Evaluation of Transfer Credit
The Office of Admissions is responsible for awarding undergraduate transfer credit and completes course-by-course transfer credit evaluations for all new transfer students. Evaluations are available to new transfers approximately one-week after the release of the admission decision. Admission to Mason is contingent upon receipt of all official, final transcripts. Official transcripts must be transmitted directly from the Registrar at your previous institution(s) to:
George Mason University
Office of Admissions
4400 University Drive, MSN 3A4
Fairfax VA 22030
or electronically to ugtrans@gmu.edu.
Re-admitted students receive a new transfer credit evaluation based upon the current transfer credit policy and new catalog year. The university reserves the right to revise a transfer credit evaluation at any time.
Applicants to the University who have attempted college courses at other institutions are required to disclose their complete academic enrollment history in the admission application. George Mason University reserves the right to revoke admission, withhold the award of credit, or disenroll students who fail to indicate all previous institutions attended on the admission application. Course work from institutions not included in the admission application will not be eligible for transfer credit.
Criteria for Assessing Transfer Credits
The following criteria will assist you in understanding your transfer credit evaluation:
- All course work must be earned at a US institution of higher education accredited by one of the organizations found here or from an international university recognized by that country’s Ministry of Education.
- A maximum of 90 total undergraduate transfer credits will be accepted. No more than 75 credits may be transferred from a community college.
- Each college-level course must be graded with a "C" or better to be considered for transfer. Courses graded on a Pass/Satisfactory basis will not be considered for transfer. Developmental coursework, college algebra, and career and technical courses do not transfer. NOTE: The University amended transfer policy to accept courses graded on a Pass/Fail system for the 2020 Spring and Summer terms. Pass courses equivalent to a C grade or higher will be considered for transfer.
- Regardless of course content, courses completed as lower-level (freshman or sophomore) will transfer to Mason as lower-level. Courses completed as upper-level (junior or senior) will transfer to Mason as upper-level. All Mason students must complete 45 hours of upper-level coursework to fulfill bachelor's degree requirements.
- Transfer Credit is not awarded for coursework from US institutions not accredited by the organizations found here. Additionally, courses taken at US institutions not accredited by these organizations may not be used to meet Mason’s English Language Proficiency requirement.
- Transfer credit is not awarded for any business, computer science, engineering, or information technology courses completed more than ten years prior to Mason enrollment.
- Virginia Community College System (VCCS) courses completed within an Associate of Arts, Associate of Arts and Science or Associate of Science degree program are generally transferrable to Mason BA, BS, and BFA degrees. A few exceptions exist, such as MTH 163.
- Associate of Applied Science coursework generally does not transfer to Mason to apply to BA, BS, or BFA degrees. Select courses to apply toward the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) programs.
- Credit from institutions operating on a quarter system calendar are transferred by multiplying the quarter credit hours by two thirds.
- Transfer credit is not awarded for any English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.
Patriot Transfer Explorer
Patriot Transfer Explorer is a convenient self-service tool that allows you to self-articulate your coursework. Patriot Transfer Explorer provides greater clarity to you, such that you know exactly where you stand in meeting course and degree requirements at Mason.
Transfer Credit Matrix
This database contains courses that have been evaluated to offer transfer equivalency at the University, including all courses from the Virginia Community College System. Use this to look-up course equivalencies for transfer credit.
Academic Credit by Exam
Students may accelerate their graduation by the award of transfer credit from any of the following exams. Official transcripts from the testing agency should be sent to the Office of Admissions during the application process.
