George Mason University

Overview

George Mason University is a distinguished public research-oriented university situated in Fairfax City, Virginia, approximately 16 miles from the nation’s capital—Washington D.C. Established in 1972, the university has grown in stature to become one of the largest in the state. It prides itself on academic excellence and services, a spirit that keeps it energized to arm students with the skills and knowledge they need to meet the demands of the rapidly changing world.

The university started as a north branch of Virginia University, following the authorization by the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1956. A year later, the institution was opened and named after its founding father, George Mason. He is a renowned politician who’s famed for the creation of the Virginia Declaration of Rights. Its original campus was Bailey’s Crossroads until 1964 when it was relocated to Fairfax.

Since it became an independent institution in 1972, the university morphed into a world-class research institution that seeks to deliver bold, progressive education. It has continued to set standards for education and research, and its efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. At present, it’s classified as an R1: Doctoral University due to its very high research activity and output rate. It’s also one of the two universities in Virginia to gain the STARS Silver Rating from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

The university has four campuses in Virginia including Fairfax (the main campus), Arlington, Prince William, and Front Royal campus. In addition, Mason operates a campus in South Korea. It’s at this campus where the institution built an inclusive and innovative academic community focused on creating a free, just, and prosperous environment.

It's organized around ten colleges and schools that cover a wide range of academic disciplines. The schools and colleges include Law, Education and Human Development, Health and Human Services, Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Visual and Performing Arts, Engineering, Peace and Conflict Resolution, and Business.

Even better, the institution is one of the most organically diverse academic environments. Its US campus is home to more than 37,000 students drawn from more than 130 countries around the world. Of the total number of students, more than 6,200 live on campus.

In terms of academics, George Mason University offers more than 200 programs of study at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels. In addition to the established programs, it allows students to pursue integrative and interdisciplinary studies or customize their own programs. The institution is always exploring ways to improve learning and is the first university in the US to offer doctoral degrees in Conflict Resolution, Computational Social Science, Bioinformatics, and Information Technology.

George Mason University has over 1,400 full-time research and instructional faculty members. Drawing experts from different fields, the institution’s faculty members have won numerous awards and grants including a Nobel Prize and several Pulitzer Prizes, Fulbright Scholar grants, and Mellon Fellowships.