Academic Policies

Undergraduate Policies

• Policies and Procedures Affecting Both Undergraduates and Graduates
• Graduate Policies
  
  
• Classification of Students
• Academic Advising
• Academic Support and Advising Services
• Advising upon Entrance into the Upper Division (Junior Standing)
• Medical Sciences Advisory Committee
• Academic Standing
• The Undergraduate Academic Program
  • Selection of a Major
  • Change of Academic Program
  • Credit for More than One Undergraduate Major
  • Minors
  • Baccalaureate Degree Requirements
  • Residence Requirements
  • Additional Academic Requirements
  • Second Bachelor's Degree
  • Graduation with Distinction
  • Graduation with Distinction and Recognition

Classification of Students

Admitted undergraduates are classified as follows: freshman, 0-29 credits completed; sophomore, 30-59 credits completed; junior, 60-89 credits completed; senior, 90 or more credits completed. Full-time undergraduates are classified as those students enrolled in 12 or more credits per semester

Academic Advising

Admitted undergraduate students are encouraged to meet regularly with an academic advisor to discuss academic programs, educational goals, and career plans. In conjunction with their advisors, students plan academic programs to meet the general university degree requirements and specific requirements within their major fields. Responsibility for reading the catalog and knowing and fulfilling the requirements of a specific baccalaureate degree rests with the student. To assist in the advising process, the university provides a computerized analysis of academic progress (a degree audit). Students may access their individualized reports through the university's secure website (webGMU.edu).

Individual departments establish their own advising processes; students should check with their departments for the appropriate procedures. During their freshman and sophomore years, students in the Honors Program in General Education should plan their schedules with Honors advisors. Every department coordinates advising of its honors students through this office (Student Union I, Room 208).

Some departments require that students should be advised prior to registration each semester.

See Advisor's Permission to Register in the section Registration and Attendance for categories of students who may not register until they have seen an advisor.

Academic Support and Advising Services

Admitted students who have not yet decided on a major or who are considering a change of major are advised by Academic Support and Advising Services, (703) 993-2470. Advising is available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and Tuesday until 8 p.m. (by appointment and when classes are in session).

Students are encouraged to make an appointment for information about general education requirements, programs, policies, procedures, and other academic concerns. Academic Support and Advising Services also provides information and guidance for students who are interested in pre-professional programs in the health fields.

Advising upon Entrance into the Upper Division (Junior Standing)

Every student is especially encouraged to meet with an advisor upon entrance into the upper division to adopt a program of study. This meeting should include (1) a review of the requirements for the degree and major the student has chosen, (2) a review of the student's record including any deficiencies, which must be made up, (3) a discussion of the career and/or graduate study options open to the student enrolled in such a program, and (4) an opportunity for departmental faculty to evaluate the student's suitability to major in the chosen discipline.

This advising session should occur in the semester in which the student will have completed 60 or more acceptable credits. Its results should be a matter of record, with any approved modifications being entered into the student's computerized degree plan.

Although an upper-division student who has filed an approved program of study is normally not required to consult again with an academic advisor, it remains the student's responsibility to seek approval for any change to the program, so that the computerized degree plan may be kept up to date. In particular, once a student has completed 60 credits, a change of major requires an extended session with an advisor in the new major and approval of a new program of study before the change is complete.

A student in lower-division status may change majors by filing a Change/Declaration of Academic Program form with the registrar. There are minimal advising procedures to be followed in all undergraduate segments of the university; individual units may require additional advising sessions.

Medical Sciences Advisory Committee

The Medical Sciences Advisory Committee reviews qualified candidates for admission to health profession programs in allopathic and osteopathic medicine, dentistry, podiatry, and optometry, and writes a composite letter of evaluation in support of the applicant. The committee comprises university faculty and professional advising staff. Committee members also function as pre-med advisors. Students seeking information about admission to professional medical programs are encouraged to contact the chair of the Medical Sciences Advisory Committee, George Mason University, Academic Support and Advising Services, MS 2E6, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-4444; telephone (703) 993-2470.

Academic Standing

Academic Period

For determining academic standing, including the duration of academic probation and suspension, an academic period is defined as follows:

Each academic period (semester or Summer Term) begins on the 15th day following the last scheduled day of final examinations for the previous period. Each academic period ends on the 14th day after the last scheduled day of final examinations.

