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Archives: Programs

Management (MS)

Program Description

Costello’s Master of Science in Management program is designed to empower you to create a degree that matches your career aspirations. Build core business knowledge through the Costello College of Business while earning a certificate from schools across the University to customize your expertise. The program offers flexibility with online synchronous and in-person options for each core course, allowing you to mix formats or complete the program entirely online or in person. Together, your core coursework and certificate create a master’s program that sharpens your business skills, broadens your perspective, and expands your professional network.

Banner code: BC-MS-MGMT

Finance (MS)

Program Description

The STEM-designated Master of Science in Finance program prepares students with quantitative expertise, a solid foundation of financial knowledge, and soft skills for dynamic careers in the finance sector, including investments, banking, corporate finance, and financial regulation. Become skilled at navigating diverse regulatory environments both locally and globally while applying the latest quantitative and analytical methods to analyze complex financial issues.

Banner code: BC-MS-BUSA

Information Security Management (Graduate Certificate)

Program Description

The Information Security Management Graduate Certificate prepares professionals to manage and lead organizational cybersecurity and information security programs at the intersection of technology, business, and risk management.

Offered 100% online by the Costello College of Business at George Mason University, this graduate certificate emphasizes information security governance, cybersecurity strategy, data‑driven decision‑making, and security program implementation.

Designed for professionals who serve as a bridge between technical security teams and business leadership, the program equips graduates to address complex information security challenges, coordinate cybersecurity projects, and support enterprise‑wide security initiatives. Connect principles of information technology, computer systems management, and business operations to organizational information security.

Learn how to implement tailored information security solutions, become adept at leading strategic discussions, and excel in managing complex information security issues with a graduate certificate in information security management from the Costello College of Business at George Mason University.

George Mason University’s graduate certificate in information security management positions you to manage relationships between technical security experts and non-technical employees so you can serve as a vital liaison in any organization. Through your coursework you’ll explore common issues in information security management and the programs needed to address them. You’ll also learn to use automated tools and data-driven decision making in information security, and to effectively coordinate project teams of cybersecurity engineers.

Banner code: BC-CERG-ISMG

Government Accounting (Graduate Certificate)

Program Description

The Government Accounting Graduate Certificate provides specialized training in federal government accounting and financial management for professionals working in or supporting the public sector.

Offered 100% online by the Costello College of Business at George Mason University, this graduate certificate builds expertise in government accounting standards, auditing, and financial reporting, with a strong emphasis on federal agencies.

George Mason University’s graduate certificate in government accounting, in partnership with Kearney & Company, is an opportunity for you to acquire education in the field of government accounting with a federal government emphasis. Courses in the certificate program will also help prepare you to sit for the Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) exam sponsored by the Association of Government Accountants (AGA).

Improve your government financial management knowledge with a graduate certificate in government accounting from the Costello College of Business at George Mason University.

Forensic Accounting (Graduate Certificate)

Program Description

The Forensic Accounting Graduate Certificate equips professionals with specialized skills to detect, investigate, and prevent financial fraud and white‑collar crime.

Delivered 100% online, this graduate certificate prepares students to apply forensic accounting methods, fraud examination techniques, and analytical tools across legal, regulatory, and corporate environments.

Designed for accountants, auditors, and professionals in public accounting, consulting, government, law enforcement, and financial services, the program responds to the growing demand for expertise in risk assessment, compliance, and financial investigations.

Banner code: BC-CERG-FACC

Accounting for Government Contracts (Graduate Certificate)

Program Description

Support the specific needs of the $500 billion government contracting industry with a graduate certificate in accounting for government contracts from the Costello College of Business at George Mason University. Courses in the certificate program will also help prepare you to sit for the Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM) exam sponsored by the Association of Government Accountants (AGA).

Concentrations

  • Accounting

Human Development and Family Science (BA)

Program Description:

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) prepares students to support the health, development, and well‑being of individuals and families across the lifespan by fostering critical thinking, research, communication, and career-ready skills that prepare them to become professionals in service to individuals and families

Offered 100% online through the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at George Mason University, this interdisciplinary undergraduate program emphasizes lifespan human development, family systems, critical thinking, and applied research and communication skills.

Designed for students interested in family‑centered, strengths‑based work, the HDFS degree equips graduates for careers in social services, education, public policy, healthcare, and community‑based organizations, as well as for graduate study in counseling, social work, psychology, and related fields.

Banner code: LA-BA-HDFS

Criminology, Law, and Society (BA)

Program Description

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminology, Law, and Society provides students with a comprehensive understanding of crime, law, and the justice system and their impact on individuals and communities.

Offered 100% online through the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at George Mason University, this interdisciplinary degree examines law enforcement, courts, corrections, and social justice issues through a critical and analytical lens.

Designed for students interested in criminal justice, public service, and legal studies, the program builds strong foundations in criminological theory, justice institutions, and ethical decision‑making, preparing graduates for careers in justice‑related fields or further graduate and law school study.

The BA in Criminology, Law and Society (CLS) offers a broad perspective and specialized knowledge on the justice system and social, human, and moral problems raised in the justice field. Core courses in the major provide the foundation for this understanding. Your choice of a concentration helps you tailor your degree to your particular interests and career goals.

Banner code: AR-BFA-GAME

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.

The Virginia Department of Health Professions recommends healthcare professionals who work with children to complete continuing education on communicating with those with autism spectrum disorder. Individual licensing boards may include specific continuing education programs. Learn more by visiting the Virginia Law website.

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.

International Security and Law (BA)

Program Description

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in International Security and Law prepares students to analyze and respond to today’s most complex global security and legal challenges, including international conflict, human security, cyber threats, migration crises, and environmental risk.

Offered 100% online through the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University, this interdisciplinary program combines international security studies, global governance, and international law with strong quantitative and analytical training.

Designed for students pursuing careers in government, international organizations, business risk analysis, and nongovernmental organizations, the program equips graduates with the skills to assess risk, interpret data, and propose policy solutions in a rapidly changing global environment.

The International Security and Law program prepares students to tackle security threats facing today’s world. The curriculum exposes students to the diversity of challenges to human security (economic, demographic, environmental, technological), and gives a broad overview of the legal frameworks governing international organizations and transactions. The program pairs this foundation in international security with rigorous methodological training, designed to give graduates the quantitative skills needed in the professional world. Graduates will be able to help organizations assess risk and propose policy solutions to international threats using foundational knowledge in law, quantitative analysis, and diplomacy.

Banner code: PP-BA-ISLW