The College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) is composed of 11 departments and 10 major interdisciplinary programs. The college is also home to New Century College, which offers an innovative interdisciplinary major as well as Mason Cornerstones, a first-year program for students in all majors. Together with the College of Science, the college administers the university-wide Honors Program in General Education, the academic program of the Honors College. This is open to qualified students from all majors in the university. The college has a distinguished faculty of more than 400, including a Nobel laureate and recipients of the Pulitzer Prize and Guggenheim Fellowship.
At the undergraduate level, all programs emphasize challenge, opportunity, and success. They challenge students to think critically and creatively and to go beyond what is required by pursuing research experiences, minors, double majors, honors in the major, and accelerated master’s degree programs, which enable them to earn both an undergraduate and a graduate degree, often within five years. They provide many opportunities beyond the classroom including study abroad programs, service learning, internships, and career-enhancing courses and minors, all of which will help prepare them for success beyond college.
At the graduate level, programs of study provide opportunities for career development and advancement, professional education, participation in research, and personal fulfillment.
All programs encourage the exploration of contemporary issues through a dynamic curriculum that fosters an informed understanding of real world problems. The college provides students with an education that enables them to think critically, adapt to the changing conditions of society, and provide informed leadership to future generations.
The requirements for each academic program offered by the college are described in the sections for the sponsoring departments and programs. All students are subject to the policies stated in the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog. Additional policies and procedures for students in the college are presented in this chapter.
Mason uses only Mason e-mail accounts to communicate with enrolled students. Students should activate their Mason e-mail account, use it to communicate with their department and other administrative units, and check it regularly for important information.
Students are responsible for correctly registering for courses and paying all tuition and fees by the official university registration and payment deadlines. Instructors do not have the authority to add students to courses, and students may not sit in on classes for which they are not registered. All students should verify the accuracy of their enrollment before the end of the add period and should check Patriot Web to verify that they are registered for the classes that they think they are.
All students are responsible for reviewing their own transcripts and degree audits regularly to ensure that they are correct and that they are on track to meet all their requirements.
Students are responsible for all courses in which they remain officially enrolled once the drop period has ended. Instructors do not have the authority to withdraw students from classes. Withdrawals after the published deadlines require the approval of the relevant dean (undergraduate academic affairs or graduate academic affairs) and are typically allowed only for full semesters at a time (a withdrawal from all enrolled courses). Withdrawals are only permitted for non-academic reasons; no withdrawals can be approved for academic reasons. When submitting a withdrawal request, students must provide verifiable, third-party documentation for the reason for the withdrawal. Requests for withdrawals should be submitted as early in the semester as possible and never after the last day of classes.
Grade appeals should be made to the department or program following the process specified in the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog. If they are resolved within the department or program, that unit is the final level of appeal. The departmental decision may be appealed to the dean only on the basis of procedural irregularity. Undergraduate students should address such appeals through the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and graduate students through the Office of Graduate Academic Affairs. If the grade appeal is not resolved within the department or program, the chair makes a recommendation to the dean, who makes the final determination. The decision of the dean is not subject to review or further appeal.
Formal complaints should be made in writing to the associate dean.
The college offers 17 bachelor of arts (BA) degrees, 6 bachelor of science (BS) degrees, and a bachelor of individualized study (BIS) degree. The undergraduate degree consists of course work in four areas: university-wide general education requirements, college requirements for the bachelor’s degree, requirements specified for the chosen major, and electives. All students must complete 120 credits, of which at least 45 must be in upper-level courses (numbered 300 and above). At least one course at the 300 or 400 level must be designated “writing intensive.”
The college cooperates with the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (SCAR) to provide courses from various disciplines in the college toward a BA, BS, and minor in conflict analysis and resolution (CAR). More information about CAR undergraduate degree programs can be found in the School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution chapter of this catalog.
Students with questions about exceptions to academic policies and about college requirements should contact the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs (Robinson Hall, Room A255; 703-993-8725; chssdean@gmu.edu).
In order to be considered for an overload, students must fulfill all of the following criteria:
Freshmen and transfer students in their first semesters are not given permission for overloads as they have yet to establish an academic record at George Mason University.
If approved for an overload, the student is responsible for adding the additional class(es) and paying for the related tuition by the official university deadlines.
Physical Education (PHED) and Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies (PRLS) activity courses cannot be used for credit for a degree in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
MLSC 400 and MLSC 401 can be used for credit for a degree in the college, but credit from other MLSC courses may not be used for credit for a degree in the college.
Once matriculated at Mason, students may not take CLEP exams and apply credits from those exams to a degree in the college. Students may apply credits from CLEP exams to a degree in the college only if those credits were awarded and reported prior to matriculation.
Students should review university policies regarding the University Consortium under Special Registration Procedures in the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog. Students who have attempted or failed a course at Mason are not permitted to take the equivalent course through the consortium under any circumstances. All consortium registration requests must be submitted to the dean’s office at least 3 weeks prior to the first day of classes for the relevant semester at Mason.
Students enrolled at George Mason University are expected to complete their coursework with George Mason courses. Exceptions to this policy are rare and are considered only under extraordinary circumstances on a case-by-case basis. Students must obtain advance, written approval from their department or program and the dean’s office before enrolling in classes elsewhere. No approvals for study elsewhere will be granted once the coursework at the other institution has been completed.
To be eligible to study elsewhere and be considered for an exception to the enrollment policy, students must have completed the immediately preceding semester with a minimum GPA of 2.00 and not be in danger of academic probation, suspension, or dismissal. Freshmen and new transfer students are not allowed to take courses elsewhere as they have yet to establish an academic record at George Mason. Since transfer students have generally already transferred a considerable number of credits, they are expected to take all remaining courses at George Mason. Requests to take community college courses can seldom be approved. Students who wish to take courses offered at Consortium universities must apply in advance and register through the Consortium Coordinator. They cannot request permission to take course courses at consortium institutions using the regular study elsewhere process.
Courses elsewhere that have been pre-approved by the dean’s office must be taken for a grade and passed with a minimum grade of 2.00 in order to be transferred to George Mason. Although credit for the course can be transferred, the grade for the course does not. It will not be factored into the student’s GPA.
Approval for study elsewhere is specific to the term and courses for which it is granted. If a student does not complete the course(s) elsewhere during the approved term, the student must submit a new study elsewhere request to take the course(s) at a later date. Similarly, enrollment in additional or alternate courses at another institution will not be considered for transfer after the fact. Approval for study elsewhere during a given semester does not guarantee approval in a later term.
Students must make arrangements with the visited institution to have an official transcript mailed directly to the George Mason Office of the University Registrar immediately after the course work is completed. Credit cannot be transferred until an official transcript is received.
In order to be considered for study through the Center for Global Education, students must plan well in advance and receive prior, written permission from the dean. Students must also meet all of the following criteria:
Students in danger of probation, suspension, or dismissal should plan very carefully before requesting to study abroad. Students who are not in good academic standing will not be permitted to study abroad.
Students should review the university policies regarding academic clemency in the Academic Standing section of the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.
If the last three minimum academic requirements are not met, clemency will not be allowed under any circumstances.
Students may appeal departmental decisions concerning academic actions to the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. They may appeal decisions of the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs to the Dean’s Council, a committee composed of college deans and faculty members. Students may appeal decisions of the Dean’s Council to the Student Policies and Appeals Committee, a standing committee elected by the college faculty. These levels of appeal are subject to the limits below concerning the final level of appeal for each type of academic action. Students who feel that the college appeal process was conducted unfairly may appeal to the Provost’s Office as specified in the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.
The grade appeal process is discussed above.
Departments set the requirements for the majors and minors that they administer. Substitutions and waivers of these requirements require the approval of the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs. When a department denies a substitution or waiver of a requirement, the denial may be appealed to the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs on the basis of procedural irregularity only. That office is the final level of appeal.
The Dean’s Council is the final level of appeal for course overloads, consortium registration, study elsewhere, and withdrawals after the drop deadline within the semester. Appeals of these decisions may be made to the Student Policies and Appeals Committee on the basis of procedural irregularity only, and the committee is the final level of appeal on procedural grounds.
Student Policies and Appeals Committee is the final level of appeal for college-level requirements, retroactive actions (adds, withdrawals, and graduation), and return from suspension and dismissal. This committee is the final level of approval.
There is no waiver or appeal of satisfactory performance standards (minimum grades or grade point average (GPA)) that have been set by the department or program faculty for the courses in their major or minor.
Students should file all appeals in a timely manner, usually within the semester in which the original decision is rendered, but no later than the final day of classes of the following semester.
Students should review the university policies regarding second bachelor’s degrees in the Undergraduate Admissions Policies and in Academic Policies/Requirements for Undergraduate Programs sections of the catalog. Students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree concurrently with their first bachelor’s degree at Mason must meet all the college-level requirements if they differ from the requirements in the college of their first major.
Students pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in the college after already having received one or more bachelor’s degrees are considered to have met all of Mason’s university general education requirements. Students pursuing a bachelor of science degree do not have additional college-level requirements. Students pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in the college must complete these additional college-level requirements: one additional 3-credits course each in philosophy or religious studies, in social and behavioral science, and in non-western culture (for a total of 9 credits). They must also demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language through the intermediate level. For more information about college-level requirements see General Education and College Requirements.
Students may elect to take a minor in addition to their major field of study. For policies governing all minors, see the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog. Students interested in earning a minor should complete the appropriate section of the Change/Declaration of Academic Program form and submit it to the Office of the University Registrar. See All about Minors for more information.
The BA degree provides students with a breadth of knowledge as well as the necessary skills to make in-depth study of a major truly meaningful. In addition to the university-wide general education program, students pursuing a BA degree must complete the course work below. Except where expressly prohibited, a course used to fulfill a college-level requirement may also be used simultaneously to satisfy other requirements (university-wide general education requirements or requirements for the major).
Requirements for each major are listed in the departmental sections that follow.
The BS degree provides students with a more intensive approach to the core technical questions of their majors. This curriculum has a reduced number of courses in humanities and social sciences in comparison with the BA degree to allow students to achieve greater depth in their majors. Students in Humanities and Social Sciences pursuing a BS must complete the university-wide general education program plus 1 additional credit of natural science (for a total of 8 credits), which must be fulfilled by an approved two-semester laboratory science sequence in a single science. This may not be fulfilled by BIOL 124 and 125. Requirements for each major are listed in the departmental sections that follow.
Admitted and enrolled transfer students who have completed an AA, AS, or AA&S degree from the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) and have been offered admission to Mason by the Office of Admissions may be eligible for a waiver of all George Mason University’s lower level general education requirements in accordance with the Guaranteed Admission Agreement. Students eligible for this waiver are still required by the university to complete English 302 and a synthesis course. Transfer students who have been offered admission under the terms of the Guaranteed Admission Agreement and are pursuing a degree in this college are considered to have met all college requirements except for proficiency in a foreign language (required of BA students).
The college offers 16 master’s degrees plus a master of public administration and a master of fine arts in creative writing, and 11 doctoral degrees.
Admission decisions are made by the faculty committee of the respective graduate program. Denial of admission is not subject to appeal. Applicants denied admission to a program are not permitted to enroll in courses in that program.
If an applicant is offered graduate admission, the college reserves the right to withdraw that offer of admission if:
The university further reserves the right to require the applicant to provide additional information (and/or authorization for the release of information) about any such matter.
