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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.
Students admitted into a graduate preparation bridge program in provisional status can complete up to 30 credits of coursework in preparation for a graduate degree. 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
- Two official transcripts from all institutions previously attended, for each graduate program application. However, only one official transcript is required if you are applying to one of the following schools or colleges: College of Health & Human Services, College of Humanities & Social Sciences, School of Law, School of Management, or the Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study. Those applying for more than one program within the same school or college may submit one set of requisite transcripts.
- Goals statement
- Letters of recommendation as required by the program
- Official exam scores, such as GRE or GMAT, reported directly from the appropriate testing service, as required by the program
- Other materials specified by the program, including departmental forms, portfolio, or interview
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 are strongly encouraged to apply online at admissions.gmu.edu/grad/contacts. Applications for the School of Law can be found at www.law.gmu.edu. Applying online saves students time and money. In addition, students should collect all supplementary materials and submit them to the appropriate graduate processing center listed below.
Application Processing Centers
The graduate admissions process is decentralized at Mason. Applicants should send their applications and support documents directly to the Graduate Admissions Application Processing Center assigned to their program. Specific mailing instructions are listed at admissions.gmu.edu/grad, as well as below. Once a graduate application is complete and ready to be evaluated for admission, the graduate application file is sent to the academic department for review by the Faculty Admissions Committee. An applicant is notified by mail of the admission decision.
Below is a list of the Graduate Admissions Application Processing Centers with contact information. Graduate admission questions may be directed to the specific center assigned to an applicant’s program by school, college, or institute.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS)
Graduate Office
4400 University Drive, MS 2D2
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-3699
Fax: 703-993-8714
E-mail: chssgrad@gmu.edu
College of Health and Human Services (CHHS)
Graduate Office
4400 University Drive, MS 5A8
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-1736
Fax: 703-993-3606
E-mail: chhsgrad@gmu.edu
College of Science (COS)
Graduate Office
4400 University Drive, MS 6A3
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-9532
Fax: 703-993-9034
E-mail: cosgrad@gmu.edu
College of Education and Human Development (CEHD)
Graduate Office
4400 University Drive, MS 4D1
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-2010
Fax: 703-993-2020
E-mail: cehdgrad@gmu.edu
The Volgenau School of Engineering (VSE)
4400 University Drive, MS 3D5 (use MS 5C8 for PhD programs)
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-1512
Fax: 703-993-1242
E-mail: vsegadm@gmu.edu
School of Law (SOL)
3301 Fairfax Drive, MS 1G3
Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: 703-993-8010
Fax: 703-993-8088
E-mail: lawadmit@gmu.edu
School of Management (SOM)
Graduate Office
4400 University Drive, MS 1C9
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-1158
Fax: 703-993-2392
E-mail: mba@gmu.edu
School of Public Policy (SPP)
Graduate Office
3351 Fairfax Drive, MS 3B1
Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: 703-993-8099
Fax: 703-993-4876
E-mail: spp@gmu.edu
College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA)
Graduate Office
4400 University Drive, MS 1H4
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-1158
Fax: 703-993-9037
E-mail: cvpagrad@gmu.edu
School for Conflict Analysis and Resolution (SCAR)
Graduate Office
3351 Fairfax Drive, MS 4D3
Arlington, VA 22201
Phone: 703-993-1300
Fax: 703-993-1302
E-mail: scarinfo@gmu.edu
Krasnow Institute for Advanced Study (KR)
(Computational Social Science Admissions only)
Graduate Office
4400 University Drive, MS 6B2
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703-993-9298
Fax: 703-993-9290
E-mail: cssgrad@gmu.edu
Graduate Admission Exams
Most graduate programs use test scores as an additional measurement of an applicant’s qualifications.
Information and registration bulletins for all national graduate admissions exams are available at the University Admissions Office.
The GRE may be taken in two forms: the general exam and subject exam. Some departments require official scores for both types of exams. Students may schedule the computer-based GRE general exam by calling 800-473-2255. Students may register for the GRE subject exam online at www.gre.org. To have GRE scores sent to Mason, please use school code 5827.
The GMAT is accepted by many graduate programs at Mason. The School of Management accepts the GMAT or GRE. Students may schedule the computer-based GMAT online at www.mba.com.
The Miller Analogies Test (MAT) is a test of 100 analogies and may substitute for the GRE in some graduate programs. To have official MAT scores sent to Mason, use Mason’s MAT code 1768. For information about scheduling the MAT, call 800-622-3231 or go to www.tpcweb.com - Miller Analogies Test.
The Praxis Core is required by the College of Education and Human Development for graduate applicants to initial teacher licensure programs. Students may schedule the Praxis Core by calling 800-853-6773. Passing scores on both Praxis Core and Praxis II exams are required for program completion.
All Mason graduate programs strictly require applicants to meet the 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 IETLS – Academic exam or Pearson Test of English can be used to meet this requirement. Additional information on English language proficiency requirements can be found in the AP.6 Graduate Policies section of this catalog.
Further information regarding English language proficiency exams can be found at www.toefl.org, www.ielts.org or www.pearsonpte.com.
Foreign Language Requirements
Certain graduate programs require students to demonstrate foreign language proficiency at a specified level. Students entering programs that require intermediate-level proficiency can demonstrate that proficiency via previous course work that is equivalent to Mason’s foreign language course numbered 210 or, in some programs, by passing an exam. Contact the academic program for information on how to demonstrate language proficiency.
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.
Offer of Admission
The written 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 returning a Intent to Enroll form and a deposit, if required by the school or college. Those whose offer of admission has lapsed must submit a new application and fee to be reconsidered for admission at a later date. Students may simultaneously apply to more than one 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 are encouraged to notify their program’s Graduate Admissions Processing Center in writing as soon as 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. |
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