The Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) is an undergraduate liberal arts degree program for students who hold an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. It is designed primarily to deepen student knowledge in an academic area and foster critical thinking, analytic reasoning, and an ability to synthesize information.

An Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree is required for admission, providing a streamlined path to completion of traditional academic requirements leading to the baccalaureate degree. BAS meets students' professional and personal goals while developing a depth of knowledge and proficiency of skill that translates well to the workplace. Several concentrations offer Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's options. 

Admissions

As a prerequisite to enrollment in the BAS, students must have received an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree from an accredited two-year institution in an approved area of specialization. Students should review specific Admissions details on the program's website.

Policies

For policies governing all undergraduate degrees, see AP.5 Undergraduate Policies.

Change of Major

Mason students considering a change of major to BAS must hold an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree related to the BAS concentration of choice, and must have a Mason GPA of 2.50 or higher. Students who have been terminated from a College of Engineering and Computing (CEC) or School of Business major may be unable to declare BAS as a major, since terminated students are not eligible to take CEC/School of Business courses.

Program Requirements

BAS students must fulfill all requirements for bachelor's degrees including Mason Core requirements, to include 45 credits of upper-level coursework. All Mason Core requirements must be met with either George Mason courses or transferrable equivalents.

The minimum credit requirement for a bachelor's degree is 120 credits; however, while there is some variation between concentration areas, fulfilling all Mason Core requirements and an academic concentration is likely to require most BAS students to complete at least 63-66 credits at George Mason, which may lead to over 120 credits of coursework in order to receive the degree.

Admitted BAS students will be academically advised by the appropriate BAS Program concentration advisor to plan their course of study including completion of the Mason Core, the BAS concentration, and any remaining requirements. See the website for more information.

The degree plan outlined is based on a student who transfers in a minimum of 30 credits from a completed AAS degree. Some of these credits may count only towards the elective requirement within the BAS degree.

Specific concentrations may have additional policies indicated in the Requirements tab.

Banner Code: UN-BAS-APLS

Degree Requirements

Total credits: 120-126

Concentrations are intended to provide focus for the BAS curriculum in an area relevant to the student's AAS degree while allowing for the breadth of study associated with a liberal arts baccalaureate degree. Please note that determination of current transfer work for these concentrations may impact course requirements.

In addition to satisfying all Mason Core requirements, students must satisfy the requirements for one of the eight concentrations. 

Concentrations

Concentration in Applied Conflict Analysis and Resolution (ACAR)

This concentration is in collaboration with the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Core Requirement
BAS 300Building Professional Competencies3
CONF 101Conflict and Our World (Mason Core)3
CONF 301Research and Inquiry in Conflict Resolution3
CONF 302Culture, Identity, and Conflict3
Select one of the following3
Interpersonal Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Community, Group, and Organizational Conflict Analysis and Resolution
Global Conflict Analysis and Resolution (Mason Core)
Applied Coursework
CONF 300Conflict Resolution Techniques and Practice3
Choose three credits of Skills Coursework from:3
Dialogue and Difference
Internship Field Experience
International Field Experience
Special Topics in Advanced Techniques and Practices
Mediating Conflict
or foreign language completed at the 202 level.
CONF 490RS: Integration (Mason Core)3
Electives
In consultation with their advisor, students are required to take 18 credits of concentration coursework; at least 9 credits must be from the CONF department. The concentration list can be found in the catalog or on our website.18
Total Credits42

Electives (variable)

All BAS students are required to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours of coursework. Students will work with their advisor to determine how to fulfill their outstanding credit hours to ensure they have met all major and university requirements. The number of elective credits that a BAS student may have available will vary by concentration and the amount of applicable transfer coursework the student has been awarded.

Concentration in Cyber Security (CYBS)

This concentration is in collaboration with the College of Engineering and Computing and is only available to students who graduate with an AAS degree in Cyber Security from a partner school. Full admissions requirements can be viewed on the program website.

Students must have a C or better in any course that satisfies a prerequisite for an IT course.  To graduate with the BAS with a Cyber Security concentration, students must have a C or better in their core, concentration, and technical focus courses.