Advanced Placement (AP) Exams
The following list of Advanced Placement (AP) exams and corresponding Mason transfer credit is effective for new students. Official AP transcripts should be sent to the Office of Admissions using Mason's AP school code: 5827
NOTE: Students may only receive advanced standing once for a particular George Mason University course. Duplicate transfer credit will not be awarded.
| AP Exam | Minimum Score | Mason Equivalent | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Art History | 3 | ARTH 200 | 3 |
| 4 or 5 | ARTH 200, ARTH 201 | 6 | |
| Biology | 3 | BIOL 107 | 3 |
| 4 | BIOL 103 | 4 | |
| 5 | BIOL 103, BIOL 107/106 | 8 | |
| Calculus AB | 3 | MATH 123 | 3 |
| 4 or 5 | MATH 113 | 4 | |
| Calculus BC | 3 | MATH 123 | 3 |
| 4 or 5 | MATH 113, MATH 114 | 8 | |
| Chemistry | 3 | CHEM 103 | 4 |
| 4 or 5 | CHEM 211, 213 | 4 | |
| Chinese Language & Culture | 3 | CHIN 102 | 3 |
| 4 | CHIN 102, 201 | 6 | |
| 5 | CHIN 102, 201, 202 | 9 | |
| Computer Science A | 3 | CS Elective | 4 |
| 4 or 5 | CS 112 | 4 | |
| Computer Science Principles | 3 | CS Elective | 3 |
| 4 or 5 | CS 100 | 3 | |
| English Language & Composition | 4 | ENGH 101 | 3 |
| 5 | ENGH 101, 201 | 6 | |
| English Literature & Composition | 4 | ENGH 101 | 3 |
| 5 | ENGH 101, 201 | 6 | |
| Environmental Science | 3 | EVPP 110 | 4 |
| 4 or 5 | EVPP 110, 111 | 8 | |
| European History | 3 | HIST 101 | 3 |
| 4 or 5 | HIST 101, HIST 102 | 6 | |
| French Language and Culture | 3 | FREN 102 | 3 |
| 4 | FREN 102, 201 | 6 | |
| 5 | FREN 102, 201, 202 | 9 | |
| German Language and Culture | 3 | GERM 102 | 3 |
| 4 | GERM 102, 201 | 6 | |
| 5 | GERM 102, 201, 202 | 9 | |
| Comparative Government and Politics | 3, 4 or 5 | GOVT 133 | 3 |
| United States Government and Politics | 3,4 or 5 | GOVT 103 | 3 |
| Human Geography | 3 | GGS 103 | 3 |
| 4 or 5 | GGS 101, GGS 103 | 6 | |
| Italian Language & Culture | 3 | ITAL 102 | 3 |
| 4 | ITAL 102, 201 | 6 | |
| 5 | ITAL 102, 201, 202 | 9 | |
| Japanese Language & Culture | 3 | JAPA 102 | 3 |
| 4 | JAPA 102, 201 | 6 | |
| 5 | JAPA 102, 201, 202 | 9 | |
| Latin | 3 | LATN 102 | 3 |
| 4 | LATN 102, 201 | 6 | |
| 5 | LATN 102, 201, 202 | 9 | |
| Macroeconomics | 3, 4 or 5 | ECON 104 | 3 |
| Microeconomics | 3, 4, or 5 | ECON 103 | 3 |
| Music Theory | 3 | MUSI 115 | 3 |
| 4 or 5 | MUSI 115, MUSI 116 | 6 | |
| Physics 1: Algebra-Based | 3 | PHYS 103 | 4 |
| Physics 2: Algebra-Based | 4 or 5 | PHYS 243, 244, 245, 246 | 8 |
| Physics 2 | 3 | PHYS 104 | 4 |
| Physics 2 | 4 or 5 | PHYS 243, 244, 245, 246 | 8 |
| Physics 1 and Physics 2 | 4 or 5 | PHYS 243, 244, 245, 246 | 8 |
| Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism | 3 | PHYS 245, PHYS 246 | 4 |
| 4 or 5 | PHYS 260, PHYS 261 | 4 | |
| Physics C: Mechanics | 3 | PHYS 243, 244 | 4 |
| 4 or 5 | PHYS 160, PHYS 161 | 4 | |
| Psychology | 3, 4 or 5 | PSYC 100 | 3 |
| Spanish Language and Culture | 3 | SPAN 102 | 3 |
| 4 | SPAN 102, 201 | 6 | |
| 5 | SPAN 102, 201, 202 | 9 | |
| Spanish Literature and Culture | 3, 4 or 5 | SPAN L488 | 3 |
| Statistics | 3 | STAT 105T | 3 |
| 4 | STAT 250 | 3 | |
| 5 | STAT 250 for nonmajors; STAT 260 for majors | 3 | |
| 2-D Art and Design | 4 or 5 | AVT 104 | 4 |
| 3-D Art and Design | 4 or 5 | AVT 105 | 4 |
| Drawing | 4 or 5 | AVT 222 | 4 |
| United States History | 3 | HIST 121 | 3 |
