Bachelor of Individualized Study
Fairfax, USA
Bachelor's degree
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
01 Jun 2026*
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
USD 4,897 / per semester **
STUDY FORMAT
Distance Learning, On-Campus
* International student deadline is 1st of June of every year | Domestic student deadline is 1st of February
** in-state tuition full-time (12-15 credits); USD 16,980 - out-of-state tuition full-time (12-15 credits); USD 1,803 - mandatory student fee
Fast-track counseling
By contacting the school, you'll get access to free priority counselling for any study and application questions.
Key Summary
A degree program focused on the goals of adult students.
Mason's Bachelor of Individualized Study (BIS) program is a degree completion program for adult learners. BIS offers contemporary students generous transfer credit options and a distinctive educational opportunity to integrate other college-level learning, such as professional credentials and military experience, into university coursework credits. Students create interdisciplinary concentrations to meet their own educational needs for professional advancement, career change, preparation for graduate school, and personal satisfaction.
BIS is designed to meet the needs of adults. The flexibility of the program, the pace of coursework, degree options, and the time to complete are individually tailored to each student's situation. Our advisors and faculty are committed to your success in earning your undergraduate degree.
Adult university students are not the same as "traditional-aged" students.
Completing a degree is a challenge with many factors affecting that decision. Prior school challenges, finances, family responsibilities, and work all play a role. We offer you encouragement to explore how BIS has been strategically developed to help you finish your degree. Since 1975, the Bachelor of Individualized Study (BIS) program has been Mason's adult degree completion program focused only on adult learners and their individual situations.
Adult students enter this individualized study program for many different reasons. Some are pursuing the BIS degree as preparation for graduate and professional programs. Others see the BIS degree as a gateway for professional advancement or career change. Still, others want to complete an undergraduate degree through BIS primarily for personal satisfaction. Some distinctive features of the BIS degree include the following:
The concentration is an interdisciplinary grouping of courses that do not duplicate a traditional major offered by Mason.
The BIS program has a generous acceptance policy for the transfer of academic credits from other regionally accredited institutions.
Because college-level learning may be acquired through varied professional, service, and personal experiences, the BIS advisors can assist prospective students in having an outside institution perform an official evaluation to translate experiential learning into acceptable academic credit for BIS.
ACE credits from military veterans' Joint Services Transcripts are accepted up to a limit of 45 counting toward graduation.