Core Requirements
BAS 300Building Professional Competencies3
BAS 490Introduction to Research Methods3
or BAS 492 Capstone Development
BAS 491Applied Sciences Capstone (Mason Core)3
or BAS 493 BAS Capstone (Mason Core)
Concentration Requirements
IT 104Introduction to Computing (Mason Core)3
IT 105IT Architecture Fundamentals3
IT 223Information Security Fundamentals3
IT 304IT in the Global Economy3
IT 343IT Project Management (Fulfills writing intensive requirement)3
IT 353Information Defense Technologies3
IT 357Computer Crime, Forensics, and Auditing3
IT 429Security Accreditation of Information Systems3
IT & Cyber Security Transfer Courses21-36
Specific courses taken at the community college fulfill this requirement. Students should consult with their advisor. The credits awarded vary, depending on coursework taken at the community college.
Technical Focus
Select 15 credit hours of required IT, MBUS, MIS, or other approved coursework from the following. Courses not listed here may be selected in consultation with the advisor. Not all Technical Focus courses listed here are offered online. Students pursuing CYBS online should meet with their advisor to select courses that are offered online. Note: Enrolled undergraduate students who are not declared in a School of Business major are limited to 9 credits of MIS courses.15
Data and Application Security
Election Security
Cloud Infrastructure
Cloud Services Management
Applied Cyber Threat Analysis
Cloud Security
Special Topics in Information Technology
Accounting in a Global Economy
Entrepreneurship: Starting and Managing a New Enterprise
Introduction to International Business (Mason Core)
Managing Projects and Operations
Corporate Finance and Investments in a Global Economy
Principles of Management
Introduction to Business Information Systems (Mason Core)
Database Management Systems
Networks and Security
Systems Analysis and Design
Cloud Computing Essentials
Cloud System Management
Principles of Marketing
Introduction to IT Methods for Healthcare
Introduction to Health Information Systems
Business and Professional Communication
Introduction to the Intelligence Community
Intelligence Analysis Techniques
Counterintelligence
Total Credits69-84

Electives (variable)

All BAS students are required to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours of coursework. Students will work with their advisor to determine how to fulfill their outstanding credit hours to ensure they have met all major and university requirements. The number of elective credits that a BAS student may have available will vary by concentration and the amount of applicable transfer coursework the student has been awarded.

Concentration in Cloud Computing (CCG)

This concentration is in collaboration with the School of Business and the College of Engineering and Computing and is only available to students who graduate with an AAS degree in a related field. Full admissions requirements can be viewed on the program website.

To graduate with the BAS with a Cloud Computing concentration, students must have a C or better in their core and concentration courses.

Core Requirements
BAS 300Building Professional Competencies3
BAS 490Introduction to Research Methods3
or BAS 492 Capstone Development
BAS 491Applied Sciences Capstone (Mason Core)3
or BAS 493 BAS Capstone (Mason Core)
Total Credits9

Additional Concentration Requirements

In order to complete the Cloud Computing Concentration, students complete one of the two following areas:

Cloud Technology
MATH 108Introductory Calculus with Business Applications (Mason Core)3
or MATH 113 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (Mason Core)
IT 102Discrete Structures3
or MATH 125 Discrete Mathematics I (Mason Core)
IT 104Introduction to Computing (Mason Core)3
IT 105IT Architecture Fundamentals3
IT 106Introduction to IT Problem Solving Using Computer Programming3
or IT 109 Introduction to Computer Programming
IT 300Modern Telecommunications3
IT 341Data Communications and Network Principles3
IT 343IT Project Management3
IT 442Cloud Infrastructure3
IT 451Cloud Services Management3
IT 461Application Development in Cloud3
IT 481Cloud Security3
Total Credits36
Cloud System Management
MIS 303Introduction to Business Information Systems (Mason Core)3
MIS 310Database Management Systems3
MIS 330Systems Analysis and Design3
MIS 341Cloud Computing Essentials3
MIS 441Cloud System Management3
Applied Coursework
Students pursuing Cloud System Management must select 15 credit hours of upper-level coursework from the following. Courses not listed here may be selected in consultation with the advisor. Students must meet the prerequisite requirements for their selected classes. 15
IT Project Management
Cloud Infrastructure
Cloud Services Management
Application Development in Cloud
Big Data on Cloud Systems
Cloud Security
Accounting in a Global Economy
Entrepreneurship: Starting and Managing a New Enterprise
Introduction to International Business (Mason Core)
Managing Projects and Operations
Corporate Finance and Investments in a Global Economy
Principles of Management
Networks and Security
Advanced Database Systems
Information Systems Audit and Control
Information Security and Assurance
Data Warehousing
Data Mining for Business Applications
Advanced Data Mining
Programming for Analytics
Principles of Marketing
Total Credits30

Electives (variable)

All BAS students are required to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours of coursework. Students will work with their advisor to determine how to fulfill their outstanding credit hours to ensure they have met all major and university requirements. The number of elective credits that a BAS student may have available will vary by concentration and the amount of applicable transfer coursework the student has been awarded.

