International Year Program (2-Semester) - Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies

at Study Group - James Madison University USA

The International Year is a great choice if you'd like to improve your English language proficiency while also benefiting from a supportive environment with dedicated faculty.

• Dedicated academic support to prepare you for university - you will receive specialist support and teaching so that on completion of the International Year, you'll be ready to progress to degree study at JMU.
• Graduate in four years, similar to direct entry students - studying on the International Year will allow you to complete your degree on time. 
• Be a part of the university community from day one - JMU has a thriving community where students feel that they're part of a large, supportive family. 
• Taught at the on-campus International Study Center (ISC) - the dedicated ISC will provide a safe, supportive environment where you can work and socialise with other international students. 

Social Work
The social work program prepares students to become social workers who are committed to strengthening community life for diverse individuals, families and organizations while promoting social justice through advocacy and action. The social work program equips graduates with the knowledge, values and skills needed for the development of professional ethics and competence. The program prepares graduates to work effectively in a broad spectrum of social service settings that address poverty, multiple forms of oppression, social injustice and other human rights violations. The program also prepares students for graduate study in social work.

In addition to lecture and class discussion, the social work program utilizes a variety of teaching strategies, including case-based and experiential approaches to enhance learning. Students are exposed to issues and organizations at local, state, and national levels through policy forums, conferences, interviews and service-learning. All majors use the interviewing labs for case simulations and interviewing to develop their practice skills. The department offers minors in family studies, gerontology and nonprofit Studies.

The department offers a four-year degree program for a major in biology and for a major in biology qualifying for the Secondary Collegiate Professional License. Requirements for the B.A. degree can be met by adding the completion of an intermediate level foreign language and three credit hours in philosophy. Students may not receive dual credit toward the biology major for 300- and 400-level BIO courses that are applied toward the biotechnology major.

Biology majors must complete 40 credit hours of biology courses including 16 credit hours at the 300 and 400 level. Specific requirements include four core courses (BIO 140, BIO 150, BIO 240 and BIO 250), at least two upper-division laboratory courses and one course from a list of courses with an emphasis on organismal diversity. In addition, biology majors must complete a set of cognate courses in chemistry, mathematics, statistics and physics that are listed below. Students are encouraged to participate in independent research with a faculty mentor. Credits earned doing research will count toward the biology major but some restrictions apply.

When requested, senior biology majors are expected to participate in program assessment test activities as a graduation requirement. Assessment information helps the department modify the curriculum to meet student needs.

The communication sciences and disorders major is designed to provide students with pre-professional preparation essential to pursuing graduate work in speech-language pathology or audiology. Graduate degrees at the masters or doctoral level are necessary to work as speech-language pathologists or audiologists. These individuals work as professionals to assist people who have communication disorders; teachers, clinical supervisors and/or researchers in universities; administrators and leaders in healthcare or educational settings.

Research is essential in order to understand more about how humans communicate and the problems that can interfere with their communication. The major encourages students to become involved in research, provides them with opportunities to pursue honors projects and honors theses, and encourages students to attend and present their research work with the student's faculty mentor at regional and national conferences.

There is a nationwide shortage of speech-language pathologists and audiologists, so they are in strong demand for jobs. Communication sciences and disorders provides an excellent background for students who want to pursue careers in related areas such as special education, deaf education, medicine, or dentistry and offers an exciting and fascinating course of study for students who simply wish to study the area as a major.

The International Year is a great choice if you'd like to improve your English language proficiency while also benefiting from a supportive environment with dedicated faculty.

• Dedicated academic support to prepare you for university - you will receive specialist support and teaching so that on completion of the International Year, you'll be ready to progress to degree study at JMU.
• Graduate in four years, similar to direct entry students - studying on the International Year will allow you to complete your degree on time. 
• Be a part of the university community from day one - JMU has a thriving community where students feel that they're part of a large, supportive family. 
• Taught at the on-campus International Study Center (ISC) - the dedicated ISC will provide a safe, supportive environment where you can work and socialise with other international students. 

