Georgia State University
Georgia State University appears in our ranking of 10 Most Affordable Doctorate in Educational Counseling Online 2018.
In 2017, U.S. News and World Report ranked Georgia State University as one of the most diverse colleges in the country as well as 4th overall for innovation and 8th overall for best undergraduate schools. The university spans seven campuses in downtown Atlanta, one of the most economically and culturally significant cities in the South. Students who attend Georgia State can connect with a wide range of industries since Atlanta is home to the third-highest number of Fortune 500 companies in the U.S.
Diverse: Issues in Higher Education ranked Georgia State as the top school in the country for conferring degrees on African-Americans and the top school in Georgia for conferring degrees on African-Americans, Asians and Latinos. Diversity plays an integral role in the university's mission of providing educational opportunities for students of varying backgrounds.
At the Atlanta campus, students at Georgia State can choose from more than 250 degree programs in 100 fields of study, which is the widest selection available among universities in the Peach State. The university boasts 10 colleges and schools, 84 research centers and an annual economic impact of $2.5 billion in metro Atlanta. The school also offers over 30 associate degree pathways via five campuses and the largest online program in Georgia.
Georgia State confers over 9,500 degrees each year. Students here can choose from 72 study abroad programs in 45 countries, and when not attending classes, students can also participate in over 400 student organizations, and 31 fraternities and sororities. Total enrollment tops 51,000, including students from every state in the U.S. and 3,000 international students from 170 countries. The school was founded in 1913.
Georgia State University Accreditation Details
Georgia State University holds institutional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Several of the school's individual departments and programs also maintain accreditation through specific accrediting agencies. For instance, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation has accredited Georgia State's teacher education programs, including the online M.Ed. Reading, Language and Literacy Education. Nine of the school's 10 colleges also boast programs with specialized accreditation.
Georgia State University Application Requirements
Students can apply online at Georgia State University. The school hosts an online portal through which applicants can submit appropriate information. Students should apply using the guidelines for enrollment status, such as first-time freshmen or international applicants. Undergraduates who have never attended college before will fill out the Perimeter College Application for Admission and pay a nonrefundable $20 application fee. Students should also submit an official high school transcript or GED certificate. Georgia State requires academic placement testing for students with a GPA below 2.5.
In general, graduate students should expect to send in an application fee of about $50; official test scores, including GRE or GMAT scores; letters of recommendation; a personal statement of intent regarding personal goals; and official transcripts, among other basic documentation. Deadlines are also important, especially for graduate degrees. Certain programs only admit once a year, such as the doctoral program in counseling education, which admits in the fall.
Online programs may provide better opportunities for enrollment. The M.Ed. Reading, Language and Literacy Education program, for example, admits students in June, October and April for their respective semesters. Graduate applicants will need to review the specific requirements of their programs since individual colleges require different supporting materials.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition varies at Georgia State University based on enrollment and residency status. In-state undergraduates pay about $603 per credit hour, which includes tuition and miscellaneous university fees. Out-of-state undergraduates pay about $1,222 per credit hour. At the graduate level, in-state students pay about $702 per credit hour while out-of-state students pay about $1,563 per credit hour. These graduate rates include tuition and various school fees. Students who enroll fully online may incur different charges depending on program and enrollment status.
Those who need help paying for college have several options at Georgia State. Scholarships, grants, work-study opportunities and loans can be used to make college more affordable. Georgia residents, for example, can apply for state-specific scholarships, such as the HOPE Scholarship and the Zell Miller Scholarship. In 2011, Georgia State established The Scholarship Resource Center, a physical office devoted to helping students find and apply for scholarships. The school also offers The Panther Work Program, which is similar to the federal work-study program in that students earn money for school by taking on-campus employment. Students should fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid to determine eligibility for scholarships and needs-based funding.
Online Degree(s) Available
Georgia State University boasts a variety of online programs through GeorgiaONmyLINE. Also referred to as GOML, this statewide system serves the 31 schools that fall within the University System of Georgia, which includes Georgia State. This gives students the advantage of studying at a renowned institution from the convenience of home.
The College of Human Education and Development offers several online programs, some of which lead to graduate-level degrees. One highlight includes the M.Ed. Reading, Language and Literacy Education – Reading Specialist track, which prepares graduates to work in educational settings with learners for whom English is not a primary language.
The degree includes an English for Speakers of Other Languages, or ESOL, endorsement. It's designed for and open to certified teachers. Applicants should want to work with students of diverse cultural backgrounds. For this degree, students will need to complete:
- Nine hours of college core courses
- Nine hours of English as a Second Language
- Nine hours of reading endorsements
- Six hours of applied linguistics
- A three-hour practicum
In total, the M.Ed. program requires 36 hours. Taking three courses per semester, students could complete the program in four semesters regardless of when they started. Course requirements are broken down into two categories: professional studies, and teaching field and major. Within the professional studies category, students will take classes related to the specialized nature of the master's degree, including Social and Cultural Foundations of Education.
The 27-hour requirement under the teaching field and major category includes courses on Theory and Pedagogy in the Study of Reading, Methods and Materials for the Bilingual/English as a Second Language Teacher, and Literacy in the Content Areas. Within this category, students will also choose two courses on linguistics from an available course list of five. To graduate from the program, students will also need to complete an exit portfolio. With world-class facilities and faculty, and degree offerings that speak to the school's focus on diversity, Georgia State University affords graduates a unique educational experience.