Non-degree status enables students to enroll in courses for which they are qualified without seeking formal admission to a degree program. Non-degree admission does not guarantee enrollment in any specific course or future degree program. Enrollment in specific courses is based on eligibility criteria and availability of space in courses.
All non-degree applicants must complete a non-degree online application for admission and supply official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions they have attended. Non-degree applications and their established deadlines are available online through the Office of Admissions website. For detailed information regarding non-degree admission policies and procedures, please see Mason's online catalog.
All students in non-degree status should review the non-degree enrollment policies outlined in the catalog. Undergraduates can seek academic advising through the Center for Academic Advising, Retention, and Transitions, and graduate non-degree students should contact the appropriate program coordinator with any advising needs.
Restrictions
- A student cannot graduate or receive a degree while in non-degree status.
- Non-Degree graduate students may not register for classes numbered 800 or higher.
- There are strict limits on the number of credits students can transfer from non-degree status into a degree program. Most programs only allow up to 9 credits.
- International students are typically not admitted in non-degree status with the exception of students in the INTO Mason program.
Department of Health Administration and Policy
Students in Non-Degree studies wishing to take courses in the MHA in Health Systems Management program may do so if they meet the admission criteria to the MHA program as determined by the graduate program coordinator. All graduate programs in this department allow up to 12 credits to be transferred in from another institution or from non-degree status provided the credits meet the criteria for transfer credits.
Department of Global and Community Health
On a space-available basis, all graduate GCH courses are open to non-degree students.
School of Nursing
A non-degree student may be eligible to enroll in approved graduate level nursing courses if the student:
- Has not applied for the MSN or DNP program and has not been previously denied admission to the MSN or DNP program
- Holds a BSN from an accredited college and achieved a cumulative degree GPA of 3.0
- Holds a current RN license
Currently, the only available classes that non-degree students may take on a space-available bases with permission from the Assistant Dean, School of Nursing, Master's Division, are:
- NURS 665: Theory and Ethical Foundations Related to Nursing
- NURS 688: Organization of Nursing Health Delivery System
- NURS 715: Nursing Informatics Inquiry
- NURS 757: Nursing Research and Biostatistics I
- NURS 714: Health Assessment Clinical Practice
- NURS 761: Pharmacotherapeutics
- NURS 769: Physiology and Pathophysiology in Advanced Practice
Department of Nutrition and Food Studies
On a space-available basis, graduate NUTR courses are open to non-degree students. The practicum and thesis courses (NUTR 780, 788, and 799) are only available to non-degree students who receive approval from the department.
Department of Social Work
Non-degree students and graduate-level students currently enrolled in other graduate programs at Mason who are interested in taking MSW courses should contact the department at socw@gmu.edu.