Individualized Study, B.I.S.

Program Description

Phone: (540) 568-4253
Email: adp@jmu.edu
Location: Ice House, 127 W. Bruce Street, Room 332
Website: http://www.jmu.edu/adultdegree

Mission

Admission

Degrees Offered

Degree and Major Requirements

Individualized Study Concentration

This is the focus area of study in the individualized study major. The concentration is interdisciplinary and comprised of classes from two or more academic program areas to meet each student’s educational and/or professional goals.

• Minimum of 30 credits.
• 24 credits must be completed in 300- or 400-level courses.
• IS 498  – online interdisciplinary research course with a capstone project, included in the 24 upper-level course requirements.

Mechanisms for Earning Credit

The number of credits, which may be accepted as transfer credit or earned through the following methods, is determined by the student’s approved POS. It is reasonable to expect that the unique educational needs, background and personal circumstances of each student will determine to a great extent the manner in which credit has been and will be earned.

• Transfer credit awarded by the registrar’s office.
• Credit by departmental examination.
• Credit for approved sponsored learning or independent studies.
• Regular course work.
• Credit for experiential learning through portfolio of prior learning assessment (PLA).*
  
• Credit for educational programs of the Armed Forces (JST).
• College Level Examination Program (CLEP).*
• American Council on Education College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE).*

*No more than 30 non-traditional credits can be counted towards the degree requirements of 120 credit hours which includes PLA, JST, CLEP and ACE.

Prior Learning Assessment (PLA)

Prior learning assessment (PLA) is an assessment of knowledge and skills acquired prior to or outside of enrollment in higher education for the purpose of earning college-level credit. The term portfolio is used to describe a collection of evidence to support the PLA process. Through the portfolio, a student makes a case by succinctly identifying, articulating and documenting mastery of college level learning or its equivalence.

PLA is an option for a student who has gained significant learning through experiences including, but not limited to: workplace training, volunteer service, civic activities, conferences, workshops, vocational interests, travel and independent reading.

PLA is not an option for everyone. The process entails extensive preparation, excellent academic writing skills and the ability to meet deadlines. Before a portfolio is submitted for approval, students must complete IS 206 . There is no guarantee that a portfolio submitted for credit will be approved.

PLA must be a part of a student’s approved POS and does not count towards credit at the four-year institution level or as JMU credit. PLA credit is not transferable to a traditional degree program at JMU.

College Credit Recommendation Service

ADP accepts some but not all credits as recommended in the National Guide to Educational Credit for Training Programs and the Guide to Educational Credit by Examination prepared by the American Council on Education. Additional information on program policies and procedures specific to JST is available through the ADP website.

College-Level Examination Program

Effective Fall 2024, students who participated in the College-Level Examination Program may be awarded course credit that satisfies a General Education requirement or elective. Prospective students who complete CLEP examinations and achieve an appropriate score (usually a 50 or above) are eligible to earn college credit. Evaluation of credit will be performed in coordination with the appropriate departmental office and cannot be appealed.

JMU will accept these scores electronically from the testing agency. Please contact College Board for information on providing your exam results to JMU. More information can be found at https://clep.collegeboard.org/scores.

Credit/No-Credit

Students enrolled in the ADP may complete courses on a credit/no-credit basis if they have completed 28 credit hours of college level course work and have a 2.25 cumulative GPA.

Courses in the area of concentration, including the senior capstone research course, may not be taken on a credit/no-credit basis. Other provisions of the credit/no-credit option, as described in this catalog, will also be in effect.

Online Interdisciplinary Tracks

Online interdisciplinary tracks were developed in cooperation with various academic units at the university. Students can use these tracks when developing their concentration.

• Business and Information Technology
• Small Business Management and Entrepreneurship
• Human Resource Development and Management
• Professional Workplace Communication
• Healthcare Leadership
• Child Development
• Family and Consumer Sciences
• Inclusive Early Childhood Education with teacher licensure
• Early Childhood Education Development with teacher licensure
• Elementary Education with teacher licensure
• Special Education with teacher licensure

Education, Early Childhood Education Development (ECED) Concentration, A.A.S. to B.I.S.

This fully online program is for students who have completed an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree in Early Childhood from a Virginia Community College. It leads to licensure in grades PreK-3 and a Bachelor of Individualized Study degree with a concentration in Early Childhood Education Development from JMU.

There are 60 credits that must be earned at a four-year institution and 30 of those must be earned at JMU.

