General Education: The Human Community is an essential part of every undergraduate degree program offered at JMU. Its learning outcomes are organized into five areas of study. Courses in each area have been designed by JMU faculty to meet the specific outcomes associated with that area. In order to graduate, each student must complete fourteen requirements across all five areas, which typically comprise one-third of a student’s coursework - about 41 credit hours. See Area Search Codes.
Below is a brief overview of the program’s requirements. For an area-specific breakdown of learning outcomes and courses, please click on the links at left.
Madison Foundations (formerly Cluster One: Skills for the 21st Century)
Complete one course for each of the following:
- Critical Thinking
- Human Communication
- Writing
Note: The Information Literacy requirement was, prior to fall 2022, satisfied by passing the MREST. Now, information literacy competencies are addressed through learning modules and quizzes embedded within SCOM 121/122/123: Fundamental Human Communication.
Arts and Humanities (formerly Cluster Two: Arts & Humanities)
Complete one course for each of the following:
- Human Questions and Contexts
- Visual and Performing Arts
- Literature
The Natural World (formerly Cluster Three: The Natural World)
Complete one course for each of the following:
- Quantitative Reasoning
- Physical Principles
- Natural Systems
- Lab Experience
American and Global Perspectives (formerly Cluster Four: Social and Cultural Processes)
Complete one course for each of the following:
- The American Experience
- The Global Experience
Sociocultural and Wellness Area (formerly Cluster Five: Individuals in the Human Community)
Complete one course for each of the following:
- Wellness Domain
- Sociocultural Domain
