Education

This program prepares students for graduate school, a career in research or teaching, or employment in industry, business, or education fields where analytical skills and a scientific background are advantageous. Students who are considering a double major should talk to the undergraduate coordinator.

Learn More

The undergraduate program in atmospheric sciences gives students a strong quantitative undergraduate education in atmospheric, climate, and related sciences to understand the basic principles behind current and emerging issues in weather, climate variability, and climate change. Students completing the atmospheric sciences degree will be prepared for a full range of career paths including forecast and analysis, operations and research support in meteorology, numerical weather prediction, data analytics, and climate.

Learn More

The aim of this degree is to provide students with technical skills and knowledge for rigorously investigating physical and social phenomena. The BS is a transformative approach that integrates science at George Mason University based on the combination of real-world computer science skills, data acquisition and analysis, scientific modeling, applied mathematics, and simulation. As an interdisciplinary STEM-designated program, this degree addresses the current central role of computation in the areas of "big data," modeling, and simulation.

Learn More

The field of computer engineering can be described as an amalgam of hardware and software design. Computer engineers are involved in research, design, development, production, and operation of a wide variety of digital systems, from integrated circuits through microcontrollers, multi-core processors, FPGA-based accelerators, to big-data and cloud computing platforms. Reflecting the industry trend to integrate hardware and software development, the computer engineering program is built around computer-aided design tools that can simulate and assist in the design of new digital systems, such as those found in smartphones, tablets, robots, autonomous vehicles, drones, spacecraft, computer networks, smart factories, defense systems, and the internet-of-things. Advanced languages, such as VHDL and Python, and software tools, such as those used for FPGA- and ASIC-design and simulation, can be used to model hardware and software functionality from the system and architecture level down to the gate and transistor levels. Design, optimization, verification, and testing methodology involving these tools are taught in the program.

Learn More

Electrical engineering is a major field of modern technology and has transformed every facet of our lives. Electrical engineers are involved in research, development, design, production, and operation of a wide variety of devices and systems, including reliable, secure, and high-speed communication networks, autonomous vehicles, robots, multi-agent systems, nanoscale integrated circuits as well as sensors that are essential to the internet-of-things. Other technologies in electrical engineering include smartphones, tablets and other modern computing platforms, as well as wearable technology such as health-monitoring wristbands, biomedical systems such as prosthetic devices, and brain-machine interfaces.

Learn More

Today, the role of mechanical engineer is ever expanding in order to find innovative solutions for contemporary problems, and to address problems yet to be identified. To meet the growing demands of worldwide energy needs spurred by population growth and dwindling supplies of fossil fuels, for instance, mechanical engineers seek innovations in nuclear energy, bio-fuels, wind, and tidal energies to build an energy portfolio that exploits these seemingly limitless resources. From product design, which spans from biomedical devices to turbo-machinery, to manufacturing, which develops machines and systems needed to process raw materials into these products, an awareness of the benefits of advanced materials for sensing and monitoring the health of these systems and an awareness of the stealth threats to manufacturing brought on by an ever present cyber threat are in the minds of the mechanical engineers.

Learn More

The Physics, BS program prepares students for graduate school and careers in education, business, or industry.

Learn More

The program leading to the BS in Systems and Industrial Engineering prepares students for a professional career in systems and industrial engineering. The program reflects the systems and industrial engineer's unique perspective, which considers all aspects of a system throughout its lifetime. Mason's systems and industrial engineering program is interdisciplinary, drawing from engineering, computer science, operations research, psychology, and economics. The core systems and industrial engineering courses tie these diverse threads to provide a global understanding of how individual engineering disciplines fit into the development of complex, large-scale systems.

Learn More

This minor expands upon a student's understanding of astronomy beyond the introductory level and of fundamental principles, and further develops analytical skills.