Students provisionally admitted to their graduate degree program are not eligible to enroll in consortium course work or study at another institution until the conditions of the provisional contract have been met. Provisionally admitted students are also not eligible to participate in any study abroad programs until the conditions of the provisional contract have been met. Transfer of credit requests for course work taken in non-degree status at Mason or from another institution prior to admission will not be considered until the provisional contract has been fulfilled.
Graduate students can enroll in up to 12 credits of course work each semester. Non-degree students can enroll in up to 10 credits of course work each semester.
Applicants who have been denied admission to a graduate certificate, master’s or doctoral program are not permitted to take graduate courses in that discipline as a non-degree student.
Graduate non-degree students may enroll in 500-, 600-, and 700-level courses. In exceptional cases graduate non-degree students in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences may request to enroll in an 800-level course if they have an appropriate academic or professional background and have the written permission of the course instructor, director of the graduate program offering the course, and the graduate dean.
Students should review university policies regarding the University Consortium under Special Registration Procedures in the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.
Eligible students may enroll in courses at any of the institutions in the Consortium of Universities in the Washington Metropolitan area. Students are limited to one consortium course per semester, with a career maximum of 6 credits. To register for a consortium course, students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.00 and be in good academic standing. Students with grades of IN on their record or who earned grades of C or F in the most recent semester are not eligible to register for a consortium course. Students who have received a grade less than 3.00 in a consortium course are not permitted to enroll in additional consortium courses. Newly admitted graduate students are not permitted to enroll in consortium courses during their first semester of graduate study. Students who wish to enroll in consortium courses during their second semester of study must wait until the grades for the previous semester have been posted.
To be eligible for transfer, credits must have been earned at an accredited graduate degree-granting institution (and applicable to a graduate degree at that institution) or at Mason while in non-degree status. Courses accepted for transfer credit must have been completed within six years of the admission term and with a minimum grade of 3.00. Courses with grades of P or S are not accepted for transfer unless the official transcript indicates that the grade is equivalent to a 3.00 (B) or better. Some programs have more stringent standards on transfer of credit; students should contact their graduate program for specific information.
Students must obtain all approvals, including course equivalencies, prior to enrolling in any course work at another institution. All appropriate paperwork must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar by the last day to add during the academic term the course meets. Students enrolling in courses at other institutions with different drop/add timetables must still abide by Mason’s drop/add deadlines in terms of acquiring necessary approvals.
The college follows university policies regarding dissertation committees. See Dissertation Committee in the Requirements for Doctoral Degrees section of the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.
Doctoral students must be advanced to candidacy before they may enroll in 999. Students must register for 999 before the add deadline published in the Academic Calendar by the Office of the University Registrar. Once doctoral students begin registering for 999, they must enroll in at least 3 credits of 999 each semester (excluding summers) until they have completed the total number of dissertation credits required on their individual program of study. Once enrolled in 999, all doctoral students must maintain continuous enrollment in 999 until they deposit their approved dissertation in the University Library. If they have completed the number of dissertation credits required on their program of study, they may maintain continuous enrollment by registering for only 1 credit of 999. See Dissertation Registration in the Requirements for Doctoral Degrees section of the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.
Total time to degree will not exceed eleven (11) calendar years from the time of first enrollment as a doctoral degree-seeking student in a program of the college. Doctoral students are expected to advance to candidacy in no more than six years and to complete all other degree requirements for graduation in no more than five years from the time of advancement to candidacy.
Students who will not meet published time limits because of circumstances beyond their control may petition for an extension. Extensions to the time limit for advancement to candidacy may be granted for a maximum period of one calendar year. The one-year extension granted to advance to candidacy will run concurrently with the five years provided to complete the dissertation so that the total time limit to degree will not exceed eleven (11) years even for those students granted a time extension for advancement to candidacy.
Students who are given permission to re-enroll following an absence from Mason may not count the time limits as beginning on the date of re-enrollment. Failure to meet the time limits or to secure approval of an extension request may result in termination from the program. International students attending in F-1 or J-1 status have more restrictive limits. Such students should contact the Office of International Programs and Services for further information.
Requests for extension of time limits must be submitted to the graduate dean in writing. They should explain the extenuating circumstances that prevented a timely completion of the degree and a timeline for completing the work within the limits of the extension. The request should include a letter from the student’s graduate program director indicating program support for the extension and confirmation that the work can be completed within the limits of the extension.
All graduate students should be familiar with the university polices on dismissal and termination as stated in Graduate Academic Standing section of the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog. Students who meet the criteria for dismissal or termination may submit a written appeal to the Office of Graduate Academic Affairs. Appeals should include all relevant information on the basis for appeal, as well as any appropriate documentation. Appeals of termination and dismissal are reviewed at the beginning of each semester by a faculty committee. The ruling of that committee represents the final decision of the college.
Many graduate programs in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences offer highly-qualified undergraduates the opportunity to apply to accelerated master’s degree programs. Students accepted into an accelerated master’s degree program obtain both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree after satisfactory completion of 144 - 150 credits (number of required credits depends on the degree program).
Students admitted to an accelerated master’s degree program may use up to six graduate credits (courses at the 500 or 600 level) in partial fulfillment of requirements for the undergraduate degree. Upon completion and conferral of the undergraduate degree with satisfactory performance in graduate courses (minimum grade of 3.00 in each), students are given advanced standing in their master’s program.
Undergraduates may take a maximum of six additional graduate credits while undergraduates and mark them for reserve graduate credit. These credits are not used to fulfill undergraduate degree requirements but can be applied to the master’s degree. See the section on Graduate Course Enrollment by Undergraduates in the Academic Policies chapter of the catalog. Courses taken for reserve graduate credit must be approved in advance by the Office of Undergraduate Academic Affairs and the appropriate paperwork filed with the Office of the University Registrar.
■ African and African American Studies
Phone: 703-993-1201
Web: aaas.gmu.edu/
Faculty
Carbonneau, Carton, Cherubin, Clark, Dennis, Fauntroy, Fuchs, Haley, Johnson, Lepore, Levine, Manuel-Scott (director), Miller, Paden, Richards Jordan, Smith, Stewart, Travis, Weatherspoon
Course Work
The African and African American Studies Program offers all course work designated AFAM in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Undergraduate Programs
The African and African American Studies Program offers an interdisciplinary minor open to students in all majors.
Students who pursue this minor examine the cultural, historical, economic, and political dimensions of people of African descent in America, the Caribbean, Africa, and throughout the Diaspora. Students learn theories and methodologies that are used to examine the complex dynamics of race, class, gender, and ethnicity in America. Through the coursework for this program, students develop critical and analytical approaches to societal issues because they are addressed through a variety of academic disciplines.
Students are encouraged to do an internship as part of the minor to further enhance their education and provide them with valuable preparation for the workforce.
African American Studies Research and Resource Center
The goal of the African American Studies Research and Resource Center (Paul Robeson Room) is to facilitate new ways for George Mason University students to learn about the African diaspora. As part of their academic and community involvements, students often need to address issues related to African and African American Studies. The center offers them opportunities for hands-on experience with African and African American life. It has been instrumental in assisting students, faculty, staff, and the community in finding resources to accomplish this goal.
The center sponsors a lecture series and a scholar-in-residence program and offers research and resources support for the Mason community.
Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor
■ Criminology, Law and Society
Phone: 703-993-8315
Web: cls.gmu.edu
Faculty
Professors: Mastrofski, Taxman, Weisburd, Wilson (chair), Zingraff
Research professor: Turner
Associate professor: Gallagher, Johnson, Koper, Lumm, Willis
Assistant professors: Lawton, Merola, Portillo, Rudes
Assistant research professors: Trotman, James-Andrew
Term associat professor: Newmark
Term assistant professors: Voreas
Affiliate faculty: Uchida
Course Work
The Department of Criminology, Law and Society offers all course work designated CRIM in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Undergraduate Programs
The BS in criminology, law and society provides students with a sound foundation in the liberal arts and a focused study of criminology, law and society. It also provides information concerning the social, human, and moral problems raised in the justice field. This major prepares students for careers in law enforcement, corrections, the courts, investigations, juvenile justice, private and homeland security, and related social and human services. It provides a strong background for law school and graduate study in criminal justice or law and society.
Honors in the Major
Highly qualified students may pursue advanced work leading to graduation with honors in the major. Students admitted to the honors program in the major take a two-course sequence CRIM 491 and 492. To graduate with honors in criminology, law and society, students must complete these courses with a minimum GPA of 3.50.
Internships
The department supports an active internship program, which places students in justice and police organizations throughout the Washington metropolitan area. Students can gain valuable work place experience while earning credit toward their degree.
Graduate Programs
The department offers a master’s and a doctoral degree in criminology, law and society. These degrees draw on a strong multidisciplinary faculty who teach a wide range of courses in their specialties. These programs take advantage of Mason’s proximity to the many justice organizations at the federal, state, and local levels. The curriculum is structured to give students the skills they need to do policy-relevant research. They will be able to work with local and national agencies concerned with justice and security to put those skills to use.
Funding
The department offers graduate teaching and research assistantships awarded on a competitive basis. Other sources of funding such as grants, loans, and employment on campus are also available. Students awarded assistantships must register for a minimum of six credits a semester and, like all graduate students, show satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Minor
Master's Degree
Doctoral Degree
■ Communication
Phone: 703-993-1090
Web: communication.gmu.edu
Faculty
Professors: Boileau, Botan, Decker, Friedley, Kreps (chair), Lichter, Lont, Maibach, Priest-Hornig, Rowan
Emeritus professors: Friedley, Looney, Manchester, McAuley, Taylor
Associate professors: Cai, Gibson, Muir, Nicotera (associate chair), Villagran
Assistant professors: Craig, Fisher, Hopson, Vraga, Zhao
Term professor: Pober
Term associate professor: Finn
Term assistant professors: Bedore, Wright
Term research assistant professor: Roser-Renouf
Term instructors: M. Dickerson, Hodgson, Klein, Miller, Samoilenko, Schmeidler, Simpson, R. Smith, Tomasovic
Adjuncts: Atwell, Bogino, Caes, Chaaban, Cohen, Csongos, Davis, Doyle, Feigenbaum, Gladis, Goldberg, M. Green, Greiner, Grossman, Hadji, Hansche, Hilberg, Holsonbake, Jannery, Kahn, Kamen, Kanu, Kois, Kraus, Lehman, LeValley, Ledewig-Fisher, Mangus, McCalla, Nadler, Payne, Peck, Plaag, Rensbarger, Schmeidler, Slagle, Steele, Suarez, S. Taylor, Tucker, VanZummeran, Varni, Walsch, Westpheling
Affiliate: J. R. Censer
Course Work
The Communication Department offers all course work designated COMM in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Undergraduate Programs
The department offers a BA in communication, which prepares students for graduate study or entry-level positions in such fields as interpersonal and organizational communication, journalism, media production and criticism, persuasive and political communication, and public relations.
Students majoring in communication complete a concentration from one of these areas: interpersonal and organizational communication, journalism, media production and criticism, persuasive and political communication, or public relations.
Internships
The department has an active internship program. Many students include an internship during their senior year as a way of gaining practical experience with national and international businesses, associations, or government agencies.
Student Activities
All students are encouraged to participate in one of the communication activities: Broadside, debate, forensics, GMView, Mason Cable Network, PRSSA, or WGMU.
