Degrees & Majors

Social workers fight for social justice, help children and families, improve connections in communities and improve lives. It’s a noble profession and it can lead to a rewarding career for you. Jobs are numerous, including roles in hospitals, community health centers, schools, homeless shelters, nursing homes and nonprofit organizations. Georgia State’s bachelor of social work will prepare you for entry-level work with these types of employers and also will make you ready to enter a master of social work program in the future.

Our curriculum is focused on nine competencies that are connected to our accreditation and licensure rules in Georgia.

• You will have a foundation for understanding human behavior in a variety of different contexts and social settings.
• You will practice methods for intervention with individuals, families, groups, communities and organizations, and systems.
• The curriculum is designed to develop your skill in:
  • critical thinking and ethics
  • intervention approaches with diverse populations
  • understanding of human functioning and the social environment
  • practice evaluation and research.

Getting started: You can apply to the BSW program for admission after you completed your lower division classes, which typically takes two years. You can start at Georgia State as an “Exploratory Social Work” status student while you gather the necessary credits and then apply to be a BSW student the spring before your junior year.

Your success matters: You will work with the undergraduate advisement center throughout your time at Georgia State to make sure you are enrolling in the correct courses.

Georgia State Baccalaureate Social Work Program Assessment of Student Learning Outcomes.

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. Georgia State’s Master of Science (M.S.) in Biological Sciences is designed to offer a flexible program to suit students with a wide variety of interests in biology. In addition to the general program, concentrations are offered in Biotechnology, Bioinformatics and Research.

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/.

The career possibilities are endless with a Georgia State University 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.

Dual-degree opportunities enable qualified students to enroll in graduate courses late in their undergraduate program and apply the coursework toward both the bachelor’s and master’s programs. That can mean saving a year or more in time and tuition dollars.

Students must be formally accepted into the Georgia State University dual-degree program by the department and College of Arts and Sciences to be able to take graduate courses as an undergraduate. Acceptance into the dual program does not constitute admission to the master’s program. Students must fulfill regular graduate admissions requirements and apply for the master’s program following college processes.

Information about the dual program, including application instructions and program requirements, can be found in the Dual Degree section of the CAS website.

The Master of Interdisciplinary Studies (M.I.S.) in Biomedical Science and Enterprise program equips students to enter the biomedical science workforce through its unique interdisciplinary coursework in science, law and business, accompanied by interactive projects, internships and hands-on research experience. In partnership with the nationally ranked J. Mack Robinson College of Business and the College of Law, this innovative program teaches students how to bring biomedical advances to the marketplace, empowering them to make important contributions that could improve human health and save lives.

Students gain a competitive edge by developing the skills sought by employers, such as problem-solving, critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration across disciplines. They are also prepared to work in a number of areas, including biotechnology, pharmaceutics, entrepreneurship, consulting, education, outreach, government and other fields.

Two Tracks, Two Career Experiences

• Students with strong interest in the business and/or legal aspects of biomedical science may complete the professional track, which will allow them to learn how to contribute to the commercialization of scientific discovery with a strong focus on professional development.
• Students with a strong interest in research may complete the research track, which will allow for hands-on-wet-lab research experience, mentorship opportunities with world-class scientists and a focus on technical development.

Chemistry deals with the nature of all substances and the changes that occur within them. Chemistry 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. Knowledge of chemistry is a great asset in areas such as biology, physics and health-related fields. It is a logical foundation for premedical training, pre-veterinary, pre-pharmacy and other allied health professions.

Students can choose from the following concentrations:

• BSc in Chemistry (Traditional Program)
• BSc in Chemistry with Concentration in Biochemistry
• BSc in Chemistry with Concentration in Forensic Chemistry
• BSc in Chemistry with Pre-Medical Concentration

Students interested in pre-med should follow the Biochemistry concentration.

Georgia State’s Chemistry Department offers undergraduate students the opportunity to gain practical experience with laboratory equipment such as rotary evaporators, IR spectrometers, NMR spectrometers, auto titrators and gas chromatography systems to name a few.

The Department of Chemistry is accredited by the American Chemical Society.

The Georgia State University 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
• Organic/Medicinal

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.

In Georgia State University’s Clinical Mental Health Counseling, M.S. program you will collaborate and consult with other mental health professionals to take the next steps in your career as a mental health counselor.

This Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accredited master’s degree meets the educational requirements for professional licensure as a counselor and prepares you to work with people across the lifespan in individual, couples and group settings.

You will gain a comprehensive understanding of:

• psychological and emotional wellness
• professional and ethical practices
• social and cultural diversity
• social justice and advocacy
• human growth and development
• counseling theories, interventions and best practices
• career development
• assessment, research and program evaluation
• and more

Your program culminates in a three-semester practicum-internship. In that experience, you will work with clients in community settings to resolve their challenges.

There is also a non-degree version of this program. To view admissions requirements and deadlines visit the Admissions Requirements tab below.

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.