Integrated Science and Technology, M.S.

Admission Criteria

The program seeks a diverse student body with grounding in the natural or social sciences. Qualified applicants may have a background in such fields as engineering, mathematics, economics, environmental studies, natural science, political analysis, operations research, geography, sociology, international relations or selected areas of education, among others. Individuals with experience in industry, government or the non-profit sector are especially valued. Applicants should have demonstrable competence in both natural and social science by having completed a minimum of 15 semester credit hours in the natural sciences and mathematics and an equivalent amount in the social sciences or humanities. Work experience can be substituted for academic experience.

Admission decisions will be holistically based on the following considerations:

• A bachelor’s degree or its equivalent awarded by an accredited college or university.
• Undergraduate course work and grade point average.
• Test scores from one of the following: Graduate Record Exam (GRE), Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), Law School Administration Test (LSAT) or Miller Analogy Test (MAT).
• Official transcripts from all colleges or universities attended.
• Industrial, business, government or educational experience as indicated by current resume.
• At least two letters of recommendation.
• A personal statement discussing the applicant’s academic and career goals and how the ISAT master’s program will help achieve them.

Applications are being accepted for the M.S. ISAT international master’s program in environmental management and sustainability, which is taught in Malta. Applicants to this program should follow the instructions detailed on The Graduate School’s online application system. The Master of Science program in integrated science and technology is not currently accepting students for its program at the main JMU campus in Virginia.

Mission

The mission of the Department of Integrated Science and Technology’s (ISAT) master’s program is to provide diverse and experienced professionals with an educational program that facilitates in-depth knowledge and skills by integrating a variety of scientific and technological disciplines and by utilizing a systems approach to analysis and problem solving.

Unique characteristics of the program include:

• Curriculum and teaching methods that are in constant touch with the realities of professional careers related to science and technology.
• Graduates skilled in information technology and knowledge management tools applicable to a broad range of professional careers.
• A curriculum and graduates that are flexible, versatile and able to stay current with critical technologies and compelling social problems related to science and technology.
• Interdisciplinary and integrated applied problem solving that uses systems perspectives to analyze problems and the feasibility of their solutions, including the considerations of non-technological factors such as politics, economics and ethics.

Accreditation

James Madison University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools’ Commission on Colleges to award baccalaureate, master’s and doctorate degrees. University of Malta is not accredited by the Commission on Colleges and the accreditation of James Madison University does not extend to or include the University of Malta or its students. Although James Madison University accepts certain course work in transfer toward a credential from University of Malta, or collaborates in other ways for generation of course credits or program credentials, other colleges and universities may or may not accept this work in transfer, even if it appears on a transcript from James Madison University. This decision is made by the institution subsequently considering the possibility of accepting such credits.

Continuation and Graduation Requirements

Prospective students should familiarize themselves with the ISAT program and the ISAT master’s curriculum. Graduation requires successful completion of core and elective program course work in a sequence approved by the student’s graduate adviser. To graduate, students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and may not have received a “C” grade in more than any two graduate courses; at least half of the credit hours in the student’s program of study must be at the 600-level or higher. A student will be dismissed from the program if the student receives an “F” or “U” in any graduate course or a total of three “C” grades in his/her graduate program. Time limitations for completion of the program, continuous registration requirements and thesis preparation guidelines must follow the regulations of The Graduate School.

Master of Science in Integrated Science and Technology

The Master of Science in integrated science and technology (ISAT) offers programs in Europe and at the JMU campus in Harrisonburg, Virginia. This M.S. in ISAT with a concentration in environmental management and sustainability is taught in Malta in collaboration with the University of Malta as a dual degree program; students who successfully complete the program of study are award a Master of Science degree from both universities.

The M.S. in ISAT requires a minimum of 30 hours of graduate course work; the concentration in environmental management and sustainability requires an additional 12 credit hours of graduate classes for a total of 42 credit hours.

The thematic core curriculum provides a solid foundation for the M.S. in ISAT. Students acquire quantitative tools for applied problem-solving as well as for the management of technological issues encountered in contemporary professional practice. The core stresses quantitative and qualitative data analysis, modeling and simulation, and the management of information and technology. It also stresses dynamic systems analysis as a key to problem solving and incorporates non-technical dimensions of science and technology including social, political, economic and ethical considerations. Students focus on selected areas of science and technology with practical, in-depth exposure to the size and complexity of contemporary problems.

Depth is provided through elective course work and thesis or capstone project study. Thematic areas of science and technology around which students may build a program of study are distilled from national critical technologies and include the environment, energy, biotechnology, information technology and manufacturing.

Students are required to complete a six-credit hour capstone project or thesis as a core requirement. The project/thesis can be theoretical or practical, and it can involve research, social analysis, evaluation of potential solutions and/or design implementation. The effort requires students to demonstrate their mastery of an integrated approach to scientific and technological issues.