| 4 or 5 | HIST 121, HIST 122 | 6 | |
| World History: Modern | 3 | HIST 125 | 3 |
| 4 or 5 | HIST 125, HIST L387 | 6 | |
| Seminar | 3, 4 or 5 | General Elective | 3 |
| Capstone Research | 3, 4 or 5 | General Elective | 3 |
International Baccalaureate (HL)
The following list of International Baccalaureate (IB) exams and corresponding Mason transfer credit is effective for new students. Official IB transcripts should be sent to the Office of Admissions from the International Baccalaureate Organization: www.ibo.org.
NOTE: Students may only receive advanced standing once for a particular George Mason University course. Duplicate transfer credit will not be awarded.
| IB HL Exams | Minimum Score | Mason Equivalent | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic Language B | 4 | ARAB 201 | 3 |
| 5, 6, 7 | ARAB 201, 202 | 6 | |
| Biology | 4 | BIOL 107 | 3 |
| 5 | BIOL 103 | 4 | |
| 6, 7 | BIOL 103 BIOL 107/106 | 8 | |
| Chemistry | 4 | CHEM 103 | 4 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | CHEM 211, 213 | 4 | |
| Chinese Cantonese Lang B | 4 | CHIN 201 | 3 |
| Chinese Cantonese Lang B | 5, 6 or 7 | CHIN 201, 202 | 6 |
| Chinese Mandarin Lang B | 4 | CHIN 201 | 3 |
| Chinese Mandarin Lang B | 5, 6 or 7 | CHIN 201, 202 | 6 |
| Computer Science | 4 | CS 112 | 4 |
| 5, 6, 7 | CS 112, CS 211 | 7 | |
| Economics | 4, 5, 6 or 7 | ECON 100 | 3 |
| English A: Language and Literature | 5 | ENGH 101 | 3 |
| 6, 7 | ENGH 101, ENGH 201 | 6 | |
| English Literature A | 5 | ENGH 101 | 3 |
| 6, 7 | ENGH 101, ENGH 201 | 6 | |
| English Language B | 5, 6, 7 | ENGH 100 | 4 |
| French Language B | 4 | FREN 201 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | FREN 201, 202 | 6 | |
| Geography | 4 | GGS 101 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | GGS 101, GGS 102 | 6 | |
| German Language B | 4 | GERM 201 | 3 |
| 5, 6, 7 | GERM 201, 202 | 6 | |
| History: Americas | 4 | HIST 121 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | HIST 121, 125 | 6 | |
| History: Africa | 4 | HIST 125 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | HIST 125, 262 | 6 | |
| History: East Asia & Southeast Asia & Oceania | 4 | HIST 125 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | HIST 125, HIST 252 | 6 | |
| History: Europe | 4 | HIST 101 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | HIST 101, & HIST 125 | 6 | |
| History: Islamic History | 4 | HIST 281 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | HIST 101, & 282 | 6 | |
| Italian Language B | 4 | ITAL 201 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | ITAL 201, 202 | 6 | |
| Japanese Language B | 4 | JAPA 201 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | JAPA 201, 202 | 6 | |
| Korean Language B | 4 | KORE 201 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | KORE 201, 202 | 6 | |
| Latin Language A | 4 | LATN 201 | 3 |
| 5 and higher | LATN 201, 202 | 6 | |
| Mathematics: Further | 4 | MATH 110 & 123 | 6 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | MATH 110 & 113 | 7 | |
| Music | 4 | MUSI 115 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | MUSI 115, 116 | 6 | |
| Philosophy | 4, 5, 6 or 7 | PHIL 100 | 3 |
| Physics | 4 | PHYS 103 | 4 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | PHYS 243, 244, 245, 246 | 8 | |
