The Bachelor of Individualized Study (BIS) Program in the School of Integrative Studies is an undergraduate degree completion program with a 42-year history of serving adult students. It offers students a distinctive educational opportunity that allows them to integrate previous experiences into university coursework. Recognizing that college-level learning may be acquired through varied professional, military, and personal experience, the BIS program provides mechanisms for translating experiential learning into academic credit. The program combines an interdisciplinary academic framework and a writing-intensive, research-based curriculum to provide students with individualized degree plans.
In this degree program, most students design their own individualized interdisciplinary program of study. Other students who are interested in early childhood education and who meet specific eligibility requirements can pursue a more prescribed curriculum that leads to a concentration in early childhood education studies.
The University Catalog is the authoritative source for information on program requirements and courses. The Schedule of Classes is the authoritative source for information on classes scheduled for this semester. See the Schedule for the most up-to-date information and see Patriot web to register for classes. Requirements may be different for earlier catalog years. See the University Catalog archives.
Highly-qualified students may apply to graduate with honors in the major. Students should apply the semester before they intend to enroll in BIS 390 The Research Process. If accepted, students must complete BIS 391 The Research Process for Honors in place of BIS 390 The Research Process, in addition to an individualized section of BIS 490 RS: Senior Project (Mason Core). To graduate with honors in the major, students must complete these two courses with a minimum GPA of 3.50, maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.75, and successfully present their research during the Senior Project presentations (by earning a grade of 2.0 or better in BIS 490 RS: Senior Project (Mason Core))
In addition to satisying the Mason Core requirements for BIS students and BIS core courses, students pursuing this concentration must complete the following:
Total credits: minimum 120
Students should be aware of the specific policies associated with this program, located on the Admissions & Policies tab.
Students pursuing a bachelor of individualized study degree must complete four required courses and one concentration.
Students must complete each of the four core courses with a minimum grade of 2.00.
In BIS 390 The Research Process (or BIS 391 The Research Process for Honors for students pursuing honors in the major), students develop a project proposal. An approved proposal from BIS 390 The Research Process or BIS 391 The Research Process for Honors is a prerequisite to enroll in BIS 490 RS: Senior Project (Mason Core).
In BIS 490 RS: Senior Project (Mason Core), students complete a senior capstone project that varies according to the individual program of study. It may be an investigative or creative project, and must be appropriate to the student's interdisciplinary concentration. This course requires significant writing and fulfills the Mason Core synthesis requirement. It is a research intensive course designated RS by OSCAR. The project is evaluated by the BIS 490 RS: Senior Project (Mason Core) instructor in consultation with the student's faculty mentor and others as determined by the BIS director.
BIS 490 RS: Senior Project (Mason Core) is taken when no more than 6 credits remain in the concentration.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIS 300 | Understanding Interdisciplinary Studies | 3 |
| BIS 390 | The Research Process | 3 |
| or BIS 391 | The Research Process for Honors | |
| BIS 490 | RS: Senior Project (Mason Core) | 4 |
| Total Credits | 10 | |
Students must complete one concentration of 24-42 credits. Of the credits applied to the concentration, at least 15 credits must be at the 300 level or above and a maximum of 6 credits can have grades of C- or D (grades below 2.00). The total credits applied to the concentration must represent a minimum GPA of 2.00.
Courses applied to a concentration may not also be used to fulfill Mason Core requirements.
Students may do an individualized concentration to meet their own academic needs and interests. The concentration is developed in close consultation with BIS staff and a faculty mentor. Students may incorporate into their individualized concentrations up to 9 credits of previously earned college course work or previously earned nontraditional credit from other institutions. In addition to the 4 core courses, students complete between 24 and 36 credits, depending on the topic and the student's preparation.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 24 to 36 credits from a minimum of two disciplines | 24-36 | |
| Total Credits | 24-36 | |
Students are encouraged to include BIS 304 Introduction to BIS in the concentration. Students are also encouraged to include BIS 489 Directed Readings and Research and complete it before taking BIS 490 RS: Senior Project (Mason Core).
This concentration offers students holding a Northern Virginia Community College associate's degree in applied science in early childhood development the opportunity to obtain a BIS in early childhood education studies and a minor in business or other relevant minor. This concentration does not lead to teacher licensure in early childhood education.
