Mason Core Course Standards

The Mason Core curriculum serves all undergraduate students at George Mason University. The following standards are designed to promote strong and consistent course management across sections and over time.  

Any unit may participate in Mason Core by submitting a completed course proposal for Mason Core Committee review, provided the submitted course addresses the appropriate student learning outcomes and the following standards are met. 

• Minimum Three Credits – In general, Mason Core courses should be a minimum of three credits. Exceptions can be made for lab courses linked to content-focused lectures. 
• Open to All Students – Courses at the Foundation and Exploration levels should not require prerequisites due to their introductory focus. Courses at the Integration level, which are generally taken within the major, may have appropriate prerequisites.   
• Assignment Alignment – Mason Core courses should be designed to incorporate assessable assignments that clearly map to each required learning outcome in the relevant category. Such assignments are essential to meeting university-wide accreditation requirements related to general education. Units with multiple sections of a Mason Core course are not required to use common assignments, but this approach is encouraged to ensure that all sections appropriately meet the required learning outcomes and that each section contributes assessable student artifacts when prompted. 
• Mason Core Assessment Participation – All Mason Core instructors, regardless of appointment type, are required to participate in Mason Core assessment. Course-related materials are collected on a pre-determined cycle in partnership with the Office of Institutional Effectiveness and Planning. Units with courses that do not participate in the assessment cycle may be removed from Mason Core. 
• Consistent Offerings – Mason Core courses should be offered at least once every two years. This ensures that students have consistent access to courses that fulfill their requirements while maintaining Mason Core’s overall coherence.  
• Ongoing Course Management – Departments and/or units should provide ongoing support and oversight to ensure that Mason Core courses meet these standards, regardless of section, instructor, or modality. This includes ensuring that all Mason Core syllabi:
  • Include a clear statement that the course meets the appropriate Mason Core category  
    • Example: This course is part of the Mason Core curriculum and fulfills requirements for Global Contexts.   
  • Provide a list of the Mason Core category learning outcomes related to the course. Outcomes by category are listed on the Mason Core website. If a course meets the requirements for more than one category, be sure all relevant category outcomes are included. 
  • Include a consistent final grading scale across sections of the same course. One section should not use C- grades while another one does not. It is up to the department to determine the scale used in accordance with university policies. 
• Course Material Affordability – Whenever possible, courses should be designed with no-cost course materials that are sustainable and copyright-compliant. George Mason provides a variety of supports for faculty and students, such as the Text Select program and Open Education Resources (OERs). Read more about these opportunities. 

Special Considerations 

• Multiple Categories – Mason Core courses can count for more than one category, if approved by the Mason Core Committee. A course may not count for more than one category across different levels of Mason Core. For example, a course may not count for a category at the Exploration level while also counting for a category at the Foundational or Integration level. There are different expectations for learning at each level of Mason Core. 
• Cross-listed Courses – A Mason Core attribute applies only to the course that was submitted for Mason Core designation. Cross-listing through Patriotweb does not automatically apply the attribute to the non-approved course. Please submit both courses for approval in Courseleaf if a course is frequently cross-listed.   
• Cross-level listed Courses – Cross-level listing means a graduate and an undergraduate course cover similar content, but at different levels of content complexity, with substantially different assignments and mastery expectations. The Mason Core attribute applies only to the undergraduate course that was submitted for Mason Core designation. It will not automatically be applied to the graduate course. Please submit the graduate course through Courseleaf for Mason Core approval if you expect that the course will be used frequently by undergraduate students to satisfy Mason Core requirements (e.g., in BAM pathways). 

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