James Madison University

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Degree Programs Offered by James Madison University

James Madison University appears in our ranking of 60 Great Value Colleges for Music Majors (Undergraduate).

Undergraduate students enrolled in traditional classes at the JMU can choose from more than 60 majors. Interdisciplinary liberal studies is one major that is popular with students. It allows them to take both general education courses and classes in different areas of the liberal arts. Students in the sport and recreation management program learn how to manage individual athletes and players and how to handle the complex operations of a sports business. James Madison University also offers one of the only biotechnology undergrad programs in the nation, which includes research opportunities for students. Other majors include health services administration, chemistry, social work, public policy and administration, justice studies, musical theater, and biology.

With more than 50 graduate programs available, James Madison University makes it easy for students to find one that works with their career goals. These programs include majors in art education for those who want to teach art and art history for those who want to work in galleries and museums. The university’s graduate psychology programs feature concentrations in clinical mental health counseling, school counseling, school psychology and counseling and supervision. Graduate students can also major in special education, writing, health sciences, English, communication sciences and disorders and other subjects.

James Madison University offered distance education programs for its students for many years before replacing those courses with online programs. Students can now complete an RN to BSN program online, but this program requires that they have a nursing degree and some professional experience. A certificate in autism spectrum disorders is also available online for those who want to work with people on the spectrum. Another similar certificate program is available for graduate students. Grad students can also major in education technology, math, speech and language pathology or computer science and information security online.

About James Madison University

James Madison University is a public university in Virginia that started out as a teaching school for young women. Founded in 1908, the state established the State Normal and Industrial School for Women and choose Harrisonburg for its campus. This school offered basic training programs but quickly made the transition to degree programs, letting students enroll in bachelor’s programs in the middle of the 1910s. Renamed a state teaching college in the 1920s, it became Madison College in 1938. This name paid homage to the former President of the United States who once lived close to the college’s campus. The college became James Madison University in the 1970s.

Also called JMU and James Madison, it is now a selective university that looks for students it believes will do their best in its programs. While U.S. News and World Report ranks JMU as the sixth best university in its region, Forbes ranks James Madison as the 143rd best university in the country. Washington Monthly included the university on its own list of the nation’s best graduate schools. James Madison University has an enrollment of more than 23,000 students.

James Madison University Accreditation Details

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is just one of the organizations that awarded program accreditation to JMU. It also has program accreditation for its occupational therapy, psychology, nursing, dance, art, music, and education programs. James Madison also has accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).

James Madison University Application Requirements

Students have a few ways to learn more about JMU before they apply to the university. They can explore the university’s website to check out the different majors and programs available and schedule a time to tour the university’s campus. James Madison also encourages students to look at some of the top scholarship opportunities and to sign up for its online mailing list.

Once students feel confident, they can apply to the university. JMU asks for several things, including:

  • An application fee of $70
  • The completed online application
  • Official high school transcripts that list the classes they took and the grades they received during their senior years

The early action deadline of November 1 allows students to submit their applications and get a response quickly. If the university does not accept students, it may defer their applications until the final deadline in late winter. More than 30% of students not accepted for the early action deadline receive acceptance later in the year.

Graduate students pay a $60 application fee and submit an online application too. They can apply for a waiver that lets them skip this fee. The university’s graduate school application has different sections that allow students to upload their required documents. They need to submit unofficial transcripts that show they are on the path towards finishing a bachelor’s degree and that they took any prerequisite courses set by their future programs. Students often need to provide letters of recommendation too. Other requirements can include a resume and/or a personal essay. Once a student picks the program he or she wants to study, the application will show them what requirements the program has.

Tuition and Financial Aid

JMU requires that students who are not Virginia residents pay an extra fee each semester. Undergrads who can prove that they live in Virginia pay $7,250 each year in tuition and a comprehensive fee of more than $4,700 a year. Nonresidents pay the same comprehensive fee and a tuition rate of $23,650 per year. Students can also live on the JMU campus, but they’ll pay around $10,100 for room and board. Graduate students attending the university pay $485 per credit hour as a Virginia resident and $1,231 per credit hour as a nonresident. Those rates include all JMU fees.

Even the most basic of financial aid packages awarded by James Madison will provide students with some help paying all their costs and expenses. Students should submit the FAFSA and make sure that they use the code connected to JMU on the form. Both state and federal aid goes to students who file the FAFSA. JMU undergrads can also qualify for one or more scholarships too. Second Century Scholarships provide STEM majors with a 75% tuition discount, while the Madison Award for Academic Excellence offers grants of up to $10,000 a year to worthy students. Both undergrads and graduate students interested in the degree programs offered by James Madison University can apply for scholarships and other financial aid programs online.