Degree

The bachelor's degree consists of four parts:  General Education, College Requirements, Major Requirements, and General Electives.

General Education

A group of required courses from a variety of disciplines usually taken in the first two years. These courses encourage you to explore and expand your interests and will help you to learn new ways of thinking and communicating. For a list of general education requirements go to the University Catalog.

College Requirements

Specific courses required by the college or school.

Major Requirements

A group of courses required for your major.

General Electives

Courses you take to complete the number of credits you need to graduate. These are courses you choose to take rather than those that are required elsewhere.

Major

The field of study in which you choose to concentrate.

Honor Code

Upon acceptance to George Mason University, students agree to conform to and uphold the Honor Code.

Semester

An academic period lasting 14 weeks in the Fall and Spring.  Three mini-semesters are offered during the Summer.  You may register for different classes each semester.

Credit Hour

1 credit hour = 50 minutes in class per week.  Most classes are 3 credit hours.  Most degree programs require 120 credit hours for graduation.

Part-Time/Full-Time/Overload

If you take fewer than 12 credit hours you are a Part-time student.   A Full-time student takes 12 or more credits (usually 4-6 courses per semester). Anything over 17 or 18 credit hours (depending on major) in one semester is an Overload. You must get written permission from the appropriate dean for an Overload.

Schedule of Classes

This booklet lists courses for the coming semester as well as important registration, tuition, and final exam information. An updated list of courses is available online.

Drop-Add

There is a period of time in which you may Drop or Add courses without permission. It is very important that you are aware of these deadlines, which can be found on page 2 in the Schedule of Classes Calendar.

Prerequisite

A requirement you must have met before taking a particular course. Prerequisites are stated clearly in the Schedule of Classes and in the University Catalog.

Waitlist

If a class you wish to register for is full, you may have the option of placing yourself on a Waitlist.  Refer to the Patriot Web Waitlist FAQ's for detailed information.

Academic Standing

To be in good academic standing you must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better. Refer to the University Catalog for explanations of good academic standing.

Academic Policies

The University's academic policies can be found in the University Catalog, which will be given to you at Orientation or online.  Each student is responsible for understanding and following these policies.