ADVANCE Program Milestones:
All ADVANCE students must adhere to the following requirements. For Milestones #1-#3, failure to meet these milestones will prevent a student from matriculating to Mason and/or result in termination from ADVANCE. For Milestones #4-#7, failure to meet these milestones may delay matriculation to Mason.
1. Students must complete their 91³Ô¹Ï degree within 4 years of being admitted into ADVANCE. Students are highly encouraged to be continuously enrolled at 91³Ô¹Ï/Mason to support progress towards degree completion.
2. Students must maintain a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA at 91³Ô¹Ï and must have a minimum 2.5 GPA upon matriculation to Mason.
3. Students who wish to enroll at Mason for the fall semester must apply for 91³Ô¹Ï spring graduation by March 1 or summer graduation by June 1. Students who wish to enroll at Mason for the spring semester must apply for 91³Ô¹Ï fall graduation by October 1.
4. Students must begin developmental coursework no later than the first semester in ADVANCE at 91³Ô¹Ï.
5. Students must take first college-level MTH course and ENG 111 in the semester immediately following the completion of any MDE or EDE courses (excluding summer).
6. In the first 30 credits, students must complete ENG 111 and ENG 112 with a C or better.
7. Students must complete a Mason Core Quantitative Reasoning course equivalent with a C or better no later than one semester before 91³Ô¹Ï graduation. Refer to your pathway to select the appropriate MTH course(s).
A.A. Liberal Arts
| 91³Ô¹Ï | MASON | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91³Ô¹Ï Degree Requirement | 91³Ô¹Ï Course | Credits | Transfer to MASON As | MASON Degree Requirement |
| SDV Course | SDV 100 College Success Skills or | 1 | UNIV 100 | General Elective |
| SDV 101 Orientation to XXX | UNIV 100 | |||
| ENG 111 | ENG 111 College Composition I1 | 3 | ENGH XXX | General Elective |
| CST Course | CST 100 Principles of Public Speaking or | 3 | COMM 100 | Oral Comm |
| CST 110 Introduction to Human Communication | COMM 101 | |||
| World Language 101 | Any World Language/ASL Course Sequence 101 or | 3-4 | GMU Equivalent | SCHAR For. Lang or General Elective |
| Any General Education Elective (if placed out of World Language)2 | 3-4 | GMU Equivalent | ||
| MTH 154 or MTH 155 | MTH 154 Quantitative Reasoning | 3 | MATH 106 | Quantitative |
| MTH 155 MTH 155 Statistical Reasoning3 | STAT 105T | |||
| ENG 112 | ENG 112 College Composition II1 | 3 | ENGH 101 | Written Comm |
| World Language 102 | Any World Language/ASL Course Sequence 102 or | 3-4 | GMU Equivalent | SCHAR For. Lang or General Elective |
| Any General Education Elective (if placed out of World Language)2 | 3-4 | GMU Equivalent | ||
| PLS 135 Required (91³Ô¹Ï Catalog: MTH 245<sup>3</sup> or General Education Elective) | PLS 135 U.S. Government and Politics | 3 | GOVT 103 | Major & Soc/Behav |
| Lab Science Course | BIO 101 General Biology I or | 4 | BIOL 103/105 | Nat Science |
| CHM 101 Introductory Chemistry or | CHEM 103 | |||
| ENV 121 Foundation of Environmental Science or | EVPP 108/109 | |||
| GOL 105 Physical Geology or | GEOL 101/103 | |||
| GOL 111 Oceanography I or | GEOL 120/121 | |||
| PHY 100 Elements of Physics | PHYS 103 | |||
| ENG Literature | ENG 225 Reading Literature: Culture and Ideas or | 3 | ENGH 202 or FRLN L330 (ENG 255 only) | Literature |
| ENG 245 British Literature or | ENGH 202 or FRLN L330 (ENG 255 only) | |||
| ENG 246 American Literature or | ENGH 202 or FRLN L330 (ENG 255 only) | |||
| ENG 255 World Literature or | ENGH 202 or FRLN L330 (ENG 255 only) | |||
| ENG 258 African American Literature or | ENGH 202 or FRLN L330 (ENG 255 only) | |||
| ENG 275 Women in Literature or | ENGH 202 or FRLN L330 (ENG 255 only) | |||
| ENG Any 200-Level ENG Literature course4 | ENGH 202 or FRLN L330 (ENG 255 only) | |||
| World Language 201 | Any World Language/ASL Course Sequence 201 or | 3-4 | GMU Equivalent | SCHAR For. Lang or General Elective |
| Any General Education Elective (if placed out of World Language)2 | 3-4 | GMU Equivalent | ||
| HIS Elective | HIS 101 Western Civilizations Pre-1600 CE or | 3 | HIST 101T | Global History |
| HIS 102 Western Civilizations Post-1600 CE or | HIST 102T | |||
| HIS 112 World Civilizations Post-1500 CE(recommended) | HIST 125 | |||
| Science Course #2 or General Education Elective | BIO 101 General Biology I or | 3-4 | BIOL 103/105 | Nat Science |
| BIO 102 General Biology II or | BIOL 102 | |||
| CHM 101 Introductory Chemistry or | CHEM 103 | |||
| ENV 121 Foundations of Environmental Science or | EVPP 108/109 | |||
| ENV 122 Applications in Environmental Science or | EVPP 112/113 | |||
| GEO 200 Introduction to Physical Geography or | GGS 102 | |||
| GOL 105 Physical Geology or | GEOL 101/103 | |||
| GOL 106 Historical Geology or | GEOL 102/104 | |||
| GOL 111 Oceanography I or | GEOL 120/121 | |||
| PHY 100 Elements of Physics | PHYS 103 | |||
