Degrees & Majors

The online master’s degree program in criminal justice administration strengthens core leadership abilities and broadens knowledge of the strategies necessary to address rapidly emerging issues in criminal justice systems. The degree combines courses in criminal justice and criminology with principles and practices in public management.

The degree prepares you to:

• Lead and manage in criminal justice systems in democratic societies.
• Understand, analyze and synthesize research on crime and criminal justice policy.
• Think critically to solve problems and make decisions that affect short- and long-term outcomes for the institutions you lead.
• Articulate and apply a set of ethical principles in the criminal justice system that comports with democratic values and respect for human rights.
• Communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.

Crime and criminal justice are at the forefront of national policy and practice. The increasing emphasis on professional preparation in criminal justice careers places additional academic demands on the in-service professional. To meet this need, Georgia State’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology offers a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in criminal justice, as well as a Doctor of Philosophy degree in criminal justice and criminology.

The Big Data and Machine Learning (BDML) concentration of the Master of Science in Data Science and Analytics is a three-semester program designed to train professionals in the rapidly growing field of data science. Data science lies at the intersection of computer science, statistical methodologies, and a wide range of application domains. It focuses on the generation, processing, and analyzing of vast amounts of data. The BDML concentration responds to the growing need for highly qualified professionals who can transform big data into practical and valuable insights. In general terms, data scientists create actionable and valuable insights from data. Students in this program will gain the technical and soft skills that industry increasingly expects from data scientists. The concentration targets employment for students in industries related to the Internet of Things (IoT), robotics, health and remote‐sensing data, as well as top research and development (R&D) labs. The BDML concentration offers strong preparation in statistical analysis, machine learning, information retrieval, and the management and analysis of massive data sets. The courses in the concentration focus on topics such as reproducible data analysis, collaborative problem solving, data and knowledge visualization and communication, as well as privacy and ethical issues that arise in data science.

The D.N.P. degree is the highest level of clinical nursing practice. The need for nurse leaders with terminal degrees is vital for the future of healthcare. Graduates of our D.N.P. program will be able to lead the implementation of cost-effective practices that will improve health outcomes among individuals and populations. Our graduates work in healthcare administration, professional nursing organizations, higher education and a variety of practice settings throughout Georgia. Students enroll in the program in a cohort, enabling them to network with industry leaders and build relationships that last well beyond graduation. *The hybrid program offers courses primarily in a Web-facilitated format with a limited number of on-campus sessions. Students attend on-campus sessions (also known as intensives) one day at the beginning of each fall and spring semester. The Web-facilitated classes are a combination of real-time and on-demand courses. One hundred percent of our D.N.P. students work full-time. Is a Ph.D. or D.N.P. degree right for me?

The Drawing and Painting concentration hosts diverse media-specific and conceptually focused classes, dedicated classroom studios and a project/critique space. A stylistically diverse faculty offers courses in specific media and material content—oil-based, water-based, life drawing, digital possibilities—as well as concept-driven courses such as “Figure as Content,” “Sound and Radio,” “Anthropocene Studies,” “Research Methodologies,” “Maps and Messages,” “Science + Art” and more. Philosophically, the faculty engender a range of visual expression, media experimentation, social practice and conceptual art—all grounded in traditional technical training. Faculty areas of expertise include classical drawing, mixed-media, collage, video, sound, animation, trompe l’oeil /ultra realist and abstract painting, sculpture and installation. A range of international travel programs have been hosted by area faculty and student internships are supported by faculty. The Printmaking curriculum introduces students to cross-disciplinary modes of working while enhancing their understanding of foundational principles of design and the importance and beauty of method, process, discipline, repetition and perseverance. Emphasis is placed on mastering the elements of mark-making while encouraging variation and risk-taking with the tools at hand. Stressing the notion of drawing and the formal elements of process and design as a language, the faculty encourage students to broaden their vocabulary and fluency in the medium, honing and translating their perceptions of a tangible world into legible and poetic works. Students look at the history of art and the tradition of printmaking in order to trace the evolution of the medium to the position it now enjoys as a vibrant and viable means of creating contemporary art. They are taught technique and concept through discussions, demos, examples, museum/studio/gallery visits and readings that demonstrate the uses of print-based techniques for image-making, which serves as a vehicle for learning and the proliferation of meaning and messages, taking cues from all aspects of the contemporary political, philosophical and social sphere. Students gain technical skill and are shown methods of employing the techniques unique to printmaking’s fundamental processes to make work that marries form and content in meaningful ways and when appropriate reaches beyond the confines of the traditional print. The Printmaking area cultivates a culture of collaboration and is enhanced by a student-run organization, Printmaker’s Workshop, which organizes trips to conferences, museums and studios in Atlanta and beyond.

Our early childhood and elementary education program will prepare you to be researchers and teacher educators in areas such as applied research, curriculum development, teacher education, literacy/digital literacy, multicultural education, science education, math education and more. Our doctorate degree prepares you to move into various roles and content areas in the early childhood and elementary education fields. You will learn to be active scholars informed in the historical, political, developmental and theoretical paradigms that shape education in today’s rapidly changing world. Through coursework, research and teaching apprenticeships and individual mentoring, you can become inquisitive researchers and reflective teacher educators equipped to affect the lives of children, their families and the larger society.

An undergraduate degree in economics prepares students with the quantitative and qualitative skills to think critically and learn how to make optimal decisions. Students will learn by doing with a curriculum taught by nationally acclaimed economists and faculty. The BS has a focus on quantitative and mathematical reasoning. This program is recommended if students are considering a graduate degree in economics or related areas in business.

With internationally renowned faculty and research centers, our master of economics degree program takes a pioneering approach to economics that emphasizes public policy and empirical evaluation. The director of the MA program in Economics is Jim Marton. As a student in our innovative program, you’ll learn the fundamentals of economic theories as they apply to the environment, education, economic development, healthcare, public finance, social welfare and other pressing public issues. Our broad and customizable curriculum combines the latest theoretical advances with the analytical skills and practical experience you’ll need to tackle the complex problems facing analysts and economists today. Our program has received STEM designation putting it on par with other STEM fields. This designation recognizes the rigorous instruction students receive. It also benefits international students who can, upon graduation, apply for a STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa extension that allows them to work in the United States for up to 29 months rather than one year.