There are two primary types of admission to Mason: guaranteed admission under the Guaranteed Admission Agreement (or GAA) and regular transfer admission.
Guaranteed Admission
The Virginia Community College System (which includes Northern Virginia Community College) and George Mason University have an agreement that guarantees admission to Mason to community college students who meet specific requirements. Please click here to view the full Guaranteed Admission Agreement.
If the requirements that are listed below are met, the student receives a waiver for all of the lower-level Mason Core requirements. For example, the Mason Core requires every Mason student to take an approved arts class. If you are admitted under the GAA, the art requirement will be waived whether you took an art course or not.
Pathway students who meet the following requirements are eligible for a fee waiver for the application. Please meet with your Pathway counselor at NOVA to complete the form as you are applying to Mason.
Guaranteed Admission Requirements for Pathway Students
| Requirement | Notes |
| Graduate with Associate of Arts (A.A.), Associate of Science (A.S.), or Associate of Arts and Sciences (A.A.&S.) degree | Students who graduate with an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) are not eligible. Please see information about the Bachelor of Applied Science programs at Mason. |
| Apply to Mason by March 1 for fall admission or October 1 for spring admission | You must indicate that you are applying under the GAA and complete the Letter of Intent on the application. |
| Apply to graduate from NOVA by deadline | Fall admission applicants must graduate in May; summer graduates will not be eligible for fall admission under GAA. Spring admission applicants must graduate in August or December. |
| Earn a 2.85 cumulative GPA or higher at time of application and upon graduation | |
| Earn a minimum of 30 transferable credits from NOVA with grades of A, B, or C in every course. | Pathway students are not considered eligible for the fee waiver if they have attended any college besides NOVA. If you earn a D or F in a course and don’t repeat it or don’t earn a grade of C or better when retaking it, you will not be eligible for admission under the GAA. |
| Complete six credits of English and three credits of math prior to applying | For English, the approved courses are ENG 111 and 112 or ENG 111 and 125. For math, the approved courses are MTH 151, 152, 154, 170, 173, 180, 181, 182, 240, 241, 245, 261, 263, 270, 271, 272, 273, 286, 287 or 288. Please note that MTH 161, 162, 163, 164, 166, 167 are not considered transferable math courses for GAA purposes. If this is the only math course you have completed by the time you apply, you will not be considered for admission under the GAA. AP or IB credit may also be used. You must send official transcripts of your scores directly to Mason for the credit to be considered. |
Regular Transfer Admission
If you do not meet the requirements for guaranteed admissions, such as having an unrepeated D or F in a course or you plan on transferring prior to earning your Associate’s degree, you will be considered for regular transfer admission. Pathway students who apply under regular transfer admission are not eligible for the Pathway fee waiver and must pay the $70 application fee.
Under this type of admission, your transcript will be evaluated course-by-course, and you will receive credit for courses you earn a C or better in. Below is a sample transfer credit evaluation:
| NOVA Course | Mason Credits |
| ENG 111 | ENGH 101 |
| BIO 101 | BIOL 103 |
| ADJ 110 | CRIM — |
| MTH 151 | MATH 106 |
These credits will then be applied to your degree and major requirements. If you do not transfer in credit for specific requirements, you will be required to take a course at Mason to satisfy the requirement before you graduate. For example, this student would need to take a class to fulfill the arts requirement, along with a number of other Mason Core requirements.
Admissions Frequently Asked Questions
I don’t know if I qualify for guaranteed admission. How can I found out?
First, review the requirements listed above. If you still aren’t sure, please contact your Pathway advisor at NOVA to determine if you meet all of the requirements for guaranteed admissions.
How do I get the Pathway fee waiver?
The Pathway fee waiver is only available to students who are eligible for guaranteed admission. If you are a Pathway student and are applying as a regular transfer student , you must pay the application fee. If you are eligible for guaranteed admission, please meet with your Pathway advisor at NOVA to complete the fee waiver form.
When I submitted my application, I selected that I qualified for the Pathway fee waiver, but I found out that I don’t qualify. What do I do?
Please make a check or money order for $70 payable to “George Mason University” and include your G number and “app fee” on the memo line. You can then either drop it off in the Admissions office on the second floor of the Johnson Center or mail it to:
Office of Admissions
George Mason University
4400 University Drive MSN 3A4
Fairfax, VA 22030
My GPA is a 2.849. Does that round up to a 2.85 and mean I’m eligible for guaranteed admission?
No, the Office of Admissions does not round up. To be eligible for guaranteed admission, your GPA must be at least a 2.850.
I applied and was admitted under the GAA, but I received a D or F in my last semester. What happens to my admission to Mason?
Depending on how drastically the grade impacts your GPA, it is possible that the Admissions office will rescind, or take back, your offer of admission. In most cases, however, students remain admitted to Mason but do not qualify to receive the benefits of the GAA (primarily the Mason Core general education waiver).
