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Degrees & Colleges
In an age that demands originality and imagination,
George Mason University is among the nation’s
most innovative universities. It achieves excellence in
interdisciplinary research and teaching by rethinking
the traditional structure of the academy. The school
offers more than 100 degree programs, including
interdisciplinary programs that allow students to design
personalized courses of study with faculty guidance.
G eorge Mason College began in 1964 with
350 students; now, George Mason University
boasts more than 30,000 students on four regional
campuses and one in the United Arab Emirates.
It has two Nobel laureates and its Schools of Law
and Public Policy are nationally ranked. Its interna-
tional reputation was enhanced when in 2006 the
Mason men’s basketball team reached the NCAA
Final Four for the first time in the university’s history.
Mason’s proximity to the nation’s capital gives
both students and faculty access to some of the
The Mason Statue is a gathering place for the university community (credit: George Mason University, Creative Services)
most powerful institutions in the world. Mason’s
innovative programs, partnerships, and strategic economic development enterprise that focuses the
alliances add value and accelerate economic and energy, skills, and intellectual capital of Mason on
community growth regionally, nationally, and glob- enterprise creation and expansion. Special business
ally. It is among the first to offer advanced degrees incubator programs include the Entrepreneurial Step
in bioinformatics, climate dynamics, information Up Program™, International Business Development
security, and neuroscience. Mason also has recip- Program, Fairfax Innovation Center, the Virginia Small
rocal relationships with universities in Korea, China, Business Development Center Network, Community
and Germany that foster international exchanges Business Partnership, Mentor-Protégé Program, Pro-
for faculty and students. curement Technical Assistance Program, and telework
and training centers. The self-supporting center has
Scientific breakthroughs are a common occur- 37 locations and sponsors 320 business development
rence at Mason. The Center for Applied Proteomics events in the National Capital Region during the year.
and Molecular Medicine is currently developing
groundbreaking cancer diagnostic tools. The De- The center specializes in small business services,
partment of Chemistry and Biochemistry’s Profes- government contracting, international business,
sor Abul Hussam received the Grainger Challenge entrepreneurship, technology ventures, and telework
Prize for his filter for removing arsenic from drinking initiatives. It provides regional business owners access
water in developing countries. The Krasnow to faculty, students, alumni, researchers, information
Institute for Advanced Study now has an MRI brain sources, inventions, and other resources required to
scanner and is one of two nonmedical schools with help them expand their businesses, improve their or-
a cognitive neuroscience research institute to own ganizations, and strengthen the regional economy. The
functional imaging technology. center also offers a unique combination of programs,
services, resources, and a broad array of activities
The Mason International School of Law, ranked The view from atop the Patriot Center shows the Center for the Arts and the Johnson Center
including business counseling, seminars, publica-
in the top 40 nationally, was a pioneer in providing tions, sponsored research programs, and information
three core competencies often neglected at more services.
traditional institutions: the legal application of eco-
nomic tools and methods, intensive development The university extends its unique programs in a
of legal writing skills, and specialized substantive partnership with the Smithsonian Institution. During the
preparation for practice. Notably, the intellectual Smithsonian-Mason Semester, students live onsite at
property law curriculum has gained national recog- the Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal,
nition. Virginia, and study global-scale conservation issues.
www.GMU.edu
The Mason Enterprise Center, administered by
Tel +1.703.993.1000
the School of Public Policy, is a university-based
1 Best of DC Best of DC 2
Mason Pond on the Fairfax Campus Enterprise Hall is home to the School of Management and New Century College