Welcome to Mason! As a new freshman student, orientation is an important first step in your transition to the university. Below we have answers to some common questions.
Incoming freshmen will be advised and register for their first semester's classes on their advising and registration day. After attending orientation, you can schedule a follow-up appointment with your assigned academic advisor to address any questions that were not addressed during the session.
Prior to orientation, we encourage you to complete the Incoming Credit Form, which you can access on the side of this page. The Incoming Credit Form informs your orientation advisor of dual enrollment and test credits you may be bringing into Mason, and allows them to advise you appropriately for classes. Please bring the completed form with you to orientation, or you may bring a copy of all unofficial transcripts and score reports for advising purposes.
If time allows, we encourage you to also explore the CLS advising virtual orientation content in Blackboard. The virtual orientation content contains short videos and resources for many things related to your undergraduate experience (degree requirements, high school earned credits, registration information) that can be done at your own pace. This content will allow you to be more intentional about planning your first semester at Mason, as well as the rest of your undergraduate career.
Log into Blackboard with your Mason credentials and click on the "Organizations" tab at the top of the page. You should see "Criminology, Law & Society Advising". You can access virtual orientation by clicking "FRESHMAN STUDENT VIRTUAL ORIENTATION" on the left-hand side of the page.
If you log into Blackboard and do not see the Criminology, Law & Society Advising page listed, please contact your assigned advisor directly to access this content.
While most of your questions will be addressed by a CLS advisor during your orientation session, we understand that you may have more nuanced questions that warrant further discussion. Please note that the person facilitating your orientation session may not be your assigned advisor. After orientation, we encourage you to begin working with your assigned advisor to address any additional questions or concerns you may have.