Welcome to graduate school at George Mason University!
As a new graduate student at Mason, you will have the opportunity to learn about your graduate academic program and the University through orientations.
You should begin with the Graduate Online Orientation for all Mason graduate students.
You should then plan to participate in any orientations offered by your graduate academic program and/or college/school. Additional orientations and trainings are offered for specific populations and interests, including international graduate students and graduate teaching assistants. Below is a list of orientation and welcome activities offered by academic units and university offices for new graduate students; contact your graduate program if it is not listed or if you have questions.
Graduate Online Orientation for All Graduate Students
All Mason graduate students should begin with the Graduate Online Orientation. This interactive platform will provide an overview of how to succeed as a graduate student and acquaint you with all that Mason has to offer to support you along the way.
Gradstravaganza: Mason's Annual Graduate Student Welcome Event
Gradstravaganza, Mason’s annual graduate student welcome event, is a multi-day event held at the beginning of the each academic year and includes a fully virtual line-up of orientation and educational sessions and an in-person picnic. Brought to you by Graduate Student Life, the Graduate Division, the Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA), Office of International Programs and Services, University Life Mason Square, Mason Recreation, and University Life.
Gradstravaganza is held once year at the beginning of the fall semester. The 2025 Gradstravaganza Success Sessions and Picnic information and registration will be live July 16, 2025.
Recordings and materials from 2024 Success Sessions can be accessed 2024 Gradstravaganza Success Sessions.
Graduate Orientations by College and School
Below you will find the information for academic program, college and school level orientations and welcome events for graduate and professional students.
Programs and colleges are finalizing their orientations and welcome events and submitting them to be posted. Graduate Student Life will be posting the program and college events as they are shared. All orientation information updated and live on July 16, 2025.
Antonin Scalia Law School
Graduate Law Orientation
8/11/2025, 10:00 am, Hybrid (virtual synchronous and in-person)
Location: Room 215 Hazel Hall. For questions contact: lawgradm@gmu.edu.
Come back on July 16, 2025 to see all Fall 2025 Orientation information.
Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution
Come back on July 16, 2025 to see all Fall 2025 Orientation information.
College of Education and Human Development
Literacy Program Fall Orientation
8/12/2025, 6:30-7:30pm, Virtual synchronous
This event is open to any new graduate students in the Literacy Program. However, if you are participating in a division-sponsored cohort, there will be a specific orientation held for your cohort. Please check your Welcome Letter from the program and email for details as well as log in or location information. For questions contact: jhathaw2@gmu.edu.
Come back on July 16, 2025 to see all Fall 2025 Orientation information.
College of Engineering and Computing
SEOR Fall 2025 Graduate Orientation
8/21/2025, 4pm-5:30pm, Hybrid (virtual synchronous and in-person)
Location: Engineering Building Room 2901; join Zoom Meeting: https://gmu.zoom.us/j/95552112639?pwd=WaWOBQMBKg2CKRMVXaGuqaSzRkXhsV.1
For questions contact: seor@gmu.edu
Come back on July 16, 2025 to see all Fall 2025 Orientation information.
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
Higher Education Program Fall Orientation
8/18/2025, 6:30pm-7:00pm, Hybrid (virtual synchronous and in-person)
Location: 6325 Horizon Hall and https://gmu.zoom.us/j/99633305316?from=addon. For questions contact: Higher Education Program, hepadmin@gmu.edu.
SIS Graduate Programs Fall Kick Off
8/18/2025, 5:30-7:00, In-person
Location: 6325 Horizon Hall, Fairfax Campus. For questions contact: SIS Graduate Programs, sisgrad@gmu.edu
Linguistics Program Graduate Orientation
8/20/2025, 3pm-4pm, Virtual synchronous
Location: Zoom information will be sent to incoming and current students via email. For questions contact Prof. Schreiner with questions sschrei2@gmu.edu.
Cultural Studies PhD Program August orientation; September welcome reception
8/21/2025, 12:00pm to 2:00pm, virtual synchronous
Location: Dr. Rabin's Zoom room: https://gmu.zoom.us/j/2866915999. For questions conctact: lrabin@gmu.edu, sdixon@gmu.edu.
English, Writing and Rhetoric PhD Orientation
8/21/2025, 6pm, In-person
Location: Horizon Hall, 4th floor. For questions conctact: English Graduate Admissions, rsilva8@gmu.edu.
