- What is Fall Retreat?
- Where will my classes be held?
- Where can I go for advising and assistance with planning my academic program?
- Do I need to speak with my faculty advisor before registering for classes?
- How do I register for courses?
- How do I add or drop a class after classes have started?
- How can I add my name to the waitlist for a course?
- What are typical course loads?
- How can I obtain my course syllabi?
- Where do I buy my books?
- Can I purchase a parking decal?
- Where do I get my student ID?
- Do I need to activate my GMU email account?
- I would like to request an exemption from a pre-requisite/core course. What do I need to do?
- I work full time. Is it possible to complete my degree as a part-time student?
- Is there funding available for PhD students?
- Where can I find course descriptions?
1. What is Fall Retreat?
Fall Retreat is a day-long event held the Friday before classes begin in August. All incoming doctoral students and the entire SPP faculty attend. This mandatory program will provide you with useful information about academic requirements, program policies, and important resources. More importantly, you will hear from faculty about their research and receive advice from both faculty and current students about forming your own research agenda.
Fall Retreat details are provided in your admissions materials.
2. Where will my classes be held?
All SPP courses are held on the Arlington campus. However, many doctoral students take courses offered by other departments held on the Fairfax campus. You will work with your advisor and with the student services office to determine which courses are appropriate for you.
3. Where can I go for advising and assistance with planning my academic program?
You will be assigned a faculty advisor before your first semester and you will receive his/her name prior to the start of classes. Throughout the program, you will work with your advisor to explore and define your academic and research goals. In addition, Shannon Williams, Assistant Director of PhD Student Services, will help you with issues related to course selection and registration, as well as academic policies and procedures. She can also help you track your progress toward degree completion.
4. Do I need to speak with my faculty advisor before registering for classes?
The first semester of the program is spent taking core courses and does not require extensive consultation with your advisor. Shannon Williams, Assistant Director of PhD Student Services, will help you with course selection for your first semester in the program.
5. How do I register for courses?
Registration is completed via the Patriot Web system. Step-by-step instructions explaining how to register for classes via Patriot Web can be found in the mailing you received following your offer of admission. In addition to registering for classes on Patriot Web, students can also make tuition payments, review their academic record, check class schedules and update contact information.
Please refer to the Student's Guide to the Patriot Web if you need further guidance.
6. How do I add or drop a class after classes have started?
The periods for add and drop are published each semester on the Academic Calendar, and schedule changes can be made using Patriot Web during the schedule adjustment period. Generally, you may add a course during the first week of a 14-week semester and drop a course up to five calendar weeks after the first day of class (for a partial refund). After the drop deadline has passed, students are only permitted to withdraw from classes for extenuating, non-academic circumstances.
7. How can I add my name to the waitlist for a course?
Certain classes in SPP have a waitlist option. If you attempt to register for a course that is full, and a waitlist exists for that particular course, Patriot Web will permit you to add your name to the waitlist. The waitlist is an automatic process. Each time a student drops the course, Patriot Web will issue an override to the first person on the waitlist, permitting that student to register for the course. You will be notified via email if a waitlist override has been issued to you. Once you add yourself to a waitlist, it is your responsibility to check your email daily to see if you've been issued an override. The override is in effect for three days. If you receive an override and fail to register for the course during the three day time frame, the next student on the list is issued the override.
Please refer to the Student's Guide to the Patriot Web if you need further guidance.
8. What are typical course loads?
The university considers nine credits to be a full-time load at the graduate level. International students on F-1 or J-1 visas are required to carry nine or more credits each semester. Students wishing to take more than 12 credit hours should meet with their academic advisor and Shannon Williams to discuss their course load. Students taking fewer than nine credit hours are classified as part-time students, unless they hold a research assistantship.
9. How can I obtain my course syllabi?
Most syllabi are available on the SPP website here. If the syllabus for a course is not on the website, please contact the instructor directly for a copy. Professors will also distribute copies of the syllabus during the first class meeting.
10. Where do I buy my books?
Books may be purchased at the Arlington campus bookstore located on mail level of the Founders Hall Building (phone: 703-993-8170). Books for courses on the Fairfax campus must be purchased from the bookstore in Fairfax (insert contact info, link).
11. Can I purchase a parking decal?
Students wishing to park on campus must register with Parking Services and purchase a parking decal. Parking Services is located in Room 219 of the Founders Hall Building (phone: 703-993-8146). Additional information can be found at the Parking Services web site. Arlington parking decals are valid on the Fairfax campus, but Fairfax decals are not valid for the Arlington campus.
12. Where do I get my student ID?
Mason identification cards can be obtained in Arlington print services, located inside the GMU law school library 1st Floor of Hazel Hall (phone: 703-993-9489). In order to obtain a Mason ID, a valid picture ID must be presented (driver's license, military ID, Passport, Visa), and students must be registered for the current semester. View the Mason Card web site for additional information.
13. Do I need to activate my GMU email account?
Students are required to activate and regularly access their GMU email account. You can activate your email at the MasonLive website. Official information will be communicated to students only through this account and students are responsible for the information sent to this account. If you wish to have your email forwarded from your GMU email account, instructions for doing so are available on the above link. Each student's email account has a quota, so please delete emails regularly to avoid error messages.
14. I would like to request an exemption from a pre-requisite/core course. What do I need to do?
Students may have completed graduate courses which they believe are equivalent to one or more of the required core courses. Those seeking exemption from courses may submit a written petition along with supporting documentation to PhD Student Services. The core course instructor will review the request and recommend to the Program Director either that the exemption be granted or that the student take a proficiency examination. The petition must include the following documentation (items 1-4 are mandatory; items 5 and 6 will help make the case):
- Course title and a transcript showing the grade earned
- A copy of the catalog description of the course
- A syllabus for the course or a list of topics covered
- Identification of the text(s) used in the course
- Examination questions and results from the course
- Any papers or projects written for the course
Students will not receive credit toward the 82-hour degree minimum for a core course from which the student has been exempted, unless that course is included within the 30-credit maximum allowed for prior graduate work.
Students seeking exemption from a quantitative methodology course may petition in writing to take a more advanced course in the same specialty area at GMU or at another institution approved by the Doctoral Program Director. If that course is passed with a grade of B or better, the student will be exempt from the less advanced core course requirement. The credit earned for the more advanced course will count toward the 82-credit minimum.
15. I work full time. Is it possible to complete my degree as a part-time student?
Yes, you can complete your degree as a part-time student each semester. Part-time students are required to take a minimum of two courses of at least three credits each semester. Reduction of this load can be offset by a course in the summer. However, keep in mind that required courses are generally not available in the summer.
16. Is there funding available for PhD students?
Yes. Full-time PhD students may apply for Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs), which are offered in the fall term for the academic year. There are no new GRA awards offered for spring term. Part-time students are not eligible for GRAs.
Funding is also available through various fellowships and scholarships. Information can be found on SPP's scholarships and funding page.
17. Where can I find course descriptions?
You can find course descriptions listed in the GMU Catalog and on the SPP website.