International Year Program (2-Semester)- Bachelor of Arts in Media Arts and Design

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. 

Computer Information Systems
CIS professionals use computers to solve business problems. As a CIS major at JMU, you’ll be ready for a career that requires both the business knowledge and the technical skills to help clients design, build and deliver competitive computer-based solutions. You'll receive up-to-date course work in application development; architecture, networking and security; business intelligence; consulting and more.

After graduation, you'll join a network of loyal JMU alumni whose success in senior- and mid-level management positions is built on a foundation of solid technical skills and integrative business knowledge.

The Computer Information Systems (CIS) major at JMU prepares students for professional careers that require both the business knowledge and the technical skills to help clients design, build and deliver competitive computer-based solutions. Computer and information systems managers play a vital role in the technological direction of their organizations and must stay abreast of the latest technology to ensure the organization does not lag behind its competitors.

Sociologists study the causes and consequences of social inequality. They also explore the social aspects of the environment, technology, politics, health, globalization, social movements, social justice, markets, mass media/popular culture and more. Through coursework and projects, sociology majors gain hands-on experience doing sociology, which includes: immersion in the daily life of groups, interview methodology, examining recorded interaction, interpreting historical documents, analyzing large national surveys and producing sophisticated social critique.

The sociology program develops the student's ability to analyze the social world by using diverse sociological theories and research methods. It stresses the importance of social, cultural, and historical contexts for understanding relationships between and among individuals and the social structures that make up societies. Students will gain the ability to think broadly and critically about the diversity of social organization and practice locally and globally. Students will also develop the ability to take a disciplined and scholarly approach to understanding the world in which we live.

The major in sociology strongly develops skills in critical thinking, research, analysis, writing and communication. Sociology students frequently go on to post-graduate education and/or careers in both public and private employment sectors.

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. 

Corporate Communication - Concentration
We prepare students to serve as creative, reflective and highly skilled media producers and storytellers, sensitive to the personal and social impact of the messages they create and to the important role media can play in advancing the public interest.

Graduates of the School of Media Arts and Design work in media or in media-related careers. Program concentrations allow students to pursue interests in journalism, digital video and cinema, creative advertising or interactive design. The major also prepares students for graduate study in mass communication, journalism, advertising, visual communication or digital production. SMAD’s 39-credit-hour requirement allows students to pursue minors and second majors, to strengthen their knowledge about the types of stories they want to tell.

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. 

Music
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.

Justice Studies is an interdisciplinary major that uses justice as a framework to sustain and promote the growth and development of individuals and communities: politically, economically and socially. Our students develop a personal definition of justice and a fuller understanding of the nature of the world in which they live. Students select an emphasis in Criminal Justice and Criminology, Global Justice and Policy, and Social Justice Engagement. Justice Studies offers students a set of skills, knowledge and habits of mind that can be applied to a wide range of academic, civic and career opportunities.

Justice studies is an interdisciplinary area of inquiry that brings together insights from the social sciences and humanities to explore questions of justice. Through the rigorous empirical and normative analyses of justice and injustice it seeks to help students develop a personal definition of justice, a fuller understanding of the nature of the world in which they live, and identify careers and strategies for action. Justice Studies values community and civic engagement, encourages students to actively participate in and contribute to their communities, and provides engagement opportunities and resources. The justice studies major is not a criminal justice program.

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. 

Justice Studies
Justice Studies is an interdisciplinary major that uses justice as a framework to sustain and promote the growth and development of individuals and communities: politically, economically and socially. Our students develop a personal definition of justice and a fuller understanding of the nature of the world in which they live. Students select an emphasis in Criminal Justice and Criminology, Global Justice and Policy, and Social Justice Engagement. Justice Studies offers students a set of skills, knowledge and habits of mind that can be applied to a wide range of academic, civic and career opportunities.

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 major puts students in the middle of the exploding information revolution where they study technological advances such as object-oriented software, communication networks, multimedia systems, information security and artificial intelligence. Students will learn about computing technologies used by today’s professionals and how to use these technologies to solve real-world problems. Students will learn to analyze problems, design solutions, implement solutions using multiple computing technologies, test and install those solutions, and communicate those solutions to others in written and verbal presentations.

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. 

Economics
As a JMU economics major, you’ll gain a solid foundation of economic theory and policy that can lead to a wide variety of career options, including financial analysis and trading, consumer advocacy, economic analysis, communications and public administration. Our curriculum will develop your skills in critical thinking, research, writing and analysis. We emphasize a commitment to lifelong learning, which is critical in an ever-changing global economy.

The Art History major is intended for students who wish to study the history of the visual arts, including the cultural and social context in which they were created. It is the mission of the art history program to educate students with a global perspective on the arts.

Western art history is emphasized, coupled with opportunities to study the art of select non-Western traditions. Students majoring in art history will develop a general knowledge of the principle monuments and artists of all major historical art periods. Students also will:

• Become acquainted with the art history of non-Western cultures.
• Locate unfamiliar works within major style periods and cultures.
• Describe, analyze and interpret the form and content of individual works of art in relation to the cultures from which they originate.
• Recognize major art media.
• Understand at least three major historical periods of art in detail.
• Become familiar with art history theory and methods of analysis and criticism.
• Research and write about significant artists, artistic events, periods and artistic concepts.

The art history program encourages majors and minors to participate in internship opportunities at museums, galleries and other art related settings, and it provides up-to-date information about jobs and graduate programs in art history and related fields. Visiting scholars, campus art exhibitions, trips to major museums and the JMU Study Abroad program provide students with opportunities to study and apply their art history knowledge outside the classroom. Upon completion of the art history major, students will have been exposed to a broad background and knowledge of the opportunities for graduate school and employment. The art history program also advocates cross disciplinary education and actively supports students who double major with other disciplines.