Concentration in Data Analytics (DNIC)

This concentration is in collaboration with the College of Engineering and Computing. Full admissions requirements can be viewed on the program website.

Students must have a C or better in any course that satisfies a prerequisite for an IT course.  To graduate with the BAS with a Data Analytics concentration, students must have a C or better in their core, concentration, and applied coursework courses.

Core Requirements
BAS 300Building Professional Competencies3
BAS 490Introduction to Research Methods3
BAS 491Applied Sciences Capstone (Mason Core)3
Concentration Requirements
MATH 108Introductory Calculus with Business Applications (Mason Core)3
or MATH 113 Analytic Geometry and Calculus I (Mason Core)
STAT 250Introductory Statistics I (Mason Core)3
STAT 350Introductory Statistics II3
STAT 362Introduction to Computer Statistical Packages3
STAT 463Introduction to Exploratory Data Analysis3
IT 102Discrete Structures3
IT 109Introduction to Computer Programming3
or IT 106 Introduction to IT Problem Solving Using Computer Programming
IT 209Introduction to Object Oriented Programming3
or IT 206 Object Oriented Techniques for IT Problem Solving
IT 309Data Structures and Algorithms in Python3
or IT 306 Data Structures and Algorithms in Java
IT 343IT Project Management3
Applied Coursework
Select 9 credit hours of applied coursework from the following. Courses not listed may be selected in consultation with the advisor.
Scientific Information and Data Visualization
Scientific Data and Databases
Scientific Data Mining
Experimental Design
Applied Regression Analysis
Introduction to Biostatistics
Applied Multivariate Statistics
Nonparametric Statistics and Categorical Data Analysis
Introduction to Survey Sampling
Human Computer Interaction

Concentration in Health, Wellness and Social Services (HWSS)

This concentration is in collaboration with the College of Public Health.

To enroll in this concentration, students must have an AAS in one of the following areas:

  • Health Information Management
  • Hospitality Management, Nutrition Management specialization
  • Nursing
  • Physical Therapist Assistant
  • Respiratory Therapy
Core Requirements
BAS 300Building Professional Competencies3
SOCW 200Introduction to Social Work (Mason Core)3
GCH 205Global Health (Mason Core)3
NURS 434Vulnerable Populations3
BAS 490Introduction to Research Methods3
BAS 491Applied Sciences Capstone (Mason Core)3
Total Credits18

Additional Concentration Requirements

To complete the Health, Wellness and Social Services concentration, students must complete one of the two following areas:

Health Care Administration
HAP 301Health Care Delivery in the United States3
HAP 360Introduction to Health Information Systems3
HAP 442Introduction to Health Care Politics and Policy3
SOCW 380Changing Social Policies and Systems3
Total Credits12
Physical and Mental Health Care Delivery
HAP 301Health Care Delivery in the United States3
NUTR 295Introduction to Nutrition (Mason Core)3
Select one from the following:3
Health and Environment
Human Behavior and the Family Life Course (Mason Core)
Introduction to Gerontology
Selected Topics in Social Work Intervention
Total Credits9

Electives (variable)

All BAS students are required to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours of coursework. Students will work with their advisor to determine how to fulfill their outstanding credit hours to ensure they have met all major and university requirements. The number of elective credits that a BAS student may have available will vary by concentration and the amount of applicable transfer coursework the student has been awarded.

Concentration in Legal Studies (LGLS)

This concentration is in collaboration with School of Integrative Studies, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Schar School of Policy and Government.

