For more than a decade, George Mason University and Arlington County have worked cooperatively to establish an educational presence relevant to the needs of the community. In 1979, the General Assembly agreed to allow George Mason to establish a law school, which it did, in the old Kann's department store located in Virginia Square, an area of Arlington that has since become synonymous with culture and education. The following year, in response to Arlington County requests, the university established the graduate and continuing education programs and fine arts gallery at the Professional Center in the same building. The concept of the distributed university is one university with three campuses, each of which has a specific focus reflected in its course offerings.
Technology is used to connect similar services at every campus.
Course offerings in Arlington focus on law, economics, and public policy. George Mason's commitment to form relationships with area businesses provides students direct access to employment experience and career opportunities. In 1996, ground was broken for construction of the first new building for the Arlington Campus. Completed in fall 1998, it is the first of a three-phase plan designed to develop the 5.2 acre site. Upon completion of all three phases, the campus will have 750,000 square feet of space, and many new facilities, to accommodate its projected 6,000 to 8,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, including an underground parking garage, a scenic public plaza, and a new restaurant for the George Mason and Arlington communities.