Honors in the Major
Highly qualified students may pursue advanced work leading to graduation with honors in the major. Communication majors are eligible to apply if they have completed 90 credit hours (including COMM 200 and two of COMM 300, 301, 302, 305), have a minimum GPA of 3.25 in all coursework completed at George Mason, and a minimum GPA of 3.50 in all communication coursework completed at George Mason and applied to the major.
If accepted, students take a two-course sequence, COMM 490 and 491. COMM 490 replaces COMM 400 in the degree requirements for the major in communication. To graduate with honors in the major, students must complete 490 and 491 with a minimum GPA of 3.50 and maintain a GPA of 3.50 in the major and 3.25 overall.
Minors
The department offers minors in communication, electronic journalism, and sport communication. The latter is offered jointly by the Department of Communication and the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism in the College of Education and Human Development. The department faculty also participate in these minors: Film and Media Studies Minor , Multimedia Minor , Consciousness and Transformation Minor , and Women and Gender Studies Minor .
Students majoring in communication may choose to minor in any discipline that offers an undergraduate minor.
Graduate Programs
The department offers a MA and a PhD in communication with three major areas of emphasis: strategic communication, health communication, and science communication. The programs provide students with a strong foundation in communication theory and research while at the same time encouraging students to apply their skills in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
The faculty in strategic communication, drawing on their expertise in organizational, public relations, and political communication theory and research, teach courses on planning, developing, executing, and evaluating public communication campaigns and interventions. Faculty in health communication teach courses which explore the relationship between communication practices and the health and well-being of individuals and communities. This includes how to improve cooperation and coordination between health care providers and consumers, how to effectively utilize health information technologies, and how to develop influential health promotion campaigns. The faculty in science communication offer courses designed to improve students’ knowledge of the particular challenges involved in making science and technology understandable to a variety of audiences, as well as exploring solutions to those challenges. Science communicators work in media and in other organizations and agencies involved in promoting and disseminating science, as well as facilitating public engagement in considering science-related issues.
Strategic, health, and science communication and health communication are three of the most rapidly expanding specialties within the broad field of communication. Graduates of these programs find a very welcoming employment market for their expertise.
Funding
The department offers teaching and research assistantships, which are awarded on a competitive basis. Other sources of funding such as grants, loans, and employment on campus are also available. Students awarded assistantships must register for a minimum of six credits a semester and show satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Minor
Master's Degree
Master's Level Certificate
Doctoral Degree
■ Cultural Studies
Phone: 703-993-2851
Web: culturalstudies.gmu.edu
Faculty
Albanese, Amireh, Best, Bickford, Bockman, Burr, Censer, M. Chang, Y. Chang, Copelman, Crew, Dale, Deshmukh, Dodman, Foster, Froman, Fuchs, Gibson, Gilbert, Greet, Groening, Guagnano, Gusterson, Haines, Hanrahan, Harvey, Hodges, Holt, Jacobs, Jann, Johnsen-Neshati, Kaplan, Kaposy, Karush, Kaufmann, Kim, Lancaster (director), Landsberg, Leeman, Lont, Mandaville, Matz, Mcfarlane, Mantz, Miller, O’Connor, O’Malley, Palkovich, Rabin, Ricouart, Rosenblum, Samara, Sample, Scarlata, Seligman, Shutika, P. Smith, S. Smith, Sockett, Todd, Travis, Yadav, Yocom, Zagarri
Course Work
The Cultural Studies Program offers all course work designated CULT in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Cultural Studies at Mason
The Cultural Studies Program is distinctive in several respects. While similar programs at other universities are based in a department, the program at Mason has a truly interdisciplinary foundation, drawing on faculty members from 14 different departments across the university. The program explicitly links the social sciences and the humanities by combining their methods of interpretation to explore the production, distribution, and consumption of cultural objects in their social contexts. With particular focus on theory and method in crafting this linkage, the program addresses contemporary issues of nationality, class, race, and gender and opens the scope of scholarly inquiry to all forms of culture, past and present.
Undergraduate Programs
Cultural studies does not have an undergraduate program, but supports the interdisciplinary undergraduate program in global affairs as well as a special topics course in cultural studies.
is a core requirement for students majoring in global affairs.
is a course whose content will change from offering to offering and will be of special interest in global affairs.
Graduate Programs
The doctoral program in cultural studies trains students for scholarship and teaching. The core curriculum includes an introduction to cultural studies and a methods course, as well as courses on political economy, gender and sexuality, critical race studies, science and technology, social institutions, and visual and performance culture.
All students develop field specializations in two areas of cultural studies. The particular strengths of the program are visual culture, media, and new media studies; political economy and globalization; gender and sexuality studies.
Funding
The program offers teaching assistantships and fellowships, which are awarded on a competitive basis. Other sources of funding such as grants, loans, and employment on campus are also available. Students awarded assistantships must register for a minimum of six credits a semester and show satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Related Master’s Degrees
Applicants to the doctoral degree in cultural studies must already hold a master’s degree. Students interested in pursuing the PhD in cultural studies at Mason who do not meet this requirement might wish to consider one of the related master’s degrees at Mason (anthropology, English, history, foreign languages, philosophy, and sociology.) Of course, the required master’s degree may be taken from any institution of your choice.
Doctoral Degree
■ Economics
Phone: 703-993-1151
Web: economics.gmu.edu
Faculty
Distinguished professors emeriti: Buchanan, Smith, Tullock
Professors emeriti: Chung, Phillips, Vaughn
Professors: Bennett, Boettke, Boudreaux, Caplan, Congleton, Cowen, Heiner, Houser (chair), Klein, Levy, McCabe, Nye, Roberts, Rowley, Stratmann, Wagner, White, Williams
Associate professors: Castillo, Hanson, Jones, Leeson, Meyer, Petrie, Ramirez, Tabarrok, Wiest
Assistant professors: Al-Ubaydli, Coyne, Johnson
Term assistant professor: Rustici
Course Work
The Economics Department offers all course work designated ECON in the Courses chapter of the catalog.
Undergraduate Programs
The department offers a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science degree in economics. The bachelor of science degree program is designed for students who desire a more technical program with a stronger emphasis on economic and quantitative analysis. It is especially appropriate for students who anticipate a career as an economic analyst in government, consulting, trade associations, or private sector positions that emphasize economic research and analysis. The requirements are also suitable for students planning postgraduate education in economics or more quantitative business administration programs.
Students interested in careers in the business world can pursue a concentration in managerial economics within the BS in economics.
The bachelor of arts degree in economics is designed for students with an interest in the liberal arts. It is appropriate for those who prefer a less quantitative degree program and may be especially suitable for students planning to attend law school or graduate programs in business or public administration.
Minors
The department offers a minor in economics and a minor in economic systems design. Both are available to students in any major.
Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Program
The department offers highly qualified undergraduates the opportunity to apply to an accelerated master’s degree program in economics. If accepted, students will be able to earn both an undergraduate and a graduate degree after satisfactory completion of 144 credits, sometimes within five years.
Graduate Programs
The department offers a master’s and a doctoral degree in economics. The department is noted for its emphasis on comparative institutional analysis and its focus on the relations among economic, political, and legal institutions. This is reflected in the specializations associated with the department: experimental economics, Austrian economics, public choice, constitutional political economy, law and economics, and new institutional economics.
The department offers a graduate certificate in economic systems design, which provides a well defined course of study for students who want to advance or update their knowledge in this fast-moving field.
Funding
The department offers graduate teaching and research assistantships and fellowships that are awarded on a competitive basis. Other sources of funding such as grants, loans, and employment on campus are also available. Students with assistantships must register for a minimum of six credits a semester and, like all students, demonstrate satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Minor
Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Program
Master's Degree
Master's Level Certificate
Doctoral Degree
■ English
Phone: 703-993-1160
Web: english.gmu.edu
Faculty
Professors: Albanese, Cheuse, D’Andrea (Robinson Professor), Foster, Goodwin, Hodges, Jann, Kaufmann, Lathbury, Lowry, Matz (chair), Mori, Nadeau, Pankey, Tichy
Associate professors: Amireh, Anderson, Atkinson, Brkic, Burr, Chang, Clark, Eisner, Fuchs, Gallehr, Harvey, Holisky, Jones, Kaplan, Keith, Keaney, Kuebrich, Lattanzi Shutika, Malouf, Reid, Rutledge, Weinberger, Yadav, Yocom, Zawacki
Assistant professors: Eyman, Fraser, Groening, Habila, Hoffmann, Lin, Lockwood, Marcantonio, McCarthy, Michals, Rogers, Sample, Scarlata, Stanica, Wheelock, Wiederhold, Wulf
Term associate professors: Koch, Miller, Samuelian, Scott, Taciuch, Thompson
Term assistant professors: Berg, Burnham, DeFazio, Johnson, King, Lawrence, Lister, Matthews, McGeehan, Nanian, Nichols, Photos, Rudnicki, Saunders, Taylor, Williams
Term instructors: Hoy, Raffel, Scolaro
Adjunct assistant professors: Broyles, Cabral, Casal, Dutta, Fowler, Grogan-Barone, Humbertson, Jacobs, Johnston, Kuhta, Mallett, Moody, Pabich
Adjunct instructors: Cooper, Holcomb
Course Work
The English Department offers all course work designated CL, ENGH, LING, and NAIS in the Courses chapter of this catalog. The subject code ENGH replaces ENGL in the 2011-2012 Catalog.
Related Courses
Courses offered by other departments are occasionally cross listed with English and given the ENGH subject code. Such courses may be applied to the English major.
Undergraduate Programs
The department offers a bachelor’s degree in English. This is a versatile major with thirteen concentrations designed to meet students’ individual interests and career objectives. English majors can also pursue a special option in comparative literature and do an internship in technical writing or linguistics. Students interested in becoming teachers can participate in a program offered in conjunction with the College of Education and Human Development that allows undergraduates to simultaneously complete their BA in English and their licensure requirements to teach English at the secondary school level in Virginia.
English majors learn to read critically and write carefully in classes that are uniquely small for a university the size of Mason. Students develop these abilities not only thorough reading traditional texts but also through the use of technologies such as blogs, wikis, and multimedia production. Because English majors have excellent skills in written and oral communication, research, critical thinking, and focused creativity they are well prepared for any career - teaching, journalism, creative writing, management, law, and more.
300-level courses teach the foundational principles for a field of study, include courses of broad scope, and provide an introduction to a genre, literary period, or methodology.
400-level courses provide an in-depth approach to a field of study, a single genre, literary period, or methodology. They include special topics classes and English honors classes. Some 400-level courses require ENGH 325 as a prerequisite.
Honors in the Major
Highly qualified students may pursue advanced work leading to graduation with honors in the major. To graduate with honors in the major, students must complete a two-course honors sequence and receive a minimum GPA of 3.50 in all courses counted toward the major and, separately, a minimum GPA of 3.50 in their honors courses. Honors courses may simultaneously satisfy concentration and distribution requirements in the major.
Students satisfy the honors course sequence by taking one of the following:
- Two sections of ENGH 414 - Honors Seminar
- ENGH 414 - Honors Seminar and ENGH 415 - Honors Thesis Writing Seminar
- ENGH 414 - Honors Seminar and writing a creative honors thesis in ENGH 416 - Honors Independent Study (for students in the creative writing concentration)
- ENGH 416 - Honors Independent Study in conjunction with an advanced course in nonfiction writing and completing a nonfiction thesis as part of ENGH 415 - Honors Thesis Writing Seminar (for students in the nonfiction concentration)
Students interested in pursuing honors in the major should consult the English Department for more information and to learn about the application process.
