Degrees & Majors

The School of Public Health at Georgia State University offers the accelerated 4+1 Bachelor of Science/Master of Public Health program to eligible undergraduate students. The program is rigorous, demanding and designed to provide high-achieving students the opportunity to earn up to 16 graduate credits while completing their Bachelor of Science in Public Health degree.

Learn more about the cost of a degree, or use Georgia State’s Cost Calculator to get an idea of the investment required for your path of study. For information on how to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and to determine eligibility, visit the FAFSA tips page.

Georgia State is dedicated to making our programs affordable and accessible to all prospective students because we value the investment each student makes in their education. We understand that the path to a student's future shouldn’t be blocked due to finances and we pride ourselves on offering financial assistance and scholarships that can support students through their education.

By pursuing a degree in Public Management and Policy students will acquire skills in professional writing, evidence-based critical thinking and policy analysis in the policy core coursework and in elective concentrations.  Students can choose from three distinct concentrations:  Nonprofit Leadership, Planning and Economics Development, and Public Management and Governance.  Students also will gain valuable skills during the internship course portion of their program.  This program prepares students for a leadership or management career in public services.

Societal needs—for economic growth, better health care, environmental protection, etc.—and resource limitations challenge policymakers to make difficult public policy choices. The doctoral program in public policy prepares its graduates to conduct original research to help scholars and policymakers understand the trade-offs involved in such choices across a broad range of critical issues. Students can focus on: Policy analysis and program evaluation: How can we predict the consequences of our policy choices? What values should drive those choices? How can we determine which government and nonprofit programs work – producing benefits that exceed their costs? Public budgeting and finance: How can governments raise the funds necessary to provide public services in as equitable a manner as possible without impeding economic growth? How should and do governments decide which services and programs to fund? How can taxes achieve socially desirable goals? Public and nonprofit management: How should functions be divided among the governmental, nonprofit and for-profit sectors? How should managers allocate financial and human resources to meet public needs? How should managers balance equity and efficiency claims? Urban and regional planning and development: How can we assess and evaluate the complex and dynamic context and forces that shape the growth of cities, communities and regions? What strategies can be employed to promote equitable and sustainable development? What roles do systems (for example, transportation, housing) play in creating the environments and communities we desire?

If you’re enrolled in a doctoral program at Georgia State, you’re eligible to study for a graduate certificate in Qualitative Research in Education. The program is for those interested in conducting research or gaining expertise in qualitative research. To earn the certificate, you must complete a minimum of eight 3-credit-hour doctoral-level qualitative research methods courses with a collective GPA of 3.5 or higher in those courses, with no grade lower than a B in any course to be counted toward the certificate.

The Reading Endorsement qualifies an individual to be considered "in field" in reading at the level of the base certificate. Teachers pursuing the reading endorsement may be enrolled as non-degree students or may be enrolled in specific programs. We offer graduate courses in literacy, which apply to Georgia’s Reading Endorsement for classroom teachers. These courses focus on three areas (a) understanding readers and the reading process, (b) linking assessment and instruction and (c) using instructional strategies in specific content areas. Successful completion of the three courses and the portfolio qualifies a person for the bachelor’s, master’s or specialist endorsement, depending on the level of certification. *We also offer a Reading Endorsement Online course of nine semester hours. In our Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education, courses in Reading Recovery and literacy are also offered. To learn details about this program, visit the Urban Literacy Clinic.

Religious Studies is an interdisciplinary area of study that prepares students to navigate multicultural environments successfully, to lead teams effectively in collaborative settings and to interpret and marshal various types of information and data while advancing a large project. Graduates with religious studies degrees advance in a wide range of careers and hold positions at nonprofit, in healthcare, academia and other public and private settings. Studying religion puts you on the cutting edge of global politics, business, health care, education and the media. Course offerings in religious studies, all of which are taught from a non-sectarian perspective, include comparative courses on such topics as world religions, religious thought, religious ethics, mysticism, and women and religion, as well as a host of courses on specific religious traditions, including Buddhism, Christianity, Confucianism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, Shinto and Taoism.

Studying world religions prepares you for economic success in professions where culturally diverse points of view are valued, and to succeed personally in an international city such as Atlanta or anywhere else in the world. The program introduces you to ideas, practices and values you’ve never encountered. Choose from two tracks and two career-oriented concentrations: Thesis Track: Students work with a thesis director and committee to research and write a thesis of publishable length. Final project: Thesis Coursework Intensive Track: Students take more classes to gain more depth in their field or breadth across Religious Studies. Final project: Research paper or project Concentration in Nonprofit Management: Students in this concentration earn the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Certificate in Nonprofit Management while they complete their M.A. in Religious Studies Management while they complete their M.A. in Religious Studies. Final project: Research paper or project that integrates work in Nonprofit Management, an internship and Religious Studies Concentration in Religion and Aging: Students in this concentration earn the Gerontology Institute's Graduate Certificate while they complete their M.A. in Religious Studies. Final project: Research paper or project that integrates work in Gerontology, an internship and Religious Studies

Respiratory therapists work in cooperation with physicians to care for patients with a wide range of breathing disorders including asthma, emphysema, pneumonia and lung infections, cystic fibrosis and breathing difficulties due to premature birth. Respiratory therapists may work in a variety of settings from hospitals to home health care agencies and from outpatient centers and physicians' offices to sleep disorder clinics. The master of science degree with a concentration in respiratory care offers the opportunity for credentialed and experienced practitioners to obtain an advanced level of knowledge in the technical area of respiratory care. The program also is intended to provide the ability, knowledge and skills for continued scholarly inquiry within the discipline of respiratory care.