| Psychology | 4, 5, 6 or 7 | PSYC 100 | 3 |
| Russian Language B | 4 | RUSS 201 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | RUSS 201, 202 | 6 | |
| Social and Cultural Anthropology | 4, 5, 6 or 7 | ANTH 114 | 3 |
| Spanish Language B | 4 | SPAN 201 | 3 |
| 5, 6 or 7 | SPAN 201, 202 | 6 | |
| Visual Arts | 4, 5 | AVT 104 | 4 |
| 6, 7 | AVT 104, 105 | 8 | |
| Theatre | 5, 6, 7 | THR 101 | 3 |
International Baccalaureate (SL)
The following list of International Baccalaureate (IB) exams and corresponding Mason transfer credit is effective for new students. Official IB transcripts should be sent to the Office of Admissions from the International Baccalaureate Organization: www.ibo.org.
NOTE: Students may only receive advanced standing once for a particular George Mason University course. Duplicate transfer credit will not be awarded.
| IB SL Exams | Minimum Score | Mason Equivalent | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environmental Systems Societies | 5 | EVPP 110 | 4 |
| 6 or 7 | EVPP 110 & EVPP 111 | 8 | |
| Mathematics | 5, 6 or 7 | MATH 108 | 3 |
| Music | 5, 6 or 7 | MUSI 115 | 3 |
| Physics | 5, 6 or 7 | PHYS 243 & PHYS 244 | 4 |
CLEP Exams
The University awards credit for select CLEP exams. New students should request that their official CLEP exam results be sent to the Office of Admissions after submitting the admission application. George Mason University’s CLEP school code is 5827. Questions regarding CLEP exams may be directed to the College Board at: www.collegeboard.com.
Current Mason students with declared majors in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences may not receive transfer credit for CLEP exams. The Office of Admissions will continue to evaluate transfer credit for CLEP exams for new students applying to the University. Current students should contact their CHSS academic advisor with any questions regarding CLEP credit.
NOTE: Students may only receive advanced standing once for a particular George Mason University course. Duplicate transfer credit will not be awarded.
| CLEP Examination | Credit-Granting Score | Course | Credits Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Government | 57 | GOVT 103 | 3 |
| Chemistry | 50 | CHEM 101&102 | 6 |
| French Language | 50 | FREN 110 | 6 |
|
French Language |
66 | FREN 110,201 | 9 |
| German Language | 50 | GERM 110 | 6 |
| German Language | 66 | GERM 110,201 | 9 |
| History of the United States I: Early Colonization to 1877 |
50 | HIST 121 | 3 |
| History of the United States II: 1865 to the Present |
50 | HIST 122 | 3 |
| Human Growth and Development | 50 | PSYC 211 | 3 |
| Information Systems | 60 | IT 104 | 3 |
| Introduction to Educational Psych. | 50 | PSYC ---- | 3 |
| Introduction to Sociology | 50 | SOCI 101 | 3 |
| Macroeconomics, Principles of | 50 | ECON 104 | 3 |
| Microeconomics, Principles of | 50 | ECON 103 | 3 |
| Psychology, Introductory | 52 | PSYC 100 | 3 |
| Spanish Language | 50 | SPAN 110 | 6 |
| Spanish Language | 66 | SPAN 110,201 | 9 |
| Western Civilization I: Ancient Near East to 1648 |
50 | HIST 101 | 3 |
| Western Civilization II: 1648 to the Present |
50 | HIST 102 | 3 |
SAT Subject Tests
NOTE: Students may only receive advanced standing once for a particular George Mason University course. Duplicate transfer credit will not be awarded.
