Degrees & Majors

Launching in fall 2022, the new Georgia State University Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Digital Filmmaking program and its Filmmaking concentration leverage the rich curriculum of the School of Film, Media & Theatre to create an ethically sustainable and socially engaged future for film and media production. The program cultivates diverse perspectives in an active and demanding learning environment within Atlanta's vibrant cultural and historical traditions.

The Filmmaking concentration prepares candidates to produce documentary, fiction, experimental, community-based and advocacy media, and 16mm and 35mm filmmaking through a combination of rigorous practice, collaboration and study. The program shapes candidates into well-rounded and skilled individuals with a thorough knowledge of film and media production and may contribute to the ongoing social justice work while developing distinctive styles of visual expression attractive to industry, artistic and activist communities.

Georgia State has been teaching film production at the graduate level for over 25 years, making it the longest-running graduate film school in Georgia.

Students in the Filmmaking concentration will:

• Gain a thorough grounding in the strategies, complexities and varieties of contemporary filmmaking and creative mediamaking.
• Be exposed to new storytelling perspectives to challenge traditional filmmaking structures and realize alternative possibilities to represent the human experience and condition.
• Engage in mentorship with award-winning and internationally recognized faculty filmmakers.
• Become adept in a diverse and expressive range of approaches to do work that synergizes arts-based and industrial practices.
• Partner with critical studies and scholarship in the School of Film, Media & Theatre, including the internationally renowned research group liquid blackness
• Leverage creative opportunities with other arts disciplines across the College of the Arts, including theatre, music, visual arts and design.
• Discover and hone an artistic voice through courses in directing, producing, screenwriting, cinematography, editing, sound design, documentary and experimental media in preparation for each candidate's thesis project.
• Explore filmmaking in multicultural Atlanta, the third-largest media capital in America in the heart of Georgia's booming film and television industries. This unique environment provides filmmakers with access and experience to navigate the demands of a fast-changing and competitive film industry.
• Engage in rigorous, hands-on learning and professional training and develop a rich understanding of cinema and media history, theory and aesthetics while anticipating and developing future media practices.
• Gain practical teaching experience through funded teaching assistantships that prepare candidates for a career in education. The M.F.A. degree is a terminal degree required for most college/university teaching positions in film/media production.
• Acquire industry experience through Georgia Film Academy and Trilith Studios (formerly Pinewood Studios) for specialized technologies and crafts such as post-production, lighting and art direction, etc.

The M.F.A. in Digital Filmmaking offers two concentrations. The Filmmaking concentration is administered through the School of Film, Media & Theatre. The Visual Effects & Virtual Production concentration is offered through the Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII). Applicants applying for the Visual Effects & Virtual Production concentration should visit CMII.

Hatching an idea is one thing. Executing it is a whole different ball game. Many great ideas fail because the people behind them lack the skills to bring them to fruition. Robinson’s Certificate in Disruptive Innovation and Entrepreneurship fills that knowledge gap.

Over the course of the program, students not only explore tools that stimulate creative thinking but also design compelling value propositions, develop viable and profitable business models and learn to pitch to investors.

Application Process

• Online application and $50 application fee
• College transcripts
• Personal statement
• Resume – Work experience preferred but not required.
• Video interview as part of the online application
• Additional requirements apply for international applicants

Learn more about the application process and what you will need to apply.

Georgia residents: $3,726 per semester
Non-Georgia residents: $8,898 per semester

Tuition is subject to change. Refer to the Tuition tab below for additional details.

Please note: the above tuition rates apply to new non-degree-seeking students. Current master's students who embed a certificate within their degree will be charged at a different rate. See the Tuition tab below to learn more.

In response to the growing number of Georgia schools with Dual Language Immersion (DLI) programs, the College of Education & Human Development’s Department of Early Childhood and Elementary Education at Georgia State University offers a fully online endorsement in Dual Language Immersion. A valuable asset in a world of global connections, bilingualism is an advantage that parents want for their children regardless of their native tongue.

This online endorsement program is designed to prepare teachers like you to meet this need, to be sensitive and responsive to the needs of dual language immersion learners and to be advocates for DLI in a variety of educational settings. Coursework is designed to address effective learning environments for bilingual students and methods and materials for engaging DLI students in challenging educational experiences.

The program develops highly prepared teachers who understand DLI education and are teacher-leaders in establishing learner-centered classrooms consistent with the standards of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium. It is open to students who are enrolled in a foreign language certification program at Georgia State University and to current educators who hold a Level 4 or higher induction or professional foreign language education certificate from the state of Georgia. The endorsement qualifies successful candidates to teach in kindergarten through fifth-grade dual immersion classrooms.

Credits earned in this program can be applied to the online Master of Education in Elementary Education with a concentration in Dual Language Education.