English with a Second Major
Students can combine a major in English with a second major. Students interested in this option are encouraged to discuss their plans with their English advisor and the director of undergraduate programs in English. See the section on Credit for More than One Undergraduate Major in the Academic Policies chapter of the catalog.
Minors
The department offers a minor in English, which is available to students in any major at Mason.
Faculty from English coordinate or co-coordinate the Film and Media Studies Minor , the Folklore and Mythology Minor , the Native American and Indigenous Studies Minor , and the Linguistics Minor . See the Academic Policies section of this chapter for more information.
Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Program
The department offers highly qualified undergraduates in any major the opportunity to apply to an accelerated master’s degree program in English with a concentration in linguistics. If accepted, students will be able to earn an undergraduate degree in their chosen major and a graduate degree in English with a concentration in linguistics after satisfactory completion of 144 credits, sometimes within five years.
Undergraduates in Graduate Courses
The English Department permits qualified undergraduates to enroll in its graduate courses numbered 500 through 699. They may apply these credits to their undergraduate degree or mark them for reserve graduate credit. See the department for details on how to register.
Writing Center
The Writing Center offers one-on-one conferencing during all stages of the writing process. Writing Center tutors, who are graduate teaching assistants in the English Department, have been trained in current methods of composition instruction. They help clients overcome writing anxiety, develop organizational and revision skills, and learn useful strategies for editing their own work. To learn more about the Writing Center services or to schedule an appointment, students should consult the Writing Center website.
Northern Virginia Writing Project
The Northern Virginia Writing Project (NVWP) is an inservice organization dedicated to improving the writing of Northern Virginia students, kindergarten through university level. Each summer, selected teachers attend an intensive five-week institute where they demonstrate successful teaching techniques, study research on the teaching of writing, and write. After the summer institute, participants return to their schools, colleges, and universities to lead workshops and in-service seminars for other teachers. NVWP is an affiliate of the National Writing Project and one of the seven sites of the Virginia Writing Project.
Graduate Programs
The department offers graduate programs in the study and practice of literature and writing, as well as course work in related fields such as folklore, film, linguistics, and cultural studies. The master’s degree in English provides concentrations in literature, cultural studies, professional writing and rhetoric, the teaching of writing and literature, and linguistics. The department also has a terminal degree, the MFA in creative writing, with concentrations in fiction, poetry, and nonfiction.
The department offers graduate certificates in folklore, professional writing and rhetoric, and teaching English as a second language. Students may take these as stand-alone certificates or pursue them concurrently with a graduate degree program. Part of the course work for a certificate may be able to be applied to a degree. Students must apply and be admitted to a graduate certificate program.
Faculty from the department coordinate the concentration in folklore studies in the master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies (MAIS). See the ■ Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) section of this chapter for details.
Funding
The department offers teaching assistantships and fellowships awarded on a competitive basis. Other sources of funding such as grants, loans, and employment on campus are also available. Students awarded assistantships must show satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor
Undergraduate Minor
Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Program
Master's Degree
Master's Level Certificate
Doctoral Degree
■ Global Affairs
Phone: 703-993-9185
Web: globalaffairs.gmu.edu
Course Work
The Global Affairs program offer all course work designated GLOA in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Undergraduate Program
Faculty
Bockman, Breglia (assistant director), Copelman, Christensen, Habila, Harbour, Hirsch, Jones, Leeson, Lopez-Santana, Lukacs, Mandaville, Mcdow, McGlinchey, Kelly (director), Paczynska, Rader, Roberts, Smith, Wan.
Bachelor’s Degree
The bachelor’s degree in global affairs is a transdisciplinary major that introduces students to the global processes affecting all societies. Drawing on the broad international expertise of Mason faculty, this program incorporates courses from across the university. Global affairs majors examine transnational and international processes in a wide range of areas including politics, economics, culture, peace and conflict, and the environment. Through the concentration of their choice, they have the opportunity to study specific regions and languages and investigate the ways particular parts of the world experience and influence global processes.
Global affairs majors take a common set of core courses and choose a concentration. They can focus on a theme (global economy, international development, the environment, etc.) or a world region (Africa, Asia, Latin America, etc.).
Students are strongly encouraged to take advantage of Mason’s many study abroad courses and do an internship as part of their degree program.
Honors in the Major
Highly qualified students may pursue advanced work leading to graduation with honors in the major. Global Affairs majors who have completed 75 credits with an overall GPA of 3.50 and a GPA of 3.50 in courses for the major are eligible to apply to graduate with honors.
Students pursuing honors in the major must complete a two-course honors sequence GLOA 491 and GLOA 492 with a minimum GPA of 3.50 in the sequence. Not all applicants who meet the minimum requirements are guaranteed acceptance.
Global Affairs with a Second Major or Minor
Students can complement their major in global affairs with a second major. Students interested in this option are encouraged to discuss their plans with advisors in both majors. See the section on Credit for More than One Undergraduate Major in the Academic Policies chapter of the catalog.
Students majoring in global affairs are encouraged to complement their major one of the many minors offered by the college. See the Minors and Interdisciplinary Minors section of this chapter.
Minor
The undergraduate program in global affairs offers a minor in global affairs, which is available to students in any major in the university.
Graduate Program
Faculty
Bakhash, Kelly (director), Lyons, Mandaville, Shaklee, Wilsford
Master’s Degree
The master’s degree in global affairs is an interdisciplinary program that offers students the opportunity to engage in advanced study of a broad range of international global issues.
Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Program
Highly qualified undergraduates in any major are invited to apply to the accelerated master’s degree program in global affairs. If accepted, students will be able to earn an undergraduate degree in their chosen major and a graduate degree in global affairs after satisfactory completion of 144 credits, often within five years.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Minor
Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Program
Master's Degree
■ Higher Education
Phone: 703-993-2310
Web: highered.gmu.edu
Faculty
Gentemann, Jenkins, Kelly, Kettlewell, Kuhta, Lester, Lucas, Lyne, J. Muir, S. Muir, O’Connor (director), Owen, Reybold, Rose, Salmon, Scales, Schwartzstein, Shrum, L. Smith, Snyder-Hall, Webster
Course Work
This program offers all course work designated CTCH in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Graduate Programs
The Higher Education Program prepares students for positions of leadership in teaching, research, and administration at community colleges, four-year colleges, and universities. The interdisciplinary curriculum emphasizes ethical leadership, assessment, and practice-based scholarship in teaching and learning. Students in these degrees come from varied professional backgrounds in college teaching, university administration, business, the performing arts, and government. They bring a vast spectrum of experience to their studies and fellow students.
Doctor of Arts in Community College Education
The doctor of arts in community college education prepares students for college teaching. They take course work in higher education pedagogy and in a disciplinary knowledge area. Working with an advisor, students choose appropriate courses from more than 20 participating departments. In addition to developing disciplinary expertise, the courses in higher education offers proficiency in core areas related to undergraduate education: the community college, college teaching, technology in higher education, and the scholarship of teaching and learning.
MAIS Concentration in Community College Teaching
The program sponsors the concentration in community college teaching within the master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies (MAIS). This concentration prepares students to teach entry-level courses in these growing fields in community colleges: communication, English, information systems, mathematics, Spanish, and teaching English as a second language.
See the Interdisciplinary Studies, MAIS section of this chapter.
MAIS Concentration in Higher Education
The program sponsors the concentration in higher education within the master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies (MAIS). This concentration prepares individuals for administrative and leadership positions in two-year colleges or four-year colleges and universities. Students may focus on administration or student services.
See the Interdisciplinary Studies, MAIS section of this chapter.
Doctor of Philosophy in Education with Specialization in Higher Education
The doctor of philosophy in education with a specialization in higher education is offered jointly by the Higher Education Program and the College of Education and Human Development. This doctoral program prepares students for positions of leadership in administration and student services through coursework in higher education administration and leadership and through a secondary concentration that can further disciplinary expertise.
See the College of Education and Human Development chapter of the catalog.
Certificates
The program offers graduate certificates in college teaching and in higher education administration. Students may take these as stand-alone certificates or pursue them concurrently with a graduate degree program. Part of the certificate course work may be able to be applied to the degree subject to the approval of the director of the graduate degree program. Students must apply and be accepted to a graduate certificate program.
Master's Level Certificate
Doctoral Degree
■ History and Art History
Phone: 703-993-1250
Web: historyarthistory.gmu.edu
Faculty
Mathy professor: Mattusch (art history)
Robinson professors: Crew, Bakhash (history); Hinton (art history)
Professors: J. R. Censer (dean), J. T. Censer, Holt, Kierner, Petrik, Sherwin, Smith, Stearns (provost), Wade, Zagarri (history)
Associate professors: Barnes, Bristol, Carton, Chang, Cohen, Copelman, Deshmukh, Hamdani, Hamner, Karush, Kelly, Landsberg, Lytton, O’Malley, Platt (chair), Ritterhouse, Schrag, Scully, Smith (history); Butler, DeCaroli (director), Greet, Todd (art history)
Assistant professors: Bottoms, Collins, Dodman, Gibbs, Lair, Takats (history); Ho (art history)
Affiliate associate professors: Jordan, Petrick, Schrum (history)
Affiliate professor: Nauright, Wiggins (history)
Term faculty: Leon, Manuel-Scott, McCord, Orens, Scheinfeldt, Schulze, Swanson, Walmsley (history); Bauman, DeArmendi, Gregg (art history)
Coursework
This department offers all course work designated HIST and ARTH in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Undergraduate Programs
History
The department offers a BA in history. History majors study a variety of historical time periods, from Greek and Roman antiquity to the late twentieth-century. They learn to interpret and evaluate the past by analyzing a variety of sources, from historical books and novels to images, films, oral interviews, newspapers, and other texts.
History majors have the opportunity to study with faculty who are internationally known for their work on the use of technology in the study of history. They can do an internship with one of them in the Center for History and New Media or at places like the Smithsonian Institution, the Library of Congress, or one of many other institutions in the Washington, D.C. area. There are also many opportunities to study abroad while earning credit towards the history major.
Advising
Students majoring or minoring in history are advised by the undergraduate director and a team of faculty advisors. History majors are urged to discuss their program of study periodically with the director.
Honors in the Major
History majors who have completed 75 credits (a minimum of 15 in history, 6 of which must have been taken at Mason) with an overall GPA of 3.50 and a GPA of 3.50 in history courses are eligible to apply to graduate with honors in history. Applicants must have completed or be enrolled in HIST 300. The statement of application should include references from two Mason history faculty members. If a major part of the student’s work includes transfer credit, transcripts may be required. Not all applicants who meet the minimum requirements are guaranteed acceptance into honors in the major.
Students pursuing honors in the major complete HIST 490 and 491, linked individualized courses usually with the same instructor. Students must have completed at least one course in the field (or with the professor) chosen for these honors courses. HIST 490 should be taken before 491, although they may be taken concurrently. Either course may be taken concurrently with HIST 499 - Senior Seminar in History. To graduate with honors in the major, students must earn a minimum GPA of 3.50 in the honors courses and a minimum GPA of 3.50 in history courses applied to the degree. The two honors courses (6 credits) may be applied to the requirement of 36 credits in history, but they cannot replace HIST 499.
