Academic Programs
Choose from a wide range of both undergraduate degrees, undergraduate certificates, graduate degrees, graduate certificates, and graduate endorsement programs in education and within human service fields.
- For a comprehensive list of our college’s undergraduate programs with instructions on applying to the major, click here.
- For a comprehensive list of graduate programs with application deadlines and admission requirements, click here.
Still Not Sure?
The information shared here is intended to provide an overview of Georgia State’s Education & Human Development offerings. For official details on admissions requirements, tuition, courses and more please refer to the university catalogs.
Curriculum and Instruction, Ed.D.
Interdisciplinary
The Georgia State University Ed.D. program in curriculum and instruction prepares master teachers to become instructional leaders and curriculum specialists who wish to develop expertise in advocacy for equity in teaching and learning, curriculum theory and development and pedagogical leadership.
Our Ed.D. program consists of a rigorous, collaborative, interdisciplinary program that promotes understanding the complex dynamics among theory, research and practice. Our graduates are empowered scholar-educators who advocate for social justice and educational equity at the classroom, school, district and state levels. Grounded in educational research, our interdisciplinary courses offer students the opportunity to conceptualize, theorize, dialogue, problem-pose, problem-solve, create and evaluate a wide range of educational theories, practices and policies related to curriculum and instruction.
Concentrations include art education, middle level, language and literacy education, mathematics education, foreign language education, music education, science education and social studies education.
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.
Dual Language and Immersion Education Endorsement
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 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.
Early Childhood and Elementary Education, Ph.D.
Early Childhood and Elementary Education
Our early childhood and elementary education program will prepare you to be researchers and teacher educators in areas such as applied research, curriculum development, teacher education, literacy/digital literacy, multicultural education, science education, math education and more.
Our doctorate degree prepares you to move into various roles and content areas in the early childhood and elementary education fields.
You will learn to be active scholars informed in the historical, political, developmental and theoretical paradigms that shape education in today’s rapidly changing world. Through coursework, research and teaching apprenticeships and individual mentoring, you can become inquisitive researchers and reflective teacher educators equipped to affect the lives of children, their families and the larger society.
Meet the doctoral students in our Ph.D. program.
Education Informatics Certificate
Educational Policy Studies
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.
Education of Students with Exceptionalities, Ph.D.
The education of students with exceptionalities doctoral degree will teach you to become a leader in special education. You will learn how to conduct high-quality research in the area of special education. The experience you bring from your work in the special education field will enable you to learn how to teach others who want to become teachers. We will help you enhance the skills you’ll need to succeed in university positions as researchers and teachers, and to provide leadership in a variety of community, state or national service agencies.
CAREER CHOICES
- Faculty member at a university (tenure track or clinical)
- Leader or researcher at a university or other company
- District level leader or researcher in a school system
Educational Leadership, Ed.D.
The educational leadership program advances the development and practice of effective educational leadership.
This program addresses educational leaders’ professional needs and supports their long-term career goals in leading schools, school districts and other education agencies in a complex, highly competitive global environment.
We provide senior-level administrators with the following:
- Knowledge and skills necessary to deal effectively with the complex issues facing education today
- Methods of inquiry necessary to analyze educational problems
- Leadership skills necessary to direct the development and implementation of programs to address those problems and to disseminate the results in various professional and public forums
- Knowledge and applied skills rarely provided in traditional advanced degree programs in educational leadership in an alternative format that meets the needs of senior-level administrators.
- Select concentration in:
- Advanced Leadership
- Higher Education Administration
- Tier II
Educational Leadership, Tier I Certificate
The Georgia State online Tier I Educational Leadership Certificate program is for those with an education-related master’s degree who are passionate about leading and ready to take the next step towards becoming an entry-level leader in a school or school district such as an assistant principal. The courses introduce students to educational leadership theory and practice. Students participate in 300 hours of varied leadership experiences supported by a school or district mentor in addition to completing advanced coursework. Upon completion of the program, students will receive a program certificate from the Board of Regents and will be eligible to apply to the Professional Standards Commission for a Tier I Educational Leadership add-on certificate.
Our Voices, Our Stories, Our Faculty
- Graduate highlight on Amanda Lynch
- Five questions with Kareem Dunlap
- Recent graduate’s children’s book
- The Educational Leadership Unit is composed of eight faculty members with practitioner and academic expertise.