Studio Art
The Art, Studio major is designed for students who seek a breadth of knowledge in the visual arts and who have an interest or background in the humanities and foreign language. The art, studio faculty is made up of practicing artists who work closely with the students, and students also work closely with each other as they develop their studio practice. Visiting artists and scholars, workshops, field trips and frequent on-campus exhibitions of professional artwork enhance student engagement with contemporary art. Additionally, students have opportunities to exhibit and present their artwork, to assist in running on-campus galleries and studio art labs and to partake in other hands-on art experiences.

Students graduating with a major in art, studio will:

• Display technical command of at least one medium and display fluency in a range of media.
• Effectively analyze and apply two- and three-dimensional design principles and devices
• Develop an independent line of creative inquiry that embraces risk-taking and inventive solutions
• Knowledgeably critique and contextualize their artwork to cultivate expressive ideas and meaningful content
• Demonstrate awareness of contemporary art and art history within a global context

The International Year is a great choice if you'd like to improve your English language proficiency while also benefiting from a supportive environment with dedicated faculty.

• Dedicated academic support to prepare you for university - you will receive specialist support and teaching so that on completion of the International Year, you'll be ready to progress to degree study at JMU.
• Graduate in four years, similar to direct entry students - studying on the International Year will allow you to complete your degree on time. 
• Be a part of the university community from day one - JMU has a thriving community where students feel that they're part of a large, supportive family. 
• Taught at the on-campus International Study Center (ISC) - the dedicated ISC will provide a safe, supportive environment where you can work and socialise with other international students. 

Anthropology
The anthropology program at JMU is designed to introduce students to the breadth of the discipline illustrating the topics and issues of the modern world that are addressed by its four sub-fields: cultural anthropology, biological anthropology, archeology and linguistics. Building from a general program, students can choose to concentrate in the theory and practice of any of the subfields except linguistics.

The program is strongly practice-oriented and encourages students to participate in internships, field schools, independent studies, and special topics that allow them to broaden their anthropological awareness. All of the faculty are actively involved in significant research within their chosen areas of study. This scholarship is not only reflected in courses that are current and informed by practical experience, but also in a wide range of opportunities for students to be mentored by faculty in collaborative research projects.

The Bachelor of Music degree offers six specialized majors: performance, composition, music industry, music education, jazz studies and music theatre. All music majors must complete the General Education program and a 30 credit hour core program of music courses common to all the majors' curricula. The remaining hours are specified under each of the various majors and concentrations.

All undergraduate music majors must perform on the primary instrument in one assigned ensemble each semester when one or more of the following indicators applies:

• They are enrolled for a minimum of 12 credit hours on campus.
• They are enrolled for applied lessons on the primary instrument.
• They have not completed all of the requirements in the music major.
• They are not enrolled in an off-campus internship or in student teaching.

While students are required to participate in only one ensemble each semester, they are encouraged to take advantage of the many performance opportunities offered by the School of Music by participating in more than one ensemble. For information regarding the ensemble audition process, see the Undergraduate Music Student Handbook.

If piano is the primary instrument, see the specific requirements in the Undergraduate Music Student Handbook.

All music students should enroll in class piano each semester until they meet the keyboard skills requirements appropriate to their specific degree or concentration. Graduating seniors must participate in assessment activities including assessment day, as represented by MUS 220.

Another vital aspect of the programs is attendance at recitals and concerts. Attending these events contributes to the breadth of students' knowledge of music literature. Hearing performances also allows students to observe performing techniques from the student to the professional levels. Consequently, undergraduate music majors must attend a minimum of 10 recitals per semester for six semesters, totaling 60 attendances during their degree studies. Students must continue to register for MUS 195 until they fulfill this requirement.

The International Year is a great choice if you'd like to improve your English language proficiency while also benefiting from a supportive environment with dedicated faculty.

• Dedicated academic support to prepare you for university - you will receive specialist support and teaching so that on completion of the International Year, you'll be ready to progress to degree study at JMU.
• Graduate in four years, similar to direct entry students - studying on the International Year will allow you to complete your degree on time. 
• Be a part of the university community from day one - JMU has a thriving community where students feel that they're part of a large, supportive family. 
• Taught at the on-campus International Study Center (ISC) - the dedicated ISC will provide a safe, supportive environment where you can work and socialise with other international students. 

