George Mason University Top Questions

they don't challenge us enough.

I have made many good friends among the professors I have had. Class participation is a bit higher than in high school, as for competition among students I have no idea about that. I do spend time with professors outside of class, just talking about anything and everything, though not too often. Honestly I would have to say that the education I have received at GMU is geared toward learning for its own sake, not towards getting a job.

You really have to shop arround. Few are great, most of them are average and some of them are real difficult to learn anything from. Just like students.

My favorite class was MKTG Jeff Kulick was my prof. really cool guy, and an amazing teacher! I learned a great deal in his class.

*i know most of my professors' names *my favorite class is my African American class and my least favorite is my social psyc class *i study probably 3 days before every test *class participation only happens in small classes with an approachable teacher *my department is integrative studies and its one of the few that is organized and knows its students *I think that the education at GMU is more geared towards learning just because i know of few options once i graduate and need a job

Mason academics aren't easy. But I suppose that's a good thing because it shows we have a strong academic system. Professors usually have expertise in their field.

Some professors are able to truly learn the names of their students. Mason professors realy do like to get to know students they teach. My favorite classes have been in the area of Religious Studies which is also my Minor degree. Education is designed to get a job in some areas of academics here but also it is designed for learning for the sake of learning because not all required classes may be directly related to the major.

It could be harder, but I do enjoy the history classes that I have taken.

good professors

Most classes are small, mostly freshman gen.ed classes are in giant lecture halls. I don't know how much people study but I see many people studying in between classes in the J.C. probably because they commute and don't want to waste time and gas driving home and then driving back for their next class. There are some really intellecutal students who can carry on an intellectual conversation but there some some who are like "what?" and other who don't even understand english. The communication department is petty cool. All of the professors that I've had are really nice and laid back and stories of comm professors I don't have are all positive. I don't think I've heard a negative thing about a comm professor. The comm department really helps you out with jobs and internships. I think the education at GMU is geared toward getting a job. We have a career service that helps you look for jobs and internships and they also look over the resume so you're not presenting a piece of paper full of crap when you talk to prospective employers.

Lecture professors could care less who you are and could care less whether you fail or pass. They care about getting through the semester. Once you get into your major courses, professors start to learn your name and interact with you. Classes are difficult and you have to stay focused and study hard for a lot of classes just to get by. Yes, mason students have intellectual conversations outside of class, atleast the people I have met, my friends and myself have intellectual conversations with each other. The most unique class ive taken would have to be modern dance. It was a great experience and was a lot of fun but definitly unique. I am in the School of Management and although our school is known for its SOM program, the SOM administration does not really help students with class selection and helping them graduate on time. A lot of professors in SOM would rather have a student fail then pass their class and i dont think some of them even know how to write an A. Most professors even say that they are not their to pass students, they are their to teach the material whether you understand it or not is your own problem. Its kind of discouraging when you walk into a class the first day of the semester and hear "75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of this class will fail this semester and have to retake the course". However, while taking a minor in Sports Management, I had a completely opposite experience. All the professors are encouraging, learn your name, want you to learn the material and UNDERSTAND it...no matter what. They are willing to meet with you and help in the classroom and outside with references and helping getting hired in the real world. I still talk to some professors that I had taken my first semester here at Mason.

Decent, deserves more recognition. Some students are underqualified for this level of education.

I think it was pretty easy getting in to Mason, the best class i have is Russian, probably because my professor is the head of the Russian department. Other than that most of th teachers i've had havn't really been that remarkable. George Mason really stresses studying abroad and learning about different cultures, they also like you to complete foreign language requierment, more so than other schools i think.

classes in GMU are hard and most professors are not helpful. GMU's academic requirements are too much which cause to many students to stay longer in school and pay more money on school.

Academics are good. There is alot of majors to choose from. Tons of students in each major.

I find all the Comm. teachers to be very friendly and nice and willing to work with students if they need extra help. I think the IT requirement should be taken away because it is hard and only useful for a couple majors. In my smaller classes the professors know my name.

academics are important at mason but not too important. the teachers are accesible and the classes not too difficult.

A majority of my professors know my name and have been very attentive and caring. I have really enjoyed my English and Geography classes the most because they are both very interesting subjects.

