Graduate Student Affairs

All students enrolled at George Mason University are expected to abide by the honor code. Students suspected of violating the honor code will be referred to the Academic Standards Office for review. Students found in violation of the honor code will be subject to sanctions outlined by the Academic Standards Code.

• Graduate students, if found in violation, can be suspended or terminated from their program.
  • Graduate students on funded graduate assistantships, whether internal or external, will be terminated from funded positions.
  • International students on F-1 or J-1 visas will be terminated from graduate assistantship positions, the graduate program, and required to contact OIPS to leave the country immediately.

A graduate student in the College of Science will become eligible for termination upon accumulating grades of “F” in two courses, accumulating 9 credits of unsatisfactory grades in graduate courses (C’s and/or F’s), being found in violation of plagiarism by the Office of Academic Standards, failure to pass the required Comprehensive Qualifying Examination(s) within the parameters established by the department in which the degree is sought (i.e., some departments require a pass within two attempts; some departments have a firm deadline that must be met); and/or failing to make satisfactory progress toward degree.   

A student who is terminated may not take additional course work at the university unless a new graduate program application has been submitted and the applicant has been admitted to graduate study (see University Catalog policy AP.6.6.3). 

• Failure to make satisfactory progress toward degree will be evaluated and determined by the College of Science (Graduate Affairs) and/or Associate Provost for Graduate Education.
• Once a student has met one or more of the criteria for termination, they may only avoid termination by obtaining an academic policy exception (see University Catalog policy AP.6.6.2).  The academic policy exception, also referred to as the academic termination exception, for graduate students in the College of Science is described below.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to know the termination criteria (including, but not limited to, program time limits and grade requirements) and the process for initiating an academic policy exception request to the College of Science Associate Dean for Graduate Affairs. See the information under Academic Termination Exception Request on this webpage for this process.

A student who is terminated from the graduate program will receive written notification from the Associate Dean of Student Affairs. Termination is effective upon receipt of notification unless an appeal is approved by the Graduate Division. 

The notation of academic termination is affixed to the graduate student's official record.

The College of Science considers termination from a graduate program a very serious outcome. Faculty recognize that, due to unforeseen circumstances beyond the student’s control, an exception to the academic termination policy may be considered and/or justified.

• Students who meet the criteria for academic termination may submit a written Graduate Termination Exception Request to the college's Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Student Affairs.
  • Exception requests must include (a) specific details describing the unique and extenuating circumstances under which the student is unable to maintain minimum standards of academic performance and (b) a letter of support from the Advisor or Dissertation/Thesis Chair/Graduate Program Director addressing why an exception should be granted, how the program will be supportive to ensure successful and timely degree completion, any recommendations/requirements associated with the program’s approval, and any other relevant information for consideration.
• Exceptions for termination are reviewed by the college's Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Student Affairs or designee, with input from the Graduate Program Director or Department Chair within the student's department and any others deemed needed.
  • Based on the written information provided, an assessment will be made to determine whether extenuating circumstances beyond the student’s control justify granting an exception to the academic termination policy.
    • For evaluative purposes, extenuating circumstances must satisfy the following: circumstances are extraordinary, beyond a student’s control, and provide a reasonable basis for justifying the student’s academic performance. The following are NOT considered extenuating circumstances: reasons related to professional responsibilities, i.e., new job, additional job responsibilities, course-loading in attempts to graduate early, missed deadline to drop or withdraw from a course.
  • In-person meetings are not granted for Academic Exception Requests.
• The College of Science’s Graduate Director will notify the student of the outcome in writing. The student will be provided with the decision, along with the rationale for the decision.
• The College of Science’s Graduate Director will submit all documents reviewed by the Associate Dean and rationale to the Graduate Division.
  • All requests for exception to termination policy that are approved by the College of Science must also be approved by the Associate Provost for Graduate Education or designee. See here for further information.
• If the student’s Academic Exception Request is denied, the student may appeal the denial within five business days to the Graduate Division. Appeals are submitted by the student directly to the Graduate Division (geappeal@gmu.edu). Find additional information on Graduate Division processes.
• Any academic termination exception request must be received by the College of Science within ten (10) business days of written notice of eligibility for academic termination. If a student does not submit an exception request by this deadline, the student will be terminated from the college.

A notation of academic warning is entered on the transcript of a graduate student who receives a grade of C or F in a graduate course (see AP.6.6.1).

All matriculating graduate students are expected to continuously enroll in the required number of credits and pay the associated fees each term. Refer to AP.6.1.2, Continuous Registration Requirement, for additional information. 