Art History MA student meet and greet and orientation
8/25/2025, 2pm-4pm, In-person
Location: 2pm-3pm meet and greet: 3rd floor kitchen, Horizon Hall
3pm-4pm orientation: small conference room, History and Art History Department, Horizon Hall. For questions contact: mgreet@gmu.edu.
GLOA MA orientation
8/26/2025, 4:30pm to 5:30pm, Hybrid (virtual synchronous and in-person)
Location: Horizon Hall large conference room by kitchen. For questions contact: globalma@gmu.edu.
MAIS Fall 2025 Orientation Module
Virtual Asynchronous: You can find the module by logging into your Canvas account with your netid and password. Once logged in, click the "Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Students" course on your dashboard. If you log in to Canvas and do not see the "Interdisciplinary Studies Graduate Student" course on your dashboard, please email mais@gmu.edu.
For questions contact: mais@gmu.edu.
Come back on July 16, 2025 to see all Fall 2025 Orientation information.
College of Public Health
Graduate Student Orientation
8/19/2025, 4:30pm-7:00pm, In-person
Location: Peterson Hall, Lobby, Fairfax Campus.
For more information visit: https://publichealth.gmu.edu/students/newly-admitted-students/graduate-student-orientation. For questions contact: CPH Graduate Admissions, cphgrad@gmu.edu.
Come back on July 16, 2025 to see all Fall 2025 Orientation information.
College of Science
ScienceConnect
9/4/2025, 12:30 - 4:30 pm, In-person
Location: Exploratory Hall, Fairfax Campus.
For more information visit: https://science.gmu.edu/scienceconnect. For questions contact: cosevent@gmu.edu
ScienceConnect Welcome Event
9/9/2025, 11:30 am - 1:00 pm, In-person
Location: Katherine G. Johnson Hall, Fairfax Campus.
For more information visit: https://science.gmu.edu/scienceconnect. For questions contact: cosevent@gmu.edu
Come back on July 16, 2025 to see all Fall 2025 Orientation information.
College of Visual and Performing Arts
Come back on July 16, 2025 to see all Fall 2025 Orientation information.
Costello College of Business
MRED Orientation and Ground Breaking
8/7/2025, 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm, In-person
Location: Mason Square Campus -- exact room TBD (we may be in the FUSE)
For more information visit: https://gmuedu.sharepoint.com/sites/CCB-GRAD-ORIENTATION-GRP/SitePages/Employee-onboarding-team-home.aspx. For questions contact: May Abou Ghazaleh, mabough2@gmu.edu.
Specialized Master's Program Immersion
8/22/2025, 1:00 pm to 7:30 pm, Hybrid (virtual synchronous and in-person)
Location: Merten Hall, Room 1201, Fairfax Campus.
For more information visit: https://gmuedu.sharepoint.com/sites/CCB-GRAD-ORIENTATION-GRP/SitePages/Employee-onboarding-team-home.aspx. For questions contact: ccbgrad@gmu.edu.
MBA Program Immersion
8/23/2025, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, In-person
Location: FUSE, Mason Square Campus.
For more information visit: https://gmuedu.sharepoint.com/sites/CCB-GRAD-ORIENTATION-GRP/SitePages/Employee-onboarding-team-home.aspx. For questions contact: mba@gmu.edu.
Come back on July 16, 2025 to see all Fall 2025 Orientation information.
Schar School of Policy and Government
Fall New Student Orientation
08/23/25, 9am-3pm, In-Person
Location: Rooms 125/126/134, Van Metre Hall, Mason Square Campus.
For more information visit: https://schar.gmu.edu/new-schar-school-student_orientation For questions contact: schargss@gmu.edu.
Come back on July 16, 2025 to see all other Fall 2025 Orientation information.
Campus Wide Orientations and Welcome Events
Below you will find orientations and welcome events that are for new graduate and professional students.
Come back July 16, 2025 to see all of the confirmed Fall 2025 event information.
Also don't forget to checkout the full list of events and activities for Welcome2Mason. Welcome2Mason events span the first few weeks of the fall semester and provide countless opportunities for students to get involved, meet new people, and learn more about our campus. For a complete list of scheduled events, visit welcome2mason.gmu.edu. Signature events include academic department receptions, Involvement Fair and on-campus job fairs, “Ask Me” tents across campus, and other welcome activities. These events are open to all Mason students: graduate, professional, and undergraduate.