Degree Information
Degree Requirements at James Madison University
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
| Foreign language courses (intermediate level required) 1 | 0-14 |
| General Education courses 2 | 41 |
| Philosophy course (in addition to General Education courses) 3 | 3 |
| Major concentration courses and electives 4 | 62-76 |
| 120 | |
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.)
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
| B.B.A. core courses | 44-45 |
| General Education courses 2 | 41 |
| Major courses | 24 |
| Electives | 11-21 |
| 120 | |
Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
| Core program – art courses | 24 |
| General Education courses 2 | 41 |
| Art emphasis courses | 54 |
| Electives | 1 |
| 120 | |
Bachelor of Individualized Study (B.I.S.)
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
| General Education courses 7 | 41 |
| Major concentration courses | 30 |
| Electives | 49 |
| 120 | |
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
| Core music program courses | 27 |
| General Education courses 2 | 41 |
| Major concentration courses and electives | 56-63 |
| 124-131 | |
| Requirements | Credit Hours |
| General Education courses 2 | 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.)
| Requirements | 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.)
| Requirements | 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 Any GPHIL or PHIL course except GPHIL 120 or GPHIL 150. Consult the list of courses satisfying Bachelor of Arts degree requirements at http://www.jmu.edu/registrar/BA_and_BS_Degree_Courses.shtml.
4 Includes 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 220 and one from MATH 321-327, or MATH 235-236.
6 Scientific Literacy requirement to be chosen from the list of courses satisfying Bachelor of Science degree requirements at http://www.jmu.edu/registrar/BA_and_BS_Degree_Courses.shtml.
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 |
| Theatre and Dance |
| Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication |
| Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) |
| Accounting |
| Computer Information Systems |
| Economics |
| Finance |
| International Business |
| Management |
| Marketing |
| Bachelor of Individualized Study (B.I.S.) |
| Individualized Study |
| Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) |
| Art, Studio |
| Graphic Design |
| Interior Design |
| 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 |
| Hospitality Management |
| Individualized Study |
| Intelligence 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 |
| Sport and Recreation Management |
| 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 MyMadison and student transcripts.
| Subject | Abbreviation |
| Accounting | ACTG |
| Africana Studies | AFST |
| AIRS | AIRS |
| American Studies | AMST |
| Anthropology | ANTH |
| Arabic | ARAB |
| Art | ART |
| Art Education | ARED |
| Art History | ARTH |
| Astronomy | ASTR |
| Athletic Training Education Program | ATEP |
| Biology | BIO |
| Biotechnology | BIOT |
| Business Analytics | BSAN |
| Business Law | BLAW |
| Business and Marketing Education | BMED |
| Chemistry | CHEM |
| Chinese | CHIN |
| Classics | CLAS |
| College of Business | COB |
| Communication Sciences and Disorders | CSD |
| Communication Studies | SCOM |
| Computer Information Systems | CIS |
| Computer Science | CS |
| Continuing Education | CE |
| Criminal Justice | CRJU |
| Dance | DANC |
| Early Childhood Education | ECED |
| Economics | ECON |
| Education | EDUC |
| Elementary Education | ELED |
| Engineering | ENGR |
| English | ENG |
| Environment | ENVT |
| Environmental Management | ENVM |
| Exceptional Education | EXED |
| Family Studies | FAM |
| Finance | FIN |
| Foreign Language | FL |
| Foreign Language Education | FLED |
| French | FR |
| General Business | GBUS |
| General Education | G |
| Geographic Science | GEOG |
| Geology | GEOL |
| German | GER |
| Gerontology | GERN |
| Graphic Design | GRPH |
| Greek | GRK |
| Health | HTH |
| Health Services Administration | HSA |
| Hebrew | HEBR |
| History | HIST |
| Hospitality Management | HM |
| Hospitality and Tourism Management | HTM |
| Human Resource Development | HRD |
| Human Science | HSC |
| Humanitarian Affairs | HUMN |
| Inclusive Early Childhood Education | IECE |
