Graduate International Pathways to master's degrees in the School of Business
INTO Mason provides four Graduate International Pathways for international students to enter various graduate degrees in the School of Business at George Mason University. The pathways give students the academic foundation, essential language skills, and cultural knowledge to successfully move on to their master's degree programs. For most students, enrolling in a Graduate International Pathway will add one or two additional semesters to their overall master's degree program.
The following are the available Graduate International Pathways at INTO Mason to degrees in the School of Business at GMU:
- Accounting
- Business Administration (MBA)
- (Business) Management
- Real Estate Development
The following are the types of pathways available:
- One Term pathways (Accelerated): These pathways lead students through their first semester of graduate school. Upon completion of all matriculation requirements, students will move on to their degree-seeking program often with several graduate credits completed as determined by the graduate degree program. Three of the four Business pathways have one-term options available (all except Accounting).
- Two Term pathways (Standard): These pathways lead students through their first year of graduate school. Upon completion of all matriculation requirements, students will move on to their degree-seeking program often with several graduate credits completed as determined by the graduate degree program. All four Business pathways have two-term options available.
- Three Term pathway (Comprehensive): This pathway is currently only available to students enrolling in the Accounting pathway and is designed to start students a semester earlier than the standard two-term pathway. In their first semester, students take Academic English classes along with one Accounting pre-requisite class and a language support class. Their second and third semesters then follow the standard two-term pathway in Accounting.
- Bridge pathways: These pathways provide foundational coursework designed to substitute for an additional year of undergraduate academic coursework, to render students with three-year baccalaureate degrees eligible to move on to their graduate degree program. Students will often move on to those degree-seeking programs with several graduate credits completed as determined by the graduate degree program. All four Business pathways have Bridge options available.
Graduate International Pathways are designed for international students who:
- Need further English language development. Students who require a moderate amount of English language support can enter all available International Pathways to strengthen their language proficiency and ensure their long-term academic success
- Require a fourth year of undergraduate study. Students who hold three-year baccalaureate degrees that are not formally evaluated as equivalent to a four-year U.S. bachelor's degree may enter many Graduate International Pathways. For these students, their pathway acts as a "bridge" enhancing their international educational background with academic coursework to meet the eligibility for admission to a GMU graduate degree program
- Fall short of meeting the minimum GPA or admission test score requirements
- Need to improve study skills for success in their chosen field of study
- Any or all of the above
Administered through INTO Mason in partnership with the academic units across the university, the courses in each Graduate International Pathway are taught by highly qualified Mason instructional faculty members and supported by International Pathways academic advisors.
Students enrolled in any Graduate International Pathway should review the program's student guidebook for specific details related to program requirements and expectations.
Program Requirements
The following Graduate International Pathways are offered by INTO Mason in collaboration with the School of Business:
Accounting Graduate Pathway
The following grid is for the first semester of the standard, 2-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Accounting degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| ACCT 531 | Foundations of Financial Reporting I | 3 |
| ACCT 551 | Foundations of Taxation of Business Entities | 3 |
| INYO 504 | Transitions for International Graduate Students | 3 |
| EAP 506 | Graduate Communication in the Disciplines I | 4 |
| EAP 410 | Language Support for International Students | 2 |
| Total Credits | 15 |
The following grid is for the second semester of the standard, 2-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Accounting degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| ACCT 561 | Foundations of Assurance Services | 3 |
| ACCT 532 | Foundations of Financial Reporting II | 3 |
| EAP 507 | Advanced Graduate Communication Across the Disciplines | 4 |
| INYO 505 | Intercultural Competence and Professional Development for Multilingual Graduate Students | 1 |
| EAP 401 | Advanced English Grammar for Multilingual Students | 1 |
| Total Credits | 12 |
The following grid is for the first semester of the comprehensive, 3-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Accounting degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| AE 050 | Level 5 Core | 10 |
