Mason Online

Program Type: Risepoint

Master of Public Health (MPH)

Program Description

George Mason University’s Master of Public Health program is designed for professionals who are ready to advance in the public health field. Through an experiential curriculum and in-person fieldwork, students gain valuable public health knowledge and expertise that prepares them to create positive change both locally and globally.

Nationally Recognized, Industry-Connected Learning

The MPH program has recently been recognized in U.S. News & World Report rankings of graduate programs and public health institutions. It also features a partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO). This collaboration aims to prepare the next generation of leaders in public health through applied research, workforce training, and executive leadership education.

Earn a CEPH-Accredited Graduate Degree

George Mason’s MPH degree is fully accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health, an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education to accredit schools and programs of public health. As a CEPH-accredited program, all graduates are eligible to sit for the Certified in Public Health (CPH) examination.

Discover Comprehensive, Future-Focused Public Health Education

Through a core of foundational public health coursework in essential topic areas like epidemiology, health program planning, health care systems, and public health management, students are equipped to address the most pressing and emerging health problems. All courses are led by our interdisciplinary faculty of epidemiologists, biostatisticians, and social and behavioral health experts.

Building on the core curriculum, students also complete a 15-credit Public Health Practice concentration. This focused set of courses examines the social and environmental factors that improve population and community health and trains students to apply evidence-based public health concepts to real-world problems.

To align with CEPH accreditation standards, MPH students are required to complete fieldwork for the Applied Practice Experience. Students complete 200 contact hours in public health placements to experience diverse public health workplaces, gain real-world experience, and expand their professional network by working alongside current professionals in the field.

Computer Science (MS)

Program Description

Prepare to create software solutions for the future in George Mason University’s online MS in Computer Science program.

You’ll gain expert-level problem-solving abilities while building skills in advanced programming, model construction and analysis, and analysis of algorithms as you advance your knowledge in the top areas of computer science, including:

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Databases
  • Programming Languages
  • Software Engineering
  • Systems and Networks
  • Theoretical Computer Science
  • Visual Computing
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You’ll learn how to create software solutions to complex issues as you learn from highly experienced, award-winning faculty.

By graduation, you’ll have the knowledge and skills needed to solve the challenges you’ll face as a computer software engineer, architect, or developer.

Ranked a Top 30 Program, and Highest-Ranked Computer Science Program in Virginia, by CSRankings.org

Top 65 Best Computer Science Schools by U.S. News & World Report, 2022

Data Analytics (Graduate Certificate)

Program Description

Data analytics engineering has become an important activity for addressing Big Data and analytics required to solve problems and acquire valuable insights. The online Graduate certificate in Data Analytics engineering from George Mason University provides you with both knowledge and experience for working and solving real-world data analytics engineering problems. The certificate is a career enabler for students and working professionals that are interested in acquiring skills to expand the focus and scope of their current problem solving capabilities in the context of Big Data.

The certificate is based on four data analytics foundation courses and can be completed in roughly 12-months.  The foundation courses cover the key concepts and principals for practicing data analytics engineering roles of data engineering, data scientist, and data architect.

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Concepts covered include:

  • Data, data quality, and large volumes of data
  • Data management and data mining
  • Modeling and model usage for making decisions
  • Statistical methods and visualization

If you decide to enroll in the online MS in Data Analytics Engineering degree at a later point, credits from the graduate certificate will apply. For more information on the MS in Data Analytics Engineering click here.

Learn In a Top-Ranked School

George Mason University’s College of Engineering and Computing has worked with Big Data and cybersecurity for more than 25 years. It’s led by faculty with rich industry experience and connections who draw upon both to teach a proven, career-focused curriculum.

Top 100 Best Engineering Schools by U.S. News & World Report, 2023

Learning Design and Technology (MS)

Program Description

Graduate from the online MS in Learning Design and Technology at George Mason University ready to design and implement learning experiences that help people improve their performance with new knowledge, skills, and abilities.

Unlike other degree programs, our core curriculum includes not only the basic competencies set forth by the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction (IBSTPI), but also the advanced and managerial competencies that prepare you for more senior roles.