Computer Science
You'll develop solutions that can be computationally implemented, strive for the best solutions and use resources effectively. You'll be part of a collaborative and inclusive community in which you are set up for success in your studies, your career and your life.

As a JMU computer scientist you'll:

• Design and build software.
• Develop effective ways to solve computing problems, such as storing information in databases sending data over networks, or providing new approaches to security problems.
• Conduct research in collaboration with faculty members.
• Enjoy small classes. Our courses are capped at 30 and are taught by full-time faculty.
• Devise new and better ways of using computers and addressing particular challenges in areas such as mobile computing, robotics, artificial intelligence, web-based systems, or digital forensics.

Our degree integrates knowledge from a variety of disciplines such as philosophy, history, economics, political science, technology and business. Students learn how to be analysts with courses emphasizing research, reading, thinking, writing, and speaking – and the use of technologies to facilitate that. Topics addressed in our courses cover subjects related to security (such as terrorism or cyber-crime) from any of the eight intelligence domains: national security, military, homeland security, law enforcement, business, private sector security, geospatial, and cyber.

As an IA major you’ll:

• Learn how to transform raw information into critical reports used to understand intelligence issues
•  Gain an aptitude for identifying intelligence gaps, evaluate information from multiple sources, monitor trends and interpret events related to particular countries or issues through your coursework.
•  Learn innovative ways to structure your thinking to solve complex real-world problems when there is both time pressure and a lack of reliable information.
• Customize your degree to different types of analysis through your choice of a minor.

The International Year is a great choice if you'd like to improve your English language proficiency while also benefiting from a supportive environment with dedicated faculty.

• Dedicated academic support to prepare you for university - you will receive specialist support and teaching so that on completion of the International Year, you'll be ready to progress to degree study at JMU.
• Graduate in four years, similar to direct entry students - studying on the International Year will allow you to complete your degree on time. 
• Be a part of the university community from day one - JMU has a thriving community where students feel that they're part of a large, supportive family. 
• Taught at the on-campus International Study Center (ISC) - the dedicated ISC will provide a safe, supportive environment where you can work and socialise with other international students. 

Integrated Science and Technology  
Integrated science and technology (ISAT) students learn about a broad range of scientific, technological, and social concepts and master concrete skills that will make them leaders in solving the real human problems that confront our world. Students start with a common foundations curriculum and then progress into more specialized technical areas of their choice during the junior and senior years. Studies in ISAT combine multiple scientific areas into one hands-on, integrated program in which students learn by working directly with technology and applying it to solve real-world problems.

ISAT graduates are successful in a broad range of professions and graduate schools. The program is both technical and flexible allowing students to customize a course sequence in preparation for a diverse array of technology-related careers.

The International Year is a great choice if you'd like to improve your English language proficiency while also benefiting from a supportive environment with dedicated faculty.

• Dedicated academic support to prepare you for university - you will receive specialist support and teaching so that on completion of the International Year, you'll be ready to progress to degree study at JMU.
• Graduate in four years, similar to direct entry students - studying on the International Year will allow you to complete your degree on time. 
• Be a part of the university community from day one - JMU has a thriving community where students feel that they're part of a large, supportive family. 
• Taught at the on-campus International Study Center (ISC) - the dedicated ISC will provide a safe, supportive environment where you can work and socialise with other international students. 

Integrated Science and Technology  
Integrated science and technology (ISAT) students learn about a broad range of scientific, technological, and social concepts and master concrete skills that will make them leaders in solving the real human problems that confront our world. Students start with a common foundations curriculum and then progress into more specialized technical areas of their choice during the junior and senior years. Studies in ISAT combine multiple scientific areas into one hands-on, integrated program in which students learn by working directly with technology and applying it to solve real-world problems.

ISAT graduates are successful in a broad range of professions and graduate schools. The program is both technical and flexible allowing students to customize a course sequence in preparation for a diverse array of technology-related careers.