George Mason University 1997-98 Catalog Catalog Index
Course Descriptions

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Admission


Special Types of Enrollment for Undergraduate and Graduate Students

http://www.admissions.gmu.edu

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 semester hours 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 (2.00) in all undergraduate courses and at least B (3.0) 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 credit hours 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 credit hours of graduate credit 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 (SITE)

Admission for nondegree graduate study is suitable for those individuals who do not currently wish to pursue a degree, but are interested in taking graduate SITE courses. The following application materials should be submitted for consideration: SITE nondegree application, official or unofficial transcripts, nonrefundable application fee, Course Request Form, and a resume (optional).

Once the student receives an approved Course Request Form from SITE, he/she may register via the telephone registration system 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 SITE programs and course offerings may be obtained from SITE departmental offices or the SITE Graduate Student Services Office, Science and Technology II, Room 100, 993-1505, e-mail address: sitegrad@gmu.edu.


Guest Matriculant Enrollment/ Concurrent Enrollment

Persons enrolled in high school, 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. Undergraduate or graduate students should submit transcripts and permission to enroll from the appropriate dean of their home institution. High school students must be recommended by their guidance counselor or principal and the appropriate George Mason University department chair. Interested students should contact the Office of Admissions for more information.


Senior Citizens 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 over 60 years of age with a taxable income of less than $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 enroll in graduate courses only if they have exhausted all upper-level undergraduate courses relevant to their educational objective and can demonstrate the level of maturity required for graduate-level courses. Undergraduates must have completed all requirements for the graduate course in which they wish to enroll. Undergraduates in these circumstances may, with the written permission of the course instructor and the chair of the department offering the course, register for graduate courses numbered 500-599 and apply the credit earned toward an undergraduate degree.

Students may seek to take graduate courses for reserve graduate credit; this earned credit is held in reserve to apply later toward a graduate degree. Approval to register is normally given only to George Mason seniors who are within 15 hours of completion of undergraduate study. Approval for reserve graduate credit does not imply approval for admission into a graduate program at the university or that credit so earned will be accepted at another graduate school.


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 credit hours.


Academic Testing

Testing Center

As a means of assessing the academic preparation of its students, the university regularly requires the submission of certain test information.

Students may obtain applications for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the 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.


Credit-by-Examination

Placement Examinations

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