What Students Say
Likes
- George Mason offers students a variety of career resources, including career fairs, professional development opportunities, career preparation courses, and job placement support.
- Among all public and private universities, George Mason is ranked 109th by U.S. News, 76th by the Wall Street Journal (up from 95th), and 91st by Washington Monthly.
- GMU is famous for its variety of program offerings, especially in the fields of public policy, business, law, and science. The university is renowned for its research output and innovative teaching methods..
Dislikes
- Some classes can be rather large, depending on the strength of the class and the time, which may not be perfect for people wanting a more intimate learning atmosphere.
- Campus life at GMU may be less vibrant than at schools with a more residential concentration due to the large number of commuter students.
- The cost per credit is very high. Where it becomes 50 - 60K dollars for master student for two years.
Course Curriculum
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The difficulty level is quite hard in computer science. It is mix of both practical and theoretical. But mostly it will be practical assignments.
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The positive thing is the courses are very well structured and the negative part is the faculties will be from different countries and there will be a communication problem with them. And we won't be understanding some terms they speak.
Admission Experience
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I applied to 6 universities. Listed Below
1. Arizona State University (ASU) -Admitted
2. University at Buffalo (UB) -Admitted
3. George Mason University (GMU) -Admitted
4. University of South Florida (USF) -Rejected
5. Texas A&M University Corpus Christi -Admitted
6. New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) -Admitted -
I received confirmed admission from five the universities that means i received admission letter from five universities except University of South Florida (USF). I got reject from this university may be because of my academics. I don't have any research papers or any extra curricular activities in my career. May be lacking of these things lead to rejection.
1. I choose George Mason University because the location is quite good and safe. And the most important thing is the weather. The weather is same as my home country.
2. You need to fill the application form as required and send the GRE and the IELTS scores to the university. And also give the email address of your professors for the acceptance of Letter of Recommendations.
3. You need to have IELTS score of 7.0 and 6.5 on each section.
4. There are no challenges faces while my application process. I heard that the new masters students are facing issues to submit the transcripts to the university. But at my time. there are no issues with anything.
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I applied for Fall 2022 admissions during the first week of December, as this intake aligned with my academic and career goals. I wanted continue my academics without any break in my career with getting some experience. Because break in my academics career may disturb me in any other way. So i decided to continue my studies right after completing my bachelors. The process took around 1.5 months. Due to the holiday season in the USA, there were delays in processing, with reduced staff and high application volume extending the timeline until mid-January for the final decision
Class Schedule
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Mostly the classes are timed in the evenings at 7:00pm. and there are some classes that are in the mornings around 7:00am or 8:00am.
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But most of the classes are at the evenings.
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Every class has an average of 60 students, and most of them are from India.
Faculty
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If you have good rapo with the professors, they may help you with the part-time and full-time jobs.
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There is a faculty called Vinod Dubey, who explains us the concepts very clearly and he is very helpful with the students.
The faculty-to-student ratio is 1:30. The teaching approach of faculties would be balanced with theoretical knowledge and its application skills. -
The projects, case studies, and problem-solving related to the real world will be included in every lecture so that the students will possess the critical thinking and industrial readiness.
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The syllabus for higher education often gets changed to encounter latest business trends so that the candidates will be perfectly fit for their job roles.
Campus Life
- This college has a total of four campuses: one in Fairfax-the main campus-one in Arlington, one in Manassas, and another global campus in Korea.
- Each of the campuses is fully equipped with comprehensive facilities such as well-stocked libraries, gyms, courts, fields-for sporting activities-and medical services that include primary care and counseling.
- The dining services on all campuses offer multiple food options, and technology labs with computers are also provided for the students.
- Major events include Homecoming Week, with parades, games, and cultural performances, while the International Festival is an expression of global cultures through food, music, and dance.
- Other opportunities for meeting others include career and club fairs to network and connect with peers and future employers.
Part Time Jobs
- Usually, a good number of graduate students obtain Teaching Assistantship, Research Assistantship, or Departmental Assistantship, although actual numbers vary from department to department and also depend on funding. These assistantships are competitive, with many students applying for these in search of experience and financial support.
- The pay range for the different jobs varies with departments and nature of work, usually ranging from $15 to $30 per hour. In some other cases, graduate assistants may be entitled to stipends or tuition waiver in addition to an hourly pay.