Minors
The department offers a minor in history available to students in any major at Mason.
The department faculty participate in a number of interdisciplinary minors including African and African American Studies Minor , Ancient Mediterranean Art and Archaeology Minor , Asia-Pacific Studies Minor , Islamic Studies Minor , Latin American Studies Minor and Middle East Studies Minor . Students can earn credit toward these minors by taking selected history and art history courses. For details, see the Minors and Interdisciplinary Minors section and the Latin American Studies section of this chapter.
The minor in sport and American culture is offered jointly by the Department of History and Art History and the School of Recreation, Health and Tourism. For details, see the School of Recreation, Health, and Tourism Department section in the College of Education and Human Development chapter of the catalog.
Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Program
The department offers highly qualified undergraduate majors in history the opportunity to apply to an accelerated master’s degree program in history. If accepted, students will be able to earn both the undergraduate and graduate degrees after satisfactory completion of 144 credits, generally within five years.
Art History
The department offers a BA in art history. Art history majors investigate works of art to learn how they were made, why they were made, and by and for whom they were made. They develop the skills to interpret a work of art as a record of the culture in which it was made. Through art history courses, students will learn to ask questions that touch on cultural, technological, and economic concerns. The major has flexible requirements, and students in art history receive individualized attention which helps them tailor their studies to their own individual interests and career goals.
Art history majors have the opportunity to study with faculty whose expertise covers many world regions - the United States, Latin America, Europe, South and Southeast Asia, and China - and all historical periods - from classical antiquity, Byzantine, Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque, to the modern era.
Students are encouraged to do an internship at one of the many arts organizations in the Washington, D.C. region, such as the National Gallery of Art or the Corcoran Gallery. There are also many opportunities to study abroad while earning credit towards the art history major.
Honors in the Major
Majors who have completed 75 credits (a minimum of 15 credits in art history, with 6 credits taken at Mason) with an overall GPA of 3.50 and a GPA of 3.80 in art history are eligible to apply to graduate with honors in art history. Eligible students should apply to the undergraduate director by November 15 or April 15 with a statement of application including the names of two references from Mason art history faculty members. Transfer students should also submit transcripts. Not all applicants who meet the minimum requirements are guaranteed acceptance into honors in the major.
Students pursuing honors in the major complete ARTH 492 and 493, linked individualized courses that culminate in a research paper. Students must have completed at least one course in the field (or with the professor) chosen for these honors courses. ARTH 492 should be taken before 493, but they may be taken concurrently. To graduate with honors in the major, students must earn a minimum GPA of 3.50 in honors courses and a minimum GPA of 3.50 in art history courses applied to the degree. The two honors courses (6 credits) may be applied toward the requirement of 33- to 34-credits in art history, but they cannot replace the 6 required credits in ARTH 400, 420, 430, 440, 460, 471, 472, or 482.
Minors
The department offers a minor in art history available to students in any major at Mason.
The Art History Program coordinates the Ancient Mediterranean Art and Archaeology Minor . See the Minors and Interdisciplinary Minors section of this chapter.
Graduate Programs
History
The department offers a master’s and a doctoral degree in history. In both programs, students select a specialization in American history, European history, or world history. Master’s degree students choose from one of four concentrations: predoctoral history, applied history, enrichment, or teaching. Doctoral students focus their studies in one of four areas: college/university teaching, new media and information technology, public and applied history, or preprofessional development.
Graduate students in history have the opportunity to take courses in new media, studying with faculty who are internationally known for their use of technology in the study of history. Many students work alongside the faculty in the Center for History and New Media, a leader in the use of digital media and computer technology to democratize history. The center uses digital media and technology to preserve and present history online, transform scholarship across the humanities, and advance historical education and understanding.
Students can do an internship in applied history at one of the many institutions in the Washington, D.C. area or study abroad while earning credit towards their degrees.
Funding
The department offers teaching and research assistantships, which are awarded on a competitive basis. Other sources of funding such as grants, loans, and employment on campus are also available. Students awarded assistantships must register for a minimum of six credits a semester and show satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Art History
The department offers a richly interdisciplinary master’s degree in art history. It draws on faculty strengths in traditional research and new media and the vast cultural resources of the Washington, D.C. area. Students learn methods of art historical analysis, a variety of art historical interpretations, and practical applications of the field. The program places a special emphasis on the development of skills in new media, museology, and pre-professional internships - program features that are unique to this region.
The master’s degree in art history is designed to meet the needs of a student population with diverse interests and career goals. Because of the focus on skill building in traditional research as well as new media, graduates of this program have the tools necessary for independent research, professional work, and the dissemination of knowledge in art history.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor
Undergraduate Minor
Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Program
Master's Degree
Doctoral Degree
■ Honors Program in General Education
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 and HNRT 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 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. 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 and HNRT courses, excluding HNRS 110 and HRNS 353.
Honors Curriculum
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.
To receive honors in general education on their transcript, students must earn a minimum GPA of 3.00 in HNRS and HNRT courses as well as 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.
Two required courses (7 credits):
Credits: 4
Credits: 3
Three honors core courses chosen from (9 credits):
Credits: 3 (Art History/Arts)
Credits: 3 (Social Science with a Global Perspective)
Credits: 3 (History)
Credits: 3 (Philosophy/Religion)
Credits: 3 (Social Science with a Non-Western Perspective)
Honors students must satisfy general education requirements met by HNRS 122, 131 and 240. If a student chooses not to take these three courses, the requirements in parentheses must be satisfied by university approved general education courses . HNRS 130 and HNRS 230 meet college level requirements for the B.A. in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Students who complete the requirements described above also fulfill university general education requirements for information technology, oral communication and literature.
Choose two courses from the list above or from the following list of approved departmental honors courses (6-10 credits):
Credits: 3
Credits: 4 (Honors section only)
Credits: 5 (Honors section only)
Credits: 5 (Honors section only)
Credits: 4 (Honors section only)
Credits: 4 (Honors Section only)
Credits: 3 (Honors Section only)
Credits: 3 (Honors section only)
Credits: 4
Credits: 3
Credits: 3
Credits: 4
Credits: 3 (Honors section only)
Credits: 3 (Honors section only)
Credits: 3
Note: Many of these courses have prerequisites or other departmental requirements. The Honors College may add additional approved courses to meet the requirements of this section. See the Honors College for a complete list.
Additional Requirements:
- Each honors student must take one approved math course, the course depending on major. Approved math courses are MATH 113, HNRT 125 and HNRT 225. Additional math courses are required for some majors.
- Each honors student must take two courses in an approved lab science sequence, the courses depending on the major. Additional science courses are required for some majors. Approved lab sciences sequences include:
- BIOL 213 and higher level biology lab course
- CHEM 211 and CHEM 212
- PHYS 243/244 and PHYS 245/246
- PHYS 160/161 and 260/261
- BIOL 124, BIOL 125 and BIOL 246/306
- HNRT 227 and HNRT 228
- ASTR 111/112 and HNRT 228
- BIOL 103 and HNRT 228
- CHEM 103 and HNRT 228
- EVPP 110 and HNRT 228
- GEOL 101 and HNRT 228
- PHYS 103 and HNRT 228
- BIOL 124, BIOL 125, and HNRT 228
- other lab science sequence with written approval of Honors College advisor
- Students pursuing B.A. degrees may have a foreign language requirement
- Beyond the Honors College requirements students must satisfy all requirements of their college and major
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.
■ 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 3.50, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75, and successfully present their research during the Senior Capstone Project presentations (by earning a grade of 2.0 or better in BIS 491).
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 accelerated master’s degree programs in telecommunications or in applied information technology. If accepted, students will be able to earn both an undergraduate and a graduate degree after satisfactory completion of 144 credits.
Undergraduate Degree
Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Program
■ Interdisciplinary Studies
Phone: 703-993-8762
Web: mais.gmu.edu
Executive Committee
Addleson, Axtell, Brown Leonard, Dakake, Ehrlich, Jordan, Kinnaman, Kuhta, Lont, Rodgers, Salmon, Shutika, Snyder-Hall (director), Vitazkova, Yocom
Course Work
This program offers the courses designated MAIS in the Courses chapter of this catalog. Students in this degree take most of their courses in the disciplines that they integrate as part of their degree program.
Graduate Programs
The master’s degree program in interdisciplinary studies (MAIS) is designed for students who seek a degree that integrates knowledge from several disciplines. It addresses a rapidly evolving demand for specialized and individualized graduate study. Students choose one of ten structured concentrations or devise an individualized program of study when traditional degree programs do not meet their evolving careers or life goals.
The degree requires course work from a home department and selected courses from other disciplines. Students complete their degrees with a project or thesis.
Concentrations
Students pursuing a master’s degree program in interdisciplinary studies can choose established concentrations in these areas:
- community college teaching
- computational social sciences
- energy and sustainability
- film and video studies
- folklore studies
- higher education
- neuroethics
- religion, culture, and values
- social entrepreneurship
- women and gender studies
For a variety of reasons, traditional graduate programs are not able to meet the specific educational goals of some students. They can choose an individualized concentration. With the help of a faculty advisor, they design an individualized program of study that includes courses from several academic disciplines.
Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Program
Master's Degree
■ Latin American Studies
Phone: 703-993-1010
Web: las.gmu.edu
Faculty
Berroa (Modern and Classical Languages), Bristol (History and Art History), Burt (Public and International Affairs), Greet (History and Art History), Karush (History and Art History, director), Leeman (Modern and Classical Languages), Lepore (Dance), Meyer (Economics), Rabin (Modern and Classical Languages), Rogers (Modern and Classical Languages), Seligmann (Sociology and Anthropology), Shutika (English), Vivancos-Pérez (Modern and Classical Languages), Yocom (English)
Course Work
The Latin American Studies Program offers courses designated LAS in the Courses chapter of this catalog. As an interdisciplinary program, Latin American Studies offers many other courses across a range of departments that do not bear the LAS code. For the major and minor, students should consult with the director to determine whether a particular course may be used to fulfill a Latin American studies requirement or elective.
Undergraduate Programs
The bachelor’s degree in Latin American studies presents students with the opportunity to study one of the world’s most diverse and fascinating regions. Contemporary Latin America is the product of a long and turbulent history of conquest, resistance, and cultural mixing. The result is a rich and unique amalgam of African, indigenous, and European cultures. Understanding these complex societies has never been more crucial than it is today since people of Latin American descent represent more than 13% of the population of the United States. Knowledge of Latin American history, culture, society, and politics is indispensable for anyone who seeks to understand the contemporary United States and its place in the world.
Majors in Latin American studies develop a broad expertise in the region while pursuing an individualized program of study that suits their own particular interests. Student improve their language skills and take courses in many disciplines including anthropology, dance, economics, folklore, geography, government, history, and literature. The course work culminates in a seminar where students develop a research project under the mentorship of a faculty expert.
Honors in the Major
Latin American Studies majors who have completed 75 credits (a minimum of 15 in Latin American Studies, 6 of which must have been taken at Mason) with an overall minimum GPA of 3.50 and a minimum GPA of 3.50 in the major may apply to pursue advanced work leading to graduation with honors in the major. The application consists of a transcript, a recommendation from one member of the LAS faculty, and a brief description of a proposed research project.
