For Students Transferring from a Four-Year Institution

Students wishing to transfer to James Madison University should review the General Education Requirements for the current academic year. 

To satisfy the General Education requirements at JMU, follow the specified directions defined for each area. You must complete selected course work in each of the five areas.  The courses listed below serve as a guide in determining the general education/liberal studies courses you take at the institution you are planning to attend or are currently attending. 

Courses that usually transfer into the JMU General Education program are below. There may be additional options at your college or university. View the current General Education Planner for a list of all options. Equivalents which have been approved are listed in the Transfer Credit Equivalency Guide.

Madison Foundations

  • Human Communication (must include theory and public speaking) 
  • Composition (must include formal documentation)      

Arts and Humanities

  • World History (not Western Civilization) or Introduction to Philosophy or Religions of the World
  • Art History or World Music or Introduction to Theatre
  • Literature (must be writing-intensive; 5000 word minimum)

The Natural World

  • Mathematics (statistics or calculus, not algebra)
  • Two sciences: one physics, astronomy or chemistry AND one biology, geology, physical anthropology or physical geography. One science should include a lab.

American and Global Perspectives

  • United States History (must include from the Colonial Period to the present; may require a two-semester course sequence)
  • Macroeconomics

Sociocultural and Wellness


For additional information on General Education requirements at JMU, go to the General Education website.

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