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Literacy/Reading: Literacy Coaching Concentration (Graduate Certificate)

Program Description

The Literacy Coaching concentration of the Literacy/Reading Instruction graduate certificate is designed for current Reading Specialists or others with a strong background in literacy who want to more effectively support teachers’ professional learning, and ultimately student achievement, through literacy coaching. Coursework provides an in-depth understanding of adult learning, effective professional development techniques, strategies for supporting collaboration and communication, using data to foster change, ways to more effectively use technology when working with teachers, and issues of diversity and equity in literacy instruction. For more information, visit cehd.gmu.edu/LiteracyCoaching.

Education Assessment, Evaluation, and Data Literacy (Graduate Certificate)

Program Description

This 12-credit certificate prepares teachers, building-level and district-level leaders to create, analyze and interpret a variety of student performance assessments in order to improve instruction and student learning. The four carefully-sequenced courses for the certificate focus on developing meaningful teacher-created and classroom-based student assessments, interpreting both informal and formal assessment data, and using those data in making curricular decisions. Practicing teachers and other school leaders have the opportunity to apply assessment and decision-making skills to their own classrooms or schools.

Music Education (MM)

Program Description

The Dewberry School of Music at George Mason University offers an online Master of Music Degree, concentration in Music Education.  Providing a high-quality education is key to our mission at Mason, and all online courses are designed and taught by experienced Mason faculty who are well-versed in the areas of teaching and scholarship.

It is our goal to provide academic choices for today’s music educators, and our graduate program offers full online degrees with thesis and non-thesis options.  Students also have the opportunity if they wish to complete up to 9 elective credits on Mason’s Fairfax campus during one- to three-week intensive summer coursework. These summer intensive elective options include pedagogy coursework in Orff, Kodaly, and Jazz

Degree Options Include:

  • Online Master’s Degree: Non-Thesis Option
  • Online Master’s Degree: Thesis Option
  • Hybrid Master’s Degree: Kodaly Option
  • Hybrid Master’s Degree: Orff Option
  • Hybrid Master’s Degree: Jazz Option

Concentrations

  • Music Education

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
  • Advanced Standing requires that the BSW have been earned in the last five years

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 practicum placements:

  • Traditional: Get matched with affiliated agencies.
  • Employment-Based 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 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 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 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. Practicum hours must mirror the agency’s hours of operations. Programs, Instructors, and Supervision must be available during this time.
  • Employment-Based 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 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
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George Mason University
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
A world-class education within reach.
Rigorous academic standards.
Learn in a flexible online format. Designed for working students.
No GRE requirement.
Foster organizational change and innovation.
Renowned faculty sharing practical expertise.
Applied Leadership. Applied Teamwork. Motivation and well-being. Organizational change and development. Performance Management. Benefits and Compensation Training.

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.

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.

Data Analytics Engineering (MS)

Program Description

The Data Analytics Engineering (DAEN) Master of Science Program is a multidisciplinary program in the George Mason University College of Engineering and Computing. This program provides students with knowledge and experience across a broad range of data analytics algorithms, tools, and processes, and focuses on a flexible and broad set of courses to be used by graduates for solving a wide range of real-world problems.

The online program can potentially be completed in approximately two years and will provide the graduate with an expanded set of career options and opportunities.

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Unique, Real-World Program

Faculty in the online master’s in data analytics program are dedicated to offering a career-focused program. They meet regularly with an industry-expert advisory committee to ensure coursework is rigorous and relevant.

The program addresses three types of data analytics engineering: a) data engineering; b) data architecture; and c) data analysis. The data engineering area of the program is focused on data conditioning required to fit data into specific data architectures and transform data to be exploitable. The data architecture area is focused creating frameworks that make data driven intelligence possible. The data analysis area is focused on creating repeatable means to draw key insight and signal from data. In your capstone course, you’ll create a functional team project and deliver a technical report and oral briefing at its completion.

The multidisciplinary curriculum includes coursework from several departments within the College of Engineering and Computing.

Learn In a Top-Ranked School

George Mason’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 and make you a top competitor for the future data architect, scientist, or analyst role you prefer.

