Programs

There are several ways to study overseas:

Semester Abroad

 

Short-Term

 

Exchange

 

Study At Oxford, Cambridge, and St. Andrews

 

Internships

 

External Programs

 

Graduate Programs

 

Antwerp, Beijing (Summer), Florence, London, and Salamanca…

Running each fall, spring, and summer, JMU’s Semester Abroad programs offer participants the opportunity to spend approximately three months living and studying in a foreign country.  This is an excellent way to fulfill many GenEd requirements and earn elective credit; but major-specific, independent studies may also be arranged through consultation with the programs’ respective directors. 

In addition to classroom work, students will have numerous opportunities to participate in group outings – to museums, historical landmarks, concerts, shows, and more – that will connect the classroom to the great cities and cultures in which they are studying.

Programs generally consist of fifteen (15) credit hours of coursework, and classes are generally taught in English, except in Salamanca, Spain.

Click here for more information about Semester Abroad

Running only in the summer, JMU’s Short-Term Programs offer a variety of international study options that typically last from three to six weeks and offer three to nine credit hours of coursework.  In addition to coursework, many programs offer cultural experiences to deepen participants’ understanding of and appreciation for their area of study and their host culture.

Most programs are oriented to specific majors. However, some courses will fulfill GenEd requirements.   Classes are generally taught in English.

Click here for more information about Short-Term Programs

As an exchange student, you will study at one of our partner institutions, in Australia, England, Egypt, Japan, Morocco, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, or the United Arab Emirates. You will be immersed in the cultures of some of the world's most exciting and provocative cities. While on a JMU exchange, you will pay room & board to the overseas institution while paying tuition to JMU.  This arrangement allows you to maintain your financial aid package, including grants and scholarships.  For those not on financial aid, an exchange program is a great way to study overseas while paying your home institution's tuition rates.  In other words, you save money!  Many classes are taught in the language of the country, so proficiency in that language will expand course options. Most of the universities offer courses in English or have an English language program. 

Keep in mind that you may be the only JMU exchange student attending a given university. Exchange programs are available only for the fall or spring semesters or a full academic year.  Exchange programs are not available during the summer. Credit systems vary from university to university. It is important to work closely with your JMU academic advisor and your JMU study abroad advisor prior to your departure and when registering for courses while abroad to determine how many credits you will receive for your coursework.

All students participating in an exchange program will be required to submit a written report within three weeks of completion of the program reflecting on their experience.

Click here for more information about Exchange Programs

JMU offers the opportunity to study abroad for a semester or a full academic year at three of Great Britain’s oldest and most respected universities: the University of Cambridge and the University of Oxford in England, and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland.  Participants will take part in tutorials across a wide range of topics and live with and share all of the benefits or regular university students at those institutions.

Applicants must have a 3.3 GPA or higher, but need not be members of JMU’s Study At Oxford, Cambridge, and St. Andrews Program in order to participate.

Click here for more information about Study At Oxford, Cambridge, and St. Andrews

JMU’s International Internship Program is now chiefly associated with the Semester in London Program, giving students the opportunity to combine study with a work experience during fall, spring or summer in a great variety of disciplines.  For internship opportunities outside of London, students can join an external internship provider or apply directly to certain businesses and organizations.

Click here for more information about International Internships

If you are unable to get into a JMU program, or cannot find a JMU program that meets your particular interests or needs, you may want to consider looking at programs offered by other universities or national study abroad organizations/providers.  You may also explore the option of direct enrollment at a foreign university. There’s a program for just about everyone!

All students studying on an external program MUST still apply to the oIP.

Click here for more information about External Programs

For graduate students interested in a study abroad experience, we're pleased to announce that JMU introduced its first international graduate program in Fall 2007 with the Master of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in European Union Policy Studies is a one-year program in Florence, Italy. In 2009, a dual post-graduate degree program leading to an M.S. in Sustainable Environment Resources Management (SERM) will begin.

Click here for more information about Graduate Programs