Grad students suck at teaching, professors should be also checked for general ability to communicate, alot of my professors are very smart yet because of their accent or lack of english speaking experience, they are impossible to understand while speaking in class, and if I don't understand what they are saying, I won't learn

The professors are all willing to help and keep in contact to get you a better grade. It is difficult for me to spend as much time as I would like studying becuase I also play a sport, and that takes up a lot of time.

definatley challenging on a variety of levels

Yes the professors know my name and most of them go out of their way to make sure students succeed. My favorite class is english 201 with professor Dr. Williams, he is very deep and realistic. Least favorite is stat 250-005. The minitabs and H.W.s dont even work on macbooks, and do not help me understand the material. Depends on your major if you study a lot. Class participation is not that common. Students do have intellectual conversations outside of class, and are competitive, but dont mind helping out by giving old quizes out. Most unique class is modern dance. I just declared nursing and I dont really start taking nursing classes till my junior year, if i make it into the program :/ I don't spend time with professors outside of the class.

It all depends on your class and your own participation, most teachers want to get to know your name, if you don't participate they don't really have a reason to though. GMU student have study groups you just have to get to know the people in your class. I suggest getting an academic advisor, because the academic requirements can get confusing at times. And GMU is geared toward both learning and getting a job..the have people there to just help you with your resume.

I feel the academics are very good at Mason and are not that challenging. The schools academics and intensity of them are continuously growing ad will continue to grow. I feel that by the time i graduate the school will have more recognition for its academics.

Good Economics Department

I feel that the classes towards my major, Elementary education are easy A classes and that I do not learn much in those classes. There should be more in the class room observation hours and experince through the education program. However, I am very happy with the other classes I have taken here.

In my major classes, my professors know my name due to the fact the classes are smaller. Which i really like because if i need additional help you do get the one on one attention. Other than major classes the classes are too big for professors to know you by name. Class participation is expected in all classes except for large lecture classes. My academic experience at Mason has been academically stimulating and rewarding. The curriculm is challenging but yet doable.

A wide aray of classes. The professors are pretty great and scheduling classes is pretty easy.

I think the academics here are pretty good once you get into the upper level classes. A lot of professors are really good, but when they terach 100 level classes they kind of B.S. it because its not what they're really interested in. In my upper level classes I've had a lot of great teachers, all who know my name and work with me on an individual basis if I need it. Most of them are always more than willing to help you out if you need. We also have a lot of really interesting classes, like Cyber punk, Queer Studies and Female Genital Cutting, for example. Some stuff is geared toward getting a job and managing in your field, but alot of it is learning just to know more. I'm an art major and everyone is really close in the art department, we all call our professors by their first name and they all will discuss work with you and joke around.

Obviously the professors know my name.. I am a research assistant..The courses offered in gmu are kinda okie dokie but would help if they offered more courses in Electrical Engg

The professors know you personally and are very approachable.

professors do not help you. period. the only good professor is rusticci----and thats because rusticci is a god

The language department at mason needs a LOT more funding!!! The teachers are supposed to follow a strict syllabus and some do and some don't and when you need tutoring help there isn't any. I feel that the psychology department is good, this being the area I have the most experience in. However some of the books are boring and out dated so it would be good if things were evaluated more often to keep them fresh and interesting. I think some of the programs at mason make sense, trying to get you to be a well rounded student is nice, but I speak from personal experience when I say I will never need the IT skills in the corporate world.

My favorite class was my abnormal psych class. That class was very informative and was made a lot of fun by the professor. GMU students, like many others I'm sure, do have intellectual conversations outside of class. There is almost always something going on on Mason's campus that is mind boggling/stimulating. Some of the gen eds I feel students should not have to take because they do not pertain to the major. However, I agree with the gen eds in the sense that they help students 'know a little about a lot'. Once you get more into your core courses, I feel that the learning becomes more geared toward a job.

I really like the academics at George Mason. I've taken a lot of electives that I've really enjoyed, since the teachers were very knowledgeable. However, within my major, I have not had a good professor within my concentration. I do not feel like I've learned anything that can be applied to a real job.

Favorite class is Communication 389 with Professor Anderson. She is a wonderful professor who prides herself in trying to get the most out of her students. I wouldn't say all, but most of the classes I have taken have tried to make them geared toward helping us in the real world. Being so close to the city, I believe it gives students at GMU a great advantage over many other schools.

