/ / /

Non-Degree Requirements

The School of Public Policy offers students the opportunity to take courses within our school in non-degree status. This option is suitable for those individuals who do not currently wish to pursue a degree, but are interested in taking graduate courses that are offered by SPP. To be eligible for non-degree graduate course work, students must have completed an undergraduate degree. Please note that international students seeking F-1 or J-1 visas or those holding F-1 or J-1 visas are not eligible to apply for non-degree study.

If a non-degree student decides to seek admission into degree status, he/she must reapply for admission using the Application for Graduate Study and submit all required credentials. If admitted into the degree program, a maximum of four classes taken in non-degree status may be applied towards a degree program.

The following credentials are required when submitting a non-degree application:

SPP Non-degree application

Two official transcripts from all college and university work completed. Students presenting international credentials are required to provide official transcripts, degree certificates or diplomas, and certified translations of the documents in English (if applicable).

TOEFL score is required for students whose first language is not English. Students must meet our minimum score of 230 (computer-based test), 575 (paper-version exam) or 88 (internet-based.) **Please note that students submitting internet-based exam results must earn a minimum score of 20 on each individual exam section. Note: George Mason University's TOEFL code is 5827.

Application Deadlines for Non-Degree Study

Please submit application materials to the following address:

School of Public Policy – Graduate Admissions
3351 Fairfax Drive, MS 3B1
Arlington, VA 22201

Reflecting Mason's diversity, the School of Public Policy's student body comes from numerous countries including Argentina, Azerbaijan, China, India, Iraq, Japan, Mongolia, South Korea, Sudan, Sweden, Thailand, and Venezuela.

Students are taught by a world-renowned faculty who are leading researchers in their field as well as top-notch practitioners in the world of public policy.

Each year, the Graduate Admissions Office recruits students from a wide geographic pool, traveling to at least 15 different states and multiple countries to attract the best and brightest applicants.

SPP students experience a first-class education at a very competitive cost.