All new International Students in F-1 and J-1 status planning to attend George Mason University for the Fall 2026 semester are required to attend the on-campus orientation occurring from August 18, 2026, to August 20, 2026. Some of the orientation presentations include Immigration Compliance, International Health Insurance, Academic Standards, and many other Campus Resources.
The orientation dates for Fall 2026 are as follows:
International Undergraduate Student Orientation
*Freshman, Transfer Students, Mason Korea, Gateway Undergraduate Student, and China 1+2+1!*
Tuesday, August 18th, 2026, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Johnson Center Dewberry Hall, Fairfax Campus
International Graduate Student Orientation
*F-1 and J-1 Masters, Doctoral, and Gateway Graduate Pathway Students Only*
Wednesday, August 19th, 2026, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Johnson Center Bistro, Fairfax Campus
J-1 International Student Orientation
* GEO Exchange and China 1+2+1 students*
Thursday, August 20th, 2026 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
Johnson Center Bistro, Fairfax Campus
International Student Orientation is mandatory for ALL new students (Undergraduate, Master's, and Doctoral)
except for Antonio Scalia Law School students.
Welcome to Mason and we are very excited for you to be joining our dynamic international student community!
Register for New Student Orientation
Below you can find information on how you can register for the Spring 2026 in-person orientation!
Undergraduate Students
All new F-1 freshmen and transfer students can register for virtual orientation by completing this online form.
If you are a J-1 student, a Mason Korea student, or an INTO Mason International Year One student, you do NOT need to complete the online registration form. You will be automatically registered for orientation. Please feel free to contact your program administrator if you have any additional questions about your specific program:
- China 1+2+1 students: Wenjing Zhang / [email protected]
- GEO J-1 Exchange students: Christopher Hicks / [email protected]
- Mason Korea students: Chloe Chong / [email protected]
Graduate Students
All new master’s and doctoral international students can register for the virtual orientation by completing this online form. The registration deadline for the International Graduate Student Orientation is Wednesday, August 19 2026. If you miss the deadline, you can still attend the orientation.
GEO J-1 students and INTO Mason graduate pathway students do NOT need to complete the online registration form, as they will be automatically registered for orientation. If you have any questions about your specific program, please feel free to contact your program administrator:
- GEO J-1 Exchange students: Christopher Hicks / [email protected]
