B.S. - Science, Technology, Engineering, Economics and Mathematics (STEM)
- Curriculum
- Honors 110
- Science
- Math
- Substitution
- Your Schedule
- Registration
All students who pursue the Honors College curriculum take the Core courses. These courses satisfy Mason’s General Education requirements. Most students take about two to three years to complete them all. Courses in the Core include:
1. HNRS 110: Research Methods
2. HNRS 122: Reading the Arts
3. HNRS 131: Contemporary Society in Multiple Perspectives
4. HNRS 240: Reading the Past
5. HNRS 353: Technology in the Contemporary World
There are further required courses to complete the Honors College curriculum, such as Math and Lab Science requirements. Additional courses specific to your major or interest will be addressed as you move through the online advising process.
The STEM track was designed for students pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in a Science, Technology, Engineering, Economics, or Mathematics major. In addition to the Honors curriculum Core Courses students in the STEM track choose at least two (2) classes from a selection of Honors courses. These are taught as small sections unless otherwise noted.
- BIOL 213 section H: Cell Structure and Function
- BIOL 303 section H: Animal Biology*
- ECON 103 section H: Contemporary Microeconomic Principles*
- CHEM 211 section H: General Chemistry
- CHEM 212 section H: General Chemistry
- CS 211 section H: Object-Oriented Programming*
- MATH 116: Analytic Geometry and Calculus II (an Honors section of MATH 114)
- MATH 215: Vector Calculus (an Honors section of MATH 213)
- PHYS 160 section H: University Physics I*
- PHYS 260 section H: University Physics II*
- PHYS 262 section H: University Physics II*
*These honors sections are taught as "add-ons" to regular lectures.
If you decide to take the Honors version of the courses listed above you will need to email the Honors College with your student ID "G" number and the CRN (the number assigned to each course in the course catalog online) of the course and the lab, if applicable, to be registered for the course. Keep in mind that you are not officially registered for the course until it shows up on your account on Patriot Web.
Email your information to:
Heather Anderson
handers4@gmu.edu
STEM students are required to fulfill the General Education Quantitative Reasoning requirement of 3 credits and the Lab Science course requirement of 8 credits. Most BS degree programs already satisfy these requirements. Be sure to review your program to make sure that your major courses fulfill these requirements. If you have any questions please contact the Honors office.
HNRS 110: Research Methods (Required)
In your first semester at Mason as a student you are required to take HNRS 110: Reserach Methods. This course offers you the opportunity to learn about research practices in humanities, social sciences, the natural sciences, mathematics, economics, management, and law. You learn how to choose and focus on a research topic of significant interest, find and analyze sources that represent multiple perspectives, organize evidence in an essay that is shaped by an original thesis, write clearly and address an audience of scholars.
There are multiple 110 courses offered, but each student must register for one 3 credit course as well as the 1 credit recitation.
Science Requirement
All students are required to fulfill a lab science sequence as part of their Honors curriculum requirements. Below is a list of possible lab science sequences.
Option 1: Primarily for students who are majoring in science, technology, engineering, mathematics or nursing.
- BIOL 213 and BIOL 303 (or any higher level biology class)
- CHEM 211 and CHEM 212
- PHYS 243/244 and PHYS 245/246
- PHYS 160/161 and 260/261
- BIOL 124, BIOL 125 and BIOL 246/306
Option 2*: For students who do not plan to major in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics.
- HNRS 227 and HNRS 228
- ASTR 111/112 and HNRS 228
- BIOL 103 and HNRS 228
- CHEM 103 and HNRS 228
- EVPP 110 and HNRS 228
- GEOL 101 and HNRS 228
- PHYS 103 and HNRS 228
- BIOL 124, BIOL 125, and HNRS 228
* Although students may substitute an approved general education science course for HNRS 227, we require HNRS 228 of Honors students who are not taking a science sequence from Option 1 above. Contact Dean Alligood (alligood@gmu.edu) if you have further questions.
Math Requirement
All students are required to fulfill a quantitative analysis requirement (Math) as part of general education. Depending on your major and major requirements this can be fulfilled in several different ways. Please read the outline below to help you determine which math course you will need to take.
