Degrees & Majors
The Andrew Young School’s strong course work provides students the skills and knowledge needed to address the tough problems facing communities, government and nonprofit agencies.
Still Not Sure?
Let us help you determine what undergraduate degree or graduate program is right for you.
The information shared here is intended to provide an overview of Georgia State University’s offerings. For official details on admissions requirements, tuition, courses and more please refer to the university catalogs.
Business Economics, B.B.A.
Bachelor's
Department: Department of Economics
Locations: Atlanta Campus, Online (some courses)
Interest Area: Economics
Economics examines the material prosperity of countries and their citizens in an interdependent world of limited resources and technological change. In doing so, it studies how decisions are made by private businesses, governments, and households in producing, consuming, and distributing goods. In general, economics is concerned with how society can obtain the greatest output from its limited resources. Economics is also concerned with monetary arrangements and their impact upon purchasing power and economic performance.
Economic principles yield basic insights into the workings of the market system and the national and international environment within which business operates. These principles provide analysis that is fundamental to understanding the organization and decisions of the government, business, and financial sectors. Economics also develops criteria for assessing the performance of the market systems and of governments regarding their efficiency and their impact upon the well-being of consumers and workers.Hands-on Opportunities
The Department of Economics prides itself on innovation in the classroom. Students are encouraged to participate in a variety of co-curricular activities and classes to gain practical knowledge, develop networks, hone leadership skills, and learn more about the real world.
Economic Studies Abroad in South Africa
ECON 4620 – This course is designed to be a brief survey of the South African economy with an emphasis on current topical issues. The course starts off with an overview of South African history and contemporary economic issues. During the next two weeks, students travel to the Pretoria/Johannesburg area in Gauteng Province, the industrial center of the country, and the Cape Town area of the Western Cape. Through a series of lectures and site visits, students will be able to assess South Africa’s potential for economic growth and prosperity. Additional site visits are designed to provide students with an exposure to South African people and their culture.
Economics Internship
ECON 4941 – The academic internship provides junior and senior students with opportunities to broaden and extend their foundation knowledge from the classroom to the world of work. Placement must be approved by the department’s internship coordinator, with faculty supervision during employment.
Undergraduate Research in Economics
ECON 4980 – This is an undergraduate research course designed to acquaint students with a hands-on research experience. Students will learn the overall method of research and how to use analytical tools. Each student will be assigned a mentor and will work at least 8 hours per week for the rest of the semester. Students will submit research papers by the end of the semester with a mandatory presentation.
Please note: while every section of the above courses might not include exactly the above projects, faculty incorporate real-world learning into the curriculum.BBA
Criminal Justice & Criminology, P.h.D.
Doctorate
Department: Criminal Justice and Criminology
Locations: Atlanta Campus
Interest Area: Criminal Justice
The Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and Criminology program is designed to train researchers and teacher-scholars in criminal justice and criminology. The program provides intensive one-on-one mentorship, a flexible curriculum, and core teaching and research skills that enable graduates to excel in university settings as well as research think tanks. Current and former doctoral students are involved in presenting their research at regional and national conferences. Faculty members in the department have involved doctoral students in their research projects, resulting in numerous publications with students. In addition, graduate students help plan and attend research colloquia and participate in student governance.
Criminal Justice Administration, M.I.S.
Master's
Department: Criminal Justice and Criminology
Locations: Online
Interest Area: Criminal Justice
The online master’s degree in criminal justice administration blends courses in criminal justice and criminology with managerial principles and practices in public management.
The criminal justice system is affected and influenced by social, political, and economic factors. The Georgia State online CJ approach will have you studying these interconnected facets, including:
- How offenders and victims fit within the criminal justice system.
- How society influences and is influenced by crime and criminal justice institutions.
- Evidence-based solutions for crime prevention and restorative justice practices.
- Knowledge of how governments fund the criminal justice system and the financial challenges they face to support services
- Lead and manage in criminal justice systems at the local, state and federal levels.
- Think critically to solve problems and make decisions that affect short- and long-term outcomes for the institutions you lead.
- Articulate and apply a set of ethical principles in the criminal justice system that comports with democratic values and respect for human rights.
- Understand and analyze research on crime and criminal justice policy.
- Communicate and interact productively with a diverse and changing workforce and citizenry.
Criminal Justice, B.S.