All students must attend an orientation meeting at JMU the semester or summer prior to starting the program. This orientation will be offered online. Program offers free tutoring for VCLA, Math Assessment, Praxis Elementary Subject Assessments (Reading & L.A Test Code 5002, Mathematics Test Code 5003, Science Test Code 5005, and Social Studies Test Code 5004), and Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary Test (5205) (new version of RVE).

Field experience includes practicum and student teaching. Practicum courses are to extend through the full semester. Student teaching must take place in public school or a licensed/accredited preschool. It is 12 weeks with the possibility of teaching in your own classroom.

Candidates must be fully accepted into teacher education to begin the education program course work in the Summer Semester Year 1.

Minimum Grade Requirement

Assessment occurs during each semester, and candidate performance is reviewed at the end of each semester. Candidates must demonstrate satisfactory performance before moving on to the next semester. Satisfactory performance includes a minimum grade of “C” in all education course work and an overall 2.5 GPA, demonstration of professional behaviors, and acceptable performance in practicum and on key assessments. 

Candidates should note that they must be fully admitted to teacher education prior to registering for the courses offered during Summer Semester Year 1 of the Early Childhood Education program. Candidates should also note that, on occasion, the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) or other accrediting agencies may change requirements after the catalog copy is approved. Therefore, it is especially important for candidates to confer with their advisors on a regular basis for the most current requirements. Completion of the Early Childhood Education program leads to a Virginia teaching license with an endorsement in PK-3 Early Childhood Education. To be recommended for licensure, all candidates must meet the following requirements: 

• Complete General Education requirements. 
• Complete the Early Childhood Education pre-professional program.
• Complete the disciplinary courses required for the Early Childhood Education degree.
• Meet all admission and retention criteria for teacher education including satisfactory scores on the VCLA, Math Assessment, Praxis Elementary Subject Assessments (Reading & L.A. Test Code 5002, Mathematics Test Code 5003, Science Test Code 5005, and Social Studies Test Code 5004), and Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary Test (5205) (new version of RVE).
• Meet admission requirements for the Early Childhood Education program.
• Meet performance and behavior standards as indicated by ratings on the program Professional Dispositions Checklist. 

Education, Elementary Education (ELED) Concentration, B.I.S.

This fully online program is for students who are working as instructional assistants in schools and have completed 60 credits and/or have an associate’s degree. It leads to licensure in grades PreK-6 and a Bachelor of Individualized Study degree with a concentration in Elementary Education Development from JMU.

There are 60 credits that must be earned at a four-year institution and 30 of those must be earned at JMU.

Candidates should note that they must be fully admitted to teacher education prior to registering for the courses offered during Summer Semester Year 1 of the Elementary Education Program. Candidates should also note that, on occasion, Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) or other accrediting agencies may change requirements after the catalog copy is approved. Therefore, it is especially important for candidates to confer with their education advisor on a regular basis for the most current requirements. Completion of the Elementary Education concentration leads to a Virginia teaching license with an endorsement in PreK-6 Elementary Education. To be recommended for licensure, all candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Complete General Education requirements or have the VCCS waiver.
• Complete the Elementary Education pre-professional program.
• Complete the disciplinary courses required for the Elementary Education concentration.
• Meet all admission and retention criteria for teacher education including satisfactory scores on the VCLA, Math Assessment, Praxis Elementary Subject Assessments (Reading & L.A Test Code 5002, Mathematics Test Code 5003, Science Test Code 5005, and Social Studies Test Code 5004), and Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary Test (5205) (new version of RVE).
• Meet admission requirements for the Elementary Education Program.
• Meet performance and behavior standards as indicated by ratings on the program Professional Dispositions Checklist.

All students must attend an orientation meeting at JMU the semester or summer prior to starting the program. This orientation is offered online. Please note, the program offers free tutoring for the assessments listed above.

Candidates must be fully accepted into teacher education to begin their education program course work in the Summer Semester Year 1.

Field experience includes practicums and student teaching. Practicum courses are to extend through the full semester. Student teaching must take place in public school and is 12 weeks with the possibility of teaching in your own classroom.

 Minimum Grade Requirement

Assessment occurs during each semester, and candidate performance is reviewed at the end of each semester. Candidates must demonstrate satisfactory performance before moving on to the next semester. Satisfactory performance includes a minimum grade of “C” in all education course work and an overall 2.5 GPA, demonstration of professional behaviors, and acceptable performance in practicum and on key assessments.

The Elementary Education Program prepares candidates to teach students in grades PreK-6. Drawn from research and theories in child development, teaching, and learning, the course work and field experiences prepare teacher candidates to employ a cross-disciplinary approach to instruction that reflects an understanding of the diverse nature of learners and their families.