  • The 20 Best Schools to Study Big Data Analytics — TechRepublic, March 2016
  • Top 50 Best-Value, Big Data Graduate Programs — Value Colleges, 2018
  • Top 50 Best Online Master’s in Engineering Programs — U.S. News & World Report, 2023

Online Graduate Certificate Option

Take four courses in roughly 12 months to gain foundational knowledge in data analytics engineering. 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 later to pursue the online MS in Data Analytics Engineering degree, credits from the graduate certificate will apply. For more information on the Graduate Certificate in Data Analytics Engineering click here.

Learning Online

Learning online in an asynchronous format means that you can complete your degree at times and in locations that are best for you. Avoid commute times or “traditional” classroom hours, so you can complete your degree and advance your career even if you travel for work, have kids at home, or keep a busy or non-traditional schedule.

Coursework is delivered through a variety of prepared video lessons, readings, or engagement-orientated learning tasks that you’ll complete by predefined dates, but this doesn’t mean you learn alone. You’ll participate in lively conversations with peers and faculty in discussion posts, and many students form study groups with peers.

You will be required to participate in synchronous meetings for your capstone course – DAEN 690. This course is 15 weeks long*, as opposed to the rest of the courses which are 8 weeks in duration. This course will require virtual class lectures once a week from either 4:30 PM-7:10 PM or 7:20 PM-10 PM EST**. The day of the week will be determined once enrolled in this course. Students will be expected to discuss this with their employers and let them know that they are required to attend these sessions – no exceptions. DAEN 690 will be taken in the last semester of the program.

Students will also be required to meet once a week, for up to an hour, with the DAEN Program capstone partner who proposed the project and to which they are assigned to for the course. These meetings occur outside the regular class lecture meeting time and are set based on the availability of the capstone partner. Once again, if this occurs during the workday, students will need to notify their employers of the mandatory attendance at that partner meeting.

*DAEN 690 taken in the summer is 12 weeks long.

**DAEN 690 taken in the summer requires virtual class lectures once a week from 5-8:30 PM EST.

Faculty act as mentors throughout your program to ensure you’re on the right path to meet your career goals. You’ll get to know them well by phone, video conferences, emails, and through their thought-provoking questions and commentary within the course.

On-Campus Program Available

The master’s in data analytics engineering is designed to provide students with an understanding of the technologies and methodologies necessary for data-driven decision-making. Topics cover data mining, information technology, statistical models, predictive analytics, optimization, risk analysis, and data visualization. Aimed at on-campus students who wish to become data scientists and analysts in finance, marketing, operations, business intelligence, and other information-intensive groups generating and consuming large amounts of data, the program also has wider applications, including concentrations in digital forensics, financial engineering, and business analytics. Learn more about the on-campus program.

Leadership and Human Development: Independent School Leadership Concentration (MEd)

Program Description

The MEd in Leadership and Human Development with a concentration in Independent School Leadership is a 30-credit hour program offered entirely online. The Independent School Leadership concentration is a non-licensure path within the Education Leadership program with a focus on the unique leadership and instructional needs of directors, heads of schools, and other professionals responsible for the growth and management of independent and private schools. Like other candidates in the Education Leadership program, students will develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to create and maintain learning environments that value diversity, instructional leadership, innovative and ethical decision-making, reflective practice, and the successful achievement of all students, with an emphasis on the independent school context.

Computer Game Design (BFA)

Program Description

The BFA in Computer Game Design enables students to focus on the artistic components of computer game design while providing them with the technical skills prerequisite to the field.  Required courses include computer science, art and visual technology, music, the humanities, and computer game design. The required internship provides students with practical experience that enhances their employability post-graduation. Students study both the sciences and the arts, all in a revolving-role team-based, project-based new pedagogical environment.

Psychology (BA/BS)

Program Description

The Department of Psychology offers both a Bachelors of Science (BS) and a Bachelor of Arts (BA), either of which can be completed 100% online.

The Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Psychology focuses on math and science within the psychology field. A broad range of courses includes social psychology, abnormal psychology, cognitive psychology and biopsychology, as well as several of the department’s special topics courses such as forensic psychology and romantic relationships.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Psychology focuses on liberal arts and general education courses including a foreign language requirement, within the psychology field. A broad range of courses includes social psychology, abnormal psychology, cognitive psychology and biopsychology, as well as several of the department’s special topics courses such as forensic psychology and romantic relationships.