Q: To whom should I address questions about admission requirements and/or financial assistance opportunities in the department to which I apply?

Each of our academic departments has graduate advisors who direct and approve curricula in the various programs.  The Program Coordinator for your program of interest is the advisor for all new graduate students in the department and will be able to answer any questions or address any concerns you might have regarding the specific academic program in which you are interested, as well as the availability of financial aid/assistantships. The name of this advisor can also be found on your official acceptance letter.

Q: Whom should I ask to write the letters of recommendation? 

Usually, anyone who can attest to your ability to successfully undertake graduate study may write letters of recommendation for you. Some programs may ask for specific supervisors or coaches. The people writing letters of recommendation may send them directly to our office, but it is preferred that you send them with your supplemental application packet. However, be aware that some programs request letters from very specific persons related to your academic career. Be certain to check carefully the Materials Required row for your program and degree of interest.

Q: Do I need to submit the “Certificate of Immunization” form by the application deadline?

No. You will need to submit the “Certificate of Immunization” form if you are accepted into a graduate program in the College of Education.  You must provide proof of immunity to measles, mumps, and rubella.  Your medical provider must complete and sign the “Certificate of Immunization "(Measles, Mumps, Rubella)” form, which is found on the Georgia State University Web site.

Q: Are materials that arrive past the deadline reviewed with the application?

No. Only materials received in the Office of Academic Assistance by the appropriate application completion deadline are forwarded to the department for review. They may be used by request for the next admission cycle if the applicant promptly notifies the OAA office after being informed of the ineligibility for the requested term.

Q: May I transfer credits from another college or university?

You may request to transfer a maximum of six semester hours toward a master’s degree program and a maximum of 30 semester hours toward a doctoral degree. However, a request for credit transfer can be made only after you have been accepted and registered as a student at Georgia State University. You will also need the approval signed by your graduate advisor and department chair.

Application

Q: How do I apply to one of the graduate degree programs in the College of Education?

To begin the process, you must first submit an application.  The College of Education has six academic departments with more than fifty degree programs to which you can apply.  The chart entitled Graduate Academic Programs lists our departments as well as all of the graduate degrees we offer.  You may also find information regarding our various programs on departmental websites. Once you have decided on the degree program that interests you, you can begin to fill out the application forms. 

Q: Can I apply online?

Yes. This is the preferred and most effective way to apply. Please go to https://apply.embark.com/Grad/GAState to begin the electronic application process.    

Q: Which application deadline do I follow?

A complete list of application completion deadlines can be found on our Web site. The general departmental deadlines are listed under general completion dates. Applicants who intend to apply for a visa will need to submit their applications a minimum of six weeks before these deadlines. In addition, some departments have set earlier deadlines for applicants who wish to be considered for financial aid/assistantships. These deadlines are usually listed on the department Web sites.

Q: Can I apply for more than one program for any given semester?

Yes. We encourage you to apply to any and all programs in which you are interested. You must, however, submit a separate application fee of $50.00 (USD) for each desired program. You will also need to adjust the preliminary questions in your application before you can change programs or colleges.

Q: If I have applied to another college within the University, can the materials that I submitted be used for my College of Education application?

Depending on how long ago you applied, you may request a transfer of records to have your materials sent to our college. Please contact the college/school to which you originally applied to find out more information on how to have your records transferred to the College of Education.

Q: Where should I send my materials?

If you are sending your application materials through the United States Postal Service or by private courier, all forms, fees, transcripts, test scores, letters of recommendation, and other required materials not submitted online should be sent in a single packet directly to:

Georgia State University
College of Education
Office of Academic Assistance and
Graduate Admissions
30 Pryor Street, Suite 300
P. O. Box 3977
Atlanta, Georgia 30303

Q: Do I need to submit transcripts from accredited colleges or universities where I only took one or two courses, continuing education classes, or other coursework?

You must submit two (2) official copies of transcripts from each college or university you have attended, regardless of the amount or nature of the coursework that you took there.

Q: May I submit official transcripts sent to me?
Yes, we prefer you include all transcripts in your self-managed application packet. However, the transcripts must be in an unopened envelope bearing a Registrar's official seal.

Tests

Q: Do I have to submit the GRE (or MAT) scores by the deadline, or do I have to take the test by the deadline?

