PROSPECTIVE & CURRENT STUDENTS
To learn more about the college’s admissions process, visit our How to Apply page.
We develop educational scholars, researchers and leaders.
Learn about our graduate research and teaching assistantships:
Download the following in one package »
- Graduate Assistant Policy
- GRA Pay Structure
- Graduate Assistantship Application
- Graduate Assistantship Application (specific to EPS)
Graduate assistantships are available in departments and Colleges across campus including our department. Every assistantship differs according to the funding source; some may be for one semester only, others may be extended beyond one semester. The hours of employment, the amount of tuition paid, and any additional stipend offered varies. You can apply for assistantships any time after you have been admitted to a program. Application information is provided to new students through our welcome ambassador program.
RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS
Our department is pleased to offer graduate assistantships for master’s level students. Recipients of research assistantships work closely with our faculty members for up to 20 hours per week, collaborating on research projects that frequently lead to presentations at professional meetings and publications.
In addition to a waiver of tuition, research assistantships provide stipends up to $2,000 for master’s students.
Financial Aid
There are a variety of resources available to help you pay for graduate school depending on your financial situation.
Visit the Georgia State University Financial Aid website.
Doctoral Fellowships
Opportunities
- Please refer to our faculty profiles with research interests.
- Please refer to our additional fellowship opportunities offered by the College of Education & Human Development.
Dean’s Research Doctoral Fellowship
The Georgia State University College of Education & Human Development Dean’s Doctoral Research Fellowships recognize outstanding scholarly accomplishments and the academic potential of newly admitted research doctoral students. Recipients of these four-year fellowships embody the highest standards of scholarship in our graduate programs. As funding permits, the Office of the Dean will determine the number of fellows and the amount to be awarded which includes tuition remission for four academic years.
Learn more about the Dean’s Research Doctoral Fellowship.
Learn more about the scholarships and fellowships the College offers.
Scholarships Database
Search and apply for scholarships online.
Forms
- EPS Ph.D. Residency Plan
- Prospectus Presentation Announcement Form
- Prospectus Announcement Instructions
- Instructions for Dissertation Announcement
- Dissertation Announcement Form
Policies
- Graduate Assistant Policy (see Graduate Research Assistantships information above)
- Comprehensive Exam Policy — This policy applies to all Ph.D. students who enter in the Fall semester 1998 and beyond. Comprehensive examinations will be given twice each year, once each during the Fall and Spring semesters.
- EPS Ph.D. Residency Plan
- Special Authorizations and Overflow Policy – All special authorizations or overflows must be approved by the instructor of the course first. After the instructor has approved the student to take the course via email, the instructor should forward the email to Aishah Cowan (acowan@gsu.edu) in order for the authorization to take place. The student will be sent an email to their GSU student email account informing them that they can now register for the course.
- Chair Signature Policy – The Chairperson has a special mailbox in the departmental mailroom for students needing the Chair’s signature. Place the document in the “For Chair’s Signature” folder along with the student’s contact information. The Chair signs documents regularly. The student will be notified once the document has been signed and readied for pick-up.
- Continuous Enrollment Policy – According to Georgia State University policy, students in all graduate programs must maintain enrollment totaling six hours (or more) over all consecutive three semester periods (including summers).
Annual Conferences Attended by EPS Faculty
| Conference | Description | Proposals Due/Conference Timeframes (Scheduled dates are updated annually on the organization’s website) |
| American Association for Teaching and Curriculum (AATC) http://aatchome.org/ | An important historical event in the development of organizations dealing with the scholarly field of teaching and curriculum was the founding of the American Association for Teaching and Curriculum (AATC). |
April/October |
| American Educational Research Association (AERA) https://www.aera.net/ | Strives to advance knowledge about education, to encourage scholarly inquiry related to education, and to promote the use of research to improve education and serve the public good. |
July/Spring |
| American Educational Studies Association (AESA) http://educationalstudies.org/ | Creates a landscape for the discussion of broader policy issues such as minority studies, gender studies, multicultural education, democracy, and issues of educational equality and equity. |
February to May/Fall |
| American Evaluation Association (AEA) https://www.eval.org/ | Brings together evaluators, evaluation scholars, students, and evaluation users from around the world, where they are invited to assemble, share, and learn from the successes of the international discipline and practice of evaluation. |
March/Fall |
| Association for Education Finance and Policy https://aefpweb.org/ |
Tackles the important education finance issues of the day. They are not solely about funding mechanisms and alternative approaches to taxation. Teachers’ decisions about where to teach and how to teach strongly affect the cost of education. |
October to November/March |
| Association for the Study of Higher Education (ASHE) https://www.ashe.ws/ | Promotes collaboration among its members and others engaged in the study of higher education through research, conferences, and publications, including its highly regarded journal, The Review of Higher Education. It values rigorous scholarly approaches to the study of higher education and practical applications of systemic inquiry. |