George Mason is a great school if you're looking for a job in the D.C. Metro area. People can join clubs and learn about jobs or even teachers will reccommend certain interships. Speaking of classes, most are lectures but some classes have 20-30 people so someone can really get to know their professor and professors here definitely try to help out as much as they can.

Academics are varied. In any given class you may sit and listen to a professor drone on and on or be engaged in discussion. Intellectual conversation outside of class is not to common in my crown, but who knows right? There is very little competition at GMU, most students just try to get by without too much effort or thought. I have had some great professors and some i thought were not even qualified to teach me, once again its a varied academic environment.

I feel GMU's academic requirements are not benefical to the students in context with their major. For instance, my general university requirements are roughly 40 credits and on top of that I have other general requirements within the english department. Not to say I do not enjoy some of the classes, I just feel I could work on other subjects to understand my major at a better level. I mean techniquely I am taking 4 core classes that apply to my major. I think that is not exsactly something you would expect from your university, but yet our university is known to "go a step beyond." Beyond what? A basic education? All I know is, I would prefer to have more english classes that applied to my major.

During general ed requirements you will most likely be in large lecture classes where you are just a number. Once you get into your major you will get to know the professors personally. Most of the classes become more discussion based and part of your grade will be participation. Mason has a lot of adjunct professors who work part-time or only stay for a few years. Getting to know your professors will help you to get internships and jobs after graduation. Most of them are helpful and take time to get to know their students.

Academics are good here. The student teacher ratio is very good and you know your professors and they know you. Classes aren't terribly hard and if you do the work you should do well. Studying depends on the student. Some study a lot in the JC or in the rooms and others don't. Most classes call for participation and are part of your grade so it's common. There are a wide variety of classes offered here and students aren't competitive against each other. I think there are also a lot of job/intern opportunities for GMU students with DC around the corner and for a lot of classes going to a DC museum is common.

Professor know ur name for the most part. favorite class is comm 101. least favorite univ 100. participation is sometimes common. outside conversation, yes. students are competitive. i dont spend time with prof. outside class. most unique class is comm 101.requirments seems respectable. toward gettina job.

The academics are superb. The education here is a DC school education at half the cost. The class sizes vary but usually within the upper classes the teachers do know your names and are helpful with academics or any other thing that comes up.

Some professors know my name depending on the size of the class. My favorite class is Dance Appreciation. My least favorite is economics. Students time spent studying varies, when a test is near, the more serious it is.GMU's academic requirements are competitive because of the increase in number of students applying.

It's a mix. Some professors know your name, others do not. I am an exercise science major and a lot of the people in that department are tight because you have a lot of classes with the same students and professors.

I really like the classes at Mason, but I don't feel like it's a very intimate environment. The classes are usually big enough that you can just blend in

The professors at Mason are all pretty cool. I work 30 hours a week and am taking 18 units and, although I stay busy, I'm surviving. The psychology department is awesome and gives its students great opportunities for internships and employment. The English department is also excellent, in particular the Creative Writing program (which is one of the top 10 graduate programs in the US.) All of the academic requirements are reasonable.

Most professors seem to know our names and care about their students. Of course, there's always that adjunct guy who just comes in to teach a few math classes to pay his nice car off and doesn't care about his students, but not all adjuncts are bad. Ironically, some of the best teachers I've had have been adjunct. The music department has some professors who play in the National Symphony Orchestra and various military bands from the DC area. The communication department has had professionals from all kinds of backgrounds who come in to teach. While they may not be the most academic of professors, they certainly have real-life experience that they can share with us! I've heard from some professors that students at Mason are somewhat less participative during class than at some other schools. I've definitely been in situations that felt like I was either the only one in the class who knew the answer to the professor's questions, or at least the only one who really cared to answer. I wouldn't consider Mason a really "intellectual" place. But learning does take place, and it is in a really great location for internships and jobs in DC.

Do your professors know your name? Overall the academics at George Mason rank pretty average. There are some professors that speak very little English, or if they do you can't understand them so it can be very frustrating but there are also professors at Mason that are awesome. George Mason has a unique college of integrative studies, called New Century College. It is a much smaller community at Mason that is very close. The professors in New Century College know who you are, what you like, what you dislike, and are often very nice people.

Depending on how much help you want, you can get it. Professors are more than willing to help you with industry connections, if you are willing to seek it.