Freshman International Year One (Two-Term)

Admission to undergraduate Gateway programs is offered to international and multilingual students by two methods:

• By applying directly through the Gateway admissions process
• By referral from the University Admissions Office due to not having met the grade point average, English language proficiency, or other requirements for direct admission.

Freshman International Year One (Two-Term) entry requirements are as follows:

• High school diploma
• Documentation demonstrating the minimum English language proficiency levels:
  • TOEFL iBT 60 (13 minimum subscores in all skills)
  • NEW TOEFL iBT 3.5 (3.0 all subscores)
  • IELTS 5.5 (5.0 minimum subscores in all skills)
  • PTE Academic 45
  • Duolingo 90
  • Successful completion of or waiver from Academic English Level 4

Freshman International Year One (Two-Term) students must reach a minimum grade point average (depending on college) and minimum individual course grades (no grades of W, NC, or I are permitted). Students should refer to our partner site for specific Gateway program progression requirements. Students admitted to the university through the Freshman International Year One (Two-Term) program are required to complete all program requirements in order to maintain continuous enrollment. 

Students who earn a GPA of less than 2.0 at the end of their program are subject to academic termination. 

Terminated students may initiate an academic action request in order to appeal the termination decision. Academic action requests must be submitted in writing to the academic advising staff located in the Mason Global Center by the deadline stated in the termination notice. Requests should provide an explanation and supplementary documentation. Students who are granted an appeal are eligible for a one-semester Gateway program extension. Decisions on these requests are reviewed and approved at the discretion of the Executive Director. In some cases, additional reviews by the Associate Provost may be required. 

Students who do not meet all requirements for matriculation to their desired degree program at the end of their final term will be reviewed for termination from their Freshman International Year One (Two-Term) program. 

Terminated students may initiate one of the following an academic action requests in writing: 

1. request an exception to the program policy,

2. request to change to an alternate Freshman International Year One (Two-Term) program, and/or 

3. request an extension to continue studying as a Freshman International Year One (Two-Term) Extender student for one additional term.

All terminated student academic action requests (appeals) must be submitted in writing to the academic advising staff located in the Mason Global Center by the deadline specified in the termination notification. Requests should provide an explanation and supplementary documentation. Students who earn two unsatisfactory grades of C or lower will be ineligible to continue as Extenders. Students who fail to meet the program requirements after an extension will be reviewed for dismissal from the university. 

Decisions on these requests are reviewed and approved at the discretion of the Executive Director. In some cases, additional reviews by the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education or Academic Initiatives and Services may be required.

Due to the nature of Gateway programs as both English language development and academic coursework, students are subject to a limited reenrollment policy. Students who do not enroll after the first term or withdraw for reasons other than poor academic performance may request to reenroll in a Gateway program the following term (e.g., spring) to continue making progress toward meeting program requirements, with advance permission from the Executive Director. Students who do not enroll for two consecutive terms (e.g., spring and fall) must apply for readmission to the program and be re-assessed for language proficiency. Summer terms are counted for students whose initial enrollment begins in Spring semester.

Freshman International Year One (Two-Term) students have three program types to choose from:

• Freshman International Year One (Two-Term) Business (Costello College of Business)
• Freshman International Year One (Two-Term) Human and Social Development (College of Education and Human Development)
• Freshman International Year One (Two-Term) General Exploratory (Provost)

Each program allows students to progress to preapproved undergraduate degree programs. For a full listing of specific academic programs associated with a specific. For a full listing of specific academic programs associated with a specific Freshman International Year One (Two-Term) program, students should refer to the Gateway partner site.