Example: Assume that the last scheduled day of final exams for a semester is Monday, December 23. That period then ends on Monday, January 6. The next period begins on Tuesday, January 7.

Good Academic Standing

A student is in good academic standing unless academically dismissed, suspended, or on probation. An academic warning alone does not deprive a student of good academic standing.

Satisfactory Performance

Students perform satisfactorily during any academic period in which they earn a grade point average for that period of 2.000 or higher (1.800 for those in the first or second academic period of the freshman year). In computing the grade point average, grades of FA and IN are counted as F, and the grades AB, IP, NC, S and SP are not counted.

Dean's List

Students in degree status who take at least six credits in an academic period and earn a grade point average for that period of 3.500 or higher merit placement on the Dean's List.

Academic Warning

Students receive an academic warning at the end of any academic period in which they fail to attain a grade point average for that period of 2.000 or better (1.800 for those in the first or second academic period of the freshman year).

Academic Probation

Students who receive two warnings during any four consecutive academic periods of enrollment are on probation during the academic period of enrollment following the second warning. (Consecutive academic periods of enrollment are successive periods during which the student enrolled, regardless of whether there were intervening periods during which the student did not enroll.)

Academic Suspension

Academic suspension results from two situations. First, a student receiving academic warnings in two consecutive periods of enrollment is suspended. In the case of first suspension, the two consecutive periods are extended to three if the student attempts fewer than 12 credits during either of those periods. Second, a suspension also results from receiving a second probation.

A student's first academic suspension is for two academic periods, unless it is imposed at the end of the Summer Term, in which case it is for one semester. A second suspension is for one calendar year, for example, two regular semesters and a Summer Term. A third suspension results in dismissal.

Suspension is included in a student's permanent record. Course credits earned at other colleges during the period of suspension from the university (for academic or nonacademic reasons) are not accepted for the degree program.

Effect of Suspension on the Re-enrolled Student

A student re-enrolling after suspension is on probation for one academic period of enrollment. A warning received at the end of that period results in continuation of probation but not suspension; however, a student will be dismissed at the end of that period if the dismissal criteria apply. Two consecutive warnings immediately after returning from a suspension results in a new suspension.

Academic Dismissal

A third academic suspension results in academic dismissal. An undergraduate is also dismissed at the end of any academic period when all of the following occur:

1. The student has received at least one earlier academic suspension.
2. The work done during the just-completed academic period is unsatisfactory.
3. The student's cumulative grade point average for all work attempted at the university is below a minimum acceptable value that depends on the number of cumulative quality credits (QHRS) earned at the university plus credits transferred from other institutions or obtained by testing as follows:

For example, a student who transfers 30 credits to George Mason from another institution and has earned 40 credits at George Mason (not including courses graded S [Satisfactory]) must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 1.571 on the courses taken at George Mason.

Effect of Academic Standing on Next Semester's Credit Limit

Undergraduate students who earn a GPA of less than 2.000 in any fall or spring semester, and are still eligible to enroll, may register for a maximum of 13 credit hours their following spring or fall semester. All undergraduate students who are returning from suspension in a fall or spring semester may take a maximum of 13 credit hours and must meet with an advisor before registering.

Effect of Academic Standing on Student Activities

Only students in good academic standing are eligible to hold or run for elective or appointive office in any organization or activity associated with the university, or to compete in any athletic or other activity representing the university on either an intercollegiate or club level, or to serve as a working staff member of any student organization.

A student whose eligibility for an activity requires the completion of a semester will have fulfilled that requirement when the student's publicly scheduled exams are over, unless the student's continued eligibility depends on the grades received. In the latter case, the student will not become eligible until the end of the semester as defined for probation and suspension purposes.

The Undergraduate Academic Program

Selection of a Major

To plan a sound academic program, the undergraduate should select a degree and major as soon as it is practical, but no later than four weeks before the end of the sophomore year. For declaration of a major, a student should confer with the appropriate advisor or designate of either the new major program or, if undeclared, Academic Support and Advising Services, and obtain signatures from both departments in the Change of Major section of the Change/Declaration of Academic Program form, available in the Registrar's Office and in Academic Support and Advising Services.

