Transfer Credits

Transfer Credits and Re-evaluation of Prior Credits

Accreditation and Course Credit 

George Mason University's Costello College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). As such, students may only receive major course credit for Business courses taken at institutions that have AACSB and/or EQUIS accreditation and where the student earns a grade of C or better. 

Transfer Credit Policy 

  • Ten Years Old or More: Transfer credits completed more than ten years prior to Mason enrollment or re-enrollment cannot be awarded for any College of Business courses. 
  • No Waivers for Credit Requirements: The College of Business does not waive credit requirements for any courses. 
  • CLEP Exams: Current College of Business students are not eligible to receive credit for CLEP exams. Transfer credit for CLEP exams is only accepted for new students applying for CLEP exams taken prior to admission to the University and will be evaluated by The Office of Admissions. Current students with questions about prior CLEP credit should contact their Business Academic Advisor. 

Lower-Level Courses: Courses completed at a lower level (below 300 level) cannot be transferred for upper-level credit but may be awarded as elective credit if deemed equivalent. 

  • Community College Courses: Courses from community colleges are typically not eligible for upper-level credit unless evaluated as elective credit. These institutions are not accredited by AACSB or EQUIS. 

Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Course Transfers 

All VCCS courses have been evaluated for transfer equivalency at George Mason University and can be found in the Transfer Credit Matrix. This matrix is a valuable tool for identifying courses that have been pre-approved for transfer and are considered universally equivalent at Mason. It is important to note that the matrix may not include all colleges and schools. 

Transfer Credit Inquiry 

If a course does not appear on your transfer evaluation, you may complete the Transfer Credit Inquiry Form and submit it either to the Enrollment Central Desk (SUB I, lower level) or via email to admissions@gmu.edu. 

Re-evaluation of Transfer Credits 

If a student believes that a course they have taken is equivalent to a College of Business course, but it is not reflected accurately on their transfer evaluation, they may request a re-evaluation for transfer credit. 

  • Re-evaluation of Non-Business Courses: For non-Business courses, students should meet with the appropriate department to determine course equivalency. 
  • Submission Deadline: All re-evaluations must be submitted within the student’s first academic year at George Mason University.   
  • Minimum Grade Requirement: Only courses in which a student earned a grade of C or better will be eligible for transfer credit. 
  • Processing Time: The process of re-evaluating courses will take approximately 2-3 weeks. 

How to Submit for Re-evaluation 

Students requesting re-evaluation must submit the following materials to busreqst@gmu.edu: 

  1. Transfer Credit Re-evaluation Appeal Form 
  • The form must be fully completed, including all relevant institution/s and course information on the first page. Incomplete forms or forms missing pages will not be accepted. 
  1. Course Syllabus/Description from the Host Institution 
  • The course syllabus must be provided on the host institution’s letterhead or retrieved from the institution’s official catalog or website. 
  • A textbook is not a substitute for the official syllabus.
  • The syllabus/description will be compared to the course description in the George Mason catalog to determine course equivalency. 

Important Notes on Re-evaluations 

  • Credit Hours: The credit hours for the course at the host institution must equal the number of credit hours at George Mason University. 
  • Combining Courses: A maximum of two courses from the same institution may be combined to fulfill one Mason course and one elective. 
  • Syllabus/Course Description Requirement: At a minimum, a verifiable course description is required; however, students are encouraged to provide a course syllabus to ensure the most efficient review and determination of equivalency.