Bachelor's
Department: Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Locations: Atlanta Campus, Online
Interest Area: Criminal Justice
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Locations: Atlanta Campus, Online
Interest Area: Criminal Justice
Designed by award winning faculty in criminal justice and criminology research, the Georgia State online Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree will help you advance in your career. The program offers two academic concentrations that can be earned on-campus or online: Crime and Justice or Legal Studies. The Crime and Justice concentration provides a blend of traditional criminal justice curriculum and forward thinking emphasis on digital criminology, while the Legal Studies concentration is designed for criminal justice majors desiring more intensive exposure to law often in preparation for law school. Students may also elect to pursue a minor in Digital Criminology online along with the Bachelor of Science.
Why our program works
- Fair and open dialogue: Our faculty have designed a program that stresses an integrated view of the criminal justice system, highlighting relationships among the many different institutions involved and the need for cooperation and humane practices across: law enforcement, the courts, corrections, and the juvenile justice system.
- Theoretical framework combined with current events: You will study how our criminal justice system was designed and examine the parts of the system, including the roles of victims and offenders. Paired with an examination of the causes and consequences of traditional and digital crime, you will receive a comprehensive criminal justice education to prepare you for a career that is relevant to the critical issues facing justice agencies of today and tomorrow.
- 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.
Criminal Justice, M.S.
Master's
Department: Criminal Justice and Criminology
Locations: Atlanta Campus
Interest Area: Criminal Justice
Crime and criminal justice are at the forefront of national policy and practice. The increasing emphasis on professional preparation in criminal justice careers places additional academic demands on the in-service professional. To meet this need, Georgia State’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology offers a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science degree in criminal justice, as well as a Doctor of Philosophy degree in criminal justice and criminology.
Ranked No. 18 in Criminology
U.S. News & World Report, 2022
Criminal Justice, Minor
, Minor
Department: Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Locations: Atlanta Campus, Online
Interest Area: Criminal Justice
Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Locations: Atlanta Campus, Online
Interest Area: Criminal Justice
The Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology offers a minor in criminal justice to all undergraduate Georgia State students. The minor is comprised of 15 credit hours and offer students the opportunity to complement their major studies with practical, career-orientated courses that will lead to additional skill sets marketable to the public or private sector.
Why our program works
- Fair and open dialogue: Our faculty have designed a program that stresses an integrated view of the criminal justice system, highlighting relationships among the many different institutions involved and the need for cooperation and humane practices across law enforcement, the courts, corrections and the juvenile justice system.
- Theoretical framework combined with current events: You will study how our criminal justice system was designed and examine the parts of the system, including the roles of victims and offenders. Paired with an examination of the causes and consequences of traditional and digital crime, you will receive a comprehensive criminal justice education to prepare you for a career that is relevant to the critical issues facing justice agencies of today and tomorrow.
- 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
Digital Criminology, Minor
, Minor
Department: Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
Locations: Online
Interest Area: Criminal Justice
The minor in digital criminology is open to all undergraduate Georgia State students. The Department of Criminal Justice & Criminology offers a minor in digital criminology. The minor is comprised of 15 credit hours and offers students across Georgia State the opportunity to understand cybercrime and develop real-life, practical skills to prepare them for public or private sector careers in cybersecurity.
The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology emphasizes issues of crime and justice occurring in urban environments from a multicultural, interdisciplinary perspective to inform science, policy and practice. The department produces students who are critical and ethical thinkers, knowledgeable about the issues of crime and justice, and prepared for leadership positions in public and private criminal justice. The Evidence-Based Cyber-Security Group is housed within the department and strives to advance our empirical understanding of cyber crime and cybersecurity and train the next generation of professionals to put these lessons into practice.
An undergraduate degree in economics prepares students with the quantitative and qualitative skills to think critically and learn how to make optimal decisions. Students will learn by doing with a curriculum taught by nationally acclaimed economists and faculty. The BA program has a qualitative focus with a foreign language requirement.
Economics, B.B.A.
Bachelor's
Department: Economics
Locations: Atlanta Campus
Interest Area: Economics
An undergraduate degree in economics prepares students with the quantitative and qualitative skills to think critically and learn how to make optimal decisions. Students will learn by doing with a curriculum taught by nationally acclaimed economists and faculty. The BS has a focus on quantitative and mathematical reasoning. This program is recommended if students are considering a graduate degree in economics or related areas in business.
With internationally renowned faculty and research centers, our master of economics degree program takes a pioneering approach to economics that emphasizes public policy and empirical evaluation.
