Transfer Credit Policy

Evaluation of Transfer Credit

The Office of Admissions is responsible for awarding undergraduate transfer credit and completes course-by-course transfer credit evaluations for all new transfer students and freshman who intend to enroll.  Evaluations are available to new transfers approximately one-week after the release of the admission decision.

Admission to Mason is contingent upon receipt of all official, final transcripts. Official transcripts from prior institutions and credit-by-exam scores such as AP must be transmitted directly from the Registrar at your previous institution(s) or the appropriate exam agency to:

George Mason University
Office of Admissions
4400 University Drive, MSN 3A4
Fairfax VA 22030

or electronically to ugtrans@gmu.edu.

Re-admitted students receive an updated transfer credit evaluation based upon the current transfer credit policy and their updated catalog year. The university reserves the right to revise a transfer credit evaluation at any time.  Transfer credit is not evaluated for non-degree-seeking students.

Applicants to the University who have attempted college courses at other institutions are required to disclose their complete academic enrollment history in the admission application. George Mason University reserves the right to revoke admission or disenroll students who fail to indicate all previous institutions attended on the admission application.

Students planning to take courses after they apply but before matriculating to Mason should inform the University at admissions@gmu.edu.

Students planning to take courses at another institution AFTER they matriculate require prior authorization through the Office of the Registrar's Study Elsewhere form: https://registrar.gmu.edu/wp-content/uploads/SE-UG-1216.pdf

Completed transfer credit evaluations are viewable in Patriot Web. To access your evaluations:

1. Log in to Patriot Web*
2. Select "Student Services"
3. Select "Student Records"
4. Select "View Your Unofficial Transcript"

*Haven't logged into Patriot Web before? Learn how to set up your Patriot Pass here.

Criteria for Assessing Transfer Credits

The following criteria will assist you in understanding your transfer credit evaluation:

• All coursework must be earned at institutions accredited by a Mason-recognized U.S. institutional accrediting agency or international equivalent.
• Courses transfer to Mason with the same credit hours as those earned at the transfer institution. A maximum of 90 total undergraduate transfer credits will be accepted.
  • No more than 75 credits may be transferred in from two-year institutions or credit-by-exam programs. These will be awarded lower-level credit (typically 100 and 200-level courses and credit-by-exam such as Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, Joint Service Transcript).
• Each college-level course must be graded with a "C" or better to be considered for transfer. Courses graded on a Pass/Satisfactory basis will not be considered for transfer. Developmental coursework and career and technical courses do not transfer. NOTE: The University amended the transfer policy to accept courses graded on a Pass/Fail system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pass courses completed in the Spring and Summer 2020 terms, that are equivalent to a C (2.0) grade or higher, will be considered for transfer. Pass courses completed in the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, that are equivalent to a C (2.0) grade or higher and designated as a pandemic-specific grade will be considered for transfer.  No passing grades are accepted for transfer from Fall  2021 forward.
• Regardless of course content, courses completed as lower-level (typically designated as 100 and 200) will transfer to Mason as lower-level. Courses completed as upper-level (typically designated as 300 and 400 level courses) will transfer to Mason as upper-level. All Mason students must complete 45 hours of upper-level coursework to fulfill bachelor's degree requirements.
• Transfer credit is not awarded for any School of Business courses completed more than ten years prior to enrollment at Mason.  Elective credit will be awarded for any computer science, engineering, information technology, or statistics courses completed more than ten years prior to Mason enrollment. The individual program makes the final determination if the coursework is still relevant and can be applied to degree requirements.
• Virginia Community College System (VCCS) courses completed to satisfy the requirements for an associate degree generally can be applied toward Mason bachelor's degree programs A few exceptions exist.
• No transfer credit will be awarded for courses taken during terms while suspended from Mason.
• Associate of Applied Science coursework generally does not transfer to Mason to apply to BA, BS, or BFA degrees. Select courses in AAS programs do apply toward the Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) programs.
• Credit from institutions operating on a quarter system calendar are transferred by multiplying the quarter credit hours by two-thirds.
• Transfer credit is not awarded for any English as a Second Language (ESL) courses or non-academic internships.

Patriot Transfer Explorer

Patriot Transfer Explorer is a convenient self-service tool that allows you to self-articulate your coursework.  The Patriot Transfer Explorer shows you how your transfer coursework will meet course and degree requirements at Mason.  Please note: only previously evaluated courses are listed in the Patriot Transfer Explorer.  Courses coming in as electives may be appealed to the appropriate academic department.

Transfer Credit Matrix

This database contains courses that have been evaluated to offer transfer equivalency at the University, including all courses that transfer in from the Virginia Community College System. Use this to look-up course equivalencies for transfer credit. If you do not see your course listed, you may appeal for credit directly to the appropriate academic department at Mason using the form at the bottom of this page.

• Transfer Credit Matrix

Academic Credit by Exam

Students may accelerate their graduation by the award of transfer credit from any of the following exams. Official transcripts from the testing agency should be sent to the Office of Admissions during the application process.

Equivalencies listed below may not correspond to your catalog year. Equivalencies are updated as received by faculty and may pertain to future terms. Contact credeval@gmu.edu with questions.

Additional Information

Transfer Credit Inquiry and Appeal

• Transfer Credit Inquiry Form (PDF). Use this form if you are missing any transfer credit from your evaluation. This includes credit by exam such as AP, IB or CLEP. Before submitting this form be sure you have requested official final transcripts to be sent from the Registrar at your previous institution to Mason’s Office of Admissions or electronically to ugtrans@gmu.edu and have read and understood the criteria for credit acceptance policies.
• Transfer Credit Re-Evaluation Appeal Form (PDF).  Use this form if you were awarded elective credit for a course and wish to have it re-evaluated by the academic unit as equivalent to a specific Mason course. Courses from the Virginia Community College System are established on an annual basis. Appeals for VCCS courses are rarely successful. For courses denied any equivalency, including elective credit, contact your advisor to determine if your course meets criteria for a substitution or waiver through the Office of the Registrar.

Contact the transfer credit team at credeval@gmu.edu