Individualized Study, B.S.
Phone: (540) 568- 4253
Email: adp@jmu.edu
Location: Ice House, 127 W. Bruce Street, Room 332
Adult Degree Program Website
Program Description
The Adult Degree Program/Bachelor of Individualized Study delivers a flexible, dynamic, and rigorous degree completion curriculum to meet the individual education and career goals of our students. ADP/BIS's non-residential program offers a framework for modern learners with transfer credit and/or prior learning experience to design their own academic plan.
Experiential Learning
The Adult Degree Program offers several pathways for students to participate in experiential learning opportunities. Students can choose to participate in workforce related experiences, intensive research or international programs.
Degrees Offered
Students in the ADP have the opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Individualized Study (B.I.S.) in individualized study, a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in individualized study or a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in individualized study. The university degree requirements differ by degree type.
Admission
To be eligible for the ADP, applicants must be at least 22 years of age, have at least 30 transferable college credits and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all prior coursework.
With very limited exceptions, students in the individualized study major (the ADP's academic major) cannot transfer to another major at JMU.
Degree Requirements
The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in individualized study requires 41 general education credits, an additional scientific literacy course (3.00 credit hours) and an additional quantitative course (3.00 credit hours).
| Degree Requirements | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| General Education courses 1 | 41 |
| Quantitative requirement (in addition to General Education courses) 2 | 3 |
| Scientific Literacy requirement (in addition to General Education courses) 2 | 3-4 |
| Major concentration courses and electives | 73-77 |
| Total | 120 |
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The General Education program contains a set of requirements each student must fulfill. Some credits may be fulfilled by courses required within the major.
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Consult the list of courses satisfying Bachelor of Science degree requirements on the Registrar's website.
Major Requirements
Students must complete all of the following requirements:
- IS 200
- A minimum of 120 credit hours, including 41 General Education credits
- A minimum of 30 credit hours earned from JMU
- At least 60 credit hours earned from a four-year institution
- IS 498, an online interdisciplinary research course with a capstone project coordinated by the instructor and includes a final written and oral presentation; minimum grade of "C" required
Students must also complete an experiential component of at least three credits from the options listed below:
- IS 206 (required for students pursuing credit for prior learning experience only)
- IS 300
- A study abroad course or another approved experiential course
- A practicum or student teaching course
- An additional three credits of IS 4981
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If taking additional three credits of IS 498, they must be taken concurrently in the final semester, and will be an intensive research experience focusing on a single research topic.
Additional Requirements
- A program of study (POS) for meeting the requirements of degree completion must be submitted to the ADP office for approval while enrolled in the IS 200 course.
- A student's concentration, or field of study, consists of a minimum of 30 credits, at least 24 of which must be upper-division credit (300- and 400-level courses). The concentration includes classes from two or more academic disciplines and represent a coherent body of knowledge, which may require course work beyond the 30 minimum credit hours.
- No more than 30 credit hours of course work can be selected from courses taught by the College of Business. This 30 credit hour limit includes COB courses transferred from other colleges and nontraditional credit earned in the COB.
- The concentration must be completed with a GPA of 2.0 or better.
- A minimum of 15 credit hours in the concentration must be JMU credits.
- Students must participate in assessment activities used to measure student learning outcomes and modify curriculum.
- There is no residency requirement; however, program agreements that extend beyond six years may need to be amended if university policies change that affect the original program of study.
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. Individualized Study Project – 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).1
- Credit for educational programs of the Armed Forces (JST).
- College Level Examination Program (CLEP).1
- American Council on Education College Credit Recommendation Service (ACE).1
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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.
Prior learning credit depends on each student’s individual experiences and may not be a viable option for every student. 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.
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 licensure1
- Early Childhood Education Development with teacher licensure1
- Elementary Education with teacher licensure1
- Special Education with teacher licensure1
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Only available to students in teacher licensure programs