Graduate Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

There is no minimum GPA requirement for consideration to our master’s programs.  The average GPA of a competitive applicant is 3.2.  Upon receipt of your transcripts, we would calculate the overall GPA and your GPA for the last two years to give us a balanced view of your scholastic career.

The programs in the Andrew Young School do not have a minimum GRE or GPA, nor do the admission committees use a formula to determine admission eligibility.  All aspects of the applicant’s file are taken into consideration for admission decisions. However, GRE scores and GPAs that are well below a competitive range will greatly reduce your chances of admission.

Students at the graduate level typically do not transfer into a program in the Andrew Young School. Each student wishing to join the program must apply as a new student and meet all admission requirements. Applicants are not guaranteed admission. Once admitted, students may request to transfer course work. Master’s-level students may transfer up to six credit hours (two courses) into the graduate program. Instructions on the process and the online submission form are here.

Criminal Justice Ph.D. students may transfer up to six credit hours into their program. Students should consult with doctoral coordinator Dr. Leah Daigle Sevigny ([email protected]) for details.

Economics Ph.D. students may transfer up to 15 credit hours into their program. Students should consult with doctoral coordinator Dr. Garth Heutle ([email protected]) for details.

Public Policy Ph.D. students do not have a transfer limit but are subject to review and approval. Students should consult with doctoral coordinator Dr. Christine Roch ([email protected]) for details.

To take graduate-level courses in the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies without pursuing a master’s degree, you would need to apply and be admitted as a non-degree seeking student.  The deadline for applying for fall term is June 1; spring is November 1. You would need to submit the following:

• Online application
• Transcripts from all previously attended institutions (graduate and undergraduate)
• GRE scores
• Goal statement that includes the reason for applying as a non-degree graduate student and a list of courses you want to enroll in
• Official TOEFL or IELTS scores if you are an international student

The Andrew Young School does not admit students on a probationary basis.

Each degree program has a graduate admissions committee of Andrew Young School faculty which determines the eligibility of each person who applies for graduate-level admission. Admission decisions are competitive. Each applicant is evaluated individually and among the current group of candidates. In this evaluation, consideration is given to the applicant’s academic record, scores on the graduate entrance test(s), educational background, educational objectives, narrative information, work experience, professional activities and character. These elements together must indicate a favorable prospect of success in graduate study for an offer of admission to be made. In making the decision, the committee must consider the optimum number of students in the program.

Applicants aged 62 or over who want to resume, continue or begin a college education, are considered a GSU-62 applicant and are eligible to receive a tuition waiver. This program allows applicants to register for college-level courses for credit or audit on a space-available basis.

To be considered, applicants must complete the following steps:

1. Submit the Georgia State Graduate Admission Application.  Applications must be submitted by the program deadlines to be considered.
2. Within the application, upload a copy of your Georgia driver’s license, Georgia identification or passport using the citizenship verification page. Note: Birth certificates must be presented in person.

Review the minimum requirements for the GSU-62 program and registration requirements here.

Application requirements are at http://aysps.gsu.edu/deadlines/

Yes, you must upload directly to your application one copy of your transcripts from each institution attended regardless of the number of classes you took or whether you received a degree at that institution.  Once admitted, you will be required to submit one official transcript from each institution attended by the first day of classes for the term of admission.

Yes. Good photocopies or scanned copies of transcripts are accepted for consideration of your admission to our graduate programs.  This can either be an official electronic transcript, or a paper copy you have scanned and uploaded.

• Upload each transcript to the Academic History section of the online application before submitting your application
  -or-
  upload to your application status page under the Upload Materials section if your application has been submitted.
• Review all requirements for submitting transcripts here.
• Failure to follow these requirements will delay your application processing.

Only the doctoral program in Criminal Justice and Criminology requires a writing sample. Applicants to other programs should not submit a writing sample.

The Andrew Young School offers application fee waivers to McNair Scholars and returned Peace Corps volunteer applicants eligible for the Coverdell Fellows program.

For McNair Scholars, this application fee waiver applies to all graduate programs except the joint doctoral program in Public Policy.  To obtain a waiver, McNair scholars must:

1. Start the Georgia State Graduate Admission Application.
2. Within the application on the “Additional Information” page answer “Are you a former or current McNair Scholar,” and follow the steps to upload a copy of the “Certificate of McNair Program Participation and Request for Admission Application Fee Waiver.“

For returned Peace Corps volunteers, visit our web page for more information.

The school offers application fee waivers to McNair Scholars for the following programs:

• Master of Science in Criminal Justice
• Master of Art in Economics
• Master of Art in Economics – Policy Track
• Master of Public Administration
• Master of Public Policy
• Master of Social Work
• Doctoral program in Criminal Justice
• Doctoral program in Economics
• Doctoral program in Public Policy (GSU only program. Joint program excluded from waivers)
• Certificate programs in Disaster Management, Nonprofit Management & Social Enterprise, and Planning and Economic Development.

To obtain a waiver, current McNair scholars must:

1. Start the Georgia State University Graduate Admission Application.
2. Within the application on the “Additional Information” page, answer “Are you a former or current McNair Scholar,” and follow the steps to upload a copy of the “Certificate of McNair Program Participation and Request for Admission Application Fee Waiver.“

No. Applications are submitted online here.