Change of Academic Program

Students who wish to change their academic programs (degree and/or major) should see a faculty advisor or Academic Support and Advising Services. Departmental sections of this catalog contain requirements for acceptance into each program. A student not meeting the requirements may appeal to the department chair for an exception.

Once a student has completed 60 credits, a change of major requires a meeting with an advisor in the new major before the change is complete. To file a change of major, signatures of advisors or designates in both the new and former major programs must be obtained on the Change/Declaration of Academic Program form available in the Registrar's Office.

Credit for More than One Undergraduate Major

A student who desires to graduate with a B.A. degree or a B.S. degree in two or more subjects must meet departmental requirements for the major in each field. See also the section Second Bachelor's Degree.

Students given permission to pursue two or more concurrent majors must complete the Declaration of Second Major section of the Change/Declaration of Academic Program form, available in the Registrar's Office. The applicant must present a detailed program of study for both majors and obtain the authorizing signature from the chair or director of the second major program (and from the dean or director, if required by the college, school, or institute). Department chairs and deans/directors when required must also approve all changes to the programs of study. A student may begin a program at any time that permits its completion before the contemplated graduation date.

Minors

Students may elect minor programs of study in addition to their major fields by completing the Declaration or Change of Minor section of the Change/Declaration of Academic Program form, available in the Registrar's Office. Minors normally require between 15 and 21 credits of study. At least six credits of the minor must be completed at George Mason, and no more than three credits of D in the minor are accepted. Students interested in a minor should consult the college/school/institute chapters and the Program of Study listing in the front of this catalog chapter to determine which minors are offered and their specific requirements.

Baccalaureate Degree Requirements

University General Education Requirements

The General Education Mission At George Mason University

The mission of George Mason University's General Education Program is to educate, liberate and broaden the mind and to instill lifelong love of learning. In conjunction with each student's major program of study and other electives, minors or certificates, this Program seeks to produce graduates with intellectual vision, creative abilities and moral sensibility, as well as the skills to assure a well-rounded and useable education.

Specifically, General Education courses should first ensure that all undergraduates develop skills in information gathering, written and oral communication, and analytical and quantitative reasoning.

Second, General Education courses should expose students to the development of knowledge by emphasizing major domains of thought and methods of inquiry.

Third, General Education courses should enable students to attain a breadth of knowledge that supports their specializations and contributes to their education in both personal and professional terms.

Fourth, General Education courses should encourage students to make important connections across boundaries (for example: among disciplines; between the university and the external world; between the United States and other countries).

Summary Of University-Wide General Education Requirements

Effective Fall 2001*

A. Foundation Requirements

• Written Communication (6 credits: 3 lower, 3 upper)
  ENGL 100 or 101, 302
• Oral Communication (3 credits)
  COMM 100, 101, 104
• Information Technology (3 credits)
  IT 103; PHIL 112 (IT ethics, 1 credit)
• Quantitative Reasoning (3 credits)
  IT 250; MATH 106, 108, 110, 111, 113, 115, 125; STAT 250

B. Core Requirements

• Literature (3 credits)
  CLAS 250, 260, 340, 350, 380; ENGL 201; FREN 325, 329; GERM 325; PHIL 253; RUSS 325, 326, 327; SPAN 325
• Fine Arts (3 credits)
  ARTH 101, 102, 200, 201; AVT 103, 104, 222, 232, 262, 272; DANC 101, 125, 131, 145, 161; MUSI 100, 101, 107, 301, 302; THR 101, 150, 151, 195, 210, 230
• U.S. History (3 credits)
  One Required Course, to be determined
• Western Civilization (3 credits)
  HIST 100
• Social and Behavioral Science (3 credits)
  ADJ 100; ANTH 114, 120, 135; ECON 100, 103, 104; GEOG 103; GOVT 101, 103; PSYC 100, 211, 231; SOAN 190; SOCI 101
• Global Understanding (3 credits)
  ADJ 405; ANTH 302, 304, 309, 311, 312, 313, 331, 332, 333, 385; ARTH 203, 319, 320, 380, 382, 383, 384, 385; CEIE 100; COMM 305; DANC 118; ECON 360, 361, 380, 390; GEOG 101; GOVT 132, 133, 149; HIST 125, 130, 251, 252, 261, 262, 271, 272, 281, 282, 328, 329, 356, 364, 459, 460; MUSI 103, 431; RELI 100, 211, 212, 313, 315, 341, 374, 490; RUSS 353, 354; SOCI 332; SPAN 322; THR 359; WMST 100
• Natural Science (7 credits):
  Non-Lab (3 credits): CHEM 101, 102, 201, 202; GEOG 102; UNIV 301
  Lab (4 credits): ASTR 111, 112, 113, 114; BIOL 103, 104; CHEM 103, 104, 211, 212, 251; EVSC 110, 111; GEOL 101, 102; PHYS 103, 104, 160, 243, 244, 245, 246, 260, 261, 262, 263