You can step into new roles like learning or instructional designer, e-Learning developer, and UX designer with your new abilities to:

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  • Analyze and evaluate learning technologies, programs, and trends
  • Collaborate with business leaders and subject matter experts
  • Design and implement new learning solutions
  • Manage projects through their entire life cycle

Build your Own Program: Optional Certificate Add-Ons

Learning design is a rapidly growing industry that applies to all sectors of business. George Mason offers three graduate program options so you can match your academic needs to your career goals:

  • MS in Learning Design & Technology
  • MS in Learning Design & Technology with Learning Technologies Certificate with a Concentration in e-Learning
  • Learning Technologies Certificate with a Concentration in e-Learning

All 15 credits form the Learning Technologies Certificate with a Concentration in e-Learning may be applied to the online Master’s in Learning Design and Technology.

Economics (MA)

Program Description

Engage with George Mason’s unique approach to economics that fuses the scholarship of public choice, Austrian, and experimental economics. Our nationally ranked graduate economics program has received international attention for its focus on comparative institutional analysis and its practical approach to the relationships among economic, political, and legal sectors.

Graduate students in the flexible, fully online Master’s in Economics program will learn from world-renowned faculty and study real-world economic problems. Students will begin developing informed and thorough research in government, policy institute, business, or nonprofit settings, both individually and as team members.

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Ranked in the top 75 Best Economic Schools by U.S. News & World Report, 2022.1

On-Campus Resources for Online Students

George Mason is Virginia’s largest research university and has an abundance of invaluable resources. One clear benefit from these resources is George Mason University’s Career Center, which helps students identify and secure internship and job opportunities.

Source

1. U.S. News and World Report. George Mason University Rankings. Retrieved October 10, 2023, from https://www.usnews.com/.

Business Analytics (Graduate Certificate)

Program Description

The amount of data flowing from, to, and through enterprises of all sorts is large and growing rapidly—more rapidly than the capabilities of organizations to use it. Successful enterprises are those that make effective use of the abundance of data to which they have access: to make better predictions, better decisions, and form better strategies.

Business analytics involves analyzing data for business insights and encompasses a wide array of methodologies and techniques—from collection, organization, reporting and mining of data to extraction of useful and actionable information for the decision-makers.

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The Costello College of Business Graduate Certificate in Business Analytics will help analysts and managers in marketing, accounting, and other fields to effectively analyze big data through the hands-on use of modeling and other techniques using popular software tools.

George Mason University, Costello College of Business

Ranked Top 20 of U.S. News & World Report’s Best Online Business Analytics MBA Programs, 2022

Master of Science in Nursing: Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP)

Program Description

Provide holistic care to families across the health care continuum in our online Master of Science in Nursing with a Family Nurse Practitioner concentration (MSN–FNP).* The MSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE).**

Benefit from a responsive curriculum based on the most up-to-date evidence-based practice. Plus, learn from active practitioners who understand the demand of modern health care and can pass their real-world knowledge on to you.

The curriculum includes 500+ hours of learning in clinical settings. Equip yourself with the skills to build an evidence-based practice and integrate your learning into your everyday work.

#10 Best Master’s in Nursing Schools by U.S. News & World Report, 2024

Program Outcomes

When you complete our 49-credit MSN-FNP, you will be able to:

  • Effectively communicate and collaborate with patients
  • Perform a focused assessment of a patient across the lifespan
  • Use patient and clinical data to formulate health care diagnoses
  • Provide an evidence-based, patient-centered plan of care appropriate for individual patients
  • Identify and evaluate appropriate therapeutic interventions for the management of individual patients
  • Collaborate across health care disciplines with a foundation of interprofessional experience
  • Address the social determinants of health in the care of patients and populations

This program also prepares you to sit for certifications from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).

Community-Focused, Evidence-Based

Population and public health are a core focus of this program. You will learn to work within community settings and gain an understanding of the complex nature of patients’ needs so you can develop an appropriate plan of care using a shared decision-making model.

Plus, as an R1 (Research 1) university, we help you develop an evidence-based practice informed by modern research. Learn to identify credible sources, review the latest journals and reports, and understand current research.

Combined with micro-level clinical skills, you’ll graduate with the comprehensive, responsive knowledge you need to ensure exceptional outcomes for your patients.

Direct Contact With Practicing Faculty

Many of our nurse practitioner faculty are active practitioners who will give you individual attention and support throughout this program. Learn directly from health care providers who have directed clinics, served diverse, low-income populations, and implemented and evaluated models of service for underserved communities and persons with chronic diseases.

Effective Collaboration Across Disciplines

To provide holistic care, modern practitioners need to collaborate with various health care providers, from nutritionists and social workers to psychologists and health informaticists. Mason weaves interprofessional experiences throughout your curriculum, so working across disciplines becomes second nature.

