James Madison College offers students a distinctive educational atmosphere, providing the best qualities of a small liberal arts colleges combined with those of a large research university. Case Hall houses not only students, but also faculty offices, academic advisors, classrooms, seminars, South Pointe dining hall and the JMC Library. This creates a learning environment that transcends classroom walls.
A residential college is a self-contained academic and living community within a larger university. Students in the college live together in dedicated housing, take their foundational courses together, and are advised by faculty and academic staff who are part of the same community.
At James Madison College, that larger institution is Michigan State University, one of the nation's flagship land-grant research universities. JMC students have access to all of MSU's resources — athletics, 200+ majors, nationally ranked graduate programs, a Big Ten alumni network — while living and learning in a college of roughly 1,000 undergraduates focused on public affairs.
James Madison is located in Case Hall, on the west side of campus near the Breslin Center and Spartan Stadium. All first-year JMC students are required to live in our building, and many students opt to make Case Hall their home for their sophomore year. The building acts as a home-base for our students, as they explore all 5,200 acres of MSU - one of the largest college campuses in the country.
One benefit of the residential college is small class sizes. In our first-year courses, the average section size is about 25 students. Our sophomore and junior courses enroll no more than 35 students per section, with most sections remaining closer to thirty students. Senior seminars are limited to fewer than 20 students. As a result, most classes are conducted as lively discussions in which students are encouraged and expected to participate.
JMC prioritizes teaching excellence, supporting faculty dedication to individualized attention and innovative learning environments. This commitment helps Madison students earn recognition as Rhodes, Marshall and Truman Scholars, while Madison faculty have earned MSU Teacher-Scholar Awards for four consecutive years.
JMC is one of three residential college options at Michigan State University. While our students get the best of both worlds: The benefits of a small liberal arts college combined with the richness and diversity of Michigan State University; our students are first, and foremost, Spartans.
A few of the resources at your fingertips: a vast array academic programs you can pursue as additional majors/minors, student groups and organizations, MSU Athletics and worldwide study abroad opportunities.
JMC students are active across campus through more than a dozen student organizations that reflect diverse political, cultural, and professional interests. From JMC Student Senate to political groups, cultural organizations, and pre-professional societies, students find multiple ways to engage with their interests outside the classroom.
JMC multidisciplinary approach allows students to excel as great writers, thinkers and employees post-graduation. Our involved alumni community knows the value of a Madison education and actively recruits recent Madison graduates.
Our most recent data shows that 58% of the Class of 2025 secured full-time or part-time employment within six months of graduation and 33% were continuing their education at institutions that include Columbia University, Vienna School for International Affairs, University of Michigan and Georgetown University.