Permission to re-enroll (AP.6.4.3) in a program must be obtained by master's and doctoral degree students who have not enrolled in at least 1 credit for one or more consecutive semesters at Mason and do not have a university approved leave or permission to study elsewhere. The Graduate Re-enrollment form is available from the Office of the University Registrar.

Once a final grade has been recorded by the Office of the University Registrar, it can be changed only in cases of computational or recording error, or pursuant to a successful appeal of the grade (AP.3.9). 

• In the case of an unsuccessful appeal, the decision of the Associate Dean is final and the decision cannot be appealed to the Provost Office or university administration.
• Grade change requests will be reviewed by the program director and the Associate Dean of Graduate Student Affairs.
• Additional work of any type submitted to improve a grade after the final grade has been assigned and sent to the Office of the University Registrar is never accepted.
• All changes of final grades must be initiated, approved, and recorded by the last day of classes of the next regular semester (spring for fall grades, and fall for spring and summer term grades).

Students enrolled in the College of Science may perform degree audits using the university’s Degree Works system. Please refer to the tutorials and other pertinent information provided on the Registrar’s website.

The university-wide graduate grading system is as follows:

Although a B- is a satisfactory grade for a course, students must maintain a 3.00 grade point average in their degree program and present a 3.00 GPA in the courses listed on the graduation application.

Although the individual faculty member is generally the best judge of student performance, there may be times when a student believes a grade is assigned unfairly. 

• Appeals will not be considered for missed deadlines, lack of curving, +/- not being used for final letter grades.
• Students should first contact the instructor of record to discuss the grade.  If the matter is not resolved with the instructor of record, please contact the chair of the department for the course.
• Only courses offered by faculty members in the College of Science may be considered for grade appeals. For courses offered by academic units external to the College of Science, you will need to contact the specific department and follow their grade appeal process.
• Per university policy AP.3.9, grade appeals must be submitted before the last day of classes for the following semester (spring for fall grades, fall for spring and summer grades).
• The decision of the college Associate Dean is final and is not subject to further appeal. The Provost’s Office does not consider grade appeals, nor does the University Academic Appeals Committee.

To apply previously earned George Mason University graduate coursework toward a future degree, the coursework must meet certain criteria, including being taken at the graduate level, earned within 10 years of enrollment, have a grade of "B-" or higher, and not previously applied towards another degree. For additional information please see AP.6.5 Credit by Exam or Transfer.

Due to unforeseeable circumstances, a student may be unable to complete the course before the academic term ends. Assignable temporary grades, which can be found in the university catalog, include IN (Incomplete), IX (Incomplete, extended), IP (In Progress), AB (Absent with Permission), and SP (Special Permission). Additional information for each assignable grade can be found in AP.3.3. Additional Grade Notations. 

Incomplete (IN)

This grade may be given to students who are passing a course but who may be unable to complete scheduled coursework for a cause beyond reasonable control. Unless the faculty member has specified an earlier deadline, the student must then complete all the requirements by the end of the ninth week of the next semester, not including summer term, and the instructor must turn in the final grade by the end of the 10th week. Additional time may be granted upon approval of an Incomplete Extension form. Faculty members who choose to require an earlier incomplete deadline will be required to file an Incomplete Grade Contract with the local academic unit’s office, detailing the work that remains to be done, the general reason for the incomplete, and the student’s grade at the point of receiving the incomplete. Students who have filed their intent to graduate have only six weeks from the date of degree conferral to resolve any incomplete grades and have the final grades recorded by the University Registrar’s office.  

IN has no effect on the GPA and remains on the record until the work is completed and a final grade is submitted by the instructor. If the work has not been completed and no final grade has been submitted by the established deadline, the grade of IN is changed by the University Registrar's office to the Incomplete Final Grade recorded at the time of the IN grade designation.

Incomplete, extended (IX)

IX is given by the Office of the University Registrar after receiving an Incomplete Extension form signed by the instructor and the appropriate dean. The extension gives students additional time to complete work; the amount of time is specified by the instructor. The final grade must be submitted to the University Registrar’s office before the beginning of the final exam period for the semester in which the IN grade was originally due. A grade of IX affects the academic record in the same way as does a grade of IN.

In Progress (IP)

This grade may be given in selected courses, including graduate theses, dissertations, practicums, and internships. IP grades will be awarded in courses numbered 799, 998 and 999 until successful completion, and then they will be changed to S/NC. Upon successful completion of 799, 998 or 999 and submission of the final grade, grades for all prior sections will be changed to S/NC.

