Frequently Asked Questions
Benefits of Mason Topics:
- meet general education requirements for B.A. and B.S. degrees
- make connections between different fields of study
- create a sense of community among students
- develop critical thinking through discussion in small groups
Q: What are Mason Topics?
A: The Mason Topics Program enrolls the same group
of students in two or more general education classes
per semester. The faculty who teach these classes
explore central ideas from different perspectives,
using some shared reading and writing assignments.
Q: Why should I take a Mason Topic?
A: Mason Topics will help you to find a community
of people who know who you are and who care about
what you think. They will also help you make connections
between important ideas across different fields
of study. Mason Topics will help you find your
feet at George Mason, both socially and intellectually.
Q: How many credits are Mason Topics worth?
A: Each Mason Topic is worth exactly the same number
of credits as it would be worth unlinked. For example,
in the linked package of English 101 and History
100, English 101 is worth three credits and History
100 is worth three credits, for a total of six
credits.
Q: Will taking Mason Topics help satisfy my General
Education requirements?
A: With few exceptions, all Mason Topics classes
fulfill General Education requirements for all students.
Q: How do I register for Mason Topics?
A: The Mason Topics Program is open to all entering
freshmen. Priority will be given, however, to students
whose high school record indicates that they are
academically motivated and prepared for the program.
These students will receive a letter from Dr. Michals,
Director of Mason Topics, by early April. Students planning on living off-campus should print out and mail in
the completed online
application by May 15, 2008
(see address below). Students who will be living
on-campus should also choose the Mason Topics Living/Learning
floor option on their Residence
Hall applications by May 1 in order to be guaranteed on-campus housing.
Be sure to register for a summer orientation at the Orientation Office Web site, where you will meet an advisor and get to know other Mason Topics students.
Email: masontopics@gmu.edu
Mail: George Mason University
MSN 1A1
4400 University Drive
Fairfax, VA 22030
Phone: 703/993-3912
Q: How many final grades do I get in a Mason Topics
package?
A. You get a separate final grade for each class
in the package.
Q: What is a dual-submission assignment?
A: A dual-submission assignment is a project that
you work on in both of your linked classes; you
hand in a separate final copy of it to each of
your professors, and get separate grades for it,
one in each class.
Q: Should I sign up for a package if I'm not totally
sure I'll want to stay in the program through the
whole year?
A: You should sign up for a package if, right now,
at the start of your undergraduate career, you feel
interested in exploring one of the package topics
in depth while making and keeping a community of
friends at George Mason. We hope that each student
who begins this program will also complete it. On
the other hand, we all know that interests and plans
can change, so you may leave the program at any point
without penalty and simply take your General Education
classes on your own .
Q: Why do so many of these linked packages start
with English 101? How can an English class connect
to something like History or Government?
A: English 101 is a composition class, which means
that your goal in that class is to grow as a writer.
Specifically, in English 101 you will develop the
writing skills you need to succeed academically,
working on both the short essay and the research
paper format. Because we at George Mason believe
that writing is central to the learning process itself,
however, we also think that English 101 is a terrific
choice to link up with another course. In these linked
packages, you will use your writing as a way to explore
and to reflect on key concepts from your non-English
course.
Q: Will I have time to get from one linked class
to another? What if the buildings they're in are
very far apart?
A: We schedule linked classes so that students can
get to all of them comfortably.
Q: What happens if I find I'm doing really well
in one of my linked classes, and really poorly in
the other? Can I drop just one of these classes?
A: It's not possible to drop one linked class without
dropping the one to which it's linked, since the material
covered in each one builds on the other. If you find
yourself in this situation, you should talk to Dr.
Michals, the Director of the Mason Topics Program
(tmichals@gmu.edu), and see what can be done.
Q: What is the Mason Topics Living / Learning Program?
A: Working closely with the Office
of Housing and Residence Life, we have created special Living
/ Learning floors in the Residence Halls where
on-campus Mason Topics students live together,
enjoying study sessions, films, talks, and other
special programming that brings what they learn
in class to life outside of the classroom. Mason
Topics students who commute to campus are also
welcome at these events. For more information,
go to the living/learning
website.
Q. How do I register for the Mason Topics Living
/ Learning Program?
A. Select the Mason Topics Living / Learning floor
option on your Residence
Hall Application. All Mason
Topics students who intend to live on-campus will
be assigned to the Living/Learning floors on a space
available basis.