Students in graduate programs must maintain a 3.00 GPA (B average). Grades of B- or better are required for all education course work for licensure. Only 6 credits with grades of C will be allowed for completion of the master's degree.

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 graduate certificates, a maximum of 3 credits can be transferred from 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, must not have been counted towards another degree, and must be graded (grade of B or better, no pass/fail, no audit, etc.)

Rates are available at http://fiscal.gmu.edu/Resources/tuition_rates.htm

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 website.http://financialaid.gmu.edu .Specific special education financial assistance information may be found on the special education website and the Kellar

Graduation and Licensure Completion

Applicants with a master's degree who want to pursue a teaching license must apply to one of the graduate certificate programs (Emotional Disturbance/Learning Disabilities K-12, Mental Retardation K-12, Severe Disabilities K-12, Emotional Disturbance/Learning Disabilities/Mental Retardation -12, or Early Childhood Special Education, Birth - Age 5).

Applicants who want a master's degree and a graduate certificate must apply to the master's program first and then declare a secondary program by submitting the form: Declaration of Secondary Program Form to their advisor. Students cannot declare a secondary licensure program without submitting passing Praxis I scores.

The degree program and the graduate certificate program may be completed in any order or together. Teachers seeking endorsement through the approved program must submit a licensure application through GMU.

Praxis Tests

Passing Praxis I (reading, writing and mathematics) scores are required for application to Mason's state-approved licensure certificate programs and are part of the multiple criteria used to make admissions decisions to the M.Ed. program. There is no current Praxis II test for special education licensure.

SAT as a Substitute Test for Praxis IOn March 24, 2004, the Board of Education approved the use of the SAT as a substitute test for Praxis I (reading, writing, and mathematics) required for initial licensure. The board approved the following scores:

• SAT taken prior to April 1, 1995 -a score of 1000 with at least 450 on the verbal and 510 on the mathematics tests
• SAT taken after April 1, 1995 -a score of 1100 with at least 530 on the verbal and 530 on the mathematics tests as a substitute for Praxis I.

This is only valid for the Praxis I test. Students can order scores from the Education Testing Center at 609-771-7600 or provide an OFFICIAL high school transcript listing their test scores.

ACT as a Substitute Test for Praxis IOn September 22, 2004, the Board of Education approved the use of the ACT as a substitute test for Praxis I (reading, writing, and mathematics) required for initial licensure. The board approved the following scores:

• ACT taken October 28, 1989 to April 1, 1995 - a composite score of 21, with the ACT 37. (Due to VDOE regulations, ACT taken before October 28, 1989 will not be accepted.)
• ACT taken after April 1, 1995 -a composite score of 24, with the ACT mathematics score no less than 22, and an ACT English plus reading score no less than 46.

This is only valid for the Praxis I test. Options for ordering scores can be found at: http://www.actstudent.org/scores/send/costs.html Students may also provide an OFFICIAL high school transcript listing their test scores.