Degrees & Majors
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.
Music, Dual B.Mu./M.Mu. Program
Music, Dual B.Mu./M.Mu. Program
The School of Music offers a dual Bachelor of Music and Master of Music program for all Performance concentrations, Jazz Studies, Composition and Piano Pedagogy. The dual-degree opportunity enables qualified students to enroll in graduate courses late in their undergraduate program and apply the coursework toward both the bachelor’s and master’s programs. The program is designed to take five years to complete.
Students must be formally accepted into the dual-degree program by the school and the College of the Arts to be able to take graduate courses as an undergraduate. Acceptance into the dual program does not constitute admission to the master’s program. Students must fulfill regular graduate admissions requirements and apply for the master’s program following college processes.
Through the dual-degree programs, highly talented and qualified students will have the opportunity to complete both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in as little as five years. If determined to be qualified by typical admission measures, students can begin taking coursework toward the designated master’s degree program while still completing their final year of bachelor’s work. Admission to the graduate program is provisional, contingent upon successful completion of the bachelor’s degree, maintenance of the required 3.5 GPA and performance in the graduate-level courses taken during the bachelor’s degree.
Non-degree Licensure Program in Music Education
The total course work typically requires two years of enrollment, including student teaching. For students holding a Bachelor of Music or Master’s degree, and who do not need the instrumental techniques courses, the program typically requires four semesters, about 33 credit hours. For those students holding a Bachelor of Arts degree, the program typically requires six semesters totaling 37+ credit hours. Following assessment of background and proficiencies, the music education faculty will plan a program of study for each admitted student. Admission to the graduate program does not assure admission to the licensure program.
The mission of the Georgia State School of Music is to preserve, promote and advance humanity’s rich and expanding tradition of artistic music-making through performance, composition, education and research in accordance with the urban and global initiatives of the university.
The graduate programs in the School of Music offer unparalleled opportunities in one of America’s most vibrant urban centers. The school enrolls about 90 students in Master of Music degree programs, Artist Certificate programs, and Ph.D. and Ed.