2011-2012 University Catalog 
  
2011-2012 University Catalog

■ 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) provides an alternative to the traditional baccalaureate degree. It offers 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 Individualized Study 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.

In this degree program, most students design their own individualized interdisciplinary program of study. Other students who are interested in early childhood education and who meet specific eligibility requirements can pursue a more prescribed curriculum that leads to a concentration in early childhood education studies.

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. They should have a minimum GPA of 2.50 in their previous course work. The concentration in early childhood education studies is an exception to the seven-year time limit.

Application and Admission

Students who are interested in the bachelor of individualized study degree must attend an information session. In addition to applying to Mason through the Office of Admissions, they need to apply separately to the BIS Program. The schedule of BIS information sessions and the BIS application are available on the BIS Program web site.

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. If accepted, students must complete BIS 391 - The Research Process for Honors in place of BIS 390 and an individualized section of BIS 490. To graduate with honors in the major, students must complete these two courses with a minimum GPA of 3.5, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75, 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. For details, see the Individualized Study (BIS) section of the catalog below.

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.

Programs

    Undergraduate DegreeBachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Program