General Education: The Human Community is JMU's Core Curriculum.  It is an essential part of every undergraduate program offered at JMU. Its learning outcomes are organized into five areas of study: 

  • Madison Foundations (formerly Cluster One: Skills for the 21st Century)
  • Arts & Humanities (formerly Cluster Two: Arts & Humanities)
  • The Natural World (formerly Cluster Three: The Natural World)
  • American & Global Perspectives (formerly Cluster Four: Social and Cultural Processes)
  • Sociocultural & Wellness (formerly Cluster Five: Individuals in the Human Community)

Courses in each area have been designed by JMU faculty to meet the specific learning outcomes associated with that academic discipline. In order to graduate, each student must complete all five clusters, which typically make up one-third of a student’s coursework, about 41 credit hours.

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