Admission Requirements for Transfer Applicants

George Mason University welcomes thousands of transfer students each year. Qualified applicants generally have completed 30 or more transferable credits from an accredited college or university. Admission is competitive and may vary due to the applicant pool each semester. It is imperative that applicants adhere to the application deadlines and request all official transcripts from prior colleges and universities. We have provided some basic transfer tips to help you with the process.

Application Deadlines

Priority deadline: Fall Semester April 1st
Spring Semester October 15th
International Students:
(not currently in the US)
Fall Semester March 1st
Spring Semester August 1st

Please be aware that the university reserves the right to close applications prior to the published deadlines to stay within authorized limits.

Submission of Official Transcripts

Have your official transcripts sent directly to the Office of Admissions from all previous institutions you have attended or forward them to us in a sealed envelope, signed by your previous institution(s). If you have fewer than 30 hours of earned university-level credit, you must also submit your high school transcript and SAT or ACT scores. (Students who graduated from high school more than five years prior to enrollment at Mason are not required to submit SAT or ACT scores.) Admission is competitive.

Minimum Mason Course Requirements

Of the total 120 credit hours needed for the degree:

  • You must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours at Mason for the university to confer a bachelor’s degree.
  • Forty-five semester hours of upper-level (junior and senior) course work is required to graduate. While lower-level (freshman and sophomore) courses taken at previously attended institutions meet the content requirement of some upper-level courses, they do not reduce the 45-hour requirement.

Admission to Your Major

Admission to the university and to the major are usually simultaneous with a few exceptions. Click here for more information.