April/Fall |
| Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) https://www.cies.us/ | Explores educational issues related to schools, students, teachers, and administrators — from early childhood and primary school to secondary and higher education, as well as non-formal education and lifelong learning. Some compare achievement inequalities across socio-economic status, gender, ethnicity, and language. Others examine the relationship between education and cultural processes, democratization, globalization, economic development and political conflict. |
October/Spring |
| Council for Professors or Instructional Supervision (COPIS) https://www.copis.org/ | Provides a professional forum for consideration, discussion, review, and/or critique of proposals, propositions and projections regarding supervision of instruction. |
October/June |
| Critical Race Studies in Education Association (CRSEA) https://www.crsea.org/ | It is an interdisciplinary consortium of experts who recognize global implications of race and education for minoritized people. Through scholarship, we identify and expose inequities for the ultimate eradication of white supremacy. |
February/May |
| Curriculum and Pedagogy http://www.curriculumandpedagogy.org/ | For individuals seeking academic enrichment and professional engagement with others who are likewise committed to educational empowerment and social change. |
May/Fall |
| Education Law Association (ELA) https://www.educationlaw.org/ | Draws attorneys, professors, education leaders and administrators, graduate and law students, educators, public officials, consultants, reporters and other stakeholders from the worlds of PK-12 and higher education; public, private and charter sectors; colleges of education and law schools; plaintiff-and defense-side; labor and management. |
March, July, October/Fall |
| International Council of Professors of Education Leadership (ICPEL) https://www.icpel.org/ | Its commitment to serve the interests and needs of professors of educational administration and practicing school leaders. |
August/March |
| Modern Modeling Methods https://modeling.uconn.edu/ |
Is designed to showcase the latest modeling methods and to present research related to these methodologies. | February/June |
| National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) https://www.nameorg.org/ | A non-profit organization that advances and advocates for equity and social justice through multicultural education. Provides opportunities for learning in order to advance multicultural education, equity and social justice. Proactively reframes public debate and impacts current and emerging policies in ways that advance social, political, economic and educational equity through advocacy, position papers, policy statements and other strategies. Provides the preeminent digital clearinghouse of resources about educational equity and social justice. |
February/Fall |
| National Council on Measurement in Education (NCME) https://www.ncme.org/home | For individuals involved in assessment, evaluation, testing, and other aspects of educational measurement; the construction and use of standardized tests; new forms of assessment, including performance-based assessment; program design; and program evaluation. |
August/Spring (Joint with AERA) |
| Social Science Education Consortium | Every other year, the conference is held other year in an international location. | February/June |
| Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) https://www.sree.org/ | Is dedicated to advancing research relevant to practice, from early childhood through post-secondary education. The Society strives to generate knowledge and facilitate applications in new contexts and across fields. | October/March |
| SOURCES of Urban Educational Excellence https://crim.education.gsu.edu/sources- conference/ | Hosted by the Alonzo A. Crim Center for Urban Educational Excellence at GSU. It brings together educators, graduate students, activists, policy makers, artists, business and industry members, and community workers for a series of panels, presentations and discussions on the conference’s theme. |
June/Fall |
| Southeast Philosophy of Education Society (SEPES) https://sepesociety.wordpress.com/ | Promotes the philosophic treatment of problems in education, and the clarification of agreements and differences among different philosophies of education through discussion afforded by annual meetings. Advance and improve teaching in the philosophy of education in postsecondary educational institutions; cultivates fruitful relationships between philosophy of education and other areas of philosophy; and encourages promising students to enter and participate in the field of philosophy of education. |
September/Winter |
| Southern History of Education Society (SHOES) | Founded at Georgia State. The 50th anniversary is 2021 and will be held at Georgia State. Registration is always free. Graduate students and young academic professionals can be mentored by more experienced educators in their field. They exchange ideas and discuss how to implement them. |
January/March |
| University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA) http://www.ucea.org/ | Engages participants in discussions about research, policy, practice and preparation in the field of education with a specific focus on educational leadership. |
May/Fall |
2/25/2020 DF
The purpose of the EPS Grad Student Association is to support, guide and provide relevant resources to EPS graduate students.
To accomplish this mission the EPS Graduate Student Association seeks to:
- coordinate workshops and colloquia presented by program EPS faculty
- promote social events aimed at creating community among EPS graduate students
- maintain a common on-line portal through which students can receive and submit information about upcoming conferences and research and grant opportunities
For additional information and to join visit https://gsu.campuslabs.com/engage/organization/epsgsa.