| Subject Test | Minimum Score | George Mason Course Equivalence | Credit Hours Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chinese | 620 | CHIN 201 | 3 |
| Chinese | 670 | CHIN 201 & CHIN 202 | 6 |
| Chinese Listening | 620 | CHIN 201 | 3 |
| Chinese Listening | 670 | CHIN 201 & CHIN 202 | 6 |
| French | 620 | FREN 201 | 3 |
| French | 670 | FREN 201 & FREN 202 | 6 |
| French Listening | 620 | FREN 201 | 3 |
| French Listening | 670 | FREN 201 & FREN 202 | 6 |
| German | 620 | GERM 201 | 3 |
| German | 670 | GERM 201 & GERM 202 | 6 |
| German Listening | 620 | GERM 201 | 3 |
| German Listening | 670 | GERM 201 & GERM 202 | 6 |
| Italian | 620 | ITAL 201 | 3 |
| Italian | 670 | ITAL 201 & ITAL 202 | 6 |
| Japanese Listening | 620 | JAPA 201 | 3 |
| Japanese Listening | 670 | JAPA 201 & JAPA 202 | 6 |
| Korean Listening | 620 | KORE 201 | 3 |
| Korean Listening | 670 | KORE 201 & KORE 202 | 6 |
| Latin | 620 | LATN 201 | 3 |
| Latin | 670 | LATN 201 & LATN 202 | 6 |
| Modern Hebrew | 620 | HEBR 201 | 3 |
| Modern Hebrew | 670 | HEBR 201 & HEBR 202 | 6 |
| Spanish | 620 | SPAN 201 | 3 |
| Spanish | 670 | SPAN 201 & SPAN 202 | 6 |
| Spanish Listening | 620 | SPAN 201 | 3 |
| Spanish Listening | 670 | SPAN 201 & SPAN 202 | 6 |
Advanced-Level Examinations
The University awards credit for certain A-Level exams based upon receipt of an official Certifying Statement of Results from either Edexcel, www.edexcel.com or Cambridge International Examinations, www.cie.org.uk. Credit is not award for AS Level exams.
NOTE: Students may only receive advanced standing once for a particular George Mason University course. Duplicate transfer credit will not be awarded.
| Subject Exam | Grade (Mark) |
George Mason Course(s) | Semester Hours Awarded |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting | A*,A,B,C | ACCT 203 | 6 |
| Arabic | A*,A,B | ARAB 201, ARAB 202 | 6 |
| C | ARAB 201 | 3 | |
| Biology | A*,A | BIOL 103, BIOL 107/106 | 8 |
| B,C | BIOL 103 | 4 | |
| Chemistry | A*,A | CHEM 211, CHEM 212, CHEM 213, CHEM 214 | 8 |
| B | CHEM 211, CHEM 213 | 4 | |
| Chinese | A*,A,B | CHIN 201, CHI 202 | 6 |
| C | CHIN 201 | 3 | |
| Economics | A*,A,B,C | ECON 103, ECON 104 | 6 |
| English Language | A*,A,B,C | ENGL 101 ENGH 2-- | 6 |
| French | A*,A,B | FREN 201, FREN 202 | 6 |
| C | FREN 201 | 3 | |
| German | A*,A,B | GERM 201, GERM 202 | 6 |
| C | GERM 201 | 3 | |
| Mathematics-Further | A*,A,B | MATH 105, MATH 113 | 7 |
| Physics | A*,A,B,C | PHYS 160, PHYS 161 | 4 |
| Psychology | A*,A,B,C | PSYC 100 | 3 |
| Sociology | A*,A,B,C | SOCI 101 | 3 |
| Spanish | A*,A,B | SPAN 201, SPAN 202 | 6 |
| C | SPAN 201 | 3 |
German Abitur
New students who wish to receive credit for the completion of the German Abitur should provide the Office of Admissions with an official Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife (Abitur) transcript before enrollment. To receive credit for the Abitur, 13 years of secondary school must have been completed. Transcripts must include all subjects taken and grades received for years 10, 11, 12 and 13. The University awards credit for successful completion with an average grade of 1 (sehr gut/very good) and 2 (gut/good). Additionally, individual subject grades of 10-15 on the 15-point scale must be earned for credit. The Abitur total score is not used to determine credit eligibility.
