2011-2012 University Catalog
■ Honors Program in General Education
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Phone: 703-993-1110
Web: honors.gmu.edu
Faculty
Honors students have the opportunity to study with some of Mason’s most accomplished teachers and scholars from disciplines across the university, including Mason’s Robinson Professors.
Course Work
The program offers all course work designated HNRS in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Honors Program
The Honors Program is the academic program of the Mason’s Honors College (described in the University Academic Programs and Resources section of this catalog), which provides talented students in all majors with an enriched academic and social environment that enhances their college experience.
The Honors Program offers a unique selection of integrated courses designed for highly motivated students and taught by many of Mason’s most experienced teachers and accomplished scholars. Taken together, these courses satisfy the general education requirements in social sciences and humanities for all colleges and majors in the university. Because most honors classes have fewer than 25 students, honors students have the opportunity to be known and mentored by distinguished faculty during their first years on campus. The track in science, technology, engineering, economics, and mathematics offers honors sections of first-year courses in these disciplines, as well.
The Honors Program also offers students special access to the technical, intellectual, and artistic resources of the university and the national capital region. It seeks to develop among its students a sense of intellectual community and a commitment to lifelong learning.
Admission
Admission is limited and competitive. Students apply to the Honors Program when applying to Mason by selecting the box that indicates they are interested in the Honors Program and by completing an additional essay question. If the application meets the criteria for admission to the Honors Program, the applicant will receive an invitation to the program shortly after receiving the acceptance letter to the university.
Applicants are evaluated on the strength of their entire academic record, including the rigor of the high school curriculum, GPA, and standardized test scores. Students are allowed to use AP, IB, and dual-enrollment credit taken before admission to Mason to substitute for many HNRS courses, excluding HNRS 110 and HRNS 353.
Requirements
The core of the honors curriculum is designed to satisfy the university general education requirements through a small number of interdisciplinary courses, allowing students increased opportunities to pursue minors or other individual interests. Students then have a choice of two tracks, determined by their majors and degrees. The STEM track is designed for most students pursuing a bachelor of science degree in science, technology, engineering, economics, or mathematics. The Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (LASS) track is for students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree, who have additional college level requirements.
To receive honors in general education on their transcript, students must earn a minimum GPA of 3.00 in HNRS courses and supporting courses required for their approved honors program. Students whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.00 may complete the program but will not receive honors recognition on their transcripts.
Continuation in Honors
Students in the program who are placed on academic warning because their GPA falls below 2.00 (1.80 in the first or second semester) may be ineligible to continue in the program.
Honors students are expected to maintain high standards of academic integrity and personal conduct. Students may be asked to withdraw from the program for a violation of the University Honor Code or any other conduct that reflects adversely on the Honors Program.
Students who leave the program before completion must meet university general education requirements and college-level requirements for their particular degree programs. On leaving the program and before registering for general education courses, students should be advised in their major program on equivalencies between the honors courses they have completed and general education requirements.
Transfer of Honors Credits
Within George Mason: Because of the sequential and integrated nature of the program, honors courses may not correspond exactly to other courses used to fulfill general education requirements. A list of equivalencies is available in the Honors Program Office and on the web site.
Outside George Mason: Course work in the Honors Program may meet the general education requirements of other universities. As in all transfer situations, general education requirements of one institution may not precisely match those of another.
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