Once accepted into the program, students pursuing honors in the major complete a two-course sequence LAS 491 and 499 (an honors section), which must be taken in successive semesters. In this sequence, students complete an advanced research project under the guidance of an faculty member. To graduate with honors in the major, students must earn a minimum GPA of 3.50 in the honors courses.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor
■ Minors and Interdisciplinary Minors in Humanities and Social Sciences
The College of Humanities and Social Sciences has 59 minors, some of which are offered jointly with other units in the university. Minors require between 15 and 21 credits, and all but 8 of those credits can be used simultaneously to fill other requirements. The college encourages all students to declare a minor, if they can. A minor can complement the major, enhance career preparation, allow students to develop a secondary area of expertise, or give them a chance to explore a passion.
The college offers two types of minors: disciplinary and interdisciplinary. The coursework for disciplinary minors comes mainly from a single discipline. Disciplinary minors are offered by one of the 10 departments in the college.
Interdisciplinary minors require course work from two or more disciplines and are administered by interdepartmental faculty groups, often including faculty from across the university.
All minors in the college are available to students in any major in the university. For more information, see All about Minors.
For policies governing all minors, see the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.
Disciplinary minors:
Interdisciplinary minors:
Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor
■ Modern and Classical Languages
Phone: 703-993-1220
Web: mcl.gmu.edu
Faculty
Professors: Berroa, Gilbert, Ricouart, Winkler
Associate professors: Carreño-Rodríguez, Christensen (chair), Leeman, Levine, Rabin, Roman-Mendoza, Zhang
Assistant professors: Beck, Husseinali, Markx, Olson, Pichichero, Rogers, So, Vivancos-Perez
Term assistant professors: De Souza, Dudnik, Fujiwara, Haney, Mircea-Pines, Quintana, Salawdeh, Sweet, Vasilyeva, Vikis
Term instructors: Chen, Mulholland
Course Work
This department offers all course work designated ARAB, CHIN, CLAS, FREN, FRLN, GERM, GREE, HEBR, ITAL, JAPA, KORE, LATN, PERS, PORT, RUSS, SPAN, and TURK in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Some courses are offered in English. Knowledge of a foreign language is not required.
General Education College-Level Requirements
The department offers a number of courses approved to fulfill university general education requirements. See General Education and College Requirements.
Language courses through the intermediate (200) level can be used to fulfill the college-level requirement in foreign languages for the bachelor of arts degree in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Science. Other courses fulfill the college-level requirement in non-Western culture. See General Education and College Requirements.
Undergraduate Programs
The department offers a BA in foreign languages with concentrations in French, Spanish, and Chinese.
The concentration in French is designed for students who want to increase their proficiency in French language and culture while learning about the history, politics, and economics of the many French-speaking countries around the world. Students can take a study abroad course or spend a summer in Paris or Quebec, earning credit towards their degree. They can participate in the many French-speaking activities sponsored by Mason’s French Club.
The concentration in Spanish enables students to become proficient in speaking, reading, and writing Spanish while learning about Latin American, Latino and Spanish languages practices, literatures, histories, and cultures. Students are encouraged to do an internship or service learning project, where they can draw on their knowledge of Spanish and gain valuable work experience while working for social change in their communities. Students have many opportunities to study Spanish abroad for as little as a week and as long as a semester and at the same time, earn credit toward their degree.
The concentration in Chinese enables students to become proficient in listening, speaking, reading, and writing Chinese while learning about Chinese literature, history, traditions, and culture. Students in this program are encouraged to study abroad or to do an internship. Students in Chinese are also encouraged to complete a double major.
All concentrations prepare students for teaching careers at the secondary school level, graduate study in languages, and research and professional work in government and private enterprise.
Faculty in the department participate in the interdisciplinary BA in Russian and Eurasian studies and the BA in Latin American studies .
Foreign Languages with a Second Major
Majors in foreign language are encouraged to complete a second major in another field. Students who want to pursue a second undergraduate major should plan a program of study in consultation with advisors from both degrees and be familiar with the relevant policies on more than one major. See the Academic Policies chapter of the catalog.
Comparative Literature Emphasis
The Department of Modern and Classical Languages participates in the BA in English with an emphasis in comparative literature. This program combines the study of literature in English with the study of one or more foreign literatures and with cross-cultural literary study. See the BA in English section of the catalog.
Minors
Language majors are encouraged to complete a minor in another field.
The department offers minors in Arabic, Classical Studies, Japanese Studies, Chinese, French, German, Latin, Russian, and Spanish. They are available to students in any major at Mason. Except for Classical Studies, all the minors have as a prerequisite the completion of 250 (or equivalent) in the relevant language. See the Minors and Interdisciplinary Minors section of this chapter.
Graduate Programs
The department offers a distinctive interdisciplinary master’s degree in foreign languages designed to meet the needs and interests of prospective and practicing teachers and other professionals. It also prepares students for doctoral study at other institutions. Within the master’s degree, students choose one of four concentrations: French, Spanish, French and Spanish, and Spanish/bilingual-multicultural education.
Funding
The department has a limited number of teaching assistantships for highly qualified graduate students with excellent language preparation. Students develop valuable language teaching experience by working with faculty experts in language teaching pedagogy.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor
Undergraduate Minor
Master's Degree
■ New Century College
Phone: 703-993-1436
Web: ncc.gmu.edu
Faculty
Professor: O’Connor
Associate professors: Gabel, Garner, Gring-Pemble, Lucas (associate dean), Muir, Smith, Wood, Wingfield
Assistant professors: Chen, Freeman, Gilmore, Gorski, Mahatmya, Owen
Term assistant professors: Dunne, Fuertes, Scott, Vitazkova, Wagner
Adjunct faculty: Carter, Holder, Johnson, Kohr, Lynch, Saddler, Scott, Smith, Sweetman, Tillman, Uy-Tioco
Administration
Nance Lucas, Associate Dean
Kelly Dunne, Assistant Dean, Academic Affairs
Lisa Gring-Pemble, Assistant Dean, Faculty Development
Wendy Wagner, Director of the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement
Karen Misencik, Director of Experiential Learning
Teri Slick, Director of Student Services
Misty Hensley, Student Services Coordinator
Course Work
NCC offers all course work designated NCLC in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
About New Century College
An integral part of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, New Century College (NCC) offers students a personalized, interdisciplinary education typical of a small liberal arts college within the context of a large public university. Drawing on its own faculty, which is enriched regularly with others from across the university, New Century provides a learning environment that integrates interdisciplinary knowledge with workplace and lifelong learning. The programs enhance students’ technology skills, improve their writing, and provide them with challenging opportunities.
New Century College students interact closely with faculty; engage in critical thinking, problem solving, creative activity, and leadership development; and participate in experiential education in the form of internships, field studies, service learning, or study abroad. They learn to develop original ideas, engage in active and reflective learning, master competency areas, and conduct independent inquiry with high ethical standards. Both the structure and curriculum of New Century College respond to the needs of civic and corporate communities and provide instruction for a rapidly changing society.
Undergraduate Programs
New Century College offers a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science degree in integrative studies. The curriculum is based on intensive, interdisciplinary learning communities, coordinated with traditional academic programs. The result is an integrated program of study that emphasizes collaboration, experiential learning, and self reflection.
All students complete their degree programs with an interdisciplinary concentration. See the programs of study below. Students develop mastery of eight essential competencies (communication, global understanding, group interaction, aesthetic awareness, critical thinking, civic engagement, digital literacy, and well-being) assessed through freshman and graduation portfolios.
Mason Cornerstones
New Century College offers an interdisciplinary first-year program known as Mason Cornerstones. Freshmen from many university majors may be invited to participate. Invitations are based on academic performance and other criteria. Cornerstones is a competitive 24-credit program that consists of a sequence of four courses:
NCLC 101, 102, and 203 are writing-intensive courses that emphasize written communication as a way of thinking, discovering, and expressing ideas. Students who complete these three courses with a minimum GPA of 2.0 have fulfilled 3 credits of the general education requirement in written communication (equivalent to ENGH 101). Students who successfully complete all of Mason Cornerstones with a minimum GPA of 2.00 will have also met the university general education requirements in oral communication, information technology, literature, arts, non-laboratory natural science, global understanding, Western civilization, and social and behavioral science.
Transfer Students
New Century College welcomes transfer students from other four-year institutions or community colleges, as well as from other academic units within Mason. Academic advisors work with students to best use transfer credits and provide a plan for timely completion of the bachelor’s degree. All transfer students are required to take NCLC 391 within their first two semesters and meet with an academic advisor as soon as possible.
Minors
New Century College offers minors in childhood studies, consciousness and transformation, leadership studies, multimedia, nonprofit studies, and science and society. All are available to students in any major in the university. See the Minors and Interdisciplinary Minors section of this chapter.
The Sustainability Studies Minor is offered jointly by the Department of Environmental Science and Policy and New Century College. For details, see the Department of Environmental Science and Policy section of the College of Science chapter of this catalog.
Graduate Programs
The college sponsors the concentration in zoo and aquarium leadership in the master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies (MAIS) . This concentration prepares students for advanced careers in modern, professional zoos and aquariums. Admission to the concentration and enrollment in the courses is restricted to members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums.
See the Interdisciplinary Studies section of this chapter for details.
Centers
New Century College houses the Center for Consciousness Transformation, the Center for Field Studies, and the Center for Leadership and Community Engagement. The services of these centers are available to all students and faculty in the university.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor
Undergraduate Minor
■ Philosophy
Phone: 703-993-1290
Web: philosophy.gmu.edu
Faculty
Professors: De Nys, Sagoff
Professors emeriti: Bergoffen, Fletcher, McDermott, Skousgaard
Associate professors: Cherubin, Eckenwiler, Froman, Holman, Kinnaman (chair), Light, Paden
Assistant professor: Angner, DiTeresim Jones
Term professor: Boyd
Adjunct professors: D. Gregory, Rogers, Sander, Sojka, Van Camp
Affiliate: Rothbart
Course Work
This department offers all course work designated PHIL in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Undergraduate Programs
The department offers a bachelor’s degree in philosophy, which covers the major issues and areas in philosophy. It is intended to serve the needs of students who wish to pursue graduate studies in philosophy or emphasize philosophy while acquiring a broad liberal arts education. Majors in philosophy take courses in a variety of philosophical traditions and study logic, ethics, and social and political philosophy. With the skills of critical thinking, skillful writing, and analytical reasoning that are the hallmark of philosophy majors, students are well-prepared for a wide range of careers including law, government service, or graduate study.
The philosophy program can complement other interests of students when they complete a second major in another field. Students who plan to pursue more than one undergraduate major should work out a program of study in consultation with advisors from both majors and be familiar with the relevant policies for completing more than one major. See the Academic Policies chapter of the catalog.
In addition to the general degree in philosophy, students can choose a concentration in philosophy and law. This concentration offers philosophy majors the opportunity to focus their study of philosophy in a way that prepares them for the study of the law.
Honors in the Major
Highly qualified students may apply to the honors program in the major. Students can apply in their second semester as a junior, before they have completed 90 credits and should have a minimum GPA of 3.50 in the major. Eligible students should submit a transcript, one letter of recommendation from a member of the philosophy faculty, and one writing sample, a paper from one of the student’s courses in philosophy.