Absent with permission (AB)

A student who has received permission from the academic dean or director to be absent from a final exam for cause beyond reasonable control may receive a temporary grade of AB. A rescheduled exam must be administered within 10 business days of the original exam date, or the AB will automatically become an F. Final determination of academic status is not complete while the AB remains on the transcript.

Special Provision (SP)

The grade of SP may be given by a dean to students who are unable to complete the course requirements because of extraordinary long-term circumstances, such as major illness or military deployment. SP has no effect on the GPA and remains on the transcript until the work is completed and a final grade is assigned.

Graduate students in the College of Science, who have earned a satisfactory grade in a course that is not repeatable for credit, are not permitted to repeat the course for replacement credit and/or grade. Grades of “B-” and higher are considered satisfactory unless the academic program specifies a higher minimum satisfactory grade.

• A written request to repeat a course in which a grade of “C” or lower has been earned must be submitted to the program director in the department. The approval or disapproval of the request will be communicated in writing to the student and a copy of the decision sent to cosgrad@gmu.edu, including the rationale for the decision.
• When a course is repeated, all credit hours attempted are used in the GPA calculation to determine warning, termination, or dismissal. The transcript shows all grades (original and repeat) for all courses attempted. Only one grade per course may be presented on the degree application. For additional information, refer to AP.1.3.4 .

Graduate courses in the College of Science may be audited. Students wishing to audit a course should refer to the university’s policy – AP.1.3.5.   
Auditing a course requires the instructor's permission. Audit forms are available at Office of the University Registrar. A previously-audited course may be taken again for credit in a later term. Students may also audit a course previously taken and passed; however, students may not change from credit to audit status or from audit to credit status after the end of the drop period, as defined above. The usual tuition and fees apply to audit status.

Contact the department sponsoring the course in order to get approved. 

Critical dates regarding enrollment are published on the Office of the University Registrar’s website. Students who wish to add themselves into a course after the University published deadline should review the following before submitting an exception request. 

Students and faculty are responsible for knowing deadlines published on the university’s calendar. Failure to know or lack of awareness of deadlines will not be considered an acceptable reason for approving a late add.

The College of Science does not approve late-add requests (1) after the first week of classes has ended (for courses that meet less than the full semester) and (2) after the second week of classes has ended for full-semester courses.

• Prior to submitting the Late Schedule Adjustment Form, the student must seek approval from the course instructor and the department chair/program director offering the course.
  • Upon approval at the departmental level, the electronic form is routed in the system for additional approvals.
  • After all approvals, the student is able to officially add into the class. Per university guidelines, AP.1.3, students are not allowed to attend or remain in classes unless they are properly enrolled.
• The Late Schedule Adjustment Form is a request. It does not guarantee admission into a course. 

Students should be mindful of the published “drop” deadline for each semester. Attempts to late-add into a course beyond the published “drop” deadline requires approval from the College of Science Office of Graduate Student Affairs. Retroactive enrollment will not be considered to circumvent standard enrollment and late-add policies.

The College of Science Office of Graduate Student Affairs only reviews courses which are offered by academic units in the College of Science.

Currently matriculating graduate students who wish to take a course(s) at another accredited U.S. institution must obtain advance written approval from the director of their graduate program and the Associate Dean of Graduate Student Affairs in the College of Science. A minimum 3.00 cumulative grade point average is required. The Study Elsewhere form can be found on the Office of the University Registrar’s website.

Graduate students may drop from any or all courses during the drop period and withdraw from any or all courses during the unrestricted withdrawal period.A partial withdrawal from courses is rarely approved. In cases where a partial withdrawal is requested, it is the student’s responsibility to provide all necessary documentation from third party sources (i.e., employment reassignment, relocation, extenuating and ongoing medical conditions) to support the request within the specified number of days outlined on the request for withdrawal. In the case of military deployment, student must also contact the Office of Military Services.

• The thesis/dissertation advisor should be consulted prior to withdrawing from courses.
• An updated Plan Of Study (POS) must be approved, showing when the course(s) that the student is withdrawing from will be completed.
• The thesis/dissertation advisor must sign the withdrawal request, acknowledging support and approval.
• A copy of the revised Plan Of Study must be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator in the Department and a copy sent to the College of Science Office of Graduate Student Affairs.

Students must email cosgrad@gmu.edu and request an “Application For Withdrawal”. Upon approval by the College of Science Associate Dean of Graduate Affairs, a student may withdraw after the drop period without academic penalty, only for nonacademic reasons that the associate dean has approved are sufficient to merit an exception to policy. 