Core Requirements
BAS 300Building Professional Competencies3
BAS 490Introduction to Research Methods3
BAS 491Applied Sciences Capstone (Mason Core)3
Concentration Requirements
Required Courses:
INTS 300Law and Justice (Mason Core)3
Additional Courses (minimum 18 credits): 118
Legal Environment of Business
Roman Law and Society
Case Studies in Persuasion
Persuasion
Journalism Law
Mediating Conflict
Introduction to Criminal Justice (Mason Core)
Introduction to Law and Society
CRIM 301Public Law and the Judicial Process3
or GOVT 301 Public Law and the Judicial Process
Law and Justice around the World (Mason Core)
Family Law and the Justice System
Advanced Topics in Law and Society
Controversial Legal Issues
Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties
Constitutional Law: Civil Rights and Liberties
Constitutional Law: Criminal Process and Rights
Criminal Law
Law and Economics
Introduction to American Government (Mason Core)
Law and Society
Law and Ethics of War
International Law and Organization
Administrative Law and Procedures
Healthcare Law
Family Law and Public Policy
Public Speaking and Critical Thinking Skills (Mason Core)
Social Movements and Community Activism (Mason Core)
Conflict Resolution and Transformation
Poverty, Wealth and Inequality in the US (Mason Core)
Social Justice and Human Rights (Mason Core)
Refugee and Internal Displacement (Mason Core)
Human Trafficking and Smuggling
Philosophy of Law
Religion and Law in the United States
Criminology
Sociology of Delinquency
Total Credits33
1

Other relevant courses may be selected with advisor approval.

Electives (variable)

All BAS students are required to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours of coursework. Students will work with their advisor to determine how to fulfill their outstanding credit hours to ensure they have met all major and university requirements. The number of elective credits that a BAS student may have available will vary by concentration and the amount of applicable transfer coursework the student has been awarded.

Concentration in Managerial Leadership (MGL)

This concentration is in collaboration with School of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution.

Core Requirements
BAS 300Building Professional Competencies3
BAS 490Introduction to Research Methods3
BAS 491Applied Sciences Capstone (Mason Core)3
Concentration Requirements
MBUS 306Managing Projects and Operations3
MGMT 303Principles of Management3
INTS 404Ethics and Leadership4
INTS 435Leadership in a Changing Environment4
CONF 300Conflict Resolution Techniques and Practice3
CONF 302Culture, Identity, and Conflict3
CONF 320Interpersonal Conflict Analysis and Resolution3
COMM 320Business and Professional Communication3
COMM 401Interpersonal Communication in the Workplace3
Total Credits38

Electives (variable)

All BAS students are required to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours of coursework. Students will work with their advisor to determine how to fulfill their outstanding credit hours to ensure they have met all major and university requirements. The number of elective credits that a BAS student may have available will vary by concentration and the amount of applicable transfer coursework the student has been awarded.

Concentration in Technology and Innovation (TCNV)

This concentration is in collaboration with the School of Business and the College of Engineering and Computing.

Core Requirements
BAS 300Building Professional Competencies3
BAS 490Introduction to Research Methods3
BAS 491Applied Sciences Capstone (Mason Core)3
Concentration Requirements 1
IT 105IT Architecture Fundamentals3
IT 213Multimedia and Web Design 23
IT 214Database Fundamentals 23
IT 223Information Security Fundamentals3
IT 304IT in the Global Economy3
IT 343IT Project Management3
MBUS 300Accounting in a Global Economy3
MBUS 305Introduction to International Business (Mason Core)3
MGMT 303Principles of Management3
MIS 303Introduction to Business Information Systems (Mason Core)3
MKTG 303Principles of Marketing3
Total Credits42
1

All courses for this concentration are available in an online format with most offered as asynchronous delivery.

2

The Information Sciences and Technology department offers 1-credit, self-paced, online review courses; ending with an in-class final exam. Students who register for a 1-credit course and successfully pass will receive credit (not a waiver) for the corresponding 3-credit course. Students who are not successful must take the respective course at Mason to meet their degree requirements.

Review courses are available as follows:

  • for IT 213 Multimedia and Web Design: IT 193 Review of Multimedia and Web Design
  • for IT 214 Database Fundamentals: IT 194 Review of Database Fundamentals

Electives (variable)

All BAS students are required to complete a minimum of 120 credit hours of coursework. Students will work with their advisor to determine how to fulfill their outstanding credit hours to ensure they have met all major and university requirements. The number of elective credits that a BAS student may have available will vary by concentration and the amount of applicable transfer coursework the student has been awarded.

Applied Science, BAS (Cyber Security Concentration)/Applied Information Technology, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified students in the Applied Science, BAS, Cyber Security Concentration have the option of obtaining an accelerated Applied Information Technology, MS.

For more detailed information, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

Admission Requirements

Students in the Applied Science, BAS, Cyber Security Concentration program may apply to this option if they have earned 60 undergraduate credits with an overall GPA of at least 3.30. They may begin taking graduate-level courses once they have earned 75 undergraduate credits. Criteria for admission are identical to criteria for admission to the Applied Information Technology, MS program.