| Social/Behavioral Sciences #1 | PLS 200 Introduction to Political and Democratic Theory | 3 | GOVT 101 | Major |
| World Language 202 | Any World Language/ASL Course Sequence 202 or | 3-4 | GMU Equivalent | SCHAR For. Lang or General Elective |
| Any General Education Elective (if placed out of World Language)2 | 3-4 | GMU Equivalent | ||
| HIS Elective #2 | HIS 203 History of African Civilizations or | 3 | HIST 261 | Non-Western |
| HIS 231 Introduction to Latin American History or | HIST 271 | |||
| HIS 251 History of Middle East Civilization I or | HIST 281 | |||
| HIS 254 History of Modern East Asian Civilizations | HIST 252 | |||
| HUM 298 | HUM 298 Humanities Seminar | 1 | GMU Equivalent | General Elective |
| Humanities/Fine Arts | ART 100 Art Appreciation or | 3 | ARTH 101 | Arts |
| ART 101 History of Art: Prehistoric to Gothic or | ARTH 200 | |||
| ART 102 History of Art: Renaissance to Modern or | ARTH 201 | |||
| CST 130 Introduction to Theatre or | THR 101 | |||
| CST 151 Film Appreciation I or | ENGH L372 | |||
| MUS 121 Music in Society | MUSI 101 | |||
| Open Elective #1 | PLS 140 Introduction to Comparative Politics | 3 | GOVT 133 | Major |
| Open Elective #2 (This elective must be taken at Mason if selections for all other requirements total 60 credits or more - Please see your ADVANCE Coach) | PHI 100 Introduction to Philosophy or | 3 | PHIL 100 | SCHAR PHIL/RELI |
| PHI 111 Logic or | PHIL 173 | |||
| PHI 220 Ethics and Society or | PHIL 151 | |||
| REL 230 Religions of the World or | RELI 100 | |||
| REL 233 Introduction to Islam or | RELI L312 | |||
| REL 237 Religions of the East or | RELI 212 | |||
| REL 238 Religions of the West | RELI 211 | |||
| Social/Behavioral Sciences #2 | PLS 241 Introduction to International Relations | 3 | GOVT 132 | Major & SCHAR Soc/Behav |
| Total Credits: 60-62 | ||||
For academic policies and procedures, please see 91³Ô¹Ï catalog - http://www.nvcc.edu/catalog/index.html
B.A. Government and International Politics
Concentrations: American Institutions and Processes; Comparative Politics; International Political Economy; International Relations; Law, Philosophy and Governance; Political Analysis; Political Behavior and Identity Politics; Public Policy and Administration; Philosophy, Politics, and Economics; Individualized Students interested in Philosophy, Politics, and Ethics concentration should contact their Mason Advisor5
| MASON Degree Requirement Sequence | Course | Credits | MASON Core/Degree Equivalent | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gen Ed: Information Technology/Core Course | GOVT 300 Research Methods and Analysis | 4 | Info Tech | |
| General Electives | General Elective | 3 | General Elective | |
| Govt. Concentration or Advanced Govt. Field Courses | Any Approved Advanced Government Field Course5,6 | 3 | Major | |
| Gen Ed: Written Communication (Upper-level) | ENGH 302 Advanced Composition | 3 | Written Comm | |
| Govt. Concentration or Advanced Govt. Field Courses | Any Approved Advanced Government Field Course5,6 | 3 | Major | |
| Govt. Concentration or Advanced Govt. Field Courses | Any Approved Advanced Government Field Course5,6 | 3 | Major | |
| Govt. Concentration or Advanced Govt. Field Courses | Any Approved Advanced Government Field Course5,6 | 3 | Major | |
| Govt. Concentration or Advanced Govt. Field Courses | Any Approved Advanced Government Field Course5,6 | 3 | Major | |
| Govt. Concentration or Advanced Govt. Field Courses | Any Approved Advanced Government Field Course5,6 | 3 | Major | |
| Govt. Concentration or Advanced Govt. Field Courses | Any Approved Advanced Government Field Course5,6 | 3 | Major | |
| General Electives | General Elective | 3 | General Elective | |
| General Electives | ANY PHIL or RELI Course6 or | 3 | SCHAR PHIL/RELI or General Elective | |
| General Elective (if PHIL/RELI is completed at 91³Ô¹Ï) | ||||
| General Electives | General Electives (Upper-level: See Advisor) | 3 | General Elective | |
| General Electives | General Electives (Upper-level: See Advisor) | 3 | General Elective | |
| General Electives | General Electives (Upper-level: See Advisor) | 3 | General Elective | |
| Any Approved Advanced Government Field Course5,6 | Major | |||
| General Electives | General Electives (See: Advisor) | 3 | General Elective | |
| Gen Ed: Apex/Core Requirement | GOVT 490 Synthesis Seminar or | 3 | Apex & Writing Intensive | |
| GOVT 491 Honors Seminar | ||||
| General Electives | General Electives (See Advisor) | 3 | General Elective | |
| General Electives | General Electives (See Advisor) | 0-2 | General Elective | |
| Total Credits: 120 | ||||
*Denotes a course that must be taken at George Mason University while attending 91³Ô¹Ï. Failure to complete your co-enrollment course(s) while attending 91³Ô¹Ï can significantly affect your timeline for Mason graduation. Please see your ADVANCE Coach for more information and to enroll.
