Admission

• Undergraduate Admission Policies
• Graduate Admission Policies
• Special Types of Enrollment
  • Extended Studies
  • Graduate Nondegree Status
  • Guest Matriculant/Concurrent
  • Senior Citizens
  • Graduate Course Enrollment by Undergraduates
  • Summer Term
• Academic Testing
• Advanced Placement and Credit by Examination

Special Types of Enrollment

Extended Studies

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 undergraduate credits 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 may be 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 consult Academic Support and 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.

Institute for Computational Sciences and informatics (CSI)

Nondegree status is available for professionals who are interested in taking a limited number of CSI courses. Up to 12credit hours taken in nondegree status may be transferred into the CSI doctoral or certificate programs at a later date. Note that approval for nondegree status does not guarantee admission into either the doctoral or certificate programs. For admission into nondegree status, the student should have a 3.000GPA or higher and a B.S. degree in mathematics, computer science, engineering, or natural science. Exceptions are reviewed on an individual basis. The following application materials should be submitted for consideration: CSI nondegree application, official or unofficial transcripts, and a nonrefundable application fee. A resume is optional. The CSI nondegree application can be downloaded from the CSI website at www.csi.gmu.edu.

Guest Matriculant/Concurrent

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 Citizens

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" chapter of this catalog or in the Schedule of Classes.

Summer Term

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 Krug Hall, Room 101.

Computer-Based Testing (CBT)

The university, in cooperation with Educational Testing Services (ETS), has established a computer-based testing facility in the Testing Center, Krug Hall, Room 101. The CBT facility offers computer-based GRE, GMAT, TOEFL and Praxis exams on a daily basis during the academic year. Students wishing to take any of the CBT tests should obtain the appropriate Information and Registration Bulletin for any of the national exams (available at the information booth in the Johnson Center and at the brochure display in front of the Testing Center) and indicate George Mason's Testing Center number 7712 as their desired testing location. Space is limited to 15 people during a testing period, so it is to a student's advantage to register early.

National Teacher Examinations

Praxis Series of Tests

Persons seeking an initial teacher license in Virginia are required to satisfy the professional teacher's assessment prescribed by the Virginia Board of Education. As of July 1, 1996, the Virginia Board of Education requires the Praxis I: Academic Skills Assessments (either PPST or CBT in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) and Praxis II: Specialty Area test.

The Graduate School of Education requires that Praxis I scores be submitted with an application to an initial teacher licensure program. Those scores become one of the multiple criteria used in making admission decisions.

The Praxis Registration Bulletin is available in Krug Hall, Room 101, and in Robinson Hall, Room A307. Call (899) 853-6773 to register for the Computer-Based Test (CBT) version of Praxis I. George Mason University's Computer-Based Testing Center (ETS Testing Center #7712) is in Krug Hall. Register online (www.ets.org/praxis) for Praxis II tests.

Advanced Placement and Credit by Examination

Advanced Placement Program^®

Students who have completed advanced courses in secondary schools and have passed the College Board Advanced Placement^® Examinations with scores of 4 or 5 may be granted credit 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 students will be counted toward or will fulfill any pertinent university or departmental graduation requirements.

International Baccalaureate^® (IB) Program

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 may be awarded for Higher Level (HL) 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.

The College Level Examination Program^® (CLEP)

The university does not recognize credit earned by the CLEP General Examinations. As part of the credit by examination process, academic departments may use CLEP Subject Examination scores for total or partial credit in certain courses.

A "Credit by Examination" brochure explaining the amount of credit to be awarded for Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and College Level Examination Program (CLEP) examinations may be obtained from the Admissions Office.

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 who wish to receive the appropriate foreign language placement should take this exam during their senior year in high school. Students who have not taken the SAT II in foreign language may take it in the foreign language lab once on campus. The SAT II examination 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 foreign language placement 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

The Math Placement Exam is a computer-based test (CBT) to help assess a student's proficiency in math. Students seeking to register for MATH 105 Precalculus Mathematics, MATH 108 Introductory Calculus with Business Applications, MATH 113 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I, or CS 112 Computer Science I are required to successfully complete the exam. The testing schedule for the Math Placement Exam appears in the Schedule of Classes and on the university's home page at www.gmu.edu.