C. Synthesis Requirement

• Synthesis (3 upper level credits)
  One Course

Category Goals and Requirements are described below.

* Course list reflects approved courses as of press time, December 15, 2000. Please consult the GMU Website www.gmu.edu/departments/provost/gened/index.html for additional courses approved for University General Education. List will be updated.

University-Wide General Education Category Goals And Requirements

A. Foundation Requirements:

• Written Communication
  • Goal: Courses in the "Written Communication" category are intended to provide George Mason undergraduates with opportunities to develop the ability to use written communication as a way of thinking and of discovering ideas and meanings, as well as expressing them. Students must develop basic writing skills at the freshman level and build on those skills with an upper-level writing course. At least one course in a student's major must be "writing-intensive."
    
    
  • Required: English 100 or 101, 302, and approved writing-intensive course in major, and increased emphasis on reading and writing in appropriate General Education courses.
    
    
• Oral Communication
  • Goal: The student will develop ability to use oral communication as a way of thinking and learning as well as sharing ideas with others. Courses in the area of oral communication are intended to provide Mason undergraduates with the ability to express themselves in public or group settings. Students should gain an understanding of the cultural, psychological, political and practical significance of communication, with special emphasis on the role of communication in a free society. Through oral presentations, group discussions, and critically assessing public messages, students will come to understand the various modes of communication that exist, and will improve their oral communication skills. They should also learn how to support and defend their positions, how to respond to different communication situations, and how to clearly organize and develop ideas. By developing an understanding of the importance of communication in society, students should also learn to respect the freedom of expression of all members of the community.
    
    
  • Required: One approved course; increased emphasis on oral communication in appropriate General Education courses.
    
    
• Quantitative Reasoning
  • Goal: The student will develop the ability to use and critically evaluate numerical information, and to create and critique logical arguments using quantitative reasoning. Courses in the "Quantitative Reasoning" category are intended to give all Mason undergraduates the capability to reason quantitatively through exposure and practice grounded in important problems and ideas. To ensure skills, a basic proficiency established through a test is required before attempting courses that satisfy this requirement. Students who demonstrate a higher proficiency level may choose among an approved set of courses that develop quantitative reasoning, while those with basic proficiency only will be required to satisfy this requirement with the particular course Math 106, designed to advance students to the higher proficiency level.
    
    
  • Required: Math 106; or if the student has achieved an appropriate placement score on quantitative skills, one of the following: Math 108, 110, 111, 113, 115, 125 or IT/STAT 250. (Students are assumed to have achieved satisfactory completion of the high school math required for admission.)
    
    
• Information Technology
  • Goal: Students will be expected to possess a command of basic software and hardware concepts, terminology and functions, and file/data structures, and will be expected to use appropriate electronic tools in order to do the following:
    
    1. Data organization and search, e.g., databases, web browsers, search engines;
    2. Data analysis, e.g., spreadsheets, GIS, Statistical software;
    3. Data presentation & communication, e.g., text, electronic slides, web pages, graphs, presentation software, HTML, word processing, e-mail.
    
    In addition, students will be required to have classroom experience in, knowledge of, and appreciation for fundamental ethical issues relating to IT and our changing economy. These issues may include, but are not limited to, computer security, privacy laws, public policy issues and professional codes of ethics, intellectual property issues, copyright, security, and financial data.
    