Graduation is not an automatic process. Students should apply to graduate no later than the application deadline. You must be in good financial standing and not have any holds on your account with the University in order to receive your diploma. 

• Exceptions to the posted deadlines will not be requested by the College of Science Associate Dean of Graduate Student Affairs or administrators.
• If you have courses left to take in a summer term, then you are ineligible to participate in the university’s spring commencement ceremony; you must apply for summer graduation. For additional information, refer to graduation.

Master’s degree students have six (6) calendar years (refer to AP.6.9.2) from the time of first enrollment, as a degree-seeking student, to complete their degrees. Individual master’s programs may have stricter time limits. International students attending in F-1 or J-1 status also have more restrictive time limits; contact the Office of International Programs and Services (OIPS) for more information.

• The time limit for certificate completion is six (6) calendar years, the same as that for the master’s degrees.
• Doctoral degree students have nine (9) calendar years (refer to AP.6.10.1) from the time of first enrollment, as a degree-seeking student, to complete their degrees.Individual doctoral program may have stricter time limits.

Students who will not meet published time limits because of circumstances beyond their control may request an exception to this policy by petitioning the Associate Dean of Graduate Student Affairs, in the College of Science, for a single extension of up to one calendar year prior to the expiration of their time limit. Failure to meet the applicable time limits or to secure approval of an extension request shall be considered a failure to make satisfactory academic progress and result in termination from the program under AP.6.6.2 (Academic Termination).

• See detailed information regarding how to determine initial deadlines and petition an extension. Absences from Mason do not affect the time limit established by the admit term.
• Former graduate students who have been terminated, dismissed or have resigned from a Mason graduate program and have taken an absence from the university will, upon approval to re-enroll, count the effective time limit for the degree to begin with the date of admission to the new program (see AP.6.6.3).

Previously earned and relevant graduate credits may be eligible for transfer into College of Science programs and certificates; details can be found in the Credit by Exam or Transfer section of the university catalog.

Transfer credit may be considered for graduate coursework earned, with a grade of “B-” or higher, from an institution accredited by a Mason-recognized accrediting agency. Credit may have been earned as a former Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Degree student, or earned at Mason in non-degree graduate status.

Previous credits must have been earned at the graduate level within ten years prior to the first semester enrollment in a Mason graduate program. Courses approved for transfer credit from another institution count only as credit hours and are not included in the overall calculation of the Mason cumulative GPA or the degree GPA.

See catalog policy AP.6.5.2.2 for limits on the number of credits that can be transferred or earned outside of Mason for certificate, Master’s, and doctoral programs. Students should submit a written request to their graduate program’s office to have their official transcript evaluated by the program or academic director for possible transfer credit. Course descriptions and/or syllabi must be submitted for each course to be evaluated. At the discretion of the program or academic director, the student may be given a waiver of a core course rather than credit for the course. In the case of a waiver, the student is required to make up the credits by taking additional elective credits to complete their degree.

Students wishing to transfer credit older than 10 years must obtain the approval of both the program or academic director for their degree or certificate program and the Associate Dean of Graduate Student Affairs. Students should follow the process outlined above to request transfer of credit. Once the program or academic director has reviewed the transfer credit request, they will forward the request to the Associate Dean for final review and approval.

The employee tuition exemption benefit can only be used by adjunct faculty when they are in non-degree status.

Adjunct faculty who are also enrolled in degree programs are considered students first; therefore, they will be reclassified as graduate lecturers and will not be eligible for tuition exemption benefits.

Graduate Research Assistants, Graduate Teaching Assistants, and Graduate Lecturers are considered students and therefore do not receive tuition exemption under this policy. If your contract mentions tuition waiver, please contact your department for assistance.

Departments in the College of Science appoint graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) and graduate research assistants (GRAs) on an annual basis. Appointments include incoming graduate students and continuing graduate students. Assistantships are awarded to graduate students who have demonstrated academic prowess in coursework, research and publications, and/or professional preparation through relevant work experience.

GTA and GRA positions include the following: tuition waiver, stipend, subsidized health insurance. Stipend minimums are determined by the Provost Office. Departments, based on their operational budgets, policies and procedures, may pay at a higher rate.

Incoming students should indicate interest in graduate assistantships during the application for admission process. Continuing students should refer to departmental guidelines as posted by the graduate program coordinator in the department. 

All applicants and candidates, new and continuing, must meet the minimum criteria established by the university, college and the department. 

See graduate financial support for more.