Graduate Admissions Standards: Earned Degrees

To be considered for degree status, university graduate admissions standards require applicants to hold a baccalaureate degree from an institution of higher education accredited by a Mason-recognized U.S. institutional accrediting agency or international equivalent.

Accreditation indicates an institution follows shared values and practices and meets established standards for educational quality. Mason's accrediting body, the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), list of core values:

Integrity
Peer Review/Self-regulation
Student Learning
Continuous Quality Improvement
Accountability
Transparency

Degree must be earned during the period of time that the institution was accredited by one of the following Mason-recognized U.S. institutional accrediting agencies:

NWCCU	Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
NCA-HLC	North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Higher Learning Commission
NEASC-CIHE	New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc., Commission on Institutions of Higher Education
SACS	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges
WASC-ACCJC	Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges
WASC-ACSCU	Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities

Information regarding the accreditation of George Mason University can be found on the Provost’s webpage at https://provost.gmu.edu/administration/academic-affairs/accreditation.