Undergraduate Programs


B.A. and B.S.
B.A. Cognate
 B.S. Cognate
 Online Publication Concentration
 Publications Management Concentration
 Technical and Scientific Communication in the Public Sector Concentration

B.A. and B.S.

If you want to become a TSC major, please consult the JMU admissions page.

Course requirements differ between the B.A. and B.S. programs. Students in either program must successfully complete a minimum of 39 credit hours of undergraduate course work, which includes 3 core courses (9 credit hours) in TSC.

In addition, B.A. majors must complete 9 credit hours of course work in a B.A. cognate area as well as 30 credit hours of TSC electives, of which 6 must be at the 200 level and 12 may be at the 100 level. B.S. majors must complete 12 credit hours of course work in a B.S. cognate area as well as 18 credit hours of TSC electives, of which 12 hours must be at the 300 or 400 level. Both B.A. and B.S. majors are strongly encouraged to complete a TSC internship, at some point during their degree plan.

Students should check prerequisites for upper-level electives offered in other departments and schools. Students should also work with department advisers to design a program that fits their unique educational needs and career aspirations. Requirements of the TSC degree might mean that some students will take courses beyond the 120-hour university requirement for B.A. and B.S. degrees.



B.A. Cognate

The B.A. cognate provides students with an understanding of fundamental terminology, theory, and processes of a chosen technical or scientific discipline. While these students might not intend to work in professions that are highly technical or scientific, the working knowledge of a chosen concentration area allows them to converse at an introductory level in a technical or scientific discipline and enables them to build on this foundation should they later wish to seek mastery of a technical or scientific field.

All B.A. majors must complete 9 hours of lower-level course work (at the 100 or 200 level) in one or more scientific and/or technical programs. These nine credits may not be double counted toward either the General Education requirements or the TSC major requirements. Six of these 9 hours must be at the 200 level. The programs include accounting, art, anthropology, biology, chemistry, communication sciences and disorders, communication studies, computer science, computer information systems, economics, geography, geology, health sciences, integrated science and technology, inter-science research, kinesiology, materials science, mathematics, media arts and design, military science, public administration, quantitative finance, sociology, physics, music industry, and psychology. COB 204, Computer Information Systems, is also recognized as a cognate course.

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B.S. Cognate

The B.S. cognate provides students with a deeper understanding of the terminology, theory, and processes of a chosen technical or scientific discipline than does the B.A. cognate. B.S. students normally expect to work in professions that are highly technical or scientific and in which an advanced understanding of the discipline is essential.

B.S. students must complete at least 12 hours of course work from one or more scientific and/or technical programs available at JMU. These 12 hours may not be double counted toward the General Education requirements. Students who double-major in TSC and a B.S. program automatically satisfy the TSC cognate requirement by completing the requirements of their second degree. The programs include accounting, art, anthropology, biology, chemistry, communication sciences and disorders, communication studies, computer science, computer information systems, economics, geography, geology, health sciences, integrated science and technology, inter-science research, kinesiology, materials science, mathematics, media arts and design, military science, public administration, quantitative finance, sociology, physics, music industry, and psychology. COB 204, Computer Information Systems, is also recognized as a cognate course.

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Online Publication Concentration

This concentration prepares students to work in a variety of Web-based environments, information technology industries, and non-profit institutions. Most employers of TSC graduates expect them to develop the same information for both print and online sources. This concentration prepares students for employers with this expectation.

Students learn theories of hypertext and navigation as they apply to technical communication in an electronic environment. They also learn single-sourcing techniques. Graduates will be able to evaluate, revise, negotiate, manage, sustain, and reorganize large Web sites. They learn the differences in design and layout principles between print and online documents. They develop competence in designing, writing, coding, and producing Web documents. They also compare industry-standard authoring tools and programs and learn to write and edit authoring programs and online data basing. In sum, students learn the importance of the integration of all the elements of an effective electronic technical communication document.

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Publications Management Concentration

The publication management concentration prepares students to manage a variety of publications for an organization. The specialized nature of our degree moves our students into managerial positions quickly, and this concentration prepares them with training in management of publications for the business and government fields. Also, many of our graduates are hired to start up companies, and they are expected to work as independent worker-managers. This concentration keeps students competitive in the industry and, once hired, prepares them to be promoted quickly.

Some of the activities publications managers perform are the following: prepare and manage editorial policy of professional publications; plan and manage the life-cycle of publications, including managing and working within project teams; create document publication schedules; review and edit submissions for print and electronic publications; and collaborate with authors.

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Technical and Scientific Communication in the Public Sector Concentration

The technical and scientific communication in the public sector concentration prepares students to work in government, government-related and nonprofit organizations. TSC graduates working in these organizations manage teams and work with clients and prepare a range of technical and scientific print and online documents. The skills and knowledge emphasized in this concentration make our graduates attractive to employers in metropolitan areas nationwide.

JMU is located between Washington, D.C., and Richmond, and this location makes working in the public sector a wise and beneficial choice.

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