Academic Advisors Handbook - George Mason University

Undergraduate Registration Information

Undergraduate Registration Information

Academic Load

The minimum full-time load for undergraduate students is 12 credits per semester. Although 12 credits per semester represent a minimum full-time undergraduate load, students planning to graduate in four years need to carry an average of at least 15 credits per semester. Most majors allow students to take up to 18 credit hours. Students who want to take a course load in excess of 18 credits must obtain written approval from the dean to register. There will be a financial charge for each credit over sixteen credits.

Fulfilling More Than One Requirement with One Class

Some majors allow students to fulfill more than one requirement with one class. In all cases, students are not granted double the amount of credit hours; therefore, they will need to make up the number of credits with General Electives. Students are able to meet non-western requirements with courses that fulfill other GenEd requirements. Courses taken in fulfillment of Non-Western Culture requirement may also satisfy other requirements except for Global Understanding. For example: ANTH 114 can fulfill both the Social Science and the Non-Western categories; RELI 212 can fulfill both the PHIL/RELI and Non-Western categories; etc. In some cases, students are able to fulfill GenEd requirements with Major requirements. For example: PSYC 100 and 211 will fulfill both Social Science and Major requirements for PSYC majors.

Selective Withdrawal for Undergraduates

Undergraduates enrolled in degree programs are eligible to withdraw from a limited number of classes without the dean’s approval and at the student’s own discretion. Students may process a maximum of three such selective withdrawals during their entire undergraduate career at Mason. The three classes may have any number of credits. The academic calendar for each semester will include an open withdrawal period beginning the day following the last day to drop the class and extending through the ninth week. For classes shorter than a semester (14 weeks), the period will be set in proportion to the length of the class.

Course Withdrawal with Dean Approval

For graduate and non degree students, withdrawal after the last day for dropping a course requires approval by the student’s academic dean, and is permitted only for nonacademic reasons that prevent course completion. For undergraduate students, withdrawal after the open withdrawal period, for cause within the period, or after a student has used all three selective withdrawals, requires approval by the student’s academic dean and is typically permitted only for nonacademic reasons that prevent course completion.

Semester Withdrawal with Dean Approval

Students may withdraw from a semester after the end of the drop period without academic penalty only for nonacademic reasons with the approval of the academic dean. Withdrawal forms are available at the appropriate academic dean’s office. Students who stop attending all classes without the dean’s approval and without processing selective withdrawals, if eligible, will receive a grade of F in all courses.

Repeating a Course

Undergraduate students may repeat courses for which they seek a higher grade. Academic programs may restrict repeats of certain departmental or college courses in the major. The most recent grade received will replace the previous grade and will be calculated in the GPA, even if the more recent grade is lower. Duplicate credit is not given. All instances of courses and their grades remain part of the student’s transcript.

Some courses are annotated in the catalog as “repeatable for credit.” These are courses in which students receive additional credit for more than one taking of the same course, up to a maximum number of credits specified in the catalog. Special topics and independent study courses are examples.

Auditing a Course:

Auditing a course requires the instructor’s permission. Click here for the Audit form or go to the Registrar’s Office. A previously audited course may be taken again for credit in a later term. Students may also audit a course previously taken and passed; however, students may not change from credit to audit status nor from audit to credit status after the end of the drop period, as defined above. The usual tuition and fees apply to audit status.

Residency

At least one-fourth of the total credits applied to the degree must be completed at Mason and include at least 12 upper-level credits (courses numbered 300 or above) in the major program. A maximum of 18 credits earned in non-degree status at Mason can be applied toward a bachelor’s degree.

Credit Hours

Students must complete at least 120 credits that count toward graduation and fulfill all degree requirements. A few programs require more than the minimum 120 credits.

Upper Level Requirement

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