Our MSN curriculum is founded on Interprofessional Educational Collaborative Core Competencies, including putting patients’ needs first, respecting patients’ dignity and privacy, and cooperating with other care providers to create a climate of mutual respect.

Social Work (MSW)

Program Description

  • Develop your passion for helping others
  • Gain the latest understanding of equity and human rights in social work
  • Take advantage of George Mason’s established community connections and explore interactive learning opportunities through our Practicum Education Program
  • Choose between two specializations: 1) Adults & Healthy Aging or 2) Children, Youth, & Families
  • Learn to integrate intersectionality in social work practice with diverse populations
  • Learn online and advance your career at a pace that works for you
  • Prepare to meet the diverse needs of different populations
  • By completing this program, you may be eligible to sit for one of these national licensing exams:* Licensed Social Worker or Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Focus on Social Justice and Empowerment

  • Emphasis on empowerment and systems transformation
  • Preparation to meet the needs of underserved populations and advance the ideals of social justice
  • Curriculum is built around a Social Justice Core, delivering interdisciplinary perspectives on topics like human behavior, social policy, research methods, and clinical practice

Learn From Faculty With Real-World Experience

  • Learn from current research findings, develop an evidence-based practice, and establish strong relationships with practicing social workers, some with extensive international experience that will lend a global perspective to your education

MSW Advanced Standing

George Mason University’s Online Master of Social Work is now offering an Advanced Standing program for those qualified with a Bachelor of Social Work from a CSWE-accredited institution. This competitive program gives those who qualify the opportunity to complete their Master of Social Work in less time, in 33 credit hours.

MSW Accelerated Track

George Mason University’s online Master of Social Work program is now offering an accelerated track that allows students to take 9 credits per semester, thereby finishing the degree at a faster rate.

Stipend Program Available

  • Child Welfare Stipend Program (CWSP): Specialized training program aimed to prepare social work students for a career in public child welfare. Each CWSP recipient will receive a $10,000 stipend per academic year, with a work payback requirement. Specific requirements and more information can be found here.

Practicum Education Program

We offer two types of field practicum placements:

  • Traditional: Get matched with affiliated agencies.
  • Employment-Based Field Practicum (EBP): Through your current company

Our Practicum Education Program Office works to support students by placing them in a broad range of interdisciplinary social work settings where they gain hands-on field experience. These structured interactive learning experiences prepare students for professional practice in environments that provide a globalized approach to learning.

Students will have opportunities to demonstrate social work competencies in their home communities through local, in-person internships. We work with over 400 field practicum agencies in Northern Virginia, the Washington Metropolitan area (DMV), and within the United States (50 states) to ensure our students have access to organizations that span beyond the traditional divisions of social work.

We offer two types of field practicum placements:

  • Traditional: The Practicum Education Program Office matches students with affiliated agencies who are a part of a large data base of agencies that have worked with our students. This data base also includes agencies in other states that have worked with George Mason University online students. Field Practicum hours must mirror the agency’s hours of operations. Programs, Field Instructors, and Supervision must be available during this time.
  • Employment-Based Field Practicum (EBP) Requirements
    • A student holds full-time employment with an eligible social service agency with social work-related job responsibilities.
    • A student has worked for the agency for at least six months and/or completed the employment probation period by the start of their field practicum.
    • Letters of reference from the Program Director and Supervisor stating the support of the EBP arrangement.***

Applied Industrial and Organizational Psychology
(Master of Professional Studies)

Program Description

George Mason’s online Master of Professional Studies in Applied Industrial and Organizational Psychology delivers the research-backed methods and understanding of data and analytics HR and business professionals need to foster a culture of innovation — where each employee feels empowered to contribute new ideas, effect change, and do their best work every day.

Learn how to consistently hire candidates who are the right fit for the company, identify employees’ individual motivations, establish meaningful evaluations and reward systems, and improve training and performance programs.

Main areas of study focus on understanding and applying concepts in:

  • Evidence-Based Practices
  • Research and Data Analytic Methods
  • Organizational Systems, Change & Development

Health Informatics and Data Analytics (Graduate Certificate)

Program Description

In just 12 months, the online graduate certificate in Health Informatics and Data Analytics prepares clinicians, health care managers, and IT professionals to apply advanced data science methods with a focus on the patient outcomes and quality of care.

As electronic health records, administrative data, consumer generated data and related data repositories experience exponential growth, you’ll be prepared to extract meaning from sensitive data with confidence. Explore artificial intelligence, machine learning, data mining, and other advanced analytic techniques that demonstrate how to handle complex problems found in observational data.