Admission
Special Types of Enrollment for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
Extended Studies Enrollment
The Extended Studies program enables students who have no immediate degree objectives,
or may need to satisfy prerequisites for graduate admission, to enroll in courses
for which they are qualified without seeking formal admission to the university.
It is generally expected that Extended Studies enrollees have earned a minimum of
30 credits at another institution before applying for Extended Studies. Extended
Studies applications are available through the Admissions Office.
Extended Studies students may be restricted to undergraduate and 500- and 600-level
graduate courses, and enrollment is based on eligibility criteria and availability
of space in courses. Enrollment in high-demand fields may be restricted or prohibited.
Prospective enrollees are required to supply unofficial evidence of their academic
background along with the Extended Studies application to the Admissions Office.
Extended Studies enrollees are expected to achieve a semester average of at least
C (2.000) in all undergraduate courses and at least B (3.000) in all graduate courses.
Students who do not meet these criteria during two consecutive periods of enrollment
are not permitted to register again through Extended Studies.
Extended Studies enrollees who wish to apply for admission to a degree program
may do so at any time by following the standard undergraduate or graduate admission
procedures. One may apply a maximum of 18 credits of undergraduate credit to a future
undergraduate degree program. The Office of Admissions applies the same criteria
for admission to Extended Studies students applying for undergraduate degree status
as to students transferring from other institutions. Graduate applicants, with the
approval of a school or college dean, may apply a maximum of 12 graduate credits
toward a master's program. If the admitted graduate student has transfer credit from
another institution, the amount of applicable credit earned through Extended Studies
is reduced accordingly. Students must fulfill the degree requirements outlined in
the catalog in effect at the time they are admitted as degree candidates.
Grades earned through Extended Studies remain a part of the student's permanent
record, are recorded on the standard university transcript, and are counted in determining
the student's future academic standing. Extended Studies students will be assigned
to an academic unit on the basis of their educational plans as stated on their application.
The academic unit will handle academic advising and determine the student's eligibility
to continue in the Extended Studies program. Students unsure of their future educational
plans may use the services of Academic Advising Services.
Graduate Nondegree Status School of Information Technology
and Engineering (IT&E)
Admission for nondegree graduate study is suitable for those persons who do not
currently wish to pursue a degree, but are interested in taking graduate IT&E
courses. The following application materials should be submitted for consideration:
IT&E nondegree application, official or unofficial transcripts, nonrefundable
application fee, and a Course Request Form. A resume is optional.
Once the student receives an approved Course Request Form from IT&E, he/she
may register via the telephone registration system (4GMU) or in person for the course.
Approval for nondegree status does not guarantee admission for a degree program at
a later date. Students who do not register for the term for which they are accepted
may have their enrollment postponed for one semester upon written request to the
Admissions Office. Further information about IT&E programs and course offerings
may be obtained from IT&E departmental offices or the IT&E Graduate Student
Services Office, Science and Technology II, Room 100, (703) 993-1505, e-mail address:
sitegrad@gmu.edu.
Guest Matriculant Enrollment/Concurrent Enrollment
Persons enrolled in high school or in undergraduate or graduate programs at other
accredited institutions who wish to take courses at George Mason for transfer to
their home institutions may enroll through the Extended Studies program. Guest matriculants
require special documentation before admission. Undergraduate or graduate guest matriculants
require written permission from their home college or university before admission.
High school guest matriculants require permission from their high school principals,
parents, and a George Mason faculty member. An admissions interview is also required.
All this needs to be submitted before admission. Interested students should contact
the Office of Admissions at (703) 993-2400 for more information.
Senior Citzens Enrollment
The Extended Studies Enrollment Office coordinates enrollment under the Senior
Citizens Higher Education Act of 1974, as amended and as applicable to the university.
Under the terms of this act, eligible Virginia residents 60 years of age or older
with a taxable income not exceeding $10,000 are entitled to enroll in courses offered
for academic credit on a space-available basis without payment of tuition and fees.
Senior citizens who meet the income eligibility requirement and who have completed
a minimum of 75 percent of degree requirements may enroll during normal registration
periods without payment of tuition and fees.
In addition, the act provides for audit of courses offered for academic credit
and also for enrollment in noncredit courses without payment of tuition and fees
on a space-available basis, regardless of the taxable income level. Tuition, however,
may be charged for courses designed exclusively for senior citizen groups. No senior
citizen may change registration status in any given semester once he or she has initially
registered for classes.
Graduate Course Enrollment by Undergraduates
Undergraduates may request approval to take a 500-level graduate course either
for reserve graduate credit or for undergraduate credit. Special circumstances apply.
See details in the Academic Policies section of this catalog or in the Schedule of
Classes.
Summer Term Enrollment
Summer enrollment is open to eligible undergraduate and graduate students on a
priority registration basis. The Summer Term offers more than 750 daytime and evening
classes in four sessions from five to eight weeks. Academic departments take advantage
of the Summer Term's unique opportunities to schedule innovative as well as traditional
courses. Therefore, many undergraduate and graduate students use the Summer Term
as a third semester with the option of taking up to 14 credits.
Academic Testing
Testing Center
As a means of assessing the academic preparation of its students, the university
requires the submission of certain test information.
Students may obtain applications for the Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL), Graduate Record Examination (GRE), Law School Admission Test (LSAT), Graduate
Management Admission Test (GMAT), Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and the
Miller Analogies Test (MAT) from the Information Desk in the Johnson Center or the
Testing Center in 101 Krug Hall.
