Welcome Back Class of 2019!
We hope you had a great start to your last semester here at James Madison University! As you prepare for May Commencement, please read over the newsletters for important information. This is edition one of five so be sure to keep your eye out for the next four in the months to come! In addition, please share this information with your friends and family and encourage them to subscribe to the newsletters by emailing jmugrad@jmu.edu.
Commencement Details
The 2019 May Commencement will be divide into multiple ceremonies: The Graduate School, the University Ceremony and the individual college ceremonies. The University Ceremony is a chance for all graduates (undergraduate and graduate) to be together, however they will be individually recognized at their specific college ceremony. Graduates and families should attend both the University Ceremony and their individual college ceremonies.
The ceremonies are as follows:
The Graduate School: Thursday, May 2nd
The graduate school holds its own commencement ceremony for masters and doctoral candidates. The ceremony includes all the pomp and circumstance with the procession of graduates across the stage when their names are read aloud.
University Ceremony: Friday 3rd
The ceremony is for ALL class of 2019 graduates to attend! President Alger and the commencement speaker will be in attendance to congratulate all 2019 graduates.
College Ceremonies: Friday, May 3rd and Saturday, May 4th
The Undergraduate ceremonies will be split by colleges and will each have a designated location on campus for their ceremony. Please draw your attention to the commencement schedule below where all colleges are listed. The ceremonies include the procession of graduates across the stage when their names are read aloud. More information for individual college ceremonies can be found on the JMU Commencement website.
Please see the full commencement schedule below
Commencement Schedule
Thursday, May 2nd
The Graduate School
Convocation Center
7:00 p.m.
Friday, May 3rd
(All ceremonies begin at 6 p.m. unless otherwise stated)
Nursing Convocation
Convocation Center
9:00 a.m.
Honors College Medallion Ceremony
Festival Ballroom
12:00 p.m.
University Ceremony
Bridgeforth Stadium
3:00 p.m.
College of Business
Bridgeforth Stadium
College of Education and University Studies
Convocation Center
College of Science and Mathematics
Alumni Centennial Park
Saturday, May 4th
(All ceremonies begin at 9 a.m. unless otherwise stated)
College of Arts and Letters
The Quad
College of Health and Behavioral Science
Bridgeforth Stadium
College of Integrated Science and Engineering
Alumni Centennial Park
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Convocation Center
Army ROTC Commissioning
Memorial Hall Auditorium
12:00 p.m.
Air Force ROTC Commissioning
Madison Union Ballroom
3:00-5:00 p.m.
Commencement Requirements
According to the Office of the Registrar, in order to be considered for May Commencement, undergraduates must have the following:
- Earn at least 120 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better
- Earn at least 50% of the required total semester hours from a four year institution
- Earn at least 25% of the required total semester hours at JMU
- Satisfy general education requirements
- Satisfy core requirements for specific degree (BA, BBA, BFA, BIS, BM, BS, BSN, BSW)
- Satisfy requirements for the major program with at least a 2.0 GPA
- A student expecting to graduate must file an application for a Bachelors Degree, available at registrar's office
To be eligible to graduate with latin honors a student must successfully complete the following:
- Enrollment at JMU for a minimum of four semesters
- Completion of minimum 60 credit hours at JMU
- A minimum GPA of 3.50 on all coursework at JMU
- Cum Laude: 3.50-3.699
- Magna cum laude: 3.70-3.899
- Summa cum laude: 3.9 and above
Please contact the Office of the Registrar if you have any further questions
Mark Your Calendars!
Grad Fair
April 1st and 2nd
This is a one-stop shop for all commencement needs. At Grad Fair, graduates purchase their regalia (cap, hood, gown, and tassel) as well as order/purchase class rings and announcements. Additionally, graduates will have the opportunity to have GradImages take their professional headshots for their resume or cap and gown photos.
Stay tuned for more details!
Hotel Accommodations
Hotels in the Harrisonburg area are filling up quickly for May Commencement. Please contact family and friends about making their reservations and accommodations immediately. For help finding hotels, motels, bed & breakfast's, and additional lodging in the Harrisonburg surrounding area please visit the commencement website. There you will find interactive PDF's of all lodging within 20+ miles of Harrisonburg.
Please visit the commencement website to view additional information
related to the ceremonies!
GO DUKES!
Senior Resources
Student Accounts: (540) 568-6505 or ubo@jmu.edu
Registrar's Office: (540) 568-6281 or registrar@jmu.edu
The Graduate School: (540) 568-6131 or grad@jmu.edu
Bookstore: General Merchandise (540) 568-6960, Caps and Gowns (540)-568-6121
Almuni Relations: (540) 568-6234, Toll-Free-(888) Jmu-Alum
Career Services: (540) 568-6555 or cap@jmu.edu
Parent Relations: (540) 568-3190 or parent@jmu.edu
University Events Office: (540) 568-7787 or jmugrad@jmu.edu