Individualized Study (BIS)

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■ Individualized Study

Phone: 703-993-4556
Web: bis.gmu.edu

Administration

Jeannie Brown Leonard (Director)

Course Work

The program offers all course work designated BIS in the Courses chapter of this catalog.

Undergraduate Program

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 Program provides mechanisms for translating experiential learning into academic credit. It accepts transfer credits from traditional institutions of higher education, as well as credits earned through other appropriate means.

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

Eligibility

Applicants for an individualized study degree must have completed high school at least seven years prior to admission to the program and have accumulated at least 30 college-level credits, 15 of which must have been earned through conventional classroom instruction. The concentration in early childhood education studies is an exception to the seven-year time limit.

Application and Admission

Students interested in the BIS program must attend an information session and apply separately to the BIS Program in addition to applying to Mason through the Office of Admissions. The BIS information session schedule and application form are available on line at www.bis.gmu.edu. Admission is selective and based on a minimum GPA of 2.50 on previous course work.

Honors in the Major

Highly qualified students may apply to graduate with honors in the major. Students should apply the semester before they intend to enroll in BIS 390 (The Research Process). Students accepted to the honors in the major must complete a BIS 391 and BIS 490 (an individualized section) with a minimum GPA of 3.5, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher, and successfully present their research during the Senior Capstone Project presentations.

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.

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).
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. 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.
Experiential learning demonstrated by portfolios subject to approval by the program director and the dean (30 maximum credits).
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. These nontraditional credits are not transferable to other degree programs at Mason.

Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Program

The program offers highly qualified undergraduates the opportunity to apply to an accelerated master’s degree program in telecommunications. If accepted, students will be able to earn both an undergraduate and a graduate degree after satisfactory completion of 144 credits.