    
  • Required: Satisfactory scores on appropriate modules and tests of skills plus passing a one-credit course in IT ethics and law; or by passing one approved three-credit course to meet all IT requirements including ethics.

B. Core Requirements

• Literature
  • Goal: Courses in the "Literature" category will foster understanding and appreciation of the aesthetic, cultural, historical, and intellectual aspects of major literary works through critical analysis. Students will identify, analyze, write about, and discuss aspects of theme, plot, central idea, narrative, audience, perspective, figurative language, and the relationship between structure and ideas.
    
    
  • Required: One approved course.
    
    
• Arts
  • Goal: Students will develop an understanding of the aesthetic and intellectual components of the arts through either critical analysis of major artistic works or through creative work of their own. Courses in the "Arts" category are intended to give all Mason undergraduates knowledge and understanding of the arts through critical and/or historical analysis, theory, and/or practice. Arts courses provide distinctive modes of thought, ways of working, and avenues for student achievement, and establish a foundation for ongoing intellectual and artistic development. Some courses will emphasize the development of artistic technique, problem solving and the creative/interdisciplinary process, and others will focus on developing aesthetic sensibility and understanding historical and cultural contexts.
    
    
  • Required: One approved course.
    
    
• Natural Science
  • Goal: Courses in the "Natural Science" category are intended to develop an understanding of natural science in all Mason undergraduates. The critical approach of the scientific method, the relation of theory and experiment, the use of quantitative and qualitative information, and the development and elaboration of major ideas in science are addressed.
    
    
  • Required: Two approved science courses; a course offering an overview of the principles of physics, chemistry and life sciences will be one of the two courses required of some students. At least one course will have a laboratory experience.
    
    
• U.S. History
  • Goal: This course will enable students to develop an understanding of the institutions and traditions of our society from its founding documents, values and institutions onward to the present. Attention to the processes of historical analysis will be fundamental to the course.
    
    
  • Required: One required course.
    
    
• Western Civilization
  • Goal: This course covers the period of western civilization from the Greek and Roman civilizations to the contemporary era. Students will develop awareness and understanding of a major civilization that has influenced thought, culture and politics in the United States and in the world.
    
    
  • Required: One required course.
    
    
• Global Understanding
  • Goal: Courses in the "Global Understanding" category are intended to give all George Mason undergraduates a familiarity with, and understanding of, some of the principal international institutions, and historical and cultural values that characterize the global system today. After completing a course from this category, students should be able to analyze (that is, identify the causes and consequences of changes in) important international and/or cultural systems. Courses in this category are of two broad types. Some courses may emphasize "International Institutions," that is, institutions, both formal and informal, that transcend the nation-state. Other courses may deal with "Cross-Cultural Values" by focusing on cultural traditions other than those of contemporary America and by incorporating explicit comparisons of two or more cultures. Courses in International Institutions and Cross-Cultural Values help students develop an understanding of the institutions and values of global society, with an emphasis on cultural traditions other than one's own. To the degree possible, these courses will emphasize the comparison of more than one cultural tradition. All courses in this category will involve the study of both international institutions and cultural values as they are related to global affairs.
    
    
  • Required: One approved course.
    
    
• Social & Behavioral Sciences
• Goal: Courses in the "Social and Behavioral Sciences" category are intended to develop an understanding of social science by all Mason undergraduates. Students will be engaged in reasoning using the methods of the social and behavioral sciences, including the scientific method, the use of quantitative and qualitative information, and the analysis of empirical observations in relation to theory. The development of major ideas in social science is also addressed in this category.
• Required: One approved course.

C. Synthesis Requirement

• Synthesis
  • Goal: Students will engage in the connection of meaning and the synthesis of knowledge. Synthesis courses may link issues in the student's major to wider intellectual and community concerns. Other courses might be interdisciplinary. This course may be a capstone course in the major. This component also requires
    students to demonstrate advanced skills in oral and written presentation before a faculty panel. This demonstration will build not only on the communication and synthesis experience of the third year, but also on the recurrent attention to these skills in the whole
    General Education program, from the foundation courses onward.
    
    
  • Required: One approved upper-division course.