Option 1: For students who plan to major in math, science, computer science, or engineering (or anyone who plans to take MATH 113/Math 114). Students majoring in Biology may choose either Option 1 or 2.
| Course | Comments |
|---|---|
| MATH 113: Calculus I | Students need to a take placement test before registering. The test can be taken during Orientation. For more information go to math.gmu.edu |
| MATH 114: Calculus II | For students who have received 4 hrs. AP/IB credit |
| MATH 116: Honors Calculus II | AA small class of MATH 114 for students taking the Honors College curriculum (or with permission from the instructor) |
Higher number MATH courses For example, MATH 215: Vector Calculus |
For students who have received 8 hrs. of AP or IB credit and are taking more MATH courses. See the advising sheets of your major or contact Dr. Alligood (alligood@gmu.edu) MATH 215: Vector Calculus is a small Honors section of MATH 213. |
Option 2: For students who do not plan to major in math, science, computer science, or engineering (or students whose major does not require MATH 113/114).
| Course | Comments |
|---|---|
| HNRS 125: A Liberal Arts Approach to Calculus | A course in mathematical modeling with basic ideas of calculus for honors students. Taught in small classes: one section for students who have had little or no calculus, and one section for students who have had an introcution to calculus in high school but do not have AP or IB credit in math. |
Most of your Honors courses can be substituted with AP/IB exams and previous college credits earned before you began attending Mason. Please see below to determine if there is a possibility you will be able to substitute your exams/credits for some of your Honors courses. See the Admissions web page for acceptable scores for AP/IB exams: http://admissions.gmu.edu/exams/
For Dual-Enrollment (previous college) courses taken before beginning your degree at George Mason University the course requirements below apply. You must have received a B or higher for the course and it must be transferred to George Mason University and appear on your transcript before an official substitution can be made. To substitute for Honors 125 the dual-enrollment course must be equivalent to MATH 113. To substitute for HNRS 227 and 228 the dual-enrollment course must be equivalent to a two–course general education science sequence with labs.
Any credits that can not be used for major, minor, or Honors curriculum requirements will count as electives towards the 120 credits required to graduate with an undergradate degree from Mason.
Please keep in mind that HNRS 110 and 353 must be taken by all students in the Honors Program.
Course |
AP/IB Exams Required |
HNRS 110 |
All students are required to take HNRS 110 |
HNRS 122 |
|
HNRS 125 |
Calculus AB or BC |
HNRS 130 |
|
HNRS 131 |
And one of the following:
|
HNRS 227 |
|
HNRS 227 HNRS 228 |
|
HNRS 230 |
One of the following:
|
HNRS 240 |
|
HNRS 353 |
All students are required to take HNRS 353 |
|
|
STEM Track Substitutions
Once Mason course credit has been awarded for your AP/IB exams and dual-enrollment courses, Honors will award a substitution for at most one STEM honors section. The Honors College requires all honors students who choose the STEM track to take at least one STEM honors section. If you have received credit for all STEM track sections appropriate to your major contact Dr. Alligood.
Now that you have read through the online advising process and viewed your advising sheet it is time to create your schedule. Below is a scheduling form and a link to instructions to assist you in the scheduling process. Be sure to record the CRN number (listed in the online course catalog)) for the courses you would like to register for. Once you have read through the registration instructions print them out and close the instructions window to return to this page.
Link to: Schedule Planner and Instructions
Once you have completed your schedule you will need to register for your courses online via Patriot Web. To do so you will need the CRN numbers (listed in the online course catalog) of the courses you need to register for as well as your student ID “G” number. Please review the instructions on the registration process via the link below.
Remember that if you decide to take the Honors version of the STEM Track courses you will need to email the Honors College with your student ID "G" number and the CRN (the number assigned to each course in the online course catalog) of the course and the lab, if applicable, to be registered for the course. Be sure to double check that there are no conflicts with the lab and lecture and your other courses or that the lab is not full before you send an email to the Honors College (you will not be registered if the lab is full or the courses conflict). Keep in mind that you are not officially registered for the course until it shows up on your account on Patriot Web.
Email your information to:
Heather Anderson
handers4@gmu.edu
When you are done with the registration process please email honors@gmu.edu with your name and g-number to let us know you have completed your schedule for fall.
If you need assistance please contact the Honors office (703.993.1110 or honors@gmu.edu).