computer Information Systems
Economics
Finance
Hospitality and Tourism Management
International Business
Management
Marketing
Bachelor of Individualized Study (B.I.S.)
Individualized Study
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
Art, Studio
Bachelor of Music (B.M.)
Music
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Anthropology
Art, Studio
Athletic Training
Biology
Biotechnology
Chemistry
Communication Sciences and Disorders
Communication Studies
Computer Science
Dietetics
Economics
Engineering
Geographic Science
Geology
Health Sciences
Health Services Administration
Individualized Study
Information Analysis
Integrated Science and Technology
Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies
Justice Studies
Kinesiology
Mathematics
Media Arts and Design
Physics
Psychology
Public Policy and Administration
Quantitative Finance
Sociology
Statistics
Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.)
Nursing
Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.)
Social Work
Subject Abbreviations
Course Descriptions are listed in alphabetical order by subject. Courses that may meet General Education requirements are preceded by a bold, italic G or an asterisk. If the course is part of a course sequence, the asterisk appears after the course subject abbreviation and number.
The abbreviations shown in this section are also listed on e-campus and student transcripts.
Subject |
Abbreviation |
|---|---|
| Accounting | |
| Africana Studies | |
| Air Force ROTC | |
| American Studies | |
| Anthropology | |
| Arabic | |
| Art | |
| Art Education | |
| Art History | |
| Astronomy | |
| Athletic Training Education Program | |
| Biology | |
| Biotechnology | |
| Business and Marketing Education | |
| Business Law | |
| Chemistry | |
| Chinese | |
| Classics | |
| College of Business | |
| Communication Sciences and Disorders | |
| Communication Studies | |
| Computer Information Systems | |
| Computer Science | |
| Continuing Education | |
| Criminal Justice | |
| Dance | |
| Early Childhood Education | |
| Economics | |
| Education | |
| Elementary Education | |
| English | |
| Environmental Management | |
| Exceptional Education | |
| Family Studies | |
| Finance | |
| Foreign Language | |
| French | |
| General Business | |
| General Education | |
| Geographic Science | |
| Geology | |
| German | |
| Gerontology | |
| Graphic Design | |
| Greek | |
| Health | |
| Health and Human Services | |
| Health Services Administration | |
| Hebrew | |
| History | |
| Hospitality and Tourism Management | |
| Human Resource Development | |
| Human Science | |
| Individualized Study | |
| Information Analysis | |
| Integrated Science and Technology | |
| Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies | |
| Interdisciplinary Social Science | |
| Interior Design | |
| International Affairs | |
| International Business | |
| International Liberal Studies | |
| Interscience Research | |
| Italian | |
| Japanese | |
| Justice Studies | |
| Kinesiology | |
| Korean | |
| Latin | |
| Liberal Studies | |
| Management | |
| Management Science | |
| Marketing | |
| Materials Science | |
| Mathematics | |
| Media Arts and Design | |
| Middle and Secondary Education | |
| Middle Education | |
| Military Science | |
| Music | |
| Music Education | |
| Music Industry | |
| Music Instruction, Applied | |
| Nonprofit Studies | |
| Nursing | |
| Nutrition | |
| Philosophy | |
| Physics | |
| Political Science | |
| Psychology | |
| Public Policy and Administration | |
| Reading Education | |
| Religion | |
| Russian | |
| Social Work | |
| Sociology | |
| Spanish | |
| Studies Abroad Course, Regularly Scheduled | |
| Teaching English as a Second Language | |
| Technical Translation | |
| Theatre | |
| Vocational Education | |
| Women's Studies | |
| Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication |
Undergraduate Programs
Click here for a pdf chart of Undergraduate Programs. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this document.
Teacher Education Pre-professional Licensure Programs
Students interested in teacher licensure will major in an academic field and complete all of the requirements for the teacher education program. Depending on the field of study, initial licensure is earned at the bachelor or master's level. The following chart describes the licensure areas, degree required, major field of study and academic unit.
Licensure Area |
Degree Required |
Major Field of Study |
Academic Unit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art Education, PreK-12 |
Bachelor's | Art | School of Art and Art History |
| Music Education, PreK-12 |
Bachelor's | Music | School of Music |
| Physical/Health Education, PreK-12 |
Master's | Kinesiology | Department of Kinesiology |
| Early Childhood Education, PreK-3 |
Bachelor's | IDLS with education minor | Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, Department of Early, Elementary and Reading Education |
| Elementary Education, PreK-6 | Master's | IDLS with education minor |
Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, Department of Middle, Secondary and Mathematics Education |
| Middle Level, Education, 6-8 | Master's | IDLS with education minor | Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, Department of Middle, Secondary and Mathematics Education |
| Secondary Education, 6-12 | Master's | Content major1 with education minor |
Department of Middle, Secondary and Mathematics Education |
| Special Education, K-12 ECSE |
Master's | IDLS with education minor | Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies, Department Of Exceptional Education |
Academic Terms and Definitions
Degree Requirements
A degree is an academic title conferred on students who complete a unified program of study. Degrees vary according to the major program. JMU offers eight undergraduate degrees, click here, that incorporate course requirements unique to the degree and major discipline. Majors culminating in Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees share common sets of course requirements appropriate to the degree with specific distinctions.
