Bachelor of Arts in English

Catalog Year 2024-2026

Based on VCCS Curriculum for ENGLISH

Transfer Guidance

Admission into the English major at James Madison University

• Students who meet the requirements for guaranteed admission to JMU are guaranteed admission to the English major. This guidance may help with your planning:

• Students must complete an approved transferable associate degree from their Virginia community college with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for guaranteed admission to JMU. Students who do not qualify for guaranteed admission are encouraged to apply to JMU through the regular admission process. For additional details about requirements for guaranteed admission, please see the JMU letter of intent for your community college: www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/transfer-gaa.shtml.

• Have you discovered a love of English later in your VCCS studies and don't have time to complete all the course recommendations on this guide? Thinking about adding English as a second major after transferring? That's great! The English major at JMU is flexible, so you do not need to have completed all these courses to complete the major within two years of transferring to JMU with your associate degree.

• Contact JMU's transfer advisors to learn about options: transferadvising@jmu.edu.

Important Links & Dates

• University Transfer Center: https://www.jmu.edu/transfer/

• Register Intent to Transfer: Students can notify JMU of their interest in transferring through College Connect at www.TransferVirginia.org. Transfer applicants from a VCCS institution intending to apply through the Guaranteed Admission Agreement (GAA) must submit a Letter of Intent prior to applying. Requirements and forms are available at: https://www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/transfer-GAA.shtml.

• Admission Application: By March 1 for Fall or October 15 for Spring at https://www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/apply-online.shtml

• Financial Aid: https://www.jmu.edu/financialaid

• FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid: Deadline is March 1. Learn more at studentaid.gov.

What Should I Consider When Selecting Courses?

• Create a schedule for all required courses, pay attention to prerequisites and when courses are offered, complete your first math and English courses in your first year. For help, see Transfer Steps and Resource Center at www.TransferVirginia.org.

• Connect with an advisor at your community college and James Madison University within your first year. College Connect available in your account at www.TransferVirginia.org

Is This Degree Right For Me?

• This degree focuses on important skills — reading, writing, analysis, reasoning, oral presentation — as well as on the historical roots of contemporary problems. It features a core course in writing about literature (ENG 299) as well as two senior seminars. Internships are available and encouraged.

What Is The Impact On My Degree Of Work I Have Already Completed?

• Associate Transfer Degree Completion: An approved transferable associate degree from a Virginia Community College will waive general education requirements at JMU.

• Dual Enrollment – Completion of Associate Degree in HS: Students who complete a transferable associate degree from a Virginia Community College through Dual Enrollment will not be eligible for guaranteed admission but will receive the general education waiver at JMU. DE associate degree earners who want to make progress toward their intended major should follow the curriculum in this guide.

• Credit for Prior Learning: Credit for prior learning may be awarded differently at JMU than at your previous institution. JMU accepts and reviews AP, IB CIE, and CLEP examinations for all students with eligible scores. JMU will complete an independent review of the test score to apply credit to your JMU student record. Other credit for prior learning is awarded on a per case basis for the ADP and RN-BSN programs in consultation with the department of expertise. Credit for learning acquired in military service is awarded by the registrar's office using the ACE guide credit recommendation for study/experience listed on the military transcript and in consultation with the department of expertise.

• Catalog Year: Catalog year determined by first semester of attendance at JMU

Is This College Right For Me?

• JMU is a mid to large size institution that behaves more like a smaller institution. Faculty and staff hold students as the top priority. JMU has a 96% satisfaction rate. 88% of classes have less than 50 students. JMU is the #1 most recommended public university in the US by the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education; JMU is the #1 Best College for Employment in Virginia according to U.S. Department of Education statistics compiled by Zippia. JMU has the highest post-graduation job levels of all Virginia colleges. Learn more about our college at www.jmu.edu and www.TransferVirginia.org.

Did You Know That…

• There is no limit to the number of credits you can transfer to JMU, but 50% of the credits required for graduation in your major must be taken at a 4-year college or university, and 25% must be taken at JMU. (Most JMU majors require 120 credits, so 60 must come from a 4-year and 30 must be taken at JMU.)

• Completing your Associate transfer degree post-high school satisfies all lower division general education requirements and increases the chance of completing your bachelor's degree.

• Exceeding 3 years or 90 credits at your community college means you may have exhausted your financial aid at that college and have limited your future financial aid at JMU.

What Can I Do With This Degree?

• Explore possible careers, salaries, and job outlook at www.TransferVirginia.org.

Program Successes & Highlights

• Our graduates have recently won prestigious Fulbright Fellowships and taken jobs in such diverse fields as public health, journalism, social media management, rare book librarianship, marketing, non-profit management, and the like. Recent English majors have pursued graduate work at Duke University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Notre Dame University, University of San Diego, Rice University, Florida State University, and at Harvard Law School.

What Are My Chances For Getting Accepted?

• Generally, two-thirds of transfer applicants are admitted to JMU. Competitive applicants will have mostly As & Bs and have completed at least one class in each of our four core areas (English, mathematics, lab science, and social science).

• JMU defines a transfer student as a student that has graduated from high school (or holds a GED equivalency) AND has taken courses in college after high school graduation.

• Learn more about applying at https://www.jmu.edu/transfer/ or www.TransferVirginia.org.

Do More With Your Degree!

• The English major is modest at 36 credit hours and allows students to manage double majors and minors. The Creative Writing minor is a popular program for English majors, but students can also combine the major with minors in African American and African Diaspora Studies; American Studies; Digital Humanities; Environmental Humanities; Latin American, LatinX and Caribbean Studies; Medical Humanities; Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies; and many others.