Learn More

Topics of study in this minor include weather forecasting, climate change, and the predictability of coupled ocean-atmosphere-land-variations. Students in physics, math, engineering, and computational sciences may be particularly attracted to this minor because it provides a compelling application of the fundamental methods of analysis learned in their major.

Learn More

The minor offers two options for students.
Students completing option 1 of the minor will take classes for Pilot Ground School and Flight Training leading up to a solo flight. In addition, students will study aspects of aviation from systems engineering of air traffic control, design of airports, human factors and psychology, and financial planning and management.

Students completing option 2 of the minor will take classes that prepares them for the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certification exam, focusing on key knowledge areas such as FAA regulations , airspace classification and operational requirements , weather and performance considerations, operational procedures, and maintenance and inspection procedures to ensure pre-flight and post-flight safety protocols.

Learn More

The minor provides an attractive option for students majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) who wish to augment their major degree program with additional courses in modeling, simulation, data science, and scientific computing. The combination of computer science, numerical methods, science, and computational and data sciences (CDS) synthesis courses will significantly enhance the practical knowledge and computational skills of the students when compared with the major field alone.

Learn More

The minor in computer science is intended for those pursuing other undergraduate degree programs that feel the need to pursue computer science to complement their other studies. Regardless of their discipline, undergraduates find knowledge of computer science to be helpful in today's world. This minor is not a "computer literacy" program; all the courses are the same as taken by computer science majors.

Learn More

This minor is designed for students with an interest in geology but are not majoring in geology. This minor pairs well with other degrees in the sciences such as environmental science, geography, chemistry, or biology.

Learn More

The Geographic Information Systems Minor is designed to prepare students with the basic training necessary to enter the rapidly expanding field of geographic information science. The curriculum in the minor is multidisciplinary in content and interdisciplinary in approach, drawing on a variety of geographic and computational science components. A Geographic Information System (GIS) is an integrative approach to help solving complex spatial problems in most professional fields and at different scales. GIS has irrevocably altered the way we capture, store, analyze, and visualize spatial information.

Learn More

Mechanical Engineering is the broadest of the engineering disciplines, concerned with anything that moves or uses energy. There are two major stems in mechanical engineering: mechanical systems and thermal fluid systems. Mechanical engineers design, build, and analyze complex devices, systems and processes that involve the conversion of energy from one form to another, the production of work, and the transport of energy and mass from one location to another.

Learn More

The physics minor will expand your understanding of physics beyond the introductory level and help to deepen your understanding of fundamental principles and further develop your analytical skills. The minor will be an attractive option for students majoring in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).

Learn More

This degree contains elements of traditional physics programs and the application of physics to a diversity of critical societal problems.

Learn More

he Master of Science in Computational Science addresses the growing demand for trained computational scientists and engineers, and data scientists. It combines a solid foundation in computational science skills with courses in a variety of scientific and engineering computer-intensive areas where modeling and simulation, data analysis, and high performance computing play a central role.

Learn More

The program addresses the growing demand for trained professionals in the Earth sciences. The degree emphasizes a research-oriented, global systems approach to studying the Earth and its systems- the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the lithosphere, including their interrelationships and interactions with the biosphere. Emphasis is on the observation, measurement, and analysis of Earth's systems.

Learn More

Electrical Engineering is the discipline that drives our increasingly-connected society. Electrical engineers design systems, devices, and algorithms that contribute innovative solutions across a broad spectrum of applications. The Electrical Engineering program offers the following concentrations: bioengineering, communications and networking, control and robotics, machine learning in electrical engineering, power systems and smart grid, signal processing, semiconductor engineering, and space-based systems.

Learn More

George Mason University's graduate program in Systems Engineering recognizes the importance of balancing an education in quantitative models and engineering tools with a proper understanding of the systems perspective. Concentration areas include Advanced Transportation Systems, Command, Control, Communications, Computing, Intelligence & Cyber, Digital Engineering and System Architecture, Financial Systems Engineering, Systems Engineering and Data Analytics, Systems Engineering of Software-Intensive Systems and Systems Management.

