Degrees & Majors

Graduate students who want to engage in the interdisciplinary study of Black people in the United States, Africa and in the African diaspora will work closely with our faculty in this program.

Our faculty have expertise in the domestic and global study of race and Blackness in the traditional disciplines of African-American Studies, Anthropology, Art History, History, Interdisciplinary Studies, Social Work and Public Health. There are few departments or programs that match our strengths in:

• Scholar-activism
• Diasporic studies in Black popular and mass culture
• Culturally relevant pedagogy
• Community empowerment
• Gender, sexuality and social relationships

While we have particular emphasis on Social Justice and Community Responsibility in the United States, we support and encourage the study and liberation of Black people everywhere in the world.

African-American Studies offers a master’s degree with competitive funding, which includes a tuition waiver and moderate stipend.

Program Information

Anthropology, the study of humans, provides students with a perspective on the nature of humankind over time and in different environments. It is concerned with humans as biological beings (biological anthropology), with prehistory and cultural evolution (archaeology), and with how humans order their worlds socially and culturally (social/cultural anthropology), as well as with the nature of human language (linguistic anthropology). The Department of Anthropology offers a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology. Undergraduate majors are encouraged to take a wide range of courses in archaeology, biological anthropology, and cultural anthropology.

For the latest information about required courses, view the Undergraduate Catalog.

For more information about the Minor in Anthropology, view the Department of Anthropology website.

Program Information

Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field that integrates many perspectives on the study of human language. Studying linguistics is not a matter of learning many different languages, but rather it is the study of the nature of language in general. Applied Linguistics is the study of language and communication in relation to real-world problems such as language acquisition and teaching, language assessment, improving intercultural communication, and understanding the relationship between language and social organization.

The Department of Applied Linguistics and English as a Second Language offers (1) a B.A. degree in Applied Linguistics; (2) a certificate in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL), (3) ESL credit-bearing courses for non-native speakers of English, and (4) Intensive English Program (IEP) courses for non-native speakers of English.

The B.A. in Applied Linguistics provides the opportunity for students to explore the field of linguistics from an interdisciplinary perspective.

The TEFL certificate program provides students with appropriate skills and a credential that will enable them to teach English as a foreign language abroad. Students majoring in any undergraduate program can earn the TEFL certificate. In addition, the certificate can be earned by any post-baccalaureate student. TEFL certificate requirements consist of the following five courses: AL 3021, AL 3041, AL 3051, AL 3101, and AL 4161. AL 3021 is a prerequisite for AL 3041, AL 3051, and AL 4161. AL 3051 is a prerequisite for AL 4161.

AL 2021 Intro to English Linguistics is a prerequisite to these courses, except for post-baccalaureate students, but students may be exempted from this requirement by taking a departmental exam. AL 3021 is the fist course in the series, but may be taken in conjunction with AL 3051 and AL 3101. AL 4161 should be the last course taken, andAL 3051 is a prerequisite to this practicum course.

For the latest information about required courses, view the Undergraduate Catalog.

For more information about the Minor in Applied Linguistics, view the Department of Applied Linguistics & ESL website.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) program in Applied Linguistics is a response to societal needs resulting from the status of English as the language of international communication. This worldwide use of English in programs and institutions of higher education has created needs in two areas:

• Research on an assortment of interrelated topics, including language learning by adults who will use English for academic purposes, effective teaching of adult language learners and the nature of English as an academic language.
• Doctoral faculty who can teach in educational programs that prepare master’s level teachers of English as a Second/Foreign Language.

Ph.D. students may focus on a range of topics. Research, for example, may be related to issues in second language writing, reading, listening or speaking; analysis of academic language; assessment; teacher cognition; classroom dynamics; sociolinguistics; or the role of culture in second language acquisition.

The Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies (B.I.S.) program in Asian Studies offers students an opportunity to acquire knowledge of this important and unique world region and a career-oriented range of skills. It allows students to follow a course plan with concentration in international business and economy. By taking a set of courses, students may also take a minor in international business. For students interested in teaching English in China, Japan, Korea, or elsewhere in Asia, it allows a concentration in English as a Second Language (ESL) with an option to obtain a TEFL certificate from the Department of Applied Linguistics (TEFL Certificate). Students interested in Asian societies and cultures will have the option to concentrate in Chinese, Japanese, or Indian/South Asian studies. It allows students to choose from a large pool of courses (taught by GSU faculty experts in their regions and disciplines) appropriate to their areas of concentration.

The career possibilities are endless with a bachelor’s degree in biology. A strong foundation in life science is a strong foundation for almost any career path.

While students can choose to stay on the General Studies track, we offer concentrations in:

• Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology
• Microbiology
• Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
• Neurobiology
• Pre-Medical/Pre-Health

Undergraduate students can get involved in research and two interdisciplinary areas of focus — The Molecular Basis of Disease program and The Brains and Behavior program — provide competitive fellowships, seminars and symposia to support Biology undergraduate and graduate researchers. The Department also offers students the unique opportunity to participate in community outreach through the Bio-Bus program, which sends a mobile teaching laboratory to primary and secondary schools throughout metro-Atlanta.

Earning an M.S. degree in biology can be a stepping stone to a career in the biosciences or in preparation for a professional degree. The Master of Science (M.S.) degree program in Biology offers a flexible curriculum that can incorporate courses from other departments and colleges at Georgia State. Students must complete at least 40 credit hours of approved coursework.

Students may apply under a specific area/concentration, though a concentration is not required. Upon admission, a master's student is assumed to be non-thesis until acceptance into the thesis option. The non-thesis program emphasizes coursework, and a capstone paper or project is required. The capstone can either be literature-based or laboratory-based.

The thesis option emphasizes research. Acceptance into the thesis option requires approval of a thesis proposal. Completion of the thesis option requires an approved thesis as well as a successful defense of the thesis. The thesis option is only recommended for students who are planning to pursue a Ph.D.

For information about the M.S. in Medical Sciences in Biology program, which is designed for students who plan to apply to medical school, go to https://cas.gsu.edu/program/medical-sciences-in-biology-ms/.

Program Information

Chemistry deals with the nature of all substances and the changes that occur therein. It ranges from the study of the structure of atoms and molecules to that of the reactions occurring in living organisms. The study of chemistry can provide knowledge that will give students a greater understanding and appreciation of the world in which they live. In addition, a knowledge of chemistry is a great asset in areas such as biology, physics, and health-related fields. It is a logical basis for premedical training.

For the latest information about required courses, view the Undergraduate Catalog.

For more information about the Minor in Chemistry, visit the Department of Chemistry website.

The Department of Chemistry has research programs in each of the five traditional areas of chemistry, with a bioinformatics option available in each:

• Analytical
• Biochemistry
• Biophysical
• Chemical Education
• Geology
• Organic/Medicinal
• Nutritional Sciences

Our students have the opportunity to conduct research at the interface of chemistry and biology under the guidance of our dynamic research faculty, many of whom are distinguished and noted scholars. The department’s goal is to deliver high-quality instructional programs at the graduate level to prepare students for productive careers in academia, industry and government. The emphasis of the graduate program is the training of scientists.