Individualized Study
- Faculty
- Individualized Study (BIS)
- Eligibility Requirements
- Application and Acceptance
- University Requirements
- Individualized Concentration
- Writing-Intensive Requirement
- Credit for Nontraditional Modes of Learning
- Accelerated Master’s Program in TCOM
Phone: 703.993.4556
Web: bis.gmu.edu
Faculty
M. Eugenia Vergaguer, Director
Individualized Study (BIS)
The Bachelor of Individualized Study (BIS) degree offers students an alternative to traditional baccalaureate degrees. With the guidance of a faculty mentor, BIS students develop an individualized program of study that meets their academic needs and interests. The BIS program accepts transfer of traditional and nontraditional credit from other institutions. Recognizing that college-level learning may be acquired through varied professional, service, and personal experiences, the BIS degree provides mechanisms to translate experiential learning into academic credit.
Students enter this program for many different reasons. Some are preparing for graduate study and professional programs. Others seek a gateway for professional advancement or career transition and validation. Still others want to complete their undergraduate degree for personal fulfillment. The mission of the BIS degree is to provide a distinctive educational opportunity that enables students to integrate previous experiences into university course work to achieve their educational goals.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must be admitted to the university, have completed high school at least seven years prior to admission, and have accumulated at least 30 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.00. At least 15 of the 30 credits required for BIS program acceptance must have been earned through conventional classroom instruction.
Application and Acceptance
Students interested in the program must attend a BIS information session and submit an application after obtaining admission to the university. The BIS application is available online at the program web site.
Initial acceptance into the program is provisional. After students successfully complete BIS 300, they become full BIS degree-seeking students.
It is university policy that students who are inactive for two years or more must reapply, or be readmitted (as appropriate) before continuing their studies. If readmission to Mason is necessary, students may be required to reapply to the BIS program.
University Requirements
BIS students must complete a minimum of 120 credits of course work. At least 45 credits must be in upper-level courses (numbered at the 300 and 400 level or above), and at least 30 resident credits from Mason must be completed. All BIS students must complete basic general education requirements, either through appropriate transfer equivalencies or Mason course enrollment.
Individualized Concentration
Working with the support of BIS staff and a faculty mentor, BIS students develop a concentration to meet their academic needs and interests. BIS students may incorporate into their concentrations previously earned college credits, nontraditional credit, and courses from Mason.
The concentration is 34 to 46 credits, which must have a minimum GPA of 2.00. At least 25 credits must be upper-division work (300, 400, or up to 6 credits at the 500 or 600 level), 19 or which must be completed at Mason. No more than 6 credits of unsatisfactory (C- or D) grades may be included in the concentration. Courses in the concentration may not be counted toward general education requirements or minor requirements. Students are encouraged to pursue a minor. Minors usually require between 15 and 21 credits of study, at least 15 of which must be applied to only that minor and not to the BIS concentration.
As part of the BIS concentration, students complete four BIS courses in order: BIS 300 Understanding Multi-disciplinary Studies (3 credits), BIS 390 The Research Process (3 credits), BIS 490 Senior Project (3 credits), and BIS 491 Senior Project Presentation (1 credit; taken concurrently with BIS 490). Students are encouraged to include BIS 489 Directed Readings in the concentration. Students must have a minimum GPA of 2.00 in this set of courses. BIS 390 is designated writing intensive (see below). A grade of 2.00 or better in BIS 390 is required. ENGL 302 must be completed with a minimum grade of 2.00 before enrolling in BIS 390.
BIS 490 and BIS 491 are taken when no more than 6 credits remain in the concentration. The type of final project conducted in BIS 490 varies according to the student’s program. It may be an investigative, participatory, or creative project, and it must be appropriate to the student’s concentration regardless of the project type. BIS 490 requires a significant written component and fulfills the synthesis requirement. A grade of 2.00 or better in BIS 490 is required to graduate with a BIS degree. A committee consisting of the student’s faculty mentor and at least one other faculty member or qualified professional evaluate the project.
The initial draft of a BIS concentration is assembled as a proposal and developed into a formal educational contract. Proposals are typically developed as a part of BIS 300 with the feedback and support of BIS staff. The BIS director reviews and approves the proposal. The faculty mentor is responsible for reviewing the proposal with the student, providing appropriate feedback and suggestions, and helping the student develop the proposal into the formal educational contract. The contract must be approved by the faculty mentor and BIS director, at which time the student’s status is changed from provisional to degree-seeking.
All BIS students are encouraged to obtain a faculty advisor and submit an educational contract after completing BIS 300. Degree-seeking status is required for enrollment in certain courses. Though earlier development of a contract is advised, the final deadline for submitting a BIS contract is the last day to add a class in the term prior to the student’s anticipated graduation date. For example, a student planning to graduate in May must submit a contract to the BIS office by the course-add deadline for fall. The same deadline applies for contract amendments, which are required whenever changes to the contract are necessary.
Writing-Intensive Requirement
The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated “writing intensive” in their majors at the 300 level or above. BIS students fulfill this requirement by successfully completing BIS 390.
Credit for Nontraditional Modes of Learning
The BIS program allows students to receive college credit for learning acquired through a variety of nontraditional methods. The maximum allowable credits are indicated in each of the following categories:
- Nationally recognized exam programs such as the College Level Examination Program (CLEP) and the Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES), when the particular exam has been approved for Mason credit. For an approved list, go to admissions.gmu.edu/ugrad/acbe.html (45 maximum credits).
- Industry, government or military training, if indexed and recommended as college-level credit by the American Council on Education (ACE). To receive credit, training or course specifics must exactly match what is in the ACE guide (45 maximum credits).
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 maxi-mum of 15 credits can be accepted for exam. - Experiential learning demonstrated by portfolios may be accepted (30 maximum credits).
- College-level credit earned at institutions accredited by bodies other than recognized regional accrediting organizations will be considered only if the institution is listed in Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education, published by the American Council on Education (30 maximum credits).
Students may not pursue the first two options once they have matriculated at Mason. They must initiate the third option within their first year following matriculation at Mason.
Although the BIS program can accept credit as noted above, not all university and program requirements can be fulfilled by nontraditional means. Even students who transfer in significant numbers of traditional and nontraditional credit will be required to complete certain courses at Mason to earn the BIS degree.
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.