Important Academic Information:
1Students who complete ENG 111 after Spring 2024 will earn ENGH elective for ENG 111 and ENGH 101 for ENG 112.
2Students may use credit by exam to fulfill language requirements; minimum exam scores needed for requirements may be different at 91³Ô¹Ï and Mason. Student must carefully check that the requirements fulfill BOTH 91³Ô¹Ï (/prior-learning/) and Mason requirements (https://www.gmu.edu/admissions-aid/apply-now/how-apply/transfer/transfer-credit-policy). If students plan to use credit by exam for languages at 91³Ô¹Ï/Mason, students must complete the exams no later than the semester prior to matriculation. Consult with your ADVANCE Coach or advisor.
3Students who plan to take MTH 245 should take MTH 154 or MTH 161 first. Credit will not be awarded for both MTH 155 and MTH 245.
4200-level ENG literature classes include: ENG 225, ENG 230, ENG 236, ENG 237, ENG 245, ENG 246, ENG 250, ENG 255, ENG 256, ENG 257, ENG 258, ENG 271, ENG 275, and ENG 279.
5Students may complete up to two government concentrations. A concentration consists of four unique courses from the chosen field. If a student has one concentration, then they must complete any four more advanced government field courses to satisfy this requirement. If a student selects two concentrations, then they must complete four unique courses for each concentration. Students who do not pursue any government concentration may choose 24 credits (8 courses) from the advanced government field courses listed below (with restriction) for a broader learning experience. Up to three credits of GOVT 399 Research Practicum and GOVT 480 Internship may be used to fulfill the field course requirement with prior advisor approval. Up to six credits of GOVT 496 Directed Readings and Research may be used to fulfill this requirement with prior advisor approval. GOVT 490 Synthesis Seminar (Mason Core) or GOVT 491 Honors Seminar (Mason Core) may not be used to fulfill this requirement. Advanced government field courses include courses numbered GOVT 301 - GOVT 499.
6For approved GOVT Concentration courses and college-level requirement courses, please visit - https://catalog.gmu.edu/colleges-schools/policy-government/government-international-politics-ba/#requirementstext .
Additional General Notes & Resources:
• Students pursuing this degree must complete 43 credits in GOVT and earn a minimum grade of 2.00 in each course applied to the major.
• For academic policies and procedures, please see Mason catalog - https://catalog.gmu.edu/policies/
• Students seeking a bachelor's degree must apply at least 45 credits of upper-level courses (numbered 300 or above) toward graduation.
General Education Waiver Policy and Guidance:
• Students who complete a VCCS transfer associate degree (AS, AA, or AFA) will receive a waiver of the Foundation and Exploration (lower division) Mason
Core general education categories, which can be found here: https://catalog.gmu.edu/mason-core/ . To be eligible for the waiver, the students must provide the Mason Office of Admissions with a final, official transcript reflecting the degree conferral date. As a prerequisite for ENGH 302, ENGH 101 is not waived.
Students must complete ENGH 100 or ENGH 101, or an equivalent, with a C or higher.
• When a course fulfills a Mason Core requirement and a major or college requirement (e.g. Major & Quant), students must complete the course listed on the pathway to fulfill the major/college requirement. Courses that fulfill only Mason Core Foundation and Exploration categories are recommendations. In most pathways, ADVANCE students must complete a Quantitative Reasoning course to matriculate through ADVANCE.
• ADVANCE students must complete the associate degree indicated on their pathway (see the ADVANCE Program Milestones listed above). Students who withdraw from ADVANCE and transfer without the associate degree or UCGS are required to complete each Mason Core general education category.