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Summer courses may be taken at JMU or at other colleges or universities, to get ahead, catch up on coursework, and take courses (for example: art classes) that normally have restrictions on them during the academic year.
If you are planning to take a course repeat credit or repeat forgive, it has to be taken through JMU, because only courses taken through JMU figure into your GPA.
Courses at JMU
Dates for the five summer sessions offered for undergraduate students at JMU, can be found on the Registrar's list of dates and deadlines. Summer courses have special tuition, housing, and financial aid considerations:
Enrollment for summer courses usually begins the 3rd week in March, however, you can start searching for summer courses through MyMadison starting in mid-March. More information can be found on the JMU Summer Session website.
Online Courses
A number of the courses are offered online and will be noted as such when you search in MyMadison. Often the time and location is marked as TBA. Select the section number to see the notes section that often provides more information. If you still have questions, contact the instructor.
Contingency Courses
When you are searching for summer courses, you may see the word “contingency” in the notes section of the course. "Contingency" means that the course must have a certain number of students registered in order for it to be offered, with the usual number being ten. Be aware that the class could be canceled if it doesn’t meet the required number of students, even if you're signed up for the course.
Courses Taken at Another University
You must obtain permission from the Registrar's Office prior to taking courses at another institution. To do this, read JMU's Transfer Credit Information and then complete the Permission to Take Courses for Transfer Credit form.
You should familiarize yourself with General Education’s transfer credit policy and the university's graduation policy (select your catalog year > Academic Policies & Procedures > Graduation), which outlines rules for your total number of transfer credit hours.
If you are planning to earn credit at a college within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS), Montgomery College in MD, or Mercer County Community College in NJ, please visit the Transfer Equivalency Guide. You can also visit the GenEd Course Equivalency Guide for VCCS institutions or Richard Bland College (RBC).
Do not sign up to take a class at another institution until you've heard back from the Registrar's Office that your Permission to Transfer Courses request has been approved.
After completing the course(s) elsewhere, remember to have your transcript sent to JMU so the courses can be added to your JMU transcript. You must earn a “C” or better for the course to transfer, however this grade does not figure into your JMU GPA. Transcripts should be sent to:
JMU Office of the Registrar
Transfer Credit Services
738 S. Mason St. MSC 3528
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
