Degrees & Majors

Program Information

The mission of the Department is to give students the opportunity to develop appropriate proficiencies in the modern and classical languages, to acquaint students with the literary and cultural productions of other countries, and to provide them the opportunity to acquire critical skills through literary and cultural analysis. For the latest information about required courses, view the Undergraduate Catalog. For more information about the Minor in French, visit the World Language & Cultures website.

The French M.A. program is in the heart of Atlanta, known for its vibrant Francophone cultures and home to several French companies. The program supports students’ professional and career needs through a distinctive modern and contemporary Francophone curriculum focused on business, intercultural, intercommunicative, humanitarian, literary and pedagogical domains. The program offers a comprehensive schedule with M.A. courses offered Monday through Friday from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., which puts our graduate students on track to complete their degree in 2 years. We also offer Graduate Teaching Assistantships (with a full tuition waiver). Our innovative approaches to teaching and learning provide interdisciplinary and comparative studies: from languages to culture, literature, the visual arts (such as film or the media), sociolinguistics, technology-enhanced learning and other disciplines. Students explore issues of identity, diversity, transnationalism and immigration with disciplines such as law, history and political science, as well as other literatures and cultures. Our students learn by doing and making in courses that engage them in their learning. Our graduate students are called to positively affect their local and global communities thanks to a curriculum that incorporates opportunities for:

• Workshops (led by prominent Francophone artists, activists and scholars)
• Internships and externships
• Practicum
• Graduate Research Assistantship with professors

Students who participate in our Francophone study abroad and exchange programs (to Africa, France, and the French Caribbean) are also exposed to unique outreach, service, and experiential learning opportunities such as externships and internships with nongovernmental organizations, community organizations, and local businesses.

The B.S. in Game Development trains students for coding, programming and software-intensive game development careers. The program is for students aspiring to gain the background and technical skill necessary for a career in game development or science, technology, engineering and mathematics-related areas in computational media and connects students to the region’s game design companies and to the industrial ecosystem for games development in the region. The major, while mainly preparing students for careers in the videogame companies and start-up enterprises, can also prepare students for careers in game production, animation, motion graphics, postproduction and wider software development industries, including social media analytics, Web and application development. The Creative Media Industries Institute (CMII) is partnered with the Georgia Film Academy and collaborates with the Georgia Film Academy on related certifications in esports management for students who want to work in that and associated sectors.

What is General Studies? 

General Studies is a guided pathway allowing exposure to a variety of subjects and providing students  flexibility as they move to the baccalaureate level. Students will take courses across a broad spectrum of fields, emphasizing breadth rather than depth.

Why choose General Studies?

General Studies is an excellent choice for students who are undecided about a major or for those who wish to emphasize the liberal arts. By choosing General Studies, students will have the ability to select from a wide variety of majors later when they pursue their bachelor’s degree programs. Through exposure to numerous fields of study, students will enhance their critical thinking, communication and analytical abilities, skills employers rate as highly desirable. A note on pathways: A pathway is an advising guide to help students prepare for their intended bachelor's degree major. By following the course of study outlined in the appropriate Associate of Arts or Associate of Science pathway, students will have the necessary prerequisite courses to continue in their chosen disciplines. A pathway is not a major and will not be represented on the diploma.

The professional certificate in Geographic Information Science (GIS) provides individuals with the skills to acquire, process, analyze and display geographic data to fulfill a range of workplace needs. The program is for students working toward graduate degrees in a variety of disciplines, as well as those who use GIS in the workplace and would like to obtain systematic training in the technology without having to earn a graduate degree. The Department of Geosciences is distinctive because it spans the social and physical dimensions of environmental and resource issues, with a special focus on urban communities. Our faculty have expertise in the social and environmental dimensions of water, environmental geochemistry and global climate change. We are also expanding our Geographic Information Science research and teaching to better represent and describe the complexity of social and environmental concerns. Joining forces with our students and community partners, we tackle the interrelated environmental and social challenges of the 21st century that involve the quality, quantity and sustainable use of our natural resources.

Geography focuses on the interdisciplinary study of the human and physical world. As the Association of American Geographers describes it, human geography examines “spatial aspects of human existence,” while physical geography examines patterns of climates, landforms, vegetation, soils and water. The geography concentration prepares students for a variety of public and private sector jobs, and provides a solid intellectual foundation for students getting advanced degrees in the social or natural sciences. The Department of Geosciences includes a diverse faculty of scholars from the disciplines of geography, geology and hydrology. Research clusters in the department investigate pressing urban environmental issues, including water, from water governance to water quality and quantity, climate change and quantity, geochemical processes, and geographic information systems and informatics.

This program allows an undergraduate in any major to gain training and certification in Geographic Information Systems. This is a hot field that can add strength to careers in geography, geology, public health, sociology, policy, business, anthropology and other fields. The Department of Geosciences includes a diverse faculty of scholars from the disciplines of geography, geology and hydrology. Research clusters in the department investigate pressing urban environmental issues, including water (from water governance to water quality and quantity), climate change and quantity, geochemical processes, and geographical information systems and informatics.

The undergraduate certificate in water sciences is designed to provide students with a knowledge of the quality and quantity of water in the environment and modern techniques to assess, model and remediate aquatic environmental problems, and understand the social context and implications of water resources. This certificate is an excellent complement to undergraduates pursuing careers in natural resources or environmental fields. The Department of Geosciences includes a diverse faculty of scholars from the disciplines of geography, geology and hydrology. Research clusters in the department investigate pressing urban environmental issues, including water (from water governance to water quality and quantity), climate change and quantity, geochemical processes, and geographical information systems and informatics.

The Geography concentration allows students to acquire the skills needed to study the world from both physical and human perspectives. Students are trained in qualitative and quantitative approaches, techniques to examine issues locally and globally, and the use of the power of maps to effect change. As the Association of American Geographers describes it, human geography examines “spatial aspects of human existence,” while physical geography examines patterns of climates, landforms, vegetation, soils and water. The Department of Geosciences includes a diverse faculty of scholars from the disciplines of geography, geology and hydrology. Research clusters in the department investigate pressing urban environmental issues, including water, from water governance to water quality and quantity, climate change and quantity, geochemical processes, and geographic information systems and informatics.