| Individualized Study | IS |
| Industrial Design | INDU |
| Integrated Science and Technology | ISAT |
| Intelligence Analysis | IA |
| Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies | IDLS |
| Interdisciplinary Social Science | ISS |
| Interior Design | INDE |
| International Affairs | INTA |
| International Business | IBUS |
| Interprofessional Education | IPE |
| Interscience Research | ISCI |
| Italian | ITAL |
| Japanese | JAPN |
| Justice Studies | JUST |
| Kinesiology | KIN |
| Korean | KOR |
| Latin | LAT |
| Learning, Technology and Leadership Education | LTLE |
| Management | MGT |
| Marketing | MKTG |
| Materials Science | MATS |
| Mathematics | MATH |
| Media Arts and Design | SMAD |
| Middle Education | MIED |
| Middle and Secondary Education | MSSE |
| Military Science | MSCI |
| Music | MUS |
| Music Education | MUED |
| Music Industry | MUI |
| Music Instruction, Applied | MUAP |
| Nonprofit Studies | NPS |
| Nursing | NSG |
| Nutrition | NUTR |
| Persian | PERS |
| Philosophy | PHIL |
| Physics | PHYS |
| Political Science | POSC |
| Portuguese | PORT |
| Psychology | PSYC |
| Public Policy and Administration | PPA |
| Reading Education | READ |
| Religion | REL |
| Russian | RUS |
| Social Work | SOWK |
| Sociology | SOCI |
| Spanish | SPAN |
| Sport and Recreation Management | SRM |
| Swahili | SWA |
| Teaching English as a Second Language | TESL |
| Technical Translation | TR |
| Theatre | THEA |
| Vocational Education | VOED |
| Women's and Gender Studies | WMST |
| Writing, Rhetoric and Technical Communication | WRTC |
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's 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 | Bachelor's | Art | School of Art and Art History |
| PreK-12 | |||
| Dance Education | Bachelor's | Dance | School of Theatre and Dance |
| PreK-12 | |||
| Music Education | Bachelor's | Music | School of Music |
| PreK-12 | |||
| Physical/Health Education | Master's | Kinesiology | Department of Kinesiology |
| PreK-12 | |||
| Inclusive Early Childhood | Master's | IDLS with educ. | Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies |
| Education | pre-professional | Department of Early, Elementary | |
| Birth-Age 8 | licensure program | and Reading Education and | |
| Department of Exceptional Education | |||
| Elementary Education | Master's | IDLS with educ. | Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies |
| PreK-6 | pre-professional | Department of Early, Elementary | |
| licensure program | and Reading Education | ||
| Middle Level Education | Master's | IDLS with educ. | Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies |
| 6-8 | pre-professional | Department of Middle, Secondary | |
| licensure program | and Mathematics Education | ||
| Secondary Education | Master's | Content major 1 | Department of Middle, Secondary |
| 6-12 | with education | and Mathematics Education | |
| pre-professional | |||
| licensure program | |||
| Special Education 2 | Master's | IDLS with educ. | Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies |
| K-12 | pre-professional | Department of Exceptional Education | |
| licensure program | |||
| Foreign Language | Master's | Modern Foreign | Departments of Middle, Secondary |
| PreK-12 2 | Languages | and Mathematics Education | |
| with | and Foreign Languages, Literature | ||
| pre-professional | and Culture | ||
| licensure program | |||
| Theatre Education | Bachelor's | IDLS with | School of Education |
| PreK-12 | pre-professional | ||
| Theatre and Dance | licensure program | ||
| Teaching English | Master's | See program | Department of Exceptional Education; |
| to Speakers of Other | adviser for | Department of Learning Technology | |
| Languages – TESL (ESL) | options. | and Leadership Education |
1 Available majors are biology, chemistry, Earth science, English, history or political science, mathematics, or physics.
2 IDLS is the recommended major.
Add-on Endorsements
Endorsements are available in the following areas. Contact the College of Education for more information.
- Algebra I
- Gifted Education (add-on licensure)
- Journalism
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 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 http://www.jmu.edu/registrar/BA_and_BS_Degree_Courses.shtml.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