The JMU Elementary Education Program seeks to foster in its candidates an empathic understanding of the ways that children are affected by social contexts and by the children’s own strengths and needs; the knowledge and pedagogical skills to support each child’s right to success; and belief in the value of each child. Our candidates are guided in:

• Critically challenging conventional wisdom and common practices to identify hidden assumptions and activities that constrain or privilege some at the expense of others.
• Learning to ask questions and developing an inquiring approach motivated by the desire to understand the world in its myriad complexities.
• Reflecting deeply on and constructing positive relationships with others.
• Expressing knowledge, skills and attitudes in ways that communicate with others and provide a forum for the creative and academic expression of the profession and the self.
• Developing an appreciation for the global connection of all humanity and our interdependence on the finite natural resources of the earth.
• Experiencing life among people whose social contexts are unlike the candidates’ own to broaden and deepen respect for and sensitivity to various cultures and social contexts.
• Knowing and appreciating the process of human unfolding throughout the cycles of life from conception onward, particularly throughout the period of childhood and preadolescence.
• Valuing the literacies and literate backgrounds of all learners to develop equitable, inclusive instruction that honors diverse learners at all developmental phases.
• Reflecting critically on the ways we embody and enact a sustainable sense of self.
• Building on interdisciplinary connections among content areas to create inclusive, responsive and effective instruction for all learners.

The courses in the Elementary Education Program are organized to integrate academic content with pedagogical practice throughout the concentration. Field experiences are provided along with course work to enable candidates to apply their knowledge in a variety of settings.

Education, Inclusive Early Childhood Education (IECE) Concentration, B.I.S.

This fully online program is for students who are working as instructional assistants in schools and have completed 60 credits and/or have an associate’s degree. This program is a Bachelor’s of Individualized Study with a concentration in Inclusive Early Childhood Education. Students completing this program are prepared to serve as teachers of students with and without disabilities in a variety of educational placements and service delivery models including early intervention, hospital education, ESCE and public elementary settings

Completers of this program earn a degree and are eligible for a Virginia teaching license in areas birth-age 5 special education and PreK-3rd grade general education.

There are 60 credits that must be earned at a four-year institution and 30 of those must be earned at JMU.

Candidates should note that they must be fully admitted to teacher education prior to registering for the courses offered during Summer Semester Year 1 of their education program. Candidates should also note that, on occasion, Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) or other accrediting agencies may change requirements after the catalog copy is approved. Therefore, it is especially important for candidates to confer with their education advisor on a regular basis for the most current requirements. Completers of this program earn a degree and are eligible for a Virginia teaching license in areas birth-age 5 special education and PreK-3rd grade general education. To be recommended for licensure, all candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Complete General Education  requirements or have the VCCS waiver.
• Complete the Inclusive Early Childhood Education pre-professional program.
• Complete the disciplinary courses required for the Inclusive Early Childhood Education concentration
• Meet all admission and retention criteria for teacher education including satisfactory scores on the VCLA, Math Assessment, Praxis Elementary Subject Assessments (Reading & L.A Test Code 5002, Mathematics Test Code 5003, Science Test Code 5005, and Social Studies Test Code 5004), and Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary Test (5205) (new version of RVE).
• Meet admission requirements for the Inclusive Early Childhood Education program.
• Meet performance and behavior standards as indicated by ratings on the program Professional Dispositions Checklist.

The Bachelor of Science In Indivualized Study with a concentration in Inclusive Early Childhood Education enables students to gain knowledge and understanding of early childhood inclusion (Birth-3rd grade) and practices that promote access, participation, and support for young children and their families. Students completing the degree program, when combined with the teacher dual licensure option, are prepared to serve as teachers of students with and without disabilities in a variety of inclusive educational placements.

The licensure program is designed to prepare resilient, culturally responsive educators who are advocates for young children and youth with and without disabilities that are not only qualified for the complexity of their professional roles but also are reflective problem-solvers. This program offers a dual licensure in PreK-3rd grade and Early Childhood Special Education (birth-5 years).

Minimum Grade Requirement

Assessment occurs during each semester, and candidate performance is reviewed at the end of each semester. Candidates must demonstrate satisfactory performance before moving on to the next semester. Satisfactory performance includes a minimum grade of “C” in all education course work and an overall 2.5 GPA, demonstration of professional behaviors, and acceptable performance in practicum and on key assessments. 