Accelerated Option Requirements

Students must complete all credits that satisfy requirements for the BAS and MS programs, with up to 12 credits overlapping from the following courses:

AIT 512Algorithms and Data Structures Essentials3
or AIT 580 Analytics: Big Data to Information
AIT 524Database Management Systems3
AIT 542Fundamentals of Computing Platforms3
AIT 660Cyber Security Fundamentals 13
AIT 664Information: Representation, Processing and Visualization3

Note: When selecting between AIT 512 and AIT 580, students should select the course that aligns with the MSAIT concentration they intend to pursue.

Degree Conferral

Students must apply the semester before they expect to complete the BAS requirements to have the BAS degree conferred. In addition, at the beginning of the student’s final undergraduate semester, students must complete a Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Transition form that is submitted to the Office of the University Registrar and the VSE Graduate Admissions Office. At the completion of MS requirements, a master’s degree is conferred.

Applied Science, BAS (Cyber Security Concentration)/Digital Forensics, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified students in the Applied Science, BAS, Cyber Security Concentration have the option of obtaining an accelerated Digital Forensics, MS.

For more detailed information, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

Admission Requirements

Students in the Applied Science, BAS, Cyber Security Concentration program may apply for this option if they have earned 60 undergraduate credits with an overall GPA of at least 3.00. Criteria for admission are identical to criteria for admission to the Digital Forensics, MS program.

Students who are accepted into the BAM Pathway will be allowed to register for graduate level courses after successful completion of a minimum of 75 undergraduate credits and course-specific pre-requisites.

 

Accelerated Option Requirements

Students must complete all credits that satisfy requirements for the BAS and MS programs, with up to 12 credits overlapping from the following courses:

DFOR 510Digital Forensics Analysis3
DFOR 660Network Forensics3
DFOR 661Digital Media Forensics3
DFOR 663Operations of Intrusion Detection for Forensics3
DFOR 664Incident Response Forensics3

Degree Conferral

Students must apply the semester before they expect to complete the BAS requirements to have the BAS degree conferred. In addition, at the beginning of the student’s final undergraduate semester, students must complete a Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s Transition form. At the completion of MS requirements, a master’s degree is conferred.

Applied Science, BAS (Data Analytics Concentration)/Applied Information Technology, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified students in the Applied Science, BAS, Data Analytics Concentration have the option of obtaining an accelerated Applied Information Technology, MS.

For more detailed information, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

Admission Requirements

Students in the Applied Science, BAS Data Analytics concentration may apply to this option if they have earned 60 undergraduate credits with an overall GPA of at least 3.30. Students may begin taking the master's level courses once they have earned 75 undergraduate credits. 

Accelerated Option Requirements

Students must complete all credits that satisfy requirements for the BAS and MS programs. Students may select up to 12 credits to overlap from the following options. Students should consult with both the BAS and MSAIT advisors. 

AIT 512Algorithms and Data Structures Essentials 13
or AIT 580 Analytics: Big Data to Information
AIT 524Database Management Systems3
AIT 542Fundamentals of Computing Platforms3
AIT 664Information: Representation, Processing and Visualization3

Applied Science, BAS (Data Analytics Concentration)/Data Analytics Engineering, Accelerated MS

Overview

Highly-qualified students in the Applied Science, BAS, Data Analytics Concentration have the option of obtaining an accelerated Data Analytics Engineering, MS.

For more detailed information, see AP.6.7 Bachelor's/Accelerated Master's Degrees. For policies governing all graduate degrees, see AP.6 Graduate Policies.

Admission Requirements

Students in the Applied Science, BAS Data Analytics concentration may apply to this option if they have earned 60 undergraduate credits with an overall GPA of at least 3.30. Students may begin taking the master's level courses once they have earned 75 undergraduate credits. 

Accelerated Option Requirements

Students must complete all credits that satisfy requirements for the BAS and MS programs. The following six credits may overlap:

AIT 580Analytics: Big Data to Information3
CS 504Principles of Data Management and Mining3
or CS 584 Theory and Applications of Data Mining
OR 531Analytics and Decision Analysis3
or OR 541 Operations Research: Deterministic Models
STAT 515Applied Statistics and Visualization for Analytics3
or STAT 554 Applied Statistics I

In addition to the six credits above, students may select up to 6 additional credits to overlap. These credits must be selected in consultation with both the BAS and DAEN advisors. Credits selected will depend on which DAEN concentration the student intends to pursue.