George Mason University

MA and Certificate students should consult the university catalog for complete academic policies. Below is a list of some of the most important policies that will affect MA and Certificate students while at Mason.

• Graduate students have six years to complete their academic program.
• MA students may transfer in up to twelve credit hours from another university or non-degree studies.  Certificate students may transfer up to three hours of credit from another university. Detailed transfer of credit policies...
• Graduate students are considered full-time if they are enrolled in nine hours (three classes) unless they are TAs who must be enrolled in six hours (two classes) to be considered full-time. 
• Graduate students who are not receiving financial aid, fellowships, and/or assistantships may take as few as three hours (one class).
• Graduate students may take one semester away from academic study without penalty and without submitting paperwork.
• Students who miss more than one consecutive semester of academic study are required to submit an application for re-enrollment. This application must be approved by the program director and the department chair.
• Graduate students may resign from their program of study by submitting a Voluntary Resignation From Academic Program Form. Resignations will result in a "W" on the student's academic transcript for the semester of study in which they resign.
• Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 GPA while in their program of study.
• MA students may be dismissed after receiving a grade of F in two courses or receiving 9 credits of unsatifactory grades (C or below).
• MA Students may not graduate with more than six credits of C on their academic transcript. Certificate students may not graduate with  more than three credits of C.

Policies for TAs only:

• TAs may not carry an incomplete grade from one semester to another.  "IN"s are considered unacceptable grades and a TA will be placed on warning after receiving an unacceptable grade.  If a TA is given an "IN" he/she must resolve it before the start of the following semester.
• TAs must take at least six credit hours a semester to remain eligible for an assistantship.