Individualized Study, Independent Scholars Major, B.A.

Program Description

Individualized curricula using existing courses across participating JMU units will be constructed with faculty oversight to help students pursue their own inquiry goals. Each student’s curriculum will include:

12 credits of required coursework, which includes a cross-disciplinary exploration course; skill-enhancing workshops; and 6 credit senior project.
36 credits of course work aligned with the student’s academic goals.
the plans for relevant field experiences, internships and/or study abroad programs

For students in the honors program, the IS senior project will fulfill the senior honors project requirement.

Admission to the Major

Acceptance into the IS major is based on successful completion of the IDLS 200 introductory course.
Interested students will meet with IS faculty to discuss enrolling in the IS introductory course (IDLS 200), which is taught each semester.
Decisions about acceptance into IS will be made by the IS faculty. Successful applicants will develop a convincing inquiry proposal and feasible curriculum, that clearly outlines a topic of inquiry, and demonstrates exceptional intellectual curiosity, communication ability and independent research potential.
Students not accepted into IS at the end of IDLS 200 will be carefully advised into other majors and can use the three IDLS credits as electives.

Degree Requirements

Degree and Major Requirements
Degree Requirements	Credit Hours
General Education ¹	41
Philosophy course ²	3
Foreign Language	0-12
Major requirements	48
Electives	16-28
Total	120

¹: The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. Some credits may be fulfilled by courses required within the major.
²: In addition to course work taken to fulfill General Education requirement.

Major Requirements

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
Core Requirements
IDLS 200	Interdisciplinary Scholarship	3
IDLS 300	Individualized Major Workshop	3
Subtotal		6
Senior Project
Students must take 6 credits from the following options:		6
IDLS 486	Internship and Field Experience
IDLS 498	Interdisciplinary Senior Project
IDLS 499A	Honors
IDLS 499B	Honors
IDLS 499C	Honors
Subtotal		6
Major Electives
Students must select 36 credits of coursework beyond general education and B.A. degree requirements. Students must work with their advisor to select a cohesive set of courses that aligns with their plan of study and academic goals.		36
Total Credits		48