- Some common on-campus jobs that students can get include library assistants, lab assistants, administrative support, tour guides, and student food service workers. The customary per-hour wages for this kind of work are usually in the range of $12-$18 dollars an hour, depending on the job and the campus.
- For instance, international students on F-1 visas have a limit of 20 hours of work per week during the academic semester. In instances where school is not in session, like summer or breaks, a student may be allowed to work up to 40 hours per week.
- Part-time jobs available on campus are somewhat competitive, and positions ranging from TA/RA/DA roles. The ease or difficulty depends upon the availability of positions, qualifications of the student, and how in advance they apply for it. Most students obtain their part-time jobs without much hassle, but opportunities related to a more specialized job like being a TA or an RA would require more preparation, relevant experience, or recommendations from faculty.
- Students may get anywhere from $12 to $18 per hour in cases of casual on-campus employments, while specialized positions such as TA or RA are paid around $15-$30/hour. Part-time job placements are relatively easy in the case of general placements such as library assistant or food service worker, but somewhat competitive in positions such as TA/RA. Students apply by looking at job openings through the university's career portal or job boards, submit a tailored resume and cover letter, and may attend an interview.
- Once hired, students may have to fill out any necessary paperwork, such as tax forms or work authorization documents, and may receive training. It goes without saying that applying early, networking with others, and maintaining organization enhance the likelihood of securing a job.
Placement
- Approximately, 80 to 90 percent of my course graduates get employed within six months from the completion of their course, and their average salaries range between $60,000 to $90,000 per year, depending upon the industries.
- Students get placed through campus recruitments, internships, networking, and online job portals like LinkedIn.
- Many of them get recruited through campus placements or summer internships, and companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, Accenture, and Deloitte among others recruit our graduates as software engineers, data analysts, consultants, and project managers. These companies appreciate how our program marries technical skills with practical experience.
Accommodation
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I found housing through one of the senior friends who was staying close to the university, and he offered me a place. Otherwise, students can look for options on apartments.com. Our 2-bedroom, 2-bath unit was $2300 a month shared amongst six members.
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The community had many facilities, including a gym and a swimming pool. This is a very popular locality amongst Indian students due to its proximity to the university campus; it takes just about a 10-minute walk or 2-3 minutes by bus. The frequency of the buses is pretty good, too.
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Their challenges were finding coordination among roommates and understanding the lease. For future students, I would say to start early, operate through trusted platforms, and take advice from seniors.
Exams
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For admission to my university, I was required to submit GRE which is of 300 and above score and IELTS scores(7.0 overall and 6.5 in each section) to demonstrate academic readiness and English proficiency.
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Key documents included a Statement of Purpose (SOP), Letters of Recommendation (LORs), and Bank statement for the I20 purpose. An interview was not part of my application process.
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The admission decision was primarily based on my academic credentials and supporting materials.
Events
- Extracurricular activities include different sport teams in soccer, basketball, and other activities, as well as intramural leagues.
- Students enjoy cultural events in the form of theater, dance, and musical performances; more than 200 groups of student organizations vary from an academic club to hobbies like photography and robotics.
- Of course, regular workshops and competitions, such as hackathons and writing contests, are also a source of encouragement to grow personally and develop new skills.
Fees
- In my time, it is around 1,500 dollar per credit. So nearly it goes to 16k dollars per semester with all the things including health insurance and other stuff. But when paying for spring semester it goes to 17k dollar because of health insurance. So, while paying fees for the spring semester, the health insurance for summer will also be counted. For that reason, it is slightly incremented for spring semester.
- The fees is totally credit-based and you have to take at least 9 credits per semester. Each credit costs 1500 dollar. sot 3 credits is equal to nearly 5k dollars where 9 credits is equal to nearly 15k dollars.
- For me, i was living off campus, so for me it is around 600- 700 dollars per month including everything(rent, utilities, food). For transportation, there are no issues, we have free public transportation(buses) which are very frequent.
Scholarship
- No, in George Mason, there are no scholarships allocated. None of my batchmates and friends received scholarships. There are no scholarships awarded unless and until you have a Teaching assistantship or research assistantship.
- If you have any one of those, you will be waived for one subject and you will be having a pay for every 15 days. And there is a concept called stay mason fund in the university. If you are facing with any financial problem. you can seek help from the university which helps you financially.