You may access the online application here.

The office is located on the third floor of 55 Park Place at:
55 Park Place NE, Suite 308, Atlanta, GA 30303.

• ID is required to enter the building. Georgia State University ID for GSU visitors and any ID for non-GSU visitors.
• A campus map may be found at http://map.gsu.edu/#/

 

E-mails should be sent to:
Office of Admissions – Graduate Programs
[email protected].

All application materials should be submitted online into your application.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is a standardized test used to evaluate your readiness for graduate-level work. More information on the test, testing centers, pricing, etc. may be found at www.ets.org/gre.

You should take the General GRE test and have it reported to institution code 5251. Subject tests are not required for admission to graduate programs in the Andrew Young School.

GRE Waivers are considered as follows:*

• Applicants for the non-degree seeking status should complete the non-degree waiver form here.
• Applicants to the Master of Social Work program may be considered for a waiver of the GRE with departmental approval.  MSW applicants should complete the MSW waiver form here  for consideration.
• Master of Social Work – Advanced Standing applicants are not required to take the GRE if they have a BSW from an accredited institution. Contact Robert McCloud at [email protected] for details.

*GRE Waivers submitted within a week before an application deadline may not be considered in time for the application review.

Applicants may apply at any time; however, all test scores must be received by the application deadline for admission consideration.  Applications will not be considered if GRE scores are not received by the deadline.

The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies does not accept the GMAT as substitution for the GRE to our graduate or Ph.D. programs.

GRE scores are valid for five (5) years. They must be officially reported by ETS to institution code 5251 to be considered for admission review.

There is no minimum GRE requirement for consideration to our graduate programs; however, the average score of a competitive applicant to our master’s programs would be a cumulative 295-300 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the test.

ETS will send scores to GSU within 10-15 days after the GRE is taken. It is recommended that you take the GRE at least one (1) month prior to the application deadline for your program of choice to ensure it is received on time.

The Office of Student Accounts has a comprehensive site to detail the cost of enrollment at Georgia State University: http://www.gsu.edu/studentaccounts/tuition_and_fees.html.

A Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) is an opportunity to work within an academic department while receiving a stipend. The Andrew Young School of Policy Studies offers the opportunity to apply for a GRA at the time of application.  Assistantships at the master’s level generally entail a $2,000 stipend for the Fall or Spring term and a tuition waiver for all but $37.50 in tuition for the same term.  Student Activity Fees are not eligible to be waived.  The number of GRA’s are limited and competitive in nature.  Selection is based on academic credential and other admission criteria established by the admission committee. The number of available GRA’s fluctuate each semester based on departmental budgetary constraints.

There is no separate application for GRA consideration at the time of admission. Applicants should simply respond “yes” to the GRA question on the “Andrew Young School information page” of the online application for consideration.

Please review the rules and regulations on the Tuition Classification page: http://sfs.gsu.edu/tuition-fees/tuition-classification/.

You may contact the Office of International Student and Scholar Services for a variety of questions related to immigration regulations and studies at Georgia State University as an international student.   Please visit http://isss.gsu.edu/about/contact/ for contact information..

Yes. If available, please submit a copy of your passport with your application materials.

Yes, all applicants to our graduate programs are eligible to receive a Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA). There is no separate GRA application. Applicants should simply respond “yes” to the GRA question on the “Andrew Young School information page” of the online application for consideration.

No. You should simply complete the international immigration form at the time of application. If admitted to the program you may then submit any required supplemental information.

The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is a test that measures your ability to use and understand English at the university level. The minimum recommended score is 100. More information on the test, testing centers pricing, etc. may be found at www.ets.org/toefl.

Applicants may apply at any time; however, all test scores must be received by the application deadline for admission consideration. Applications will not be considered if TOEFL scores are not received by the deadline.

The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) assesses the language ability of candidates.  More information about this test, including testing sites and pricing, can be found at https://www.ielts.org/.

Yes. The Andrew Young School accepts the IELTS Academic score. The recommended minimum is a score of 7.

NOTE:  The Joint Georgia Tech/Georgia State Public Policy Ph.D. program only accepts TOEFL scores.

Most international students typically take the TOEFL, however we also accept the IELTS.

NOTE:  The Joint Georgia Tech/Georgia State Public Policy Ph.D. program only accepts TOEFL scores.

Only the doctoral program in Criminal Justice and Criminology requires a writing sample. Applicants to all other programs should not submit a writing sample.

There is no minimum GPA requirement for consideration to our Ph.D. programs, the average GPA of a competitive applicant is 3.4.  Upon receipt of your transcripts, we would calculate the overall GPA and the last 2-years GPA to give us a balance view of your scholastic career.

There is no minimum GRE requirement for consideration to our Ph.D. programs, however, the average score of a competitive applicant to our Ph.D. program would be a cumulative 308-310 on the verbal and quantitative sections of the test.

You do not need a Master’s degree to be admitted into the doctoral program. Each program will, however, have a number of master’s level prerequisites that must be completed. Please review the program requirements of the degree you are considering for further details: http://aysps.gsu.edu/deadlines/