University Catalog 2007-2008

University Catalog > College of Humanities and Social Sciences > Individualized Study

Individualized Study

Phone: 703-993-4556

Web: bis.gmu.edu

Administration

M. Eugenia ("Jenny") Verdaguer, Director

Bachelor of Individualized Study

The bachelor of individualized study (BIS) degree provides an alternative to the traditional baccalaureate, offering students a distinctive educational opportunity that allows them to integrate previous experiences into university course work. Recognizing that college-level learning may be acquired through varied professional, military, and personal experience, the BIS provides mechanisms for translating experiential learning into academic credit. The BIS Program accepts transfer credits from traditional institutions of higher education, as well as credits earned through other appropriate means (see Credit for Nontraditional Modes of Learning below).

There are two pathways for obtaining the BIS. Students can pursue a BIS standardized concentration or design their own individualized interdisciplinary program of study. These alternatives require different course work, prerequisites, and eligibility requirements.

BIS Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must have completed high school at least seven years prior to admission to the program (except the BIS in early childhood education studies degree) and have accumulated at least 30 college-level credits, 15 of which must have been earned through conventional classroom instruction.

Application and Acceptance

After obtaining admission to the university, students interested in the program must attend a BIS information session and submit a separate application to the BIS Program. The BIS application is available online at the program web site. Admission is selective and based on a minimum GPA of 2.50 on previous course work.

University Requirements

BIS students must complete a minimum of 120 credits of course work. At least 45 credits must be upper-level courses (300 level or above) and at least 30 credits must be taken at Mason. All BIS students must complete basic general education requirements, including 6 credits in English composition (ENG 101 and ENG 302), 3 credits in synthesis (BIS 490), and 9 credits each in humanities, social sciences, and science/quantitative reasoning/information technology. To fulfill the latter, students must complete 3 credits in MATH or STAT (MATH 106 or STAT 250), 3 credits in IT-designated course work, and 3 credits in a nonlab science.

BIS Standardized Concentrations

In standardized concentrations, BIS students complete designated interdisciplinary programs of study. In a standardized concentration, students must complete 34 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.00. At least 25 credits of the concentration must be at the 300 level or above, and 25 credits of the concentration must be completed at Mason. No more than 6 credits of C- or D grades may be applied to the concentration.

BIS in Educational Psychology

This concentration provides an interdisciplinary foundation for students who want to go into educational careers, including administrative, instructional, and counseling roles across the K-12 spectrum. Drawing from psychology and education course work, students in this concentration learn about the psychology of learning, including cognitive processes across developmental stages and educational strategies through which individuals better apprehend and internalize knowledge. Students in this concentration take a classroom-based synthesis course instead of developing a senior capstone project.

Eligibility Requirements

Admission to this concentration requires a separate application to the program. In preparation for this program of study, students must meet a prerequisite of 6 credits in PSYC (including PSYC 100).

Concentration Requirements

In addition to the university requirements for BIS students given above, students receiving this concentration must complete:

BIS in Early Childhood Education Studies

This concentration offers students holding a Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) associate's degree in applied science degree in early childhood development the opportunity to obtain a BIS in early childhood education studies and a minor in management. This concentration does not lead to teacher licensure in early childhood education.

Note that students in this concentration fulfill all university general education requirements and not the more flexible version outlined above. Instead of a minor in business, students may opt to pursue an appropriate alternative minor with prior written approval of the BIS director. In pursuing another minor, students may need to complete other requirements that would have been satisfied through the specific minor in management.

Students who transfer out of the BIS in early childhood education concentration will need to fulfill additional general education and possibly college level requirements and will lose transfer credit brought in under this program.

BIS Individualized Concentrations

Working with BIS staff and a faculty mentor, BIS students develop an interdisciplinary concentration to meet their academic needs and interests. Students may incorporate into their individualized concentrations up to 9 credits of previously earned college course work and nontraditional credit from other institutions. The concentration is 34 to 46 credits, completed with a minimum GPA of 2.00. At least 25 credits applied to the concentration must be at the 300 level or above and 25 credits of the concentration must be completed at Mason. No more than 6 credits of C- or D grades may be applied to the concentration.

Concentration Requirements

In addition to the university requirements for BIS students given above, students receiving an individualized concentration complete

10 credits of BIS course work: BIS 300, BIS 390, BIS 490, and BIS 491(1 credit; taken concurrently with BIS 490). Students are encouraged to include BIS 489 Directed Readings in the concentration before their senior capstone project. The BIS course work is not transferable to other degree programs at Mason.

24-26 credits drawing from a minimum of two disciplines

BIS 390 is designated "writing intensive" and a grade of 2.00 or better is required as is the case for ENGL 302, which must be completed before enrolling in BIS 390. BIS 490 is a student's senior capstone project and varies according to the individual program of study. It may be a research or creative project, and it must be appropriate to the student's concentration. BIS 490 requires a significant written component and fulfills the synthesis requirement. Students must receive a grade of 2.00 or better in BIS 490. The project is evaluated by a committee consisting of the student's faculty mentor and at least one other faculty member or qualified professional. BIS 490 and BIS 491 are taken when no more than 6 credits remain in the concentration.

Courses in the concentration may not be counted toward requirements for general education. Students are encouraged to pursue a minor, but 15 credits of the minor must be applied only to the minor and not to the BIS concentration.

Credit for Nontraditional Modes of Learning

The BIS program allows students to receive college credit for learning acquired through a variety of nontraditional methods indicated below. The maximum allowable credits are indicated for each category.

  1. Nationally recognized exam programs such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) when the particular exam has been approved for Mason credit. For an approved list, go to admissions.gmu.edu/exams/ExamCLEP.asp (45 maximum credits).
  2. Certain university approved industry, government, or military training credits if such credits are indexed and recommended as college-level credit by the American Council on Education (ACE). To be eligible for Mason credit, training and course specifics must exactly match what is in the ACE guide (45 maximum credits) and be approved for Mason credit. The specific credits must also be approved by the program director and the dean.
    3. Note: Total combined credit for exams and ACE-approved training cannot exceed 60 credits. For example, if 45 credits are accepted by ACE-approved training, a maximum of 15 credits can be accepted for the exam.
  3. Experiential learning demonstrated by portfolios subject to approval by the program director and the dean (30 maximum credits)
  4. College-level credit earned at institutions accredited by bodies other than recognized regional accrediting organizations subject to approval by the program director and the dean. These credits can only be considered if the institution is listed in Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education published by ACE (30 maximum credits).

Students may not pursue credit for options 1, 2, and 4 once they have matriculated at Mason. They must complete the third option within their first 30 credits after matriculation. Although the types of credit noted above may be applied to a BIS degree, not all university and program requirements can be fulfilled in these ways. All students are required to complete specific courses at Mason to earn the BIS degree regardless of the numbers of credits they transfer to Mason.

Accelerated Master's Program in TCOM

Students in the BIS program may apply for admission to an accelerated MS in telecommunications while they are undergraduate students. For more information, see the BS/Accelerated MS in Telecommunications Program in the Volgenau School of Information Technology and Engineering chapter.