JMU offers students the opportunity to study abroad at Britain’s oldest and most respected universities: the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England and the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Oxford and St. Andrews are semester programs; participants take part in tutorials or small classes across a wide range of topics and earn credits that fulfill major, minor, General Education, Honors, or elective requirements at JMU. At the University of Cambridge, students can select two- or four-week summer courses that can also fulfill major, degree and Honors requirements.

Earning JMU and Honors Credits

These programs are ideally suited to Honors students, who possess the requisite academic focus, independent learning skills, intellectual maturity, and work ethic to thrive at these presitigious institutions.

Through a special arrangement with the Honors College, students can automatically apply credits from Oxford, Cambridge, and St. Andrews towards the Honors Interdisciplinary Studies minor. These credits may also double count for other JMU requirements, such as major, minor, or GenEd.

The distribution of credits is generally as follows:

Oxford: 

• Fall semester (Michaelmas term)
  • Total credits transferred to JMU: 15
  • Applied to Honors minor: 6 Honors elective credits + 3 Honors experiential credits = 9 Honors credits
• Spring semester (Hilary term and Trinity term)
  • Total credits transferred to JMU: 24
  • Applied to Honors minor: 6 Honors elective credits + 3 Honors experiential credits = 9 Honors credits

St. Andrews: 

• Fall and spring: Total credits transferred to JMU: 15
• Applied to Honors minor: 6 Honors elective credits + 3 Honors experiential credits = 9 Honors credits
  
  

Cambridge:

• Total credits transferred to JMU: 3 per summer course
• Applied to Honors minor: 3 Honors elective credits per summer course
  
  

These credits will not automatically be applied to Honors requirements. Upon returning from studying abroad, students must notify the Honors Advising office once these credits have transferred into the JMU system and appear on their transcripts. This process can take up to a semester to complete.

Timing

The ideal time to study abroad at Oxford and St. Andrews is second semester sophomore year through first semester senior year. The ideal time to study at Cambridge is any summer. 

Oxford is perhaps best in the spring, which includes two terms, called Hilary (Jan–March) and Trinity (April–June), and offers 12 credits each term (24 credits total for both terms). There is also an option to study at Oxford in the fall for an extended Michaelmas term (Sept–Dec), which offers 15 credits.

Students can study at St. Andrews fall or spring semester, or for an entire year.

Application Information

• Oxford: https://www.jmu.edu/global/abroad/programs/oxford.shtml
• St. Andrews: https://www.jmu.edu/global/abroad/programs/st-andrews.shtml
• Cambridge: https://www.jmu.edu/global/abroad/programs/cambridge.shtml
  

Applicants to these programs must have a minimum GPA of 3.3 to participate. Applications require a statement of purpose and one (St. Andrews, Cambridge) or two (Oxford) letters of recommendation.

Participation is not restricted to Honors students. Any qualified JMU student is eligible.

Contact

Interested students should contact Sara Hodges in the Honors College Advising office.