Students pursuing honors in the major complete 6 credits of honors course work in either PHIL 422, 425, or 471. To graduate with honors in philosophy, students must complete these courses with a minimum GPA of 3.50.
Minors
The department offers a minor in philosophy and a minor in philosophy and law. These minors are available to students in any major. The department, in cooperation with the Department of Public and International Affairs, coordinates the interdisciplinary minor in political philosophy. See the Minors and Interdisciplinary Minors section of this chapter.
Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Program
The department offers highly qualified undergraduate majors in philosophy the opportunity to apply to an accelerated master’s degree program in philosophy. If accepted, students will be able to earn both the undergraduate and graduate degrees after satisfactory completion of 144 credits, generally within five years.
Graduate Programs
The department offers a master’s degree in traditional and contemporary philosophy with specialized concentrations in philosophy and cultural theory, ethics and public affairs, and philosophy and public affairs. The degree is designed for students who want to further their professional goals or foster their intellectual development. It provides a solid preparation for advanced work in philosophy or other fields such as women and gender studies, cultural studies, or law. The degree provides grounding in the history of philosophy, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, contemporary continental thought, contemporary analytic philosophy, and philosophy of science.
The focus on traditional and contemporary philosophy of the master’s degree program provides students with a historical and pluralistic approach to philosophical questions. The concentration in ethics and public affairs gives students the opportunity to explore the ethical and philosophical issues that arise in such fields of study and work as business, health care, scientific research, biomedical technology, and public policy. The concentration in philosophy and cultural theory provides students with a distinctive and important theoretical foundation for doctoral work in cultural studies. The concentration in philosophy and public affairs allows students in the graduate program in philosophy at Moscow’s Higher School of Economics to also earn a degree from George Mason.
Students are encouraged to pursue opportunities beyond the classroom such as study abroad, professional internships, and research with faculty members.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor
Undergraduate Minor
Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Program
Master's Degree
■ Psychology
Phone: 703-993-1342
Web: psychology.gmu.edu
Faculty
Professors: Ascoli, Boehm-Davis, Cortina, Denham (director, Applied Developmental Program), Klimoski, Mandes, Parasuraman (director, Human Factors/Applied Cognition Program), Pasnak, Riskind, Rojahn, Smith (director, Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience Program and interim chair), Tangney (director, Clinical Program), Tetrick (director, Industrial/Organizational Program), Winsler, Zaccaro
Research professors: Butler, Olds
Associate professors: Baldwin, Bitler, Blackwell, Buffardi, Cattaneo, Dalal (associate chair for graduate studies), Flinn (director, Neuroscience undergraduate studies), Kashdan, King, McKnight, Peterson, Sanford (associate chair for undergraduate studies), Short
Research associate professors: Greenwood, Stuewig
Assistant professors: Chazen-Cohen, Curby,Esposito-Smythers, Kaplan, McDonald, Renshaw, Rowe, Shaw, Thompson, Youmans
Term associate professors: Chrosniak, Foehlinger (director, School Psychology Program), Mehlenbeck, Wanschura
Research assistant professors: Bassett, Lim, Strenziok
Term assistant professors: Battaglia, Hurley, Thompson (director, Center for Cognitive Development)
Affiliates: Eby, Hunt, Bachus
Course Work
The Psychology Department offers all course work designated PSYC in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Undergraduate Programs
The department offers a bachelor of arts degree and a bachelor of science degree in psychology. All psychology majors complete a broad range of courses from social and abnormal psychology to cognitive and biopsychology. Students can also choose from special topics courses such as forensic psychology and romantic relationships.
In addition to the general degree in psychology, students can choose a concentration in work and organizational psychology. This concentration may be of interest to students who are planning to attend graduate school in industrial and organization (I/O) psychology or a related field such as organizational behavior or human resources management.
Students in psychology may have the opportunity to do research with a faculty member or do a service learning course, which allows them to put into practice what they’ve learned in the classroom.
Students interested in graduate study should be aware that undergraduate research experience and letters of recommendation are major factors for admission to graduate study. Such students should distribute courses across a number of areas in psychology and work closely with one or more professors on individual projects during their junior and senior years.
Honors in the Major
Highly qualified students may apply to graduate with honors in the major. To be eligible for admission, psychology majors must have completed at least 50 credits and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 and a minimum GPA of 3.40 in psychology courses.
If accepted, students must take a sequence of three courses (PSYC 490, 491, and 492), which culminates in the successful completion and presentation of an independent honors thesis. To graduate with honors, students must earn a minimum GPA of 3.50 in their honors courses and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 and a minimum GPA of 3.40 in psychology courses.
Minor
The department offers a minor in psychology available to students in any major in the university.
Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Program
The department offers highly qualified undergraduate majors the opportunity to apply to an accelerated master’s degree program in psychology with a concentration in biopsychology. If accepted, students will be able to earn both an undergraduate degree and the master’s degree with a concentration in biopsychology after satisfactory completion of 146 credits, sometimes within five years.
Graduate Programs
The graduate programs in psychology are distinguished by an emphasis on basic research and the application of research to solving practical problems in families, schools, industry, government, and health care settings.
The department offers master’s and doctoral degrees with concentrations in applied developmental psychology, cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, human factors/applied cognition, and industrial/organizational psychology. They offer a doctoral degree with a concentration in clinical psychology. Finally, they offer a master’s degree with a concentration and certificate in school psychology.
Funding
The department offers teaching and research assistantships, which are awarded on a competitive basis. Other sources of funding such as grants, loans, and employment on campus are also available. Students awarded assistantships must register for a minimum of six credits a semester and show satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Certificates
The department offers graduate certificates in aviation psychology, usability, and cognitive neuroscience. These have been designed to meet the needs of students who desire to upgrade their skills and earn a certificate as evidence of their skill attainment. Students may take these as stand-alone certificates or pursue them concurrently with a graduate degree program. Part of the certificate course work may be able to be applied to the degree. Students must apply and be accepted to a graduate certificate program.
The certificate programs are open to all students who hold a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university and meet the admissions requirements for the master’s degree in psychology with a concentration in human factors and applied cognition.
Nondegree Status
Applicants who have not been admitted to a graduate degree program or a certificate program may apply for nondegree status. Nondegree students must meet the same admission requirements as degree-seeking students. Nondegree status is not intended as a way to qualify for admission as a degree-seeking student.
While it may be possible to transfer the credits earned in nondegree status to a degree program, such transfers are not automatic. They require the approval of the graduate director and the dean. If approved, a maximum of 12 credits earned in nondegree status may be applied to a degree program. Nondegree students who intend to transfer their credits to a degree program should discuss this with the appropriate program director.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Minor
Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Program
Master's Degree
Master's Level Certificate
Doctoral Degree
■ Public and International Affairs
Phone: 703-993-1400
Web: pia.gmu.edu
Faculty
Robinson Professors: Heclo, Paden, Pearlstein
Emeritus faculty: Brown, Clark, Gortner, Hart-Nibbrig, Knight, White
Professors: Abramson, Conant, Conlan, Druckman, Dudley, Katz, Mahler, McFerson, Posner, Regan (chair), Sockett, Wan, Wilsford
Associate professors: Balint, Benjamin, Burt, Dueck, Hackler, Harbour, Lukacs, Mandaville, McDonald, McGlinchey, Miller, Nguyen, Sacco, Thrall, Toepler, Travis
Assistant professors: Daigle, Haddad, Koblentz, Lopez-Santana, McGrath, Ouagrham-Gormley, Robbins
Term faculty: Burroughs, Edner, Ericson, Ludwick, Walker
Adjuncts: Becelia, Butler, Combs, Day, Dinella, Elving, Fant, Frederickson, Froehlich, Ghosh, Hall, Long, Maslyn, Raffety, Shafroth, Shiraev, Stabile, Stahl, Swanson, Tadie, Taylor, Thiel, Tibbets, Vance, Wermuth, White
Affiliate faculty: Annpurna, Bernardi, Bushee, Connolly, Farnsworth, Gandhi, Goerl, Healy, Hoagland, Loonsk, Marshall, Mendis, O’Neil, Peake, Shogan, Teachenko
Course Work
The Public and International Affairs Department offers all course work designated BIOD, GOVT, and PUAD in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Undergraduate Programs
The department offers two degrees for students interested in political science, government, and international relations: a BA in government and international politics and a BS in public administration. Majors in government and international politics take core courses in American political institutions, the political systems of other countries, and international relations. Students can focus their electives to earn a concentration in American politics, international politics, political theory and law, or public policy. Majors in public administration take courses in government, management, policy, and administration. Concentrations are offered in administration and management, public policy, nonprofit management, US government institutions, and administration and economics.
Students have an opportunity to do internships as part of their degree programs, gaining valuable work experience while earning college credit.
Honors in the Major
Highly qualified students majoring in government and international politics and public administration may pursue advanced work leading to graduation with honors in the major. Those students selected for participation in this program take a two-course sequence GOVT 491 and 496. To graduate with honors in the major, students must complete these courses with a minimum GPA of 3.50.
Minors
The department offers minors in American government, international/comparative studies, legal studies, and public policy and management. In addition, faculty from the department coordinate or participate in the Asia-Pacific Studies Minor , Global Systems Minor , Middle East Studies Minor , Islamic Studies Minor , and Urban and Suburban Studies Minor . It participates with the Philosophy Department in the Political Philosophy Minor . See the Minors and Interdisciplinary Minors section of this chapter.
Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Programs
The department offers highly qualified undergraduates the opportunity to apply to an accelerated master’s degree program in political science or public administration. If accepted, students will be able to earn both an undergraduate and a graduate degree after satisfactory completion of 150 credits, sometimes within five years.
Graduate Programs
The department offers masters and doctoral programs in biodefense and political science. The department also offers a master of public administration (MPA), in which students can focus their electives to earn a concentration in administration of justice, emergency management and homeland security, environmental science and public policy, human resources management, international management, nonprofit management, policy studies, public management, public and nonprofit finance, state and local government, or third-party governance.
Funding
The department offers teaching and research assistantships, which are awarded on a competitive basis. Other sources of funding such as grants, loans, and employment on campus are also available. Students awarded assistantships must register for a minimum of six credits a semester and show satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Certificate Programs
The department offers six graduate certificates. Students may pursue a certificate as a stand alone program or as part of another graduate degree. They must apply for admission to the certificate program and meet the admission standards set for degree-seeking graduate students in the department.
Master’s International (MI)
Graduate students can take advantage of Master’s International (MI), a joint program between Mason and the Peace Corps, which enables participants to combine Peace Corps volunteer service with the master’s degrees in political science or public administration. See the degree programs below for more details.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor
Undergraduate Minor
Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Program
Master's Degree
Master's Level Certificate
Doctoral Degree
■ Religious Studies
Phone: 703-993-1290
Web: religious.gmu.edu
Faculty
Professor: Ro (chair)
Professors emeriti: Burns
Associate professors: M. Dakake, Farina, Nguyen, Shiner
Assistant professors: Hammer, Rashkover, Seales
Adjuncts: Bond, D. Dakake, Dreyer, Hebbar, Hostetter, Padgett
Course Work
This department offers all course work designated RELI in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Undergraduate Programs
The department offers a bachelor’s degree in religious studies for students who are interested in learning more about the world’s religious traditions. Majors explore the many dimensions of religion and study religion’s spiritual, historical, cultural, and social aspects.