TESTIMONIALS
Demetricia Hodges on being an EPS student
“I am a doctoral candidate in the Educational Policy Studies Department. I am majoring in Educational Leadership with concentrations in Social Foundations and Qualitative Research in Education. I entered the EPS program with the explicit goal of becoming a professor of pre-service educator programs (such as teacher and school leadership) and an educational policy analyst in the hope of ensuring that educational policies governing educators’ preparation and ongoing professional development substantively prepare them to effectively afford educational equity and equality to all students.
“I am building a research agenda around projects in urban and rural environments that are meaningful, policy-oriented, and that directly benefit the participants and community stakeholders. Once I became a full-time student, I was able to realize a different, much more rewarding doctoral residency experience.
“I am afforded the opportunity to work with an exceptional instructor and methodologies, Janice B. Fournillier, Ph.D. as a GRA. I also attend the Professional Development Wednesday’s Speaker Series, where I engage in scholarly dialogue with experts in various fields of education.
“With the support of the EPS Department, I have attended and presented my research at conferences (UCEA, AERA and EESW), as well as recognized at conferences as an emerging scholar (David L. Clark Scholar, Barbara L. Jackson Scholar & Emerging Engagement Scholar).
“Thanks to the mentoring and advisement of Dr. Fournillier and committee members, Joyce E. King and others I am confident that I will be prepared for a progressive career in academia and policy.”
Statement from Demetricia Hodges (Educational Policy Studies Ph.D. student focusing on the Educational Leadership concentration)
Amanda Lynch on Next Steps
“I had been working in education for fifteen years when I enrolled in the educational leadership program. Pursuing a degree in educational leadership met many of my personal and professional goals. I found my career-advancing and I needed to be sure that I had the appropriate qualifications to support my continued growth. The program provided the opportunity for me to earn my master’s degree and my tier one certification. With an undergraduate degree in leadership studies and my experience in education, educational leadership seemed like the perfect fit. I loved that the program was designed to provide theoretical knowledge of leading in the field of education, coupled with practical experiences to apply what is learned, thus developing my capacity as a leader.
“One of my favorite memories is from my first semester. Dr. Nick Sauers assigned a group project and my group members and I decided to meet at a café to plan our presentation. We worked collaboratively to plan our content, assign responsibilities and schedule our next meeting — all while sipping tea and sampling desserts. The memory of the meeting stands out in my mind, however, not because of the meeting itself but because it represents so much of what I came to value most about the program — building new relationships and engaging in meaningful discourse that challenged and grew my thinking.
“Post-graduation, I will continue my employment with Fulton County Schools. On July 1 I took on a new role as an assessment coordinator. In this role, I will lead collaborative teams to evaluate, develop and improve existing assessments and assessment practices, especially as it relates to data-driven instruction.
“As for advice to new students — simply stated — just do it! Georgia State offers diverse programs that can meet the needs of full or part-time students. Coursework is high-interest and relevant, and it is led by knowledgeable and personable instructors. I’d also recommend taking the time to build relationships — both with your classmates and with your professors. I learned so much by interacting with my classmates from diverse backgrounds, districts and work and life experiences. Professors are accessible and experienced, and they are willing to support you on your coursework, answer questions, provide real-world insights and advise you on the next step in your career or education. I know I have built meaningful friendships and networks that will continue to support me.”
Amber Mason for Systemic Change
“I love Atlanta. Georgia State University was the perfect place to engage with scholars who champion for urban education. I chose educational policy studies because I see policy as a strong vehicle for systemic change in education. As a former high school math teacher, I have witnessed how poorly written policy can get in the way of great teaching. When this happens, no one wins. My hope was that being accepted to the program would teach me how to use research to be an agent of change to better policy for education.”
– Amber Mason, Class of 2019
Doctoral student in Educational Policy Studies
with a concentration in research, measurement and statistics
“
STAFF CONTACTS
If you are in need of additional assistance from an EPS Staff Member, please contact a staff member below.
AISHAH COWAN
Academic Specialist
Student Admissions
Phone: 404-413-8273
Email: acowan@gsu.edu
Student-related responsibilities:
Answers admissions and registration questions and updates registration overrides that have been approved by the course instructor.
DAMIEN LAWRENCE
Administrative Specialist
Phone: 404-413-8274
Email: dlawrence@gsu.edu
Student-related responsibilities:
Schedules meeting rooms within the department, is the point of contact to submit doctoral forms and updates registration overrides that have been approved by the course instructor.
KIMBERLY MOORE
Business Manager
Phone: 404-413-8256
Email: kmoore@gsu.edu
Student-related responsibilities:
Resolves office management issues, answers questions regarding Graduate Research Assistantships, and distributes possible travel money for scholarly presentations
Contact Us
Department of Educational Policy Studies
Call us at: 404-413-8030 | Email us at: epsdept@gsu.edu
The Department of Educational Policy Studies offers information to prospective students on all of the department’s programs and information on the application process and materials. Prospective students may contact the office by phone or email.