Educational Leadership, Tier II Certification, Ed.S.
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.
Educational Policy Studies, Ph.D.
Educational Policy Studies
The Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies allows students to examine the philosophy and practice of education and to develop skills in both the methodology and the study of educational practice. Students will prepare to become policymakers and examiners of policy and the effects of policy on education.
There are four concentrations you can choose within this degree program:
Concentration in Educational Leadership
This concentration has three strands (leadership and administration, leadership and policy or leadership and urban education) that emphasize organizational leadership, policy development, supervision and management. The leadership concentration will be designed to meet the students’ unique career objectives including teaching and research in academia, leading schools, school districts and other education agencies. For those students seeking to obtain a Tier II certification, they must apply to the leadership and administration strand.
(Note: Applicants who receive favorable admission to the Ph.D. in Educational Policy Studies with a concentration in Educational Leadership can apply to the Tier II certification should they qualify; to qualify, an applicant must be employed in a K-12 system to be able to complete the required hours of clinical leadership experiences for the Tier II certification, satisfy the Georgia Ethics Assessment for Educational Leadership, and finally submit a letter of recommendation from their immediate supervisor)
Concentration in Higher Education
The concentration in Higher Education will prepare students for careers in higher education as academics, researchers, policymakers and practitioners. Through an interdisciplinary study of theory, research and content, graduates will be able to understand, analyze and impact higher education in complex ways. Students who pursue the concentration in higher education will explore and challenge a range of perspectives in order to develop an in-depth understanding of higher education; including but not limited to its educational and intellectual core, its institutional and organizational structures, its social, cultural and civic context, as well as its contemporary role as an enterprise.
Concentration in Research, Measurement and Statistics
This concentration prepares graduates to investigate research methodologies, to conduct research related to schools, and to conduct and critique research in educational practice, policy and administration. Students develop knowledge and skills in qualitative and quantitative research and evaluation methods.
Concentration in Social Foundations of Education
Social foundations is a broadly conceived field of educational study that derives its character from a number of academic disciplines and interdisciplinary studies. At Georgia State University, the disciplines involved in social foundations inquiry are history, philosophy, sociology, anthropology and political science; the interdisciplinary field is cultural studies. The purpose of social foundations study is to bring the intellectual resources derived from these areas to bear in developing interpretive, normative and critical perspectives of educational theory, policy and practices, both inside and outside of schools.
For more information about the concentrations, please visit:
Educational Psychology, M.S.
The educational psychology master’s degree helps students understand the science of learning and behavioral change with emphasis on the application of the principles of psychology to the systematic study of education.
Students can explore:
- Learning
- Instruction
- Motivation
- Development
- Cognition
- Socialization
Educational Psychology M.S. and Ph.D. programs are research-focused and are not designed to prepare you for licensing exams or certifications. If you are interested in certifications for teaching, counseling, or school psychology, we encourage you to explore the other programs in Georgia State University’s College of Education & Human Development.
Educational Psychology, Ph.D.
In the educational psychology doctoral program, students work closely with faculty to examine how theories of learning, culture, development and behavior can be applied to educational settings. Our program is in the Department of Learning Sciences, a growing group of interdisciplinary researchers.
The EPY Ph.D. program follows an apprenticeship model. This means you are paired with a faculty advisor in your first year of the program. Along with your advisor, you will put together a tailored curriculum that suits your interests and satisfies the requirements. You are also encouraged to reach out to faculty members whose research interests overlap with your own.
Broadly, our faculty’s areas of research include:
- Urban Education and Diverse Learners
- Literacy Across the Lifespan
- Behavior Analysis
- STEM Thinking
- Disciplinary Learning
- Computer-Based Learning Environments
See our faculty biographies for more information.
What is the structure of the EPY Ph.D. program?
In the early years of study, Ph.D. students gain foundational knowledge in current issues in education, theories of learning and development and methodology.
As you progress, you will work closely with faculty to develop greater expertise in their research specialty. You will take additional seminars and electives as well as engage in more independent research. This phase of work is marked by the completion of a comprehensive exam.
The final portion of the Ph.D. program is the proposal, writing and defense of the doctoral dissertation.
If you do not have a master’s degree, you are still encouraged to apply to the Ph.D. program. You can be admitted concurrently and receive your master’s degree on the way to your Ph.D.
Educational Research (online), M.S.
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.