Bachelor of Arts degree – The B.A. is distinguished by its humanistic emphasis. Students who complete a B.A. may satisfy the degree requirements by taking courses that advance their understanding of human culture through analysis of ideas; perception of differences; appreciation of art and creative products through understanding art forms, beauty, and symmetry; knowledge of theories and principles of form, substance, argument and philosophy; understanding of the interaction between language and culture; and achievement of linguistic competency in a second language.
Bachelor of Science degree – The B.S. is distinguished by its scientific emphasis. Students who complete a B.S. may satisfy the degree requirements by taking courses that advance their understanding of the use of scientific analysis, experimentation and the application of scientific principles and facts in solving problems; understanding of the crucial role of mathematical reasoning; and understanding analysis and techniques in comprehending problems in the natural or social sciences.
Lists of courses satisfying Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree requirements are found at the specific Registrar Web page.
Program of Study Components
A program of study, or course of study, refers to any set of courses and experiences identified by the university as satisfying the requirements of a program or program component for a student or students. The following terms describe programs of study at James Madison University.
Major – A coherent set of required and elective courses approved by the Board of Visitors and meeting state criteria that, when completed by a student, signifies a degree of preparation in a field or fields of study. The credit hour requirements for the major are set by the respective colleges and academic units and may not consist of less than 30 hours. A student must formally declare a major.
Minor – A cohesive set of required and elective courses that, when completed by a student, connotes knowledge and skills in a discipline, region or topic area, but not at the depth of a major. The minor is designed for students who are not majoring in the same area and typically requires between 18-24 credit hours, as set by the respective academic unit and college. A student must formally declare the minor for it to appear on the transcript of record. A minor is not required for graduation.
Concentration – A prescribed set of courses associated with a major or minor that is designed to focus a student's course of study according to interest and/or career goals. A concentration is not a required component of all majors and/or minors. The student must formally declare the concentration for it to appear on the transcript of record. The concentration will be noted on the transcript only after the student graduates.
Cognate – A set of courses outside the major that is designed to complement other components of the student's course of study and to support selected professional goals. A cognate is not a required component of a program. A student does not have to formally declare a cognate and it will not appear on the transcript of record.
Core – A defined group of courses within a particular major or minor that is required of all students completing that major or minor.
Track – A prescribed set of courses within a concentration. A track is not a required component of all concentrations. A student does not have to formally declare a track and it will not appear on the transcript of record.
Pre-professional Program – A defined set of courses or course options and requirements that serve as prerequisites to upper or graduate-level professional program components or courses. A pre-professional program may coincide with a major, minor or concentration, or it may be comprised by courses from two or more disciplines and concentrations.
Pre-professional Advisory Program – This program includes a set of recommended courses for students who wish to shape their undergraduate experience toward a related professional goal beyond the undergraduate degree, such as the Pre-Law, Pre-Medicine, Pre-Dentistry and Pre-Health programs. Pre-professional advisory programs appear on the transcript during a student's undergraduate career, but do not appear on the transcript after graduation.Professional Program – A defined group of courses or course options designed to prepare a student for a specific professional career, certificate, or license. A professional program may coincide with a major, minor or concentration, or it may be comprised by courses from two or more disciplines and concentrations. The student must formally declare the professional program for it to appear on the transcript of record. The professional program will be noted on the transcript only after the student graduates.
Pre-professional Licensure and Degree Program –This program must be related to a student's major as part of a planned progress toward professional credentialing, such as the Pre-Professional Teacher Education programs. It creates a distinct set of knowledge or skills that qualifies one to practice in a particular area or work in a specific field. This designation appears on the transcript.
Licensure Program – A set or sequence of courses and experiences required for a student to be eligible to obtain a license issued by an agency, group or professional organization.These definitions apply to all programs of study except in cases where program nomenclature specified by the accrediting agency differs from the nomenclature stated by James Madison University.
Certificate Program – A prescribed set or sequence of courses that results in a student receiving a certificate issued by the university when the identified courses and experiences are completed satisfactorily and when all other conditions have been met in accordance with the definitions and policies governing certificates.