The program includes extensive field experiences. Assessment of candidate performance includes evaluation of performance in individual courses and practicum, as well as other criteria. At various points throughout the program, there are formative and summative assessments where faculty committees review the overall performance of each candidate. Formative assessments will be used to advise candidates and develop a plan of action for addressing any concerns that have been identified by the faculty. Summative assessments will be used to identify those candidates who are not making satisfactory progress toward advancement to the next sequences of courses and experiences. If progress is unsatisfactory, the candidate will not be allowed to continue until any identified issues are corrected. In some cases, a candidate will be allowed to continue in the next semester, but there will be a plan of action for addressing any concerns that have been identified by the faculty.

Every student is assigned an advisor. Students should plan on regularly consulting their advisor.

It is important for students to understand that the undergraduate concentration in Inclusive Early Childhood Education does not lead to Teacher-Education licensure unless licensure requirements are completed. To qualify for a recommendation for licensure in Inclusive Early Childhood Education [Early Childhood Special Education (Birth-5 years) and general education curriculum (PreK-3rd Grade)], students must complete licensure requirements in addition to requirements for the Inclusive Early Childhood Education undergraduate concentration.

Education, Special Education (SPED) Concentration, B.I.S.

The Bachelor of Individualized Study with a concentration in Special Education is a fully online program designed to enable individuals currently working as instructional assistants in Virginia schools to obtain a bachelor’s degree and a teaching license in both Special Education K-12: Accessing the General Curriculum and Special Education K-12: Adapted Curriculum. Students must have a transferable associate’s degree to complete the program as described. The program focuses on developing teachers who are knowledgeable about the characteristics, diagnosis and remediation of children with disabilities accessing the general education curriculum and in adapted curriculum settings. They will learn from dedicated and engaged faculty members in synchronous online courses.

Completers of this program earn a degree and are eligible for a Virginia teaching license in areas in both Special Education K-12: Accessing the General Curriculum and Special Education K-12: Adapted Curriculum.

There are 60 credits that must be earned at a four-year institution and 30 of those must be earned at JMU.

Candidates should note that they must be fully admitted to teacher education prior to registering for the courses offered during Summer Semester Year 1 of their education program. Candidates should also note that, on occasion, Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) or other accrediting agencies may change requirements after the catalog copy is approved. Therefore, it is especially important for candidates to confer with their education advisor on a regular basis for the most current requirements. Completers of this program earn a degree and are eligible for a Virginia teaching license in areas in both Special Education K-12: Accessing the General Curriculum and Special Education K-12: Adapted Curriculum. To be recommended for licensure, all candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Complete General Education  requirements or have the VCCS waiver.
• Complete the Special Education Pre-professional Program.
• Complete the disciplinary courses required for the Special Education concentration.
• Meet all admission and retention criteria for Teacher Education including satisfactory scores on the VCLA, Math Assessment, and Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary Test (5205) (new version of RVE). 
• Meet admission requirements for the Special Education program.
• Meet performance and behavior standards as indicated by ratings on the program Professional Dispositions Checklist.

All students must attend an orientation meeting at JMU the semester or summer prior to starting the program. This orientation is offered online. Please note, the program offers free tutoring for the assessments listed above.

Candidates must be fully accepted into teacher education to begin their program course work in the Summer Semester Year 1.

Field experience includes practicum and student teaching. Students teach for twelve weeks in a general curriculum education classroom and twelve weeks in an adapted curriculum education classroom. One of the above placements will be in an elementary setting and the other will be in a middle/high school setting. This includes the possibility of teaching in your own classroom with the last placement.

Minimum Grade Requirement

Assessment occurs during each semester, and candidate performance is reviewed at the end of each semester. Candidates must demonstrate satisfactory performance before moving on to the next semester. Satisfactory performance includes a minimum grade of “C” in all education course work and an overall 2.5 GPA, demonstration of professional behaviors, and acceptable performance in practicum and on key assessments.

The licensure program is designed to prepare resilient, culturally-responsive educators who are advocates for children and youth with disabilities and who are not only qualified for the complexity of their professional roles but also are reflective problem solvers.

Assessment of candidate performance includes evaluation of performance in individual courses. Students are required to demonstrate satisfactory performance, which includes a minimum grade of “C” in all major and concentration coursework and a “satisfactory” score on all key assessments. If a student does not pass a key assessment, they will be given one additional attempt to retake the key assessment after remediation sessions with a designated faculty member. Key assessments and course grades will be used to identify those candidates who are not making satisfactory progress toward advancement to the next sequence of courses. The assessments will be used to advise candidates and develop a plan of action to address and support any concerns that have been identified by the faculty. In some cases, a candidate will be allowed to continue in the next semester, but there will be a plan of action for addressing any concerns that have been identified by the faculty. Every student is assigned an advisor. Students should plan on consulting their advisor regularly.

Program Total: 120 Credit Hours