Deadlines established in the College of Education are COMPLETION DEADLINES. That means that all materials required for admission must be in the Office of Academic Assistance by that date. Official test (GRE or MAT) scores must arrive in our office by the completion deadline.  You can, however, send unofficial copies with your self-managed packet. Nevertheless, they do not substitute for official notification from the testing agency. Please allow excess time than that suggested by the Educational Testing Service (ETS).  Please take the GRE or MAT in sufficient time for official score reports to reach our office by the application deadline (at least six weeks is recommended). If you wait until after the completion deadline to take your test, you will not be able to complete your file in time for review and consideration.

Q: Where should I have my official GRE or MAT  scores sent?

Georgia State University’s institution code is 5251.  Sending your GRE and MAT scores to this code should suffice. Additional departmental information is helpful, but not a necessary requirement.  For further inquiries about the GRE, please contact ETS at 1-800-GRE-CALL or 609-771-7670. You can also vist their Web site.

Q: If I have taken the GRE, and have requested that ETS send an official copy to the Office of Academic Assistance, will you accept a photocopy of my scores pending receipt of the official report?

The Office of Academic Assistance must receive an official score report before we can credit you with having satisfied the application requirement. However, a copy can, in many cases, speed up this process. The copy must be sent in the self-managed package and not separately from other application materials.

Q: Do I need to submit official TOEFL scores as a part of my application if I am a United States permanent resident?

You must submit TOEFL scores as part of your application if your mother tongue is not English and you do not possess a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college, institute, or university.

Q: Where can I learn about the GACE test and why can't I use the Praxis I test if I am not from Georgia?

The College of Education requires everyone applying for a graduate program that involves initial teacher education or has an outcome of being prepared for certification to take the GACE  Basic Skills Test. If you have already been certified to teach in another state, and for that certification the Praxis I test was taken, then you will not have to take the GACE unless it is a stated exit examination for your program.

Application Review Process

Q: When is the application reviewed and how will I receive notification of my admission decision?

Applications are sent to the program faculty for review as soon as all of the required materials have been received in the Office of Academic Assistance. After about four weeks, the status of the application can be found on GoSOLAR.  You can find out what has not yet arrived at Georgia State and the College of Education.

Applications must be complete by the application completion deadline in order to be reviewed. The length of time your application may remain in the department for review varies greatly from one department to another.  Thus it may be several days before your file is returned from the department, or it may be several weeks. 

Therefore, it can be a period of up to five weeks or more from the time an application is considered complete to the occasion when it is returned to our office with a final decision. As soon as we receive this decision, we will post it on the "status" page at GoSOLAR and follow up with a personal letter by mail. This written document by mail is you official decision letter.

Q: Can I be admitted provisionally pending submission of official documentation?

The policy of the College of Education is that all official documentation must be in the Office of Academic Assistance by the completion deadline date. Otherwise, your application will be "withdrawn" from consideration and you will not receive a refund for your application fee.

Q: If I am accepted, for what kinds of financial aid might I qualify?

Each department determines the amount and recipients of its financial awards. Please contact the department program coordinator to which you have applied to obtain more information about departmental tuition assistance and stipends. A partial list of opportunities appears elsewhere on the OAA website. To check your qualifications for university financial aid, contact the Enrollment Services financial aid division. Their Web site is http://www.gsu.edu/es/financial_aid.html

Q: If I am accepted into a program and wish to be considered for a different concentration within the same department, how do I proceed?

Depending on the department, you may need to submit a new application or simply request approval from the Program Advisor in the department  to which you gained admission.

Q: If I am accepted into a program and wish to defer my attendance, what are my options?

You must notify the Graduate Advisor for the program to which you have been accepted that you wish to postpone actual admission. Depending on the department, the program may or may not allow you to change. Your application is for, and you are admitted to a program at a specific time. In any case, the College of Education will not authorize a postponement for more than one year. Applicants who wish to update their acceptance beyond one year must reapply.

Q: If I am not recommended for admission or wish to withdraw my application, may I have my materials back?

Once the materials have arrived in our office they become the property of Georgia State University.  For this reason no materials will be returned or released to an applicant or to any other party, such as another school or external agencies, for example. Moreover, your application fee is nonrefundable and will not be returned if your application is withdrawn or denied.