Beyond the Majors
Required courses in each of these majors will form the heart of your program. These core courses are supplemented by required courses in research methods and by electives in a broad range of related areas. During your first year, you will complete the Madison writing requirement and an introductory course in the study of public affairs.
A semester-long field experience will highlight your junior or senior year. The field experience requirement enables you to apply what you have learned in the classroom by working in business, government, or a public sector organization related to your career goals and interests. A senior capstone seminar will synthesize the material you covered, helping you develop a sophisticated perspective on the issues most important in your field. Additionally, Madison requires all students to fulfill an economics requirement, a foreign language requirement, and Michigan State’s integrative studies requirements.
Beyond The Classroom
Because there is no substitute for practical experience, James Madison College offers one of the most extensive field placement programs in the nation. You may spend part of your junior or senior year as an intern at one of the more than 500 organizations that sponsor Madison students. Placements are available within government agencies, non-profit organizations, and corporations throughout the United States and abroad. Your exposure to a real working environment will result in increased confidence and the knowledge that your efforts are addressing serious social issues. You will gain professional experience and make contacts that can prove invaluable after graduation. Other options may include a senior honors thesis, a research experience with an MSU professor, or a Study Abroad program. Madison sponsors summer programs at Cambridge University in England, at NATO headquarters in Brussels, in the Caribbean, and in Central Europe.
Students successfully completing the requirements for graduation receive a Bachelor of Arts from Michigan State University. Madison graduates are highly regarded by graduate programs, professional schools, and a variety of private and public sector organizations. Many James Madison graduates pursue continued education in graduate schools or professional schools. Most students who pursue graduate education enter programs in political science, economics, business, labor relations, social work, public affairs, international relations, philosophy, history, or education. Approximately a third of graduates go on to law school. More than a third go directly into careers in politics, government service, economic consulting, social services, business, education, the Foreign Service, and the media.
Scholarship
James Madison College has produced numerous recipients of prestigious awards and scholarships.
The college has a national and international reputation for developing distinguished scholars and researchers. Given its relatively small size,
Madison has trained numerous Rhodes, Marshall, Truman, National Science Foundation, and Fulbright scholars. These
prestigious scholarships have been awarded to Madison students who proved themselves academically. Few institutions
can claim such a proud and venerable history of developing students, scholars, and citizens.
Honors
Every year the college produces numerous candidates for honor societies. Annually, Madison students dominate membership in Phi Beta Kappa, Sigma Iota Rho, and other prestigious honors societies. Our students strive for excellence and are rewarded with membership in these distinguished and illustrious organizations. Madison’s reputation for academic excellence has been preserved through the diligence and perseverance of its faculty, staff, and students.