As a student in our innovative program, you’ll learn the fundamentals of economic theories as they apply to the environment, education, economic development, healthcare, public finance, social welfare and other pressing public issues. Our broad and customizable curriculum combines the latest theoretical advances with the analytical skills and practical experience you’ll need to tackle the complex problems facing analysts and economists today.
Our program has received STEM designation putting it on par with other STEM fields. This designation recognizes the rigorous instruction students receive. It also benefits international students who can, upon graduation, apply for a STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa extension that allows them to work in the United States for up to 29 months rather than one year.
With internationally renowned faculty and research centers, the doctoral program in economics takes a pioneering approach to economics that emphasizes public policy and empirical evaluation.
In the innovative Ph.D. program, you’ll master advanced econometrics and experimental methods to learn how economics and policy work together in preparation for a successful career as a researcher, university instructor or both.
Combining the latest economic theory, analytical skills, research methodology and empirical techniques, the rigorous curriculum will equip you to meet today’s complex challenges and educate the next generation of public economics experts.
We offer six fields of specialization within economics: environmental, experimental, health, labor, public and urban. Students choose one primary and one secondary field, and many students choose research that spans more than one field.
Our program has been given a STEM designation, which recognizes the rigorous instruction all students receive. It also benefits international students who can, upon graduation, apply for a STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT) visa extension that allows them to work in the United States for up to 29 months rather than one year (starting with students entering in Fall 2020).
Graduate Certificate in Nonprofit Management and Social Enterprise
Master's
Department: Public Management and Policy
Locations:
Interest Area: Public Management & Policy
The certificate program in Nonprofit Management and Social Enterprise has two focuses. First, it will cover the skills in management, economic decision-making, marketing, fundraising and financial management that graduates can use (but which they are unlikely to get on the job) in any part of the nonprofit sector: social service provision, education, health, the arts, the environment, international relief or religion. Second, while most nonprofit management certificates have an exclusively practitioner focus, the Andrew Young School program will prepare students interested in pursuing nonprofit studies in graduate programs in public administration, policy analysis or economics.
This certificate will serve two main groups of professionals: those in the nonprofit sector who want to acquire new skills or need a credential to advance professionally, and those outside the sector wishing to enter.
International Economics and Modern Languages, B.A.
Bachelor's
Department: Department of Economics
Locations: Atlanta Campus
Interest Area: Economics
An undergraduate degree in economics prepares students with the quantitative and qualitative skills to think critically and learn how to make optimal decisions. Students will learn by doing with a curriculum taught by nationally acclaimed economists and faculty. The BA IEML has a qualitative focus with a language component in Spanish, French, German or Chinese Culture and Society.
Philosophy, Politics and Economics, B.I.S., Pre-Law Concentration
Bachelor's
Department: Philosophy
Locations: Atlanta Campus
Interest Area: Economics
The Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) program helps students become familiar with and capable of contributing to ongoing debates about the nature of good political and economic institutions, as well as the policies and practices that are best suited for creating and sustaining them. Students will develop the intellectual skills of the social scientist, who seeks to understand how the social world operates, and the moral philosopher, who seeks to critically evaluate the social world in relation to how it ought to be.
This interdisciplinary program makes use of the analytically rigorous tools of its three disciplines to promote serious thought about practical issues, allowing students to delve deep into moral, social, political and economic issues.
PPE graduates contribute intelligently to public dialogue, many in positions of power in government and corporate life. The PPE program supports the Civil Discourse Forum, a student group that encourages discussion of controversial issues and is often led by PPE students.
To learn more about our program’s faculty, events and related resources, go to the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics homepage.
Philosophy, Politics, and Economics, M.I.S.
Master's
Department: Philosophy
Locations: Atlanta Campus
Interest Area: Economics, Public Management & Policy
The Master of Interdisciplinary Studies program in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) prepares students for a range of careers in government, public service, entrepreneurship and the corporate world.
Georgia State’s program helps students become familiar with, and capable of contributing to, ongoing debates about the nature of good political and economic institutions, as well as the policies and practices best suited for creating and sustaining them. Students develop the intellectual skills of the social scientist who seeks to understand how social, political and economic institutions operate and are interrelated, and the moral philosopher who seeks to critically evaluate these institutions and the social world more generally, in relation to how they ought to operate.
Historically, philosophy, political science and economics were deeply connected. The intellectual father of modern economics, Adam Smith, was a philosopher concerned with moral and political philosophy. PPE, as a contemporary academic field of study, began at Oxford University in 1920 and has spread across the English-speaking world.
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