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George Mason University
    George Mason University
   
 
 
 
2016-2017 University Catalog 
  
2016-2017 University Catalog

Graduate Admission Policies


Return to: Admissions  


Admission to graduate programs is competitive. Selection criteria differ by program and are established by departmental faculty. Applicants are evaluated on the strength of their academic background, results of standardized exams (if required by the program), work experience, and any additional evidence of potential success in the program. Each year, program faculty members determine the number of admission offers they may extend by the university resources available for their program.

Admission Standards

To be considered for degree status, the general university graduate admission requirements are as follows:

  • An earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, or international equivalent, verified from official transcripts. (For details, see Admission of International Students  section.) Note: Due to admissions deadlines, graduate students are sometimes admitted before conferral of a bachelor’s degree. Students who are awaiting conferral of the degree will be permitted to register for their first semester. However, continuance in any graduate program requires an official transcript which verifies conferral of a bachelor’s degree. Students enrolled in classes who have not submitted the required proof of degree will have a hold placed on their record. This hold, which will prevent future registration, will not be released until the proper documentation has been provided.
  • A 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale or better in baccalaureate study. The GPA requirement is higher for many graduate programs. For students with post baccalaureate credits, a separate GPA is calculated for each institution. Note: The difficulty of the baccalaureate degree and work experience may be considered in assessing the requirements for admission.

Provisional Admission

A degree-seeking graduate applicant with a baccalaureate degree who has not met all admission requirements may, at the discretion of the college or department, be offered provisional admission if sufficient evidence is presented to suggest the applicant has the ability to pursue graduate work. As a first priority when starting the graduate program, a provisionally admitted student must satisfy the conditions of admission. Once the student has satisfied the conditions specified in the offer of admission and submitted all admission credentials, the provisional qualifier will be removed from the student’s record. Written confirmation indicating the removal will be sent to the student from the college, school, or institute dean or director.

If the student does not meet the conditions within the first 12 credits (or a more restricted time frame specified by the department in the offer of provisional admission), the student will be terminated from the program. All applicants admitted provisionally are in degree-seeking status, and course work taken appears as part of their graduate-level transcript. Students in provisional status may not take courses in the consortium or elsewhere or transfer graduate course work into their program until the provisions of admission have been met.

While the provision is in effect, graduate students whose registration includes undergraduate courses are considered full time if they meet the undergraduate standard by being registered in at least 12 credit hours per semester.

Graduate Application Requirements

For full consideration for graduate admission, applicants must submit the following:

  • Completed online Application for Graduate Study
  • Nonrefundable application fee
  • Application for Virginia In-State Tuition Rates, if claiming entitlement to these rates
  • One official transcript from all institutions previously attended. For information on how to submit transcripts, visit www2.gmu.edu/admissions-aid/how-apply/graduate
  • Goals statement
  • Letters of recommendation as required by the program
  • Other materials specified by the program, including official exam scores from Graduate Admission Exams (such as GRE or GMAT), departmental forms, portfolios, or interviews

International applicants should read the Admission of International Students section for more information on required documentation. Specific departmental admission requirements for degree-seeking students are listed in this catalog under the relevant discipline.

Graduate Applications

Applicants should apply online at www2.gmu.edu/admissions-aid/how-apply/graduate. Applications for the Antonin Scalia Law School can be found at www.law.gmu.edu/admissions/.

Complete graduate applications are reviewed by the Faculty Admissions Committee. Applicants receive written notification of the official admission decision.

Graduate Admission Exams

Most graduate programs use test scores as an additional measurement of an applicant’s qualifications. The exams most often required by graduate programs include the GRE, GMAT, MAT and/or Praxis Core. Specific departmental admission requirements for degree-seeking students are listed in this catalog under the relevant discipline.

For information on how to submit graduate admission exam scores, visit www2.gmu.edu/admissions-aid/how-apply/graduate.

English Proficiency Standards

Mason students participate in rigorous graduate coursework as part of their university educational experience. Therefore, students at Mason must have a full command of academic English at the graduate level in order to be successful throughout their studies. All new graduate students are expected to accurately comprehend written graduate-level English, clearly understand rapidly spoken English in classroom lectures and in professional settings, write with proper grammar and syntax, and be able to respond quickly in English using a vocabulary appropriate for collegiate settings.

