James Madison University

We know that success requires equal parts intellect and action. At JMU, that’s what Being the Change is all about.When students graduating from James Madison University proudly walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, they’re more than just educated. They’re members of a fellowship of doers. They know how to make things happen. They’ve honed their ability to think critically. They’ve learned the importance of a strong work ethic and they’ve become committed to and skilled at collaborating with others. Diplomas in hand, they leave campus determined to live lives of meaning and pursue careers of purpose.

Set in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, JMU is a tight-knit community of 22,000 undergraduate and graduate students and 4,000 faculty and staff who come from across the country and around the world. Only two hours from Washington D.C., JMU is fast becoming one of the nation’s leading lights in higher education. That’s because students enjoy unusually engaged relationships with world-class faculty who are at JMU because they want to pursue knowledge and teach talented students.

What does that mean for you and your future? A 2014 Gallup survey of more than 29,000 college graduates in the U.S. found that having a professor take a personal interest in them while they were a student leads to a higher sense of purpose and well-being. Gallup also found that JMU alumni score far above the national average on every dimension of well-being, and significantly higher than alumni of the Top 100 colleges and universities in the U.S. News & World Report rankings. At JMU, we know that a fully engaged experience makes all the difference.

JMU Students, faculty and alumni are using equal parts intellect and action to succeed in every sort of pursuit: they’re boosting innovation and discovery, leading in business, advancing culture, improving health care, reforming education, renewing civil society, competing in athletics — they’re Being the Change™ in every imaginable way.

Selecting the graduate program of study that best supports your future goals is extremely important – such a program will foster the development of knowledge and skills that will give you the competitive edge as you enter or continue your professional career. JMU offers an array of quality graduate programs led by outstanding faculty who are excited about mentoring your graduate study, learning experiences and internships, research and other scholarly or creative endeavors.

JMU is a diverse, rapidly growing university consisting of pre-professional, professional and research-intensive programs spread across seven colleges within the university which include: Arts and Letters, Business, Education, Health and Behavioral Studies, Integrated Science and Engineering, Science and Mathematics, and Visual and Performing Arts. The Graduate School emphasizes the university's commitment to addressing complex, real-world problems and contemporary issues and graduate students at JMU have the opportunity to take classes that are taught by engaged faculty who place a priority on teaching.

When students walk across the stage at graduation having been a part of an engaged university such as JMU, they haven’t just been educated, they’ve been transformed and empowered. They have learned the importance of a strong work ethic and have become committed to and skilled in collaboration with others in teams. They aren’t just intelligent, but interpersonally effective. They are determined to live a life of meaning and pursue a career of purpose as they move forward. They contribute to solving society’s problems and use their knowledge as a tool for building a more perfect union. They are creative, collaborative, resilient, and ethical. They are citizens in the best sense of that word.

Graduate Education at James Madison University serves the public good by providing graduate students with high-quality academic experiences and professional development through its diverse, collaborative, and engaged community.Founded in 1908 and located in the center of Virginia’s famous Shenandoah Valley, James Madison University is a public comprehensive university. The university offers degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, educational specialist and doctoral levels.The total enrollment exceeds 20,000 with over 1,800 graduate students. JMU annually receives more than 2,600 graduate applications.

The campus consists of more than 720 acres and features nearly 150 major buildings. In the more than 100 years since its founding, JMU has grown from a state normal and industrial school for women to today’s comprehensive university.In 1938 the institution was named Madison College in honor of the fourth president of the United States and in 1977, the name was changed to James Madison University. The JMU Graduate School was established in 1954, when the State Board of Education authorized the university to offer programs leading to the Master of Science in Education degree.

Currently, seven academic colleges offer nearly 60 graduate programs. The seven colleges within the university include: Arts and Letters, Business, Education, Health and Behavioral Studies, Integrated Science and Engineering, Science and Mathematics, and Visual and Performing Arts. For the last two decades, U.S. News and World Report has ranked JMU either first or second among the top public master's-level schools in the south; eleven graduate programs are nationally ranked.JMU is continually cited in Kiplinger's top 100 "Best Values in Public Colleges."Unique and beautiful - there is nothing like seeing JMU with your own eyes. Join our engaged university where members of the extended JMU community are changing the world in nearly every sector of our global society.