Frequently Asked Questions

Currently enrolled undergraduate students are advised in the Office of Student Affairs, College of Public Health. Undergraduate students are not assigned academic advisors. Students may meet with any preferred academic advisor. Visit our academic advising page to learn more about scheduling an appointment. 

Currently enrolled graduate students in the College of Public Health are assigned faculty advisors by program, either alphabetically by last name or by program concentration. Visit our academic advising page to identify and contact the administrative coordinator.

Walk-in hours for current Mason students: Beginning Fall 2022, walk-in hours for current Mason students will be on Wednesdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00pm, in Peterson Family Health Sciences Hall, Suite 1000. Students who come for advising during walk-in hours are seen on a first-come, first-serve basis; therefore, students may have to wait for an advisor to become available. Please arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the end of the walk-in time period in order to be seen by an advisor.

It is necessary to make an appointment if you want to see an advisor outside of walk-in hours. To schedule an appointment, use NavigateMason, call the Office of Student Affairs at 703-993-1901, or email advcph@gmu.edu.

Yes, we offer virtual prospective student hours via Zoom every Wednesday between 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.  Please review the information on the website and come prepared to the meeting with your specific questions. On the date of the event, please visit this link to reach the Undergraduate Admissions team. Please be patient because participants will be answered on a first-come, first-served basis. Wait time will depend on the number of participants.

You should plan ahead and request an appointment with an advisor well in advance of the day you are eligible to register for the next term. Please prepare for the meeting by reviewing your degree evaluation and writing down any questions you have. Additionally, please check out the Prepare for a Successful Advising Session on our academic advising page. 

Mason’s academic calendar contains useful information for each semester such as registration time tickets, add/drop deadlines, tuition payment due dates, selective withdrawal dates, and other important dates. The academic calendar can be found on the Registrar's website.

Mason’s University Catalog is online and contains the curriculum requirements for each program at the university. Program requirements sometimes change, so it’s important to look at the requirements for your catalog year (usually the semester in which you started at Mason). The 'archive' heading in the upper right of the page allows you to choose a previous catalog year.

During an advising appointment, your advisor will fill out a program planning form with you that includes a list of all the courses you are required to complete for your degree. You will receive a copy of this form for your records.

If you need to withdraw from a course or courses, you should familiarize yourself with Mason’s policies and procedures regarding withdrawals. If it is before the semester's final drop deadline, you should web-drop the course through Patriot Web. After the deadline, undergraduates can take advantage of the selective withdrawal period. Once the selective withdrawal period has passed, withdrawal requests can be made to your academic dean. You can find detailed information on our Course Withdrawal page.

Log into your Patriot Web account and view your Transfer Credit Evaluation. In the Student Services menu, click on “Student Records" then choose the “View your Unofficial Transcript" link. If you have any questions or if there are classes not listed that you think should have transferred into Mason, you have one year from the time you start at Mason to work with the admissions office to fix any issues with your transfer credits. You can contact your academic advisor for help with this process after reviewing the policies regarding the evaluation of transfer credit.

Mason students are expected to complete their courses at Mason, but there are some circumstances that allow a student to request permission to take a course at another college or university. Students who wish to take a course elsewhere will need to make an appointment with their academic advisor in order to complete a Permission to Study Elsewhere form and submit it by the deadline. Approval is not guaranteed and is based on multiple factors. Please review the Study Elsewhere page for more information.

We strive to review all academic action requests (substitutions, study elsewhere, etc.) in a timely manner, and most requests submitted to the CPH Office of Student Affairs take an average of 1-2 weeks to be reviewed. The beginning and end of the semester are the busiest times for our office, and requests we receive during those time periods usually take longer.

There are many resources a student can utilize in order to be successful while at Mason and after graduation. Here are some things you can do:

• Meet with your academic advisor at least once a semester.
• Read the emails you receive from the college and from your department.
• Review the semester calendar and mark important dates in your planner or calendar.
• Get involved: Check out Mason360 for student involvement opportunities.
• Utilize Career Services for career counseling and industry-specific advising, resume and cover letter reviews, access to on and off-campus jobs and internships, and job and internship search preparation.

If your stress stems from coursework or academic issues, please make an appointment with your academic advisor who can provide advice on time management, strategic course selection, academic actions, and can give you referrals to other campus resources. Speaking with your individual faculty instructors is also a good idea.

Mason’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers a multitude of services to help students cope with both academic or personal stress: individual and group counseling, academic skills workshops, academic counseling, a Peer Empowerment Program, depression screening, and how to cope with stress during times of crisis. These services are free to students, and we strongly encourage you to take advantage of them.

The Office of Disability Services (ODS) at George Mason University offers a variety of services and accommodations to students with both learning and physical disabilities. Please contact them to start the official process of requesting accommodations.

The Registrar’s Office provides official verification of enrollment. Please visit the enrollment verification page on their website.

The first place you need to go to for information is the Registrar’s page on graduation where you will find complete instructions on how to file your intent to graduate, tips for a smooth degree conferral process, and critical timelines.

For information about commencement, convocation, and nursing pinning ceremonies, visit the CPH graduation page.