Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Transfer Guide
Interdisciplinary Studies (BAIS)
This is a recommended program of study for high achieving students planning to obtain an Associate in Arts Degree in Liberal Arts at a Virginia Community College System institution and transfer to George Mason University for a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. Students studying in the disciplines can also apply their credit towards the BAIS.
| Footnotes | VCCS's A.A. in Liberal Arts | 1st Sem. | 2nd Sem. | Application to Mason's Interdisciplinary Requirements |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ENG 111,112 | 3 | 3 | ENGL 101; General Elective |
| 2 | Foreign Language 101, 102 | 5 | 5 | Foreign Lang. Req't. & G. Elec. |
| 3 | MTH 151, 152 | 3 | 3 | MATH 106; General Elective |
| 4 | Laboratory Science | 4 | 4 | Laboratory Science Req't |
| 10 | SDV 100 | 1 | UNIV 100 | |
| 5 | PED 116 | 1 | General Elective | |
| 16 | 16 | |||
| 3rd Sem. | 4th Sem. | |||
| 6 | Literature | 3 | 3 | Literature Req't |
| 2 | Foreign Language 201, 202 | 3 | 3 | Foreign Language Req't |
| 7 | HIS Electives | 3 | 3 | PSYC &/or SOCI Req't |
| 8 | PSY &/or SOC Electives | 3 | 3 | Social Science Req't |
| 9 | SPD 110 or 126 | 3 | COMM 100 or 101 | |
| 5 | PED or RPK Elective | 1 | Does Not Apply | |
| 15 | 13 | |||
Total Minimum Credits for the VCCS A.A. Degree in Liberal Arts = 60
Footnotes
- ENG 111 requires a qualifying score on the English Placement Test or EPT (for non-native speakers). Mason also requires 3 sem. hours of Advanced Composition, ENGL 302, which must be taken at Mason.
- Both the A.A. and BAIS require an intermediate proficiency in a Foreign Language. Placement testing can determine initial level. If proficiency is determined for the 1st and/or 2nd year, check with Faculty Advisor re: alternative courses to meet degree requirements. Consider courses that meet other B.A. General Education requirements, e.g. Fine Arts, Philosophy or Religion and/or Non-Western Culture requirements (see Notes 1, 2 & 3 on back). Credit through AP or CLEP tests is available for some languages. Students whose native language is not English may substitute General Electives for Foreign Language upon approval. See Note 5 on back for additional information.
- MTH 151 requires a qualifying score on the Math Test. MTH 151 meets the B.A. 3 sem. hr. req't. for Analytical Reasoning and MTH 152 is a Gen. Elective. See Note 5 on back for additional info.
- The BAIS requires a 2-sem. Laboratory Science sequence. Select from Biology (BIO) {except for BIO 141-142 or BIO 231-232}; Chemistry (CHM) {CHM 101 and CHM 111 have a prerequisite of English Test qualifying score for ENG 111; CHM 111 also has a Math Test qualifying score for MTH 163 or higher}; Geology (GOL); or Physics (PHY) {PHY 201-same prerequisites as CHM 111; PHY 241 has a prerequisite of MTH 173 and corequisite of MTH 174}. NAS 161, 162 sequence may not be used to meet this requirement. BIO 101, 102; CHM 101, 102 or GOL 105, 106 is the recommended sequence for Early Childhood/Middle Education majors. See Note 5 on back for additional information.
- The PED requirement may be met by: PED 116 (2 cr.) or PED 116 (1 cr.) and a PED activities course or PED 116 (1 cr.) and an RPK class (RPK 205, 207, 208, 216 or 225).
- The BAIS requires 6 sem. hrs. of Literature. Select from VCCS'S ENG 231 through 279, except 261&262, (ENG 112 is a prerequisite for all VCCS Literature courses). ENG 241, 242 are recommended for Education majors. Students whose native language is not English are required to submit a minimum TOEFL score of 570 for Mason admission unless they have completed, through courses or transfer, ENG 111, 112 and 2 ENG Lit. courses with grades of "C" or better at VCCS.
- These 6 semester hours of HIS meet the BAIS 6 credit Social Science requirement from History, Economics, Geography (except GEO 200 & 205) or Government. HIS 121, 122 are recommended for Education majors. VCCS's HIS 231, 241, 242, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255 may also meet B.A. Non-Western Culture requirement (see Note 3 on back). See Note 5 on back for additional information. NOTE: Effective fall 2006, the U S History category of University General Education no longer exists as a core requirement. HIST 120 is now approved for the Social and Behavioral Science category.
- The BAIS requires 6 sem. hrs. of Psychology or Sociology {includes Anthropology}. May be a 2-sem. sequence, i.e. PSY 201-202; SOC 201-202, etc. or any PSY or SOC course combination [excluding PSY or SOC 297] for which you have prerequisites. VCCS's SOC 212 may also meet the B.A. Non-Western Culture req't. (see Note 3 below). Education majors should select from PSY 201, 202 or SOC 201, 202. See Note 5 below for additional information.
- SPD 110 is recommended for Education majors.
- SDV 100 will transfer at Mason's UNIV 100 which can be used as a general elective. Any SDV course can satisfy the NVCC degree requirement, but SDV classes other than 100 are not transferable.
Comments
Note 1:
The BAIS requires 3 sem. hrs. of Fine Arts {Art, Music or Theater}. Select from VCCS'S lecture, studio, ensemble or private lessons' courses for ART or MUS; or from SPD 130, 131, 132, 136, 141. Education majors should select ART 100; MUS 101, MUS 121 or 122. ART 103 or 104 can be used to meet the B.A. Non-Western Culture req't. (see Note 3 below). See Note 5 below for additional information.
Note 2:
The BAIS requires 3 sem. hrs. of Philosophy [except logic] or Religious Studies. Select from any VCCS PHI [except 111, 112] or REL course. REL 231 or 232 may also be used to meet the B.A. Non-Western Culture req't. (see Note 3 below). See Note 5 below for additional information.
Note 3:
The BAIS requires 6 sem. hrs. in courses devoted to Non-Western Culture. Select from VCCS's ART 103, 104; HIS 231, 241, 242, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255; REL 231, 232; SOC 212. Students who have attended a native school in a Non-Western country for 4 or more years may request a waiver for the Non-Western Culture requirement through Mason's Student Academic Affairs Office. See Note 5 below for additional information.
Note 4:
Students interested in the Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies degree should first consult the Mason catalog for a complete program description and then call 993-2302 to arrange for an info/advising session. Students must be rising juniors who have completed at least 45 sem. hr. (15 of which must have been taken at Mason) with a cumulative GPA of 3.3.
Note 5:
Combining majors can affect choices for the BAIS General Education Requirements., e.g. choosing Biochemistry for the Interdisciplinary degree would mean a choice of MTH 173, 174 instead of MTH 151, 152 and would also affect the choice of Science. Therefore, it is very important that students work closely with an advisor. Transfer students should list their major as pre-BAIS on the Mason application for admission.
Note 6:
Students interested in pursuing teacher certification are encouraged to attend a Graduate School of Education Information Session. Call 993-2080 for information on dates, time and location.
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Interdisciplinary Studies requires a total of 120 credits of which 45 hours must be in upper level (300/400) courses.
While other VCCS courses may also qualify for some of the categories above, we have included those that are most often available. We strongly recommend that you work closely with your VCCS Counselor or Faculty Advisor to assure the most appropriate choices for your major.