Learn More

The MS degree program in Quantum Science and Engineering is designed to prepare students with knowledge and skills in quantum technologies. Students will learn basic quantum theory, quantum algorithms, and applications of quantum technologies. The program is designed to provide students with the necessary mathematics, algorithm analysis, computer programming, and software engineering skills to work in fields connected with classical and quantum computing.

Learn More

he mission of this program is to train the next generation of scientists in climate dynamics and related fields. Through a comprehensive grounding in coursework, our students learn about how the atmosphere, ocean, and land surface work together to determine the climate. In collaboration with internationally-known scientists, students conduct independent work to further our understanding of climate, how it varies, and how much of it we can predict. Tools in the program include cutting-edge climate models, superb computing facilities, sophisticated statistical techniques, and comprehensive data sets. Our graduates have gone on to work at top laboratories and universities.

Learn More

Founded in 1992, the program addresses the role of computation in science, mathematics, and engineering, and is designed around the emphases of Computer Modeling and Simulation and of Data Science. Computational science, focused on modeling and simulation, is defined as the systematic development and application of computing systems and computational solution techniques for modeling and simulation of scientific and engineering phenomena. Informatics, focused on data science, is defined as the systematic development and application of computing systems and computational solution techniques for analyzing data obtained through experiments, modeling, database searches, and instrumentation. The resulting interdisciplinary approach leads to an understanding that traditional theory or experimentation alone cannot provide.

Learn More

The Earth Systems and Geoinformation Sciences (ESGS) doctoral program is based upon the integration of the scientific disciplines in geosystems, geography, geosciences, and geoinformatics. Students receive broad-based training in systematic geosciences and geography, as well as technical courses in computation and geoinformation sciences.

Learn More

The PhD program in Electrical and Computer Engineering educates students to do original research on ECE topics and to become technical leaders in their fields. It has a strong and growing reputation, as graduates from the department have become professors at other universities and researchers in various industrial and government research centers. Students may choose a research emphasis in areas such as bioengineering, communications and networking, computer architecture and digital design, control and robotics, electronics, hardware security and cryptographic engineering, machine learning, mobile systems, space-based systems, and signal processing.

Learn More

This degree program contains a Standard concentration for traditional physics programs that focus on Astrophysics, Condensed Matter Theory, Dynamical Systems/Biological Physics, High Energy Physics, Materials Physics, Space Sciences, and an Engineering Physics concentration that combines the disciplines of physics, mathematics, and engineering. The doctoral students accepted into each concentration of the Physics PhD program take a required set of core courses for the given concentration.

Learn More

This doctoral program offers a unique integration of systems engineering and operations research. This integration gives students a strong analytical and computational capability combined with an overarching systems perspective that is well-grounded in application.

Learn More

The Robotics PhD is a multi-disciplinary program with core and foundational coursework spanning Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, and Computer Science. This program is at the cutting edge of the robotics industry, nurturing students interested in pursuing research in various aspects of modern robotic and autonomous systems.

Learn More

This program is designed for students who seek training in computer simulation and related computational methods for analyzing social systems and processes. The program is open to all students with graduate standing at George Mason University and all students who hold a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited university. The Computational Social Science (CSS) certificate allows students with social science or computational backgrounds to acquire new knowledge and modeling skills to improve their qualifications and attractiveness to employers in government, academia, or industry.

Learn More

This certificate program focuses on mastering a variety of basic computational skills to manage and analyze data. The certificate is designed primarily for professionals in technical fields who seek to upgrade their expertise in data science.

Learn More

This graduate certificate provides a broad understanding of small satellite mission and operations and of technologies for spacecraft design and engineering, satellite bus, hardware and software systems, and communications. A two-semester hands-on project course is included to exercise a transition of theory into engineering practice in satellite and ground station engineering.

Learn More