Social Justice and Human Rights Concentration

Imagining and applying strategies for creating and sustaining a more equitable, just, and humane world

Catalog Year: 2023-2024

Banner Code: LA-MA-ACEL-MAIS-SJHR

The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on program requirements and courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes. Requirements may be different for earlier catalog years. See the University Catalog archives.

Bachelor's Degree (any)/Interdisciplinary Studies, Accelerated MAIS (Social Justice and Human Rights Concentration)

Overview

Highly-qualified Mason undergraduates may be admitted to the bachelor's/accelerated master's program and obtain a BA/BS in a chosen major and a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS) with a concentration in social justice and human rights in an accelerated time-frame after satisfactory completion of a minimum of 144 credits.

See AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees for policies related to this program.

Students in an accelerated degree program must fulfill all university requirements for the master's degree. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

BAM Pathway Admission Requirements

Applicants to all graduate programs at George Mason University must meet the admission standards and application requirements for graduate study as specified in Graduate Admissions Policies and Bachelor's Accelerated Master's Degree policies.  For information specific to this accelerated master's program, see Application Requirements and Deadlines on the departmental website.

Students will be considered for admission into the BAM Pathway after completion of a minimum of 60 credits, with a minimum overall GPA of 3.50.

Students who are accepted in the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits.

Accelerated Master's Admissions Requirements

Students already admitted in the BAM Pathway will be admitted to the MAIS program, if they have met the following criteria, as verified on the Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Transition form:

  • Minimum overall GPA of 3.50
  • Minimum grade of B in each advanced standing course
  • Successfully meeting Mason's requirements for undergraduate degree conferral (graduation) and completing the application for graduation.

Accelerated Pathway Requirements

To maintain the integrity and quality of both the undergraduate and graduate degree programs, undergraduate students interested in taking graduate courses must choose from the following:

Advanced Standing courses (up to 12 credits with a minimum grade of B in each)  
INTS 540 Contemporary Issues in Social Justice Human Rights 3
INTS 534 Research for Social Change 3
INTS 537 Critical Race Studies 3
INTS 538 Representations of Race 4
WMST 504 Gender, Sexuality, and Disability 3
WMST 602 Queer Theory 3
WMST 608 Gender, Sexuality, and Human Rights 3
WMST 630 Feminist Theories 3
PHIL 643 Environmental Ethics 3
PUAD 540 Public Policy Process 3
PUAD 649 Advocacy and Lobbying 3
Reserve Graduate Credit courses (up to 6 credits) taken while an undergraduate and will only count for the graduate degree program  
INTS 534 Research for Social Change 3
INTS 537 Critical Race Studies 3
INTS 538 Representations of Race 4
WMST 504 Gender, Sexuality, and Disability 3
WMST 602 Queer Theory 3
WMST 608 Gender, Sexuality, and Human Rights 3
WMST 630 Feminist Theories 3
PHIL 643 Environmental Ethics 3
PUAD 540 Public Policy Process 3
PUAD 649 Advocacy and Lobbying 3

For more detailed information on coursework and timeline requirements see AP.6.7 Bachelor's Accelerated Master's Degree policies.