International Year Program (2-Semester) - Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology

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. 

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 History major blends core requirements with great choice permitting students to pursue particular interests while developing a broad understanding of the historic past. Students will have the opportunity to design, in consultation with faculty advisers, approximately two-thirds of their program to suit their needs and interests. The major offers students an opportunity for independent research and to present their findings at regional or national conferences. History prepares students for a broad range of challenging 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. 

Mathematics
As a Mathematics major, students will gain an increased understanding and appreciation for math as a universal language. Students can expect to use and build on skills such as thinking critically, formulating and solving problems and communicating solutions. Students will increase their ability to prove theorems, understand complex structure, and apply mathematics and statistics in many real-world settings. The program students choose will make it possible for them to acquire strong preparation for graduate work or for professional applications in mathematics and statistics, teaching, natural and social sciences or other technical areas.

There will also be opportunities for students to experience the challenge and rewards of faculty-mentored research. Students are strongly encouraged to participate in the numerous undergraduate research opportunities as well as individual and small group projects available in the department. Opportunities exist through the Center for Mathematical Modeling, the Office of Statistical Services, honors theses, and independent studies with individual faculty mentors.

The department offers a four-year B.S. 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.

Physics is the study of the laws of nature that describe the universe we see around us and the relationship of energy and matter. This includes the study of nature on every scale from the smallest subatomic particles to the evolution of the universe itself. The study of physics is more than the pursuit of basic scientific knowledge. It is the development of a way of thinking about problems whether learning what is inside a proton or how to use knowledge from biology, chemistry or geology to solve an interesting practical problem.

In this major, students will be immersed in a program that integrates a comprehensive classroom curriculum with extensive hands-on experience working in research laboratories with our faculty. Students have opportunities to work both on campus and at national and international facilities to conduct research in nuclear physics and astronomy, and use state-of-the-art equipment on campus in materials, computational physics and non-linear dynamics.

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. 

Sociology
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 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. 

Psychology
Psychology is the major to consider if studying the area of science that explores how people and animals think, feel and act is of interest. Psychology majors complete course work that explores behavior, emotions, cognitive processes and the factors that influence them from a variety of perspectives. Psychologists study behavior at both a cellular (e.g. examining the role of the brain and the nervous system) and at a more global level (e.g. examining the influences of culture). As psychology majors students will enhance their problem-solving, critical thinking, writing and oral expression skills as they learn to use the tools available to behavioral scientists.

Students choose to major in psychology for many reasons. Psychology can be students' primary area of interest within a liberal arts education that will lead to many professional opportunities that require a bachelor's degree, or it can be a pre-professional program leading to advanced study in graduate school. Popular types of graduate programs pursued by graduates of our program have been counseling, school psychology, education, clinical psychology, psychological science, social work, forensic psychology/criminal justice, industrial/organizational psychology, behavior analysis, law school and college administration.

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. 

English
Throughout human history, talented writers, poets, playwrights and essayists have understood and used the power of creative, well-crafted language to inspire us, to persuade us, to make us reflect and question, to draw empathy from us, to entertain and awe us, and to expand our understanding – often many of these at the same time.

At JMU, we prepare our students to be appreciative yet critical readers and creators of language, texts and ideas, attending to the powerful link between the literary arts and the human condition.

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. 

Graphic Design
The graphic design major provides a professional education with an interdisciplinary approach. Program objectives for the graphic design student are:

• Articulate ideas and understand the fundamental elements and principles of graphic design while using correct terminology pertinent to the field.
• Demonstrate a working knowledge of artistic methods, craft and formal structure as vehicles to enhance a solutions communicative value.
• Demonstrate proficiency in both traditional and digital ways of making.
• Develop diverse problem-solving methodologies that combine theory, research, analytical skills and conceptualization to create effective graphic design solutions.
• Develop a professional graphic design portfolio reflective of one's knowledge and abilities that encompasses the contemporary design market.

The graphic design major objectives are enhanced by frequent field trips to design events, guest speakers, workshops and internship opportunities. Design students have an opportunity to engage with design leaders in the field through field trips, events and participation in a professional design organization.

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.