The Graduate Certificate program is on hold until further notice and will not be accepting applications at this time. Please check back when this program will become available.

The broad field of informatics employs large data sets and includes computer processing and data analysis. This certificate prepares graduate students to perform quantitative analyses on large databases relevant to education and human development within positions in various institutions or as independent consultants.

The certificate benefits students by giving them a focused avenue for pursuing a career in the growing field of data analytics. It benefits society by producing a group of qualified, competent data analysts whose work will lead to the understanding and improvement of programs in educational, business, governmental and other settings.

The Tier II educational specialist (Ed.S.) and Tier II add-on in educational leadership prepares graduates to be effective school and/or system leaders who positively affect student achievement.

Throughout the program, students work on meaningful projects to help them develop the knowledge, skills and dispositions required to lead school and district improvement efforts. Georgia State collaborates closely with its partner districts to help ensure students are being properly prepared to successfully address school and/or district needs.

Candidates who already hold an Ed.S. degree should apply for the 18-hour certification only add-on certificate. Candidates seeking a full Ed.S. degree should apply for the full 30-hour Ed.S. program. Both the add-on and the Ed.S. program lead to Tier II certification.

The certificate allows you to become a supervising administrator for schools and districts in Georgia.

Education programs leading to professional licensure or certification (nursing, education, social work, counseling, accounting, allied health professions, etc.) may require additional approval from separate licensing boards, depending on the state. Students who live or plan to live outside Georgia and are considering a professional program should contact the appropriate board in their state of residency prior to beginning a course of study. To help students find the best-known contact information for the appropriate state licensing board and for a list of Georgia State program contacts, visit the Student Consumer Information website.

The online M.S. in educational research prepares you to conduct research, evaluate programs and policies and translate current research into practical language. Our graduates are working in research units housed in educational agencies at the state and local level, non-profits and private employers who value internal research capacity.

• Statistics
• Measurement
• Program evaluation
• Survey research
• Computer applications
• Policy research

If you have an interest in applying skills in statistics and research methodology to address educational problems in today’s world, our program will help you advance.

The educational research master’s program prepares students to conduct research and evaluate programs in kindergarten through 12th grade schools, colleges and universities, and other settings (for example: government, healthcare and public health).

You’ll gain a comprehensive understanding of research methods as they are applied to the study of education.

Coursework is available in the following areas: statistics, measurement, program evaluation, survey research, computer applications, qualitative research, institutional research, and policy research.

Graduates of this program find employment in research units housed in educational agencies (for example: local education agencies, state boards of education), non-profits, and private employers who seek to improve their research capacity. Master of Science in Educational Research graduates are also well prepared to seek admission to Ph.D. studies in various disciplines.

Our online M.Ed. in Elementary Education program is designed for teachers looking for an advanced degree with a concentrated study in a specific area through an endorsement. You complete your chosen endorsement as a part of the M.Ed. program, with no additional courses required. Program experiences provide you with instructional capabilities, pedagogical content knowledge and the mindsets needed to serve as effective and equitable teachers and teacher leaders in your schools and communities.

Open Endorsements

• Kindergarten through 5th-grade mathematics endorsement
• Dual language endorsement (only for M.Ed. applicants who hold a Foreign Language Education Certificate from the state of Georgia, otherwise M.Ed. applicants can choose this as a concentration)
• Reading endorsement

Find our cohort-based endorsements

Want to make a difference for immigrant students and families who are new to the U.S. while learning the art and science of teaching? Did you know this population represents 10% of all schoolchildren and continues to grow rapidly?

You can be the change agent who makes a difference in providing skills and access to academic achievement. And you can learn it all online. The Georgia State Master of Arts in Teaching with a major in English to Speakers of Other Languages is designed for students with bachelor’s degrees seeking initial teaching certification in ESOL –grades kindergarten through 12th grade.

The ESOL degree program is grounded in educational theory, research and best practice, integrating principles of social justice and equity throughout. Throughout the program, students take specialized education, content courses and gain practical teaching experience, mostly in middle or high school.

Graduates of this program earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) degree and a clear and renewable (T5) induction certificate in the state of Georgia.

Education programs leading to professional licensure or certification (nursing, education, social work, counseling, accounting, allied health professions, etc.) may require additional approval from separate licensing boards, depending on the state. Students who live or plan to live outside Georgia and are considering a professional program should contact the appropriate board in their state of residency prior to beginning a course of study. To help students find the best-known contact information for the appropriate state licensing board and for a list of Georgia State program contacts, visit the Student Consumer Information website.

The program also includes the option of receiving a reading endorsement that qualifies graduates to teach reading courses to all students (not just English language learners) at the middle or secondary level (grades 6-12). Our dynamic program features technology integration. Faculty support teacher candidates in planning, instruction, assessment and reflection with colleagues, faculty and partner schools who are committed to excellence in education.