Advanced Studies in Teaching and Learning

Resources

Grading Policies

Students in a graduate program must maintain a 3.000 GPA (B average). George Mason allows 6 credits of C grades for graduation with a master's degree. However, students in the literacy or gifted concentration who receive a grade of C will not be recommended for state licensure.

Transfer of Credit

No transfer credit is allowed for the core courses or for the literacy/reading concentration or the literacy/reading graduate certificate. The majority of credits applied to a master's degree or graduate certificate must be earned at George Mason after admission to the program. For a master's degree, a minimum of 18 credits must be taken in degree status after admission to the program. For MEd. up to 6 credits may be transferred from other institutions with advisor approval. For graduate certificates, a maximum of 3 credits may be transferred from Mason Extended Studies or another accredited institution after admission to the program. All transfer credits must have advisor approval. Credits cannot be more than six years old, must be graduate level, and must be graded (grade of B or better, no pass/fail, audit, or school district professional development courses, etc.).

Tuition

Tuition rates are available at http://studentaccounts.gmu.edu/tuition.html.

The ASTL Program has two ways of collecting tuition dependent on class location sites:

When ASTL Concentration or Core classes are scheduled to meet ON the Fairfax campus, tuition payments are made through the Bill and Payment System on the Patriot Web or at the GMU Cashier's Office. Go to http://studentaccounts.gmu.edu for details.
When ASTL Concentration or Core classes are scheduled to meet at locations OTHER THAN the Fairfax campus (i.e. Arlington, Prince William, or local school sites) the ASTL Program Office processes your enrollment and tuition payment. Please follow directions for Tuition Payments on the ASTL Home Page.

Financial Aid

Information on loans, assistantships, fellowships, and other types of financial aid is available in the Office of Student Financial Aid, which can be reached via telephone at 703-993-2353 or on the web at http://apollo.gmu.edu/finaid.

Reading Specialist License

Information about procedures for applying for a Reading Specialist license can be found at http://cehd.gmu.edu/teacher/instructions.

Frequently Asked Questions: FAQs

Do I need to be currently employed in education to enroll in this program?
No. You must have one year of teaching or education related experience to begin any of the ASTL options.
If someone is not a licensed teacher, but has an interest in education related fields, such as, museum education, policy, child care, or working with adults center, can that person apply to ASTL?
Yes, as long as the individual can document three years of education-related experience.
Will the last 60 credits of course work be a strong consideration for entrance into the program?
We will consider the entire array of credentials in the admissions process.
When and where can I get an application?
Applications can be obtained online at http://gse.gmu.edu/programs/astl/admissions/
Will credits transfer in from another program or from extended studies? You and your advisor will determine how many courses will transfer.
GSE accepts up to 6 credits of transfer coursework for MEd. and 3 credits for certificates (with advisor approval).Courses from another institution must:
- be no older than 6 years,
- be graduate level,
- be graded B or better, and
- not have been used for another degree.
Click here for more answers to frequently asked questions.

Program Concentration Forms

Students should use the following Concentration Forms in their academic and coursework planning: