College of Arts and Letters

Location: Harrison Hall, Suite 1103 – MSC 2105, Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Phone: (540) 568-6472
Website: http://www.jmu.edu/cal/

Dean
Dr. Robert D. Aguirre

Associate Dean, School of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences
Dr. J. Christopher Arndt

Interim Associate Dean, School of Public and International Affairs
Dr. Melinda Adams

Associate Dean, Schools of Communication, Information and Media
Prof. Dietrich Maune

Graduate Programs

Students may select from a range of graduate programs in the College of Arts and Letters. The departments and schools fully describe their programs in the Academic Units section. In addition to departmental programs, the college offers a wide array of annual events and supporting services, some of which reach out to the regional community.

• Communication and Advocacy (M.A.)
• English (M.A.)
• History (M.A.)
• Political Science (M.A.)
• Public Administration (M.P.A.)
• Public Administration – Fifth Year Format (M.P.A.)
• Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication (M.A., M.S.)

Mission Statement

The College of Arts and Letters serves multiple vital needs of JMU students. First, it offers high-quality programs of specialized study in the social sciences, humanities and communication, and in several pre-professional and cross disciplinary areas. Second, the college provides a challenging array of courses designed to promote lifelong learning by sharpening analytical abilities; improving computational and communications skills; cultivating a facility with written expression; enhancing cultural awareness, intensifying moral and aesthetic sensitivity and fostering awareness of the contingent nature of knowledge. Linking these two missions is a college-wide commitment to free but rigorous and controlled inquiry into human nature.

Annual Events

Visiting Scholars Program

Prof. Dietrich Maune
Phone: (540) 568-6472
Email: maunedx@jmu.edu

The Visiting Scholars Committee organizes campus visits during the year by 12-15 people who have made significant contributions in their fields. The scholars, who represent a wide variety of disciplines, expose students and faculty members to different perspectives and encourage intellectual exploration. During a visit, a scholar meets with at least one group of students in a class or informal setting and gives a public presentation and discussion of his/her work.