Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

Catalog Year 2025-2026

Based on VCCS Curriculum for ENGINEERING

Transfer Guidance

Transfer Admission Requirements

• Transfer applicants must have completed the equivalent of MATH 113 Calculus I (4 credits) and Math 114 Calculus II (4 credits) with grades of A or B in each MATH course before applying to George Mason. MTH 263 and MTH 264 are the VCCS equivalents of MATH 113 and MATH 114, respectively.

• Transfer applicants must present a minimum 2.5 cumulative GPA.

• Prior to applying, VCCS applicants must complete an English composition equivalent to ENGH 101 (ENG 112). Students may provide secondary school coursework or test scores demonstrating English language proficiency.

• GAA applicants must present a minimum 2.85 cumulative GPA. For more information about Guaranteed Admission Agreement Requirements, visit: https://www.vccs.edu/transfer-programs/

Important Links & Dates

• Office of Transfer Services: https://www.gmu.edu/admissions-aid/apply-now/how-apply/transfer/office-t...

• Admission Application: By Oct 1 or March 1 at https://www.gmu.edu/admissions-aid/apply-now

• Financial Aid: https://www.gmu.edu/financial-aid

• FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid: March 15 for Fall admission and November 1 for Spring admission at studentaid.gov

What Should I Consider When Selecting Courses?

• Create a schedule for all required courses, pay attention to prerequisites and when courses are offered, complete your first math and English courses in your first year. For help, see Transfer Steps and Resource Center at www.TransferVirginia.org

• Connect with an advisor at your community college within your first year. College connect available in your account of www.TransferVirginia.org

Is This Degree Right For Me?

• Mechanical engineering students take courses in a wide range of fields, including computer programming and electrical circuits. The education received from George Mason’s mechanical engineering program will prepare graduates to help solve both current and future societal problems. As a student, you gain experience working in teams to conceive, design, and produce solutions to sponsor-dictated mechanical engineering problems. Our dedicated labs provide opportunities to study fluid mechanics, heat transfer, mechanics and materials science.

What Is The Impact On My Degree Of Work I Have Already Completed?

• Associate Transfer Degree Completion: Students who complete a transfer associate degree (AS, AA, AA&S, or AFA) from a Virginia Community College will receive a waiver of the Foundation and Exploration (lower division) Mason Core general education categories. To be eligible for the waiver, students must provide the George Mason Office of Admissions with a final, official transcript reflecting the degree conferral date. As a prerequisite for ENGH 302, ENGH 101 is not waived. Students must transfer in or complete ENGH 100 or ENGH 101 at George Mason with a C or higher.

• Dual Enrollment – Completion of Associate Degree in HS: Applicants are required to apply as freshmen

• Credit for Prior Learning: Credit by exam may be used to fulfill General Education and/or major requirements. See: https://www.gmu.edu/admissions-aid/apply-now/how-apply/transfer/transfer...

• Catalog Year: Catalog year determined by first term of attendance at George Mason.

Is This College Right For Me?

• Located in Fairfax, Virginia, within the Washington metropolitan area, George Mason enrolls more than 28,000 undergraduate students from all 50 states and more than 130 countries in 78 in-demand majors.

• More than 4,500 new transfer students choose George Mason each year, and the university has been recognized as the most diverse in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report.

• Transfer students are welcome to live among our 7700-student residential community or off campus. The Office of Contemporary Student Services is dedicated to the support of off-campus transfers.

• 65% of George Mason students receive financial aid.

• 22 Division I men’s and women’s sports teams, plus club and intramural leagues, and more than 400 student organizations.

• For more information, visit: https://www.gmu.edu/transfer

• Learn more about our college at www.TransferVirginia.org

Did You Know That…

• Completing your Associate transfer degree post-high school satisfies all lower division general education requirements and increases the chance of completing your bachelor’s degree?

• Exceeding 3 years or 90 credits at your community college means you may have exhausted your financial aid at that college and have limited your future financial aid at George Mason?

• The role of the mechanical engineer is ever expanding as they find innovative solutions for today’s challenges and look to the future for problems yet to be identified. For example, to meet the growing demands of worldwide energy needs spurred by population growth and dwindling supplies of fossil fuels, mechanical engineers seek innovations in nuclear energy, biofuels, wind, and tidal energies to build an energy portfolio that exploits these seemingly limitless resources. From design to manufacturing and product realization, mechanical engineers are cognizant of stealth threats due to ever-present cyber threats. Mechanical engineers oversee the operations and management of large systems along with the fiscal and human resources needed to run them.

• Our graduates have skills that are crucial in a wide range of fields, such as aerospace, automotive, biotechnology, computers, construction, consumer products, energy, electronics, government, nanotechnology, and robotics.

What Can I Do With This Degree?

• Explore possible careers, salaries, and job outlook at: TransferVirginia.org

• Graduates of the program should be able to demonstrate success as a mechanical engineer or in their chosen career field.

• Graduates should advance their educational pursuits through graduate education, professional registration, or similar means.

• Graduates should advance their careers by engaging in professional society participation and community service outreach.

Program Successes & Highlights

• Students have the opportunity to work with private companies, such as Micron Technology, Vulcan Materials, and Vision Point Systems. They also develop relationships with industry, government agencies, and contractors in Washington, D.C., and throughout the Virginia-Maryland metro area. Students also benefit from the help of our advisory board, which has arranged special tours of the Renwick Gallery, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Alban Caterpillar, Dewberry headquarters, and Micron’s Advanced Manufacturing Facility.

• The capstone design courses provide students an industry-like experience that includes technical, business, and professional skill development. Projects often include engineering proposal development, design, simulation, analyses, fabrication, test and related program management activities.

• Our mechanical engineering faculty members are leaders in the areas of thermal and fluid sciences, micro/nano mechanics, photonics, tribology, and energy-water nexus. Our faculty members have in-depth knowledge and practical experience in mechanical engineering, and help graduates excel in their careers by mentoring students on their senior capstone projects, implementing the latest techniques and technologies in the classroom, and working on interdisciplinary research projects of consequence.

Do More With Your Degree!

• Students can earn this designation on their diploma by completing 12 credits of specified courses in place of the 300/400 electives. Concentrations are offered in areas such as aerospace, robotics, microfabrication, engineering mechanics, and specialized facilities (like data centers).

• Bachelors/Accelerated Master’s: Students can use up to 12 graduate credits towards both a bachelor’s and master’s degree, reducing the time to earn the MS degree by up to a year. Master’s options include applied and engineering physics, applied information technology, bioengineering, civil and infrastructure engineering, computational science, data analytics engineering, electrical engineering, operations research, and systems engineering.