| Abitur Subject | Grade | Credit | Mason Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biology | 10-15 | 8 | BIOL 103/106/107 |
| Chemistry | 10-15 | 8 | CHEM 211//212/213/214 |
| English | 10-15 | 3 | ENGH 100 |
| French | 10-15 | 6 | FREN 201/202 |
| German | 10-15 | 6 | GERM 201/202 |
| History | 10-15 | 3 | HIST L314 |
| Physics | 10-15 | 8 | PHYS 103/104 |
| Social Studies | 10-15 | 3 | HIST 100 |
Mason Departmental Credit Exams
Some academic departments offer credit by exam or course exemption. Consult individual departments for testing information and your academic advisor for applicability to your degree program.
NOTE: Students may only receive advanced standing once for a particular George Mason Universit y course. Duplicate transfer credit will not be awarded.
| Course | Contact |
|---|---|
| Department of Communication | |
| COMM 100 - Public Speaking | Contact the Department of Communication Phone: 703.993.1090 |
| Department of English | |
| ENGH 101 - Composition ENGH 302 - Advanced Composition |
Contact the Department of English Phone: 703.993.1160 english@gmu.edu |
| Department of Modern & Classical Languages | |
| Intermediate language placement testing | Contact the Department of Modern and Classical Languages Phone: 703.993.1220 language@gmu.edu |
| School of Music | |
| The School of Music offers credit by exam for some courses. | Contact the School of Music Phone: 703.993.1380 music@gmu.edu |
Additional Information
Evaluation of Military Transfer Credit
Coursework from the Air University, the Defense Language Institute, the United States Naval Academy, the United States Military Academy, the United States Air Force Academy and the United States Coast Guard Academy will be considered for transfer if a comparable course is offered at Mason.
Military Science or ROTC credit earned at other regionally accredited colleges and universities may be considered for transfer into the Department of Military Science.
Other credit earned for training or military service (as documented on an official ACE transcript) may be considered for transfer into the Bachelor of Individualized Study (BIS) program and is subject to the Credit for Nontraditional Modes of Learning policy within BIS. If an enrolled BIS student decides to change majors, nontraditional transfer credit will not apply toward any other major.
Effective Fall 2014, new transfer students who have completed U.S. military service may be eligible for the award of six credits of lower-level Military Science electives: MLSC L400 (3) and MLSC L402 (3). To request credit, military applicants are required to provide the Office of Admissions an official Joint Services transcript or DD-214.
International Transfer Credit
George Mason University will consider transfer credit earned at institutions of higher education outside of the United States that are fully recognized by the Ministry of Education, provided that such credits have been earned through university-level coursework and are presented with equivalent grades of "A", "B", or "C". The Office of Admissions will make the final determination of the award and applicability of any international credit.
Transfer Credit Inquiry and Appeal
- Transfer Credit Inquiry Form (PDF). Use this form if you are missing any transfer credit from your evaluation. This includes credit by exam such as AP, IB or CLEP. Before submitting this form be sure you have requested official final transcripts to be sent from the Registrar at your previous institution to Mason’s Office of Admissions or electronically to ugtrans@gmu.edu and have read and understood the criteria for credit acceptance policies.
- Transfer Credit Re-Evaluation Appeal Form (PDF). Use this form if you were awarded elective credit for a course and wish to have it re-evaluated as equivalent to a specific Mason course.