Areas of study offered by the department include Asian religious traditions, Near (Middle) East religious traditions (Judaism, Islam, and Christianity), and comparative aspects of religion. Though the required coursework, majors in religious studies develop skills in reading and interpreting sacred texts. They explore the cultural and social dimensions of religion along with a consideration of religious values and ethics, from comparative and cross-cultural perspectives with relation to global issues.
The courses in the undergraduate program are writing intensive. They enable students to study and analyze religious ideas and symbols and give them the skills they need to present well-argued papers.
Minors
Students majoring in religious studies are encouraged to do one of the many minors offered by the college. See the Minors and Interdisciplinary Minors section of this chapter.
The department also offers minors in religious studies and Judaic studies, both of which are available to students in all majors in the university.
Graduate Program
The department sponsors the concentration in religion, culture, and values in the master’s degree in individualized studies (MAIS). This concentration is designed for students who interested in exploring the world’s major religions at the graduate level. Students study the development and interaction of the global religious traditions that influence human identity, behavior, culture, and values. They investigate the effects that historical crises and the forces of change have on religion, placing contemporary religious pluralism and inter-religious dialog in a global context.
See the Interdisciplinary Studies section of this chapter for details.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Minor
■ Russian and Eurasian Studies
Phone: 703-993-1233
Web: russianstudies.gmu.edu
Faculty
Barnes (History and Art History), Bockman (Sociology and Anthropology), Boettke (Economics), Christensen (Modern and Classical Languages), Johnsen-Neshati (Theater), Katz (Public and International Affairs), Kelly (History and Art History), Korostelina (Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution), Levine (Modern and Classical Languages, director), McGlinchey (Public and International Affairs), Pacynska (Institute for Conflict Analysis and Resolution), Vasilyeva-Roberts (Modern and Classical Languages), Wade (History and Art History)
Coursework
As an interdisciplinary program, Russian and Eurasian Studies draws on many courses from across the university. Students should consult with the director to determine whether a particular course may be used to fulfill a requirement or elective in the degree program.
Undergraduate Program
The bachelor’s degree in Russian and Eurasian studies allows students to choose a concentration in one of three areas: Russian language and culture, Russia studies, or Eurasia studies.
Undergraduate Degree
■ Sociology and Anthropology
Phone: 703-993-1440
Web: soan.gmu.edu
Faculty
Emeritus faculty: Black, Dumont, Golomb, Williams (anthropology); Borkman (sociology)
Professors: Haines, Schiller, Seligmann, Williams (anthropology); Dennis, Jacobs, Kurtz, Witte, Scimecca (sociology)
Associate professors: Bickford, Trencher (chair) (anthropology); Best, Bockman, Dale, Guagnano, Hanrahan, Jacobs, Rader, Rosenblum, Samara (sociology)
Assistant professors: Benitez, Hughes, Mantz, Sadana (anthropology); Davis, Kim (sociology)
Term associate professor: Masters (sociology)
Adjuncts: Gerber (anthropology); Minnich, Nambiar, Pearlman, Sandole-Staroste (sociology)
Affiliate faculty: Avruch, Blum (anthropology); Goldstone, Johnson, Spalter-Roth (sociology)
Course Work
This department offers all course work designated ANTH, SOAN, and SOCI in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
Undergraduate Programs
Anthropology
The department offers a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology. The program draws broadly from the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences, making it a strong undergraduate major that provides a sound interdisciplinary preparation for a variety of careers.
Honors in the Major
Highly qualified students majoring in anthropology may apply to graduate with honors in the major. To be eligible, students must have completed at least 60 credits, taken ENGH 302 for the social sciences, completed 15 credits of anthropology (including ANTH 114), and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30 and a minimum grade of B+ in anthropology courses.
If accepted, students complete two honors courses. The first course is an honors section of one of these courses: ANTH 496, 410, 420, 430, 450, 495, or other course chosen in consultation with the honors director. The second course is ANTH 499, in which students complete an honors paper written under the guidance of an anthropology faculty member. All candidates for honors in the major participate in an honors colloquium. To graduate with honors in the major, students must complete the honors coursework with a minimum GPA of 3.50.
Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Program
The department offers highly qualified majors in anthropology the opportunity to apply to an accelerated master’s degree program in anthropology. If accepted, students will be able to earn both the undergraduate and graduate degrees after satisfactory completion of 144 credits, sometimes within five years.
Sociology
The department offers a bachelor’s degree in sociology. Sociology majors study how social movements emerge from the collective efforts of individuals and the role that social forces play in defining racial identities and gender roles. They take courses in the theories that explain social phenomena and develop strong research skills, learning how to conduct surveys, interviews, systematic observation as well as how to evaluate sources.
With the strong research skills, critical thinking, and effective writing that are the hallmark of sociology graduates, they are prepared for a variety of career paths from teaching, human service, and human resource occupations to work in the criminal justice system, marketing, and social research. The sociology major is also excellent preparation for students considering law school or graduate training in the social and behavioral sciences.
Honors in the Major
Highly qualified students majoring in sociology may apply to graduate with honors in the major. To be eligible, students must have completed at least 75 credits, taken ENGH 302 for the social sciences, completed 21 credits of sociology, and have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.30 and a minimum grade of B+ in sociology courses. Applicants must have completed SOCI 303 and 311 with a minimum grade of B in each.
If accepted, to graduate with honors in sociology, students must complete SOCI 480 and 481 with a minimum grade of B+ in each of these courses and have an overall GPA of 3.50 in sociology courses presented for graduation. SOCI 481 includes completion of a honors thesis, which will be presented at a sociology colloquium.
Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Program
The department offers highly qualified majors in sociology the opportunity to apply to an accelerated master’s degree program in sociology. If accepted, students will be able to earn both the undergraduate and graduate degrees after satisfactory completion of 144 credits, sometimes within five years.
Minors
The department offers minors in anthropology and sociology available to students in any major.
The department coordinates the interdisciplinary minor in Immigration Studies and the faculty participate in many other minors in the college. See the Minors and Interdisciplinary Minors section of this chapter for more information.
Graduate Programs
Anthropology
The department offers a master’s degree in anthropology. Students can choose one of three emphases: advanced training in sociocultural anthropology; culture, health and bioethics; or transnational and global issues. They can chose from many courses that are richly interdisciplinary covering such diverse topics as nationalism and transnationalism; bioethics; social movements, ethnicity and identity; conflict and violence; migration, displacement, and refugees; regional ethnography; and political economy and globalization. Departmental specializations include the following regions: Central and South America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States. Course work progresses from core courses to more advanced courses and culminates in a thesis.
Sociology
The department offers master’s and doctoral degrees in sociology. Students pursuing a master’s degree in sociology take required courses in theory and methods and a host of electives. Students may choose to focus their electives in one of a number of emphases: sex and gender; crime, delinquency, and corrections; race and ethnicity; cultural studies; or conflict analysis and management.
The doctoral degree in sociology provides rigorous training in public and applied social research, including skills in research design, data analysis, and substantive areas that are pertinent to various sectors in the Washington, D.C., area. Graduates have the theoretical, analytical, and professional skills that prepare them for academic positions in teaching or research. They are also well-qualified for nonacademic positions in the many settings that rely on the expertise of sociologists including human service agencies, marketing research firms, educational systems, nonprofit foundations, and law enforcement agencies.
Funding
The department has a limited number of teaching assistantships, which are awarded on a competitive basis. Other sources of funding such as grants, loans, and employment on campus are also available. Students awarded assistantships must register for a minimum of six credits a semester and show satisfactory progress toward their degree.
Cultural Studies
The master’s degrees in anthropology and sociology provide excellent preparation for students interested in pursuing a doctorate in cultural studies who do not already hold a master’s degree. Within the master’s in sociology, the emphasis in sociology of culture is designed explicitly to prepare students for the doctoral program in cultural studies.
Nondegree Status
Applicants who do not wish to pursue a degree may apply for nondegree status. Nondegree students must meet the same admission requirements as degree-seeking students (minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00, among other criteria). Nondegree students may later apply for admission to a degree program. Up to nine credits earned in nondegree status may transferred to the master’s degrees in anthropology or sociology, subject to the approval of the program director and dean.
Undergraduate Degree
Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor
Undergraduate Minor
Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Program
Master's Degree
Doctoral Degree
■ Women and Gender Studies
Phone: 703-993-2896
Web: wmst.gmu.edu
Faculty
Amireh, Baily, Baker, Beach, Bergoffen, E. Bernard, Best, Burt, Carbonneau, Cattaneo, Censer, Cheldelin, Chen, Cherubin, Chollar, Christensen, Constantine, Copelman, Davidson, Dakake, Davis, Deshmukh, Dunne, Eby, Eckenwiler, Feerick, Garner, Gilbert, Gorski, Hamdani, Hanrahan, Harvey, Hirsch, Hodges, Hughes, Jadallah, Jenkins, Johnsen-Neshati, Jordan, Kaplan, Karametou, King, Kirsch, Koch, Kravitz, Lindley, Lockwood, Masters, McNeely, Michals, Mink, Misencik, Muir, Pascarell, Peters Burton, Photos, Portillo, Regan, Reybold, Ricouart, Rosenblum, Rosenberger, Sandell, Sandole-Staroste, Schwartzstein, Scott (director), Seligmann, Snyder-Hall, Stearns, Tichy, Todd, Travis, Vivancos Perez, Wagner, Yocom, Zawacki
Course Work
The Women and Gender Studies Program offers all course work designated WMST in the Courses chapter of this catalog.
About Women and Gender Studies at Mason
By choosing to pursue work in women and gender studies, students at all levels engage in an interdisciplinary exploration of gender in social, political, cultural, and economic life; gender in history; women and the media; feminist theory; the relationship between sex and gender; the impact of sex, race, class, disability, and sexual orientation on people’s lives; and the ways in which gender stereotypes influence the self in relationship to others. Students in many courses have the opportunity to investigate these issues in a cross-cultural and global perspective.
Undergraduate Programs
The Women and Gender Studies Program offers an interdisciplinary minor open to students from any major. Students have the opportunity to earn credit toward the minor while doing an internship that helps prepare them for the work place, a service learning course that combines work in a specific course with a service project, or research on gender issues on Mason’s campus. Students pursuing this minor can take advantage of the many activities and resources provided by the Women and Gender Studies Center.
Graduate Programs
The program sponsors the concentration in women and gender studies in the master’s degree in interdisciplinary studies (MAIS). This concentration promotes advanced scholarship that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. Students combine required coursework in women and gender studies with courses in a discipline of interest such as history, literature, sociology, anthropology, health, education, public policy, philosophy, social work, conflict analysis and resolution, environmental science, and the arts. See Interdisciplinary Studies, MAIS section of this chapter.
The program also offers a graduate certificate in women and gender studies. Students may take this as a stand-alone certificate or pursue it concurrently with any graduate degree program. A portion of the certificate course work may be applied to the degree with the approval of the director of the graduate degree and dean. Students must apply and be accepted to a graduate certificate program.
Women and Gender Studies Center
The academic program in women and gender studies is integrated with the Women and Gender Studies Center. The center organizes a wide variety of lectures, conferences, workshops, and other public events throughout the year. The center houses a library and functions as a community space for students and faculty. It supports the Gender Justice Research Community, a monthly forum for research on gender and global human rights, the Global Arts and Culture Research Community, and many other groups of interest to students, faculty, and staff.
Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Minor
Master's Level Certificate
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