To receive this concentration, students complete a minimum of 34 credits beyond the associate's degree in addition to the four core BIS courses, electives, and Mason Core requirements needed to reach at least 120 credits.
Students are eligible for this concentration if they have an associate's degree in applied science in early childhood development. Unlike the individualized concentration, there is no age restriction regarding admission into this BIS concentration.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Human Growth and Development | ||
| EDUC 302 | Human Growth and Development | 3 |
| Course Focused on Diverse Young Learners | ||
| ECED 402 | Foundations of Language and Literacy for Diverse Prekindergarten and Kindergarten Learners | 3 |
| or ECED 403 | Inclusive Curriculum for Young Learners: Planning Instruction and Guidance | |
| Linguistic Development of Infants and Toddlers | ||
| ECED 422 | Developing Language, Literacy, and Communication of Diverse Infants and Toddlers | 3 |
| or ECED 423 | Early Intervention for Infants Toddlers with Disabilities: Collaborative Consultative Approaches | |
| Research Methods | ||
| GOVT 300 | Research Methods and Analysis (Mason Core) | 4 |
| or SOCI 303 | Methods and Logic of Inquiry | |
| Electives at the 300-400-level | ||
| Select 6 credits of electives relevant to the concentration in consultation with their faculty mentor | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 19 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select 15-23 credits of self-selected minor | 15-23 | |
| Total Credits | 15-23 | |
BIS students complete a modified Mason Core program of 36 credits. The Mason Core requirements may include courses not listed here; consult the BIS program for more information. Courses used to meet the Mason Core requirements cannot be used to meet a requirement for a concentration.
Students pursuing the concentration in early childhood education studies meet Mason Core requirements as specified in the advising agreement between NVCC and Mason.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| NVCC Coursework | ||
| Lower Level Written Communication | ||
| ENGH 101 | Composition (Mason Core) | 3 |
| Oral Communication | ||
| COMM 100 | Public Speaking (Mason Core) | 3 |
| Social Sciences | 6 | |
| MATH or STAT | 3 | |
| Information Technology | 3 | |
| Mason | ||
| Upper Level Written Communication | ||
| ENGH 302 | Advanced Composition (Mason Core) | 3 |
| Natural Science | 3-4 | |
| Humanities (including 3 credits of arts) | 6 | |
| Social Science | 3 | |
| BIS 490 | RS: Senior Project (Mason Core) (synthesis) | 4 |
| Total Credits | 37-38 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ENGH 101 | Composition (Mason Core) | 3 |
| ENGH 302 | Advanced Composition (Mason Core) | 3 |
| Total Credits | 6 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select three courses from the following: | 9 | |
Any course from a foreign language department |
||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
| 1 | Except for ENGH 100 Composition for Multilingual Writers (Mason Core), ENGH 101 Composition (Mason Core), ENGH 302 Advanced Composition (Mason Core) |
| 2 | Except for PHIL 173 Logic and Critical Thinking, PHIL 376 Symbolic Logic |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select three courses from the following: | 9 | |
| Introduction to Women and Gender Studies (Mason Core) | ||
| Total Credits | 9 | |
| 1 | Except for GGS 102 Physical Geography (Mason Core), GGS 309 Meteorology and Climate |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one course from the following: | 3 | |
MATH 106 |
Quantitative Reasoning (Mason Core) (or any MATH course above 106) | |
STAT 250 |
Introductory Statistics I (Mason Core) | |
| Total Credits | 3 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one from the following: | 3 | |
IT 104 |
Introduction to Computing (Mason Core) | |
Any course that fulfills the Mason Core IT proficiency requirement (all components including ethics) |
||
| Total Credits | 3 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select any 3-4 credit lab or non lab course from the following: | 3-4 | |
CONS 401 |
Conservation Theory | |
GGS 102 |
Physical Geography (Mason Core) | |
GGS 309 |
Meteorology and Climate | |
| Science in the News (Mason Core) | ||
| Exploring Virginia's Watersheds | ||
| Field-Based Work | ||
| Conservation Biology (Mason Core) | ||
| Total Credits | 3-4 | |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIS 490 | RS: Senior Project (Mason Core) | 4 |
| Total Credits | 4 | |
Any remaining credits may be completed with electives to bring the degree total to 120.