The Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) program focuses to educate students through quality instruction and experiential learning in lifespan human development and family science by fostering critical thinking and the research, communication, and career-ready skills that prepare them to become professionals in service to individuals and families.
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.
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.
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.
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.
This program provides advanced training for college graduates or professionals seeking careers in biomedical research, biotechnology, neuroscience or biodefense, as well as evolutionary and animal biology, animal biology and biology teaching. Master’s level concentrations are available in Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Molecular Biology, Neuroscience, Nutrigenomics and Nutrigenetics, Evolutionary Biology, and Translational and Clinical Research. Alternatively, students may choose the program in general biological sciences, which allows flexibility to build a study program tailored to a specific research or career interest. Students do either
Thesis or Project.
The Health Systems Management concentration in the BS, Health Administration degree prepares graduates to serve in entry-level management, administrative and support positions in a variety of health-related organizations and settings.
Concentrations are offered in health systems management, assisted living/senior housing administration, and health informatics.
The Tactical Athlete Strength, Conditioning and Injury Prevention Graduate Certificate features a 6 course, 18 credit, 75% online curriculum. The mission of the certificate program is to provide graduates with foundational knowledge, skills and abilities to become leaders in tactical strength, conditioning and injury prevention. The curriculum covers content focused on improving the health, fitness and resiliency of emergency responders (i.e., Tactical Athletes). Upon graduation students will be prepared for a variety of positions (Strength and Conditioning Coach, Athletic Trainer, Health and Fitness Coordinator) or to pursue a graduate degree.
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
When you complete our 49-credit MSN-FNP, you will be able to:
This program also prepares you to sit for certifications from the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) and the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners (AANP).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
We offer two types of practicum placements:
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:
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.
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.
George Mason University’s online CAHME-accredited Master of Health Administration (MHA) in Health Systems Management is a premier degree program, dedicated to preparing future executives for leadership positions in health care organizations. Students develop contemporary strategic, business, analytic, and decision-making skills needed to successfully navigate the evolving health care industry in the post-pandemic era.
In recognition of its high academic rigor and success in preparing the next generation of health care administration professionals, George Mason’s MHA was awarded the 2025 CAHME/George and Regi Herzlinger Innovation Education Award. This prestigious honor is awarded to one program each year for setting the standard in health administration education.
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.
Our online MHA program combines the flexibility of online learning with the same rigorous standards of our on-campus degree. Both programs are accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME), which is recognized as the accrediting body for master’s level health care management programs by the U.S. Department of Education. In 2025, George Mason’s MHA received the CAHME/George and Regi Herzlinger Innovation Education Award, which honors a program that sets the standard for academic rigor and preparation of the next generation of health care administration professionals.
Our expert faculty delivers a program driven by a set of professional competencies in each of the following domains:
Most courses are offered in convenient online, asynchronous classes. A field-based capstone practicum is completed in the final semester of study, providing students with experience and the opportunity to demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills acquired from coursework.
Students must choose one concentration from the following:
Healthcare Quality
Addresses the growth of the health care industry to understand and evaluate the quality of care being delivered. Students will develop skills in quality methodologies, techniques, and patient safety law.
Executive Concentration
Prepares students for leadership positions in a wide variety of health care organizations by focusing on mastery of critical thinking needed for creative revenue cycle, business, and system management strategies.
Spend 6 to 8 weeks with a health care organization, engaged in the analysis of a complex problem assigned by the host organization. Demonstrate critical thinking skills to key health care executives while conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating information to inform an executive decision regarding an important, real-life issue. Performance in this role can provide the student with a launchpad to pursue opportunities for future professional growth and development.