Additional General Education requirements for specific degree programs can be found in the description of each college or school in this catalog.

English Composition Requirement

The university requires students to complete at least two semesters of English composition. Students enrolled in the Honors Program in General Education or in New Century College learning communities complete the English composition requirement as specified in those programs. All other students, unless they have received equivalent credit through transfer or proficiency examination, must enroll in ENGL101 (or 100) upon admission and, after meeting its prerequisites, ENGL 302. Students must attain a minimum grade of C in composition courses to fulfill university degree requirements.

Writing-Intensive Course Requirement

In addition to English composition and, as part of the university's commitment to literacy in all programs, at least one course in each major has been designated "writing intensive." While other courses in the major may require written projects, "writing-intensive" courses emphasize the process of drafting and revision. Faculty in these courses give constructive comments on drafts of at least one course project, which the students then revise and resubmit, or use for future submissions. Writing-intensive courses are numbered 300 and above. See the description of each major for the specific courses that fulfill this requirement in that major.

Residence Requirements

At least one-fourth of the total credits presented on the degree application must be completed at the university and must include at least 12 upper-level credits (courses numbered 300 or above) in the major program.

Students are expected to complete the final one-fourth of their college study at the university. However, a student of junior standing who has completed 24 credits of upper-level courses, including 12 upper-level credits in the major, may apply to the appropriate dean for permission to complete the remaining degree requirements elsewhere. Such applications must follow the procedures outlined in the section Credit to be Earned at Other Colleges. Permission is granted only in special circumstances, such as moving from the area or enrolling in an accredited professional school.

A student who gains early admission to an accredited professional school or into an approved Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degree program may be granted a George Mason bachelor's degree while enrolled in that professional or graduate school if certain conditions are met. In this context, a professional school is defined as a school of dentistry, law, medicine, optometry, osteopathy, or veterinary medicine. Before leaving the university, a student must obtain certification signed by the department chair and the appropriate dean that the residence, general education, and major requirements for the degree have been met. The student also must secure from the dean prior approval of those professional school or graduate courses that are to be applied only as elective credit to the total credit requirement for the bachelor's degree.

Additional Academic Requirements

To qualify for a bachelor's degree, a student must have been admitted, must have fulfilled all stated requirements for the specific degree, and must have earned a GPA of at least 2.000 in the courses presented for graduation. An undergraduate may present all courses in which satisfactory grades have been received and up to 12 credits of courses in which D grades have been received. However, a student may not use a grade of D in BIS 490 and may not use more than six credits of D grades in a major or in the BIS core of study, nor more than three credits of D grades in a minor. Some programs may have a more restrictive policy regarding the number of D grades allowable in majors, minors, or certificates. Please refer to the appropriate section of the catalog for further information.

Students seeking a bachelor's degree must apply at least 45 credits of upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above) toward graduation requirements.

A Graduation Appeals Committee in each college or school considers written appeals from students failing to meet degree or certain area requirements.

Second Bachelor's Degree

A second bachelor's degree may be earned, either concurrently or sequentially. To graduate with two degrees, students must present at least 30 George Mason credits beyond those required by either degree alone.

Students who are concurrently pursuing two bachelor's degrees at George Mason must present a detailed program of study for both degrees and obtain authorizing signatures from the chair or director of each degree program (and from the dean or director, if required by the college, school, or institute). Students may declare the second concurrent degree by completing the Declaration of Second Bachelor's Degree section of the Change/Declaration of Academic Program form, available in the Registrar's Office.

Application for a second bachelor's degree declared after graduation from a first degree must be conducted through the Office of Admissions.

Graduation with Distinction

A student graduates with distinction from the university when at least 60 credits earned at the university are applied toward graduation and the student's grade point average in all work applied toward graduation is at least equal to one of three values:

3.500 (with distinction)
3.700 (with high distinction)
3.900 (with highest distinction)

Graduation with Distinction and Recognition

A student graduates with distinction and with recognition of a distinguished senior project if, in addition to meeting the criteria for graduation with distinction, the student completes a research project or other substantial piece of creative work directed by a faculty member and judged by the student's department to be of distinguished quality. The departmental faculty establishes criteria by which a student graduating with distinction may attempt to receive this recognition.