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Frequently Asked Questions
The following is a compilation of questions often asked by students.
How do I treat courses numbered 000?
Courses numbered 000 (such as Psyc 000) are transferred courses that have been accepted by JMU as elective credit. In many cases these courses are incorrectly classified and should be transferred as a specific JMU course. Courses numbered 000 will count only as electives. If a course is reclassified it may satisfy specific requirements.
For courses transferred as PSYC 000, you will need to bring a course description (from the institution’s catalog and/or the course syllabus) to the Head or one of the Assistant Heads of the Psychology Department. Each course will be considered individually for credit towards specific Psychology courses.
For courses transferred as 000 in other departments (such as ENG 000 or MATH 000) you will need to bring a course description to the head of each JMU department offering the course. Each course will be considered individually.
How do I treat courses numbered 002?
Courses numbered 002 (such as Psyc 002) are transferred courses that have been accepted by JMU for credit towards graduation. These courses count as university electives but cannot fulfill Psychology Major or General Education requirements.
Do I need to complete general education requirements if I have an Associates Degree (AA)?
Students who have completed certain associates degrees at a Virginia Community College do not have to complete any additional liberal studies or general education requirements at JMU. You do need to complete bachelor’s degree requirements, as well as courses required for your major and minor programs.
Note that a minimum of 60 credit hours must be earned at 4-year institutions to meet JMU's bachelor's degree graduation requirements. If more than 60 credits have transferred from 2-year schools, you will need more than 120 credit hours to graduate.
A minimum of 32 credit hours must be earned at JMU to earn JMU bachelors degree. In some cases this may mean that more than 120 credit hours will be required to graduate.
Can I take Gpsyc 101 and Psyc 210 at the same time?
No. You must complete Gpsyc 101 and Math 220 and be admitted into the Psychology Major before you take Psyc 210.
Can I take Math 220 and Psyc 210 at the same time?
No. You must complete Gpsyc 101 and Math 220 and be admitted into the Psychology Major before you take Psyc 210.
Can I take Psyc 210 and Psyc 211 at the same time?
No. This is a two-part-course sequence. You need to use what is taught in Psyc 210 to successfully complete Psyc 211.
Can I take Psyc 211 and Area courses at the same time?
Sometimes. Technically, Psyc 211 is the prerequisite to all courses numbered 330 and above; however, exceptions are sometimes made. This decision is at the discretion of the Area course instructor and depends on the course requirements, as well as the availability of seats in the course. You will need an override to register.
Can I take Psychology courses at another university and apply them to my JMU Psychology Major?
Equivalent courses can be taken at other colleges and universities with permission of the Head of the Psychology Department. Many students take advantage of this policy to take summer courses near their homes or to travel and attend colleges around the world.
How do I obtain an override for Psychology courses?
During the initial registration period, all requests for overrides are submitted to the Psychology Office on a paper form or on our web site. Requests must be submitted prior to the start of the course adjustment period. As the semester approaches, override requests should be made to the individual course instructor. Watch the e-mail news for specific instructions and deadlines.
Can I get credit for my summer job?
Students are encouraged to find meaningful and interesting summer experiences that are relevant to their career preparation whether or not this work can earn college credits. JMU Psychology does not award college credits for work experiences completed independently of a college experience. For college credit, you need to have an experience that is formally related to your academic training, and the experience needs to be supervised and evaluated by a faculty member who gives you a grade.
There is a possibility that you can earn college credit for some work with a faculty member that is related to experiences have during the summer. Talk to a faculty member about what you are planning to do during the summer. If you need some help identifying someone who might speak to you about this, start with your academic advisor, and for additional ideas you can discuss your plans with one of the Assistant Department Heads. It is best to have these discussions BEFORE you leave for the summer.
Even if you do not earn college credit for your summer work, if the work is interesting to you and/or relevant to your future career, don’t hesitate to get the experience. We recommend that you document your experience by obtaining and saving documents that describe what you did. You may seek letters of recommendations from your summer work supervisor.