For this reason, Mason has a high standard of English proficiency for graduate admission. All Mason graduate programs strictly require applicants to meet that English proficiency standard. Applicants who have earned a bachelors, masters, or doctoral degree from a regionally accredited university in the United States, Canada (excluding province of Quebec), United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand are considered to have met that standard. All other applicants are required to take an English proficiency examination and meet minimum scores set by Mason in order to be considered for admission. The TOEFL, Pearson Test of English, or IELTS exams can be used to meet this requirement.

Specific departmental admission requirements for degree-seeking students are listed in this catalog under the relevant discipline.

Admission of Graduate Degree Holders

Those holding one or more graduate degrees may earn an additional graduate degree in another discipline. For admission to a second graduate degree program, students should submit an application, transcripts, and other documents as required by the second degree program. Course credits used to satisfy the degree requirements for the first graduate degree may not be used to satisfy the degree requirements for the second graduate degree. In programs with overlapping or similar requirements, students will be advised in the subsequent degree program regarding appropriate course substitutions for subjects already covered.

E-mail

Mason uses the e-mail account provided at the point of application to communicate with applicants. Applicants should use this to communicate with the Office of Graduate Admissions, school/department/program and other administrative units, and check it regularly for important information regarding their admission application.

Self Service Center

Mason provides all graduate applicants with an online Self-Service Center at the point of the application submission. This Self-Service Center can be accessed at masongrad.hobsonradius.com/ssc/. Applicants are responsible for regularly reviewing this Self-Service Center for uploading many of the required items for their application and reviewing important information regarding their admission status. 

Offer of Admission

Applicants will be notified that a decision has been made on their application via their email. In order to view their official decision letter, applicants must log in to their online Self-Service Center. The offer of admissions will not be sent via postal mail. The offer of admission specifies the effective date of admission, category of admission offered, and name of the faculty advisor assigned to the applicant. This offer is good only for the semester for which the applicant applies. The offer must be accepted by submitting an online Intent to Enroll form and a deposit, if required by the school, college or program. A denial of admission is not subject to appeal. Questions pertaining to admission waitlists should be directed to the appropriate college or school as policies vary by graduate program.

Right to Withdraw Offer

Mason reserves the right to withdraw offers of admission if applicants fail to satisfy all requirements or it is determined that admission was obtained through the use of incomplete, falsified, altered, or embellished information. In the case of withdrawal of admission from a matriculated student, credit earned at Mason may be withheld. Additionally, the university reserves the right to withdraw the offer of admission to any student based on cancellation of any test score required for admission.

Reactivation of Deferred Applications

Applicants are notified when action on an application has been deferred pending completion of courses that are prerequisite to graduate study in a chosen field. Applicants should notify the Office of Graduate Admissions in writing as soon as the prerequisites have been met. Applicants are responsible for furnishing official transcripts confirming that prerequisite courses have been satisfactorily completed. An admission decision cannot be made until these grades are received.

Change in Field of Graduate Study

Admission for graduate study is admission to a specific program. Therefore, a student is not free to change graduate programs at will. Students seeking to change from one graduate program to another (at the same level and within the same college) need the approval of their dean and should contact their dean’s office for the appropriate form and instructions. Note that residency requirements must be met after the change to the new program, no new time limit is given, and the student must resign from the previous program. For students seeking a change between two colleges, resignation from the previous program, a new application, application fee, official transcripts, and proof of degree from prior institutions are required. Previous acceptance into one graduate program does not guarantee acceptance into another.

Graduate Study during Summer Term

Graduate programs do not admit for summer term, however, students accepted for the fall semester are considered admitted students and some graduate programs may allow students to take courses during the preceding summer.

Records Maintenance and Disposal

All admissions documents, including academic records sent from other institutions, become part of the official university file. Admission credentials are retained for only 12 months. They are subsequently destroyed if applicants do not register for courses within the period for which the offer of admission is valid; have been denied admission; do not respond to requests for additional information; or fail to submit complete applications, including all official transcripts and test results.