| AE 051 | Level 5 Oral Comm Skills | 6-8 |
| ACCT 303 | Accounting for Decision Making | 3 |
| Total Credits | 19-21 |
The following grid is for the second semester of the comprehensive, 3-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Accounting degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| ACCT 531 | Foundations of Financial Reporting I | 3 |
| ACCT 551 | Foundations of Taxation of Business Entities | 3 |
| EAP 506 | Graduate Communication in the Disciplines I | 4 |
| EAP 410 | Language Support for International Students | 2 |
| INYO 504 | Transitions for International Graduate Students | 3 |
| Total Credits | 15 |
The following grid is for the third semester of the standard, 3-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Accounting degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| ACCT 532 | Foundations of Financial Reporting II | 3 |
| ACCT 561 | Foundations of Assurance Services | 3 |
| EAP 507 | Advanced Graduate Communication Across the Disciplines | 4 |
| INYO 505 | Intercultural Competence and Professional Development for Multilingual Graduate Students | 1 |
| EAP 401 | Advanced English Grammar for Multilingual Students | 1 |
| Total Credits | 12 |
Finance Graduate Pathway
The following grid is for the single semester of the accelerated, 1-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Finance degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| MSF 643 | Financial Economics and Statement Analysis | 3 |
| MSF 632 | Statistical and Quantitative Methods for Finance | 3 |
| INYO 504 | Transitions for International Graduate Students | 3 |
| INYO 505 | Intercultural Competence and Professional Development for Multilingual Graduate Students | 1 |
| EAP 401 | Advanced English Grammar for Multilingual Students | 1 |
| Total Credits | 11 |
Management Graduate Pathway
The following grid is for the first semester of the standard, 2-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Management degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| GBUS 613 | Financial Reporting and Decision Making | 3 |
| or GBUS 643 | Managerial Finance |
| EAP 506 | Graduate Communication in the Disciplines I | 4 |
| INYO 504 | Transitions for International Graduate Students | 3 |
| EAP 410 | Language Support for International Students | 2 |
| Total Credits | 12 |
The following grid is for the second semester of the standard, 2-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Management degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| GBUS 643 | Managerial Finance | 3 |
| or GBUS 613 | Financial Reporting and Decision Making |
| EAP 507 | Advanced Graduate Communication Across the Disciplines | 4 |
| INYO 505 | Intercultural Competence and Professional Development for Multilingual Graduate Students | 1 |
| EAP 401 | Advanced English Grammar for Multilingual Students | 1 |
| Total Credits | 9 |
The following grid is for the single semester of the accelerated, 1-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Management degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| GBUS 613 | Financial Reporting and Decision Making | 3 |
| GBUS 643 | Managerial Finance | 3 |
| EAP 507 | Advanced Graduate Communication Across the Disciplines | 4 |
| INYO 504 | Transitions for International Graduate Students | 3 |
| EAP 401 | Advanced English Grammar for Multilingual Students | 1 |
| Total Credits | 14 |
Master of Business Administration (MBA) Graduate Pathway
The following grid is for the first semester of the standard, 2-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| EAP 506 | Graduate Communication in the Disciplines I | 4 |
| EAP 410 | Language Support for International Students | 2 |
| INYO 504 | Transitions for International Graduate Students | 3 |
| GBUS 613 | Financial Reporting and Decision Making | 3 |
| or GBUS 643 | Managerial Finance |
| Total Credits | 12 |
The following grid is for the second semester of the standard, 2-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| GBUS 613 | Financial Reporting and Decision Making | 3 |
| or GBUS 643 | Managerial Finance |
| EAP 507 | Advanced Graduate Communication Across the Disciplines | 4 |
| INYO 505 | Intercultural Competence and Professional Development for Multilingual Graduate Students | 1 |
| EAP 401 | Advanced English Grammar for Multilingual Students | 1 |
| Total Credits | 9 |
The following grid is for the single semester of the accelerated, 1-semester pathway into the Master of Science in Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree:
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| GBUS 613 | Financial Reporting and Decision Making | 3 |
| GBUS 643 | Managerial Finance | 3 |
| EAP 507 | Advanced Graduate Communication Across the Disciplines | 4 |
| INYO 504 | Transitions for International Graduate Students | 3 |
| EAP 401 | Advanced English Grammar for Multilingual Students | 1 |
| Total Credits | 14 |
Business Analytics Graduate Certificate Pathway
The following grid is for the pathway into the Business Analytics Graduate Certificate.
Course List | Code | Title | Credits |
| GBUS 738 | Data Mining for Business Analytics | 3 |
| EAP 507 | Advanced Graduate Communication Across the Disciplines | 4 |
| INYO 504 | Transitions for International Graduate Students | 3 |
| EAP 401 | Advanced English Grammar for Multilingual Students | 1 |
| Total Credits | 11 |