Credit by Examination
Advanced Placement Program with Credit
First-semester freshmen who have completed advanced courses in secondary schools
and have passed College Board Advanced Placement Examinations with scores of 4 or
5 may be granted credit (without grades) upon recommendation of the department concerned
and with the approval of the appropriate dean. Credit for a score of 3 is at the
discretion of the department. Advanced credit earned in this manner by entering freshmen
will be counted toward or will fulfill any pertinent university or departmental graduation
requirements.
An informational pamphlet indicating credit available through the Advanced Placement
program is available from the Admissions Office or at the Testing Center.
Proficiency and Credit by Examination
Proficiency examinations are offered in a number of courses normally taken during
the first two years.
Examinations in English, business, computer science, and music are usually announced
by the appropriate departments. A satisfactory score on an examination affords a
student credit for the course in question.
On the basis of examinations presenting evidence of qualification, regularly enrolled
students may be granted up to 30 undergraduate credits for courses in the university
curriculum. The only exceptions to this regulation are registered nurses enrolled
in the nursing B.S.N. program (see College of Nursing and Health Science for details).
Credit is recorded for grades of C or above, but does not affect the student's grade
point average computation.
Students may not earn credit by examination in courses in which they are enrolled
beyond the time allotted for adding courses in that semester or in courses already
audited or failed at the university. Transfer students may not earn by examination
any part of the 30 credits that must be completed at George Mason University to earn
a degree.
Foreign Language Testing and Credit by Examination
A score of 3 or higher on the College Board Advanced Placement Test in either language
or literature, taken on completion of an advanced placement course in high school,
not only fulfills the foreign language requirement, but also makes the student eligible
for at least 12 credits. A score of 560 or higher on the College Board SAT II: Subject
Test, or on the George Mason placement test, makes the student eligible for three
credits, while a score of 620 or higher on either test fulfills the foreign language
requirement and makes the student eligible for six credits. No other credit by examination
is available for elementary or intermediate foreign language courses, nor for conversation
and composition courses. Credit by examination is available for other foreign language
courses above the intermediate level.
International Baccalaureate (IB) Degree
George Mason University recognizes the IB curriculum as a strong pre-university academic
program and encourages applicants to complete the requirements for the IB diploma.
Advanced standing is awarded for Higher Level examinations with scores of 5, 6, and
7. Official transcripts must be issued by the International Baccalaureate North America,
200 Madison Avenue, Suite 2403, New York, NY 10016-3903.
An information pamphlet indicating credit available through the International
Baccalaureate Program is available from the Admissions Office or the Testing Center.
College Level Examination Program (CLEP)
The university does not recognize credits earned by CLEP General Examinations. As
part of the credit by examination process, certain departments may use CLEP Subject
Examination scores for total or partial credit in certain courses.
An information pamphlet highlighting which CLEP Subject Examinations may be used
for credit at George Mason is available from the Admissions Office or the Testing
Center.
Placement Examinations
Foreign Language Placement
The College Board SAT II test in a foreign language is used for placement in French,
German, classical Greek, Italian, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. Freshman applicants
take this exam before entering George Mason as part of the admissions process; others
may take it on campus. This test is mandatory for anyone who has studied one of these
languages for at least two years, has no previous college credit in the language,
and wishes to continue study of the same language at the university. Transfer students
receiving credit for college-level foreign language study completed at other colleges
do not usually need a placement test, but must consult the Department of Modern and
Classical Languages to determine their correct placement.
It is the student's responsibility to take a placement test and obtain its results
before enrolling in a foreign language course. The dates for testing on campus are
listed in the Schedule of Classes. Specific information on interpreting test scores
can be obtained from the Department of Modern and Classical Languages.
Students may not enroll for credit in a course at a level lower than the one in
which they are placed. Students and instructors should attempt to identify and resolve
cases of inappropriate placement during the first days of each course. For students
whose degree program contains a foreign language requirement, the placement determines
the maximum number of credits, if any, that will be needed to fulfill the requirement.
A placement test is not required of international students who present evidence
of having studied for four or more years in an educational institution where the
primary language of instruction was other than English. These students will be considered
to have fulfilled the foreign language requirement, but are not eligible for credit
below the 300 level.
If through transfer credit, a placement test score, or George Mason course work,
a student meets the prerequisite for a lower division foreign language course that
is not offered during a particular semester, the dean will normally grant permission
to continue the foreign language sequence by taking courses at another college or
university.
Math Placement Exam
Successful completion of the Math Placement Exam is required for students seeking
to register for MATH 105 Pre-Calculus Math, MATH 108 Calculus with Business Application,
MATH 113 Analytic Geometry and Calculus, or CS 112 Computer Science I. The testing
schedule for the placement exam appears in the Schedule of Classes and is posted
outside Krug Hall, Room 102.
The Math Placement Exam is a timed test. Candidates should arrive no later than
the scheduled time for the test.
Students seeking a degree in business or a B.A. in Economics need to take MATH
108. Students seeking engineering, computer science, or a B.S. in Economics need
to take MATH 113. MATH 105 is a preparatory course for MATH 113.
National Teacher Examinations
Persons seeking initial certification as teachers in Virginia are required to submit
scores on the National Teacher Examination (NTE-Praxis). Information on the NTE-Praxis
can be picked up outside Krug Hall, Room 102. Please be advised that George Mason
University does not administer the NTE-Praxis. Students who need to take this examination
must choose another location listed in the exam registration packet.
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