Bachelor of Arts in International Affairs

Catalog Year 2025-2028

Based on VCCS Curriculum for POLITICAL SCIENCE

Transfer Guidance

Transfer Admission Requirements

• Students who meet the requirements for guaranteed admission to JMU are guaranteed admission to the International Affairs major.

• 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.

• The political science associate degree is a great preparation for several majors within the political science department at JMU, including International Affairs. Other possible majors include the B.A. in Political Science and the B.S. in Public Administration.

• Have you discovered a love of International Affairs later in your VCCS studies and don't have time to finish all the courses listed above? That's ok! Try to complete PLS 135, 140, and 241, and ECO 201 before transfer, if possible.

Important Links & Dates

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

• Register Intent to Transfer: Transfer applicants from a VCCS institution intending to apply through the Guaranteed Admission Agreement (GAA) must review requirements and submit a Letter of Intent prior to applying: www.jmu.edu/admissions/apply/transfer-GAA.shtml

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

• Financial Aid: 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 schedule an appointment with a JMU Next transfer advisor in your first semester or first year.

Is This Degree Right For Me?

• International Affairs is for students who want to learn how the world works, including questions about the ways in which countries interact with one another (foreign policy, international organizations, economics, peace, and conflict) and the internal politics and society of countries and regions (democracy, authoritarianism, economic change, and ethnicity). International Affairs students develop skills to answer these questions from multiple disciplines across the social sciences and humanities.

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. The list of approved transferable associate degrees can be found at www.jmu.edu/transfer/vccs-transfer/asdegrees.shtml.

• Dual Enrollment – Completion of Associate Degree in HS: Students who complete a transferable associate degree from a Virginia Community College through Dual Enrollment (DE) 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 fewer 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 at least 50% of the credits required for graduation in your major must be taken at a 4-year college or university, and at least 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.

• Students who may be eligible for Virginia's Two-Year College Transfer Grant should transfer in the fall or spring immediately following the completion of their associate degree. Learn more about the state transfer grant here: https://www.schev.edu/financial-aid/financial-aid/federal-state-financia...

What Can I Do With This Degree?

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

Program Successes & Highlights

• Most of our students complete their major and degree requirements within a four-year period.

• Our graduates are able to find jobs in a variety of fields—in both the public and private sectors—once they leave JMU.

• Our alumni network has proved helpful in directing our majors toward job and career prospects upon graduation.

• For those who are interested, the Washington Semester supplies both academic coursework as well as potential career networking.

• International Affairs can also continue to JMU's Master's in European Union Policy Studies in Florence, Italy.

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!

• Many International Affairs majors choose to pursue a minor or second major in one of the disciplines that make up their first major, such as world language, history or economics, or one of the cross-disciplinary minors that also intersect the International Affairs major, such as African, African-American and Diaspora Studies, Modern European Studies, Asian Studies, Latin American, Latinx and Caribbean Studies, Middle Eastern Communication and Migration, Women and Gender Studies, or Humanitarian Affairs.

• Many International Affairs students choose to study abroad in one of JMU's semester programs in Florence, Salamanca, and London or in one of more than fifty short-term programs operated by JMU faculty.

Other Than Classes, Are There Other Program Requirements?

• Many students choose to study abroad or participate in our JMU Washington Center program, but no student is required to do so.

• Similarly, students may opt to complete an internship for credit toward the major (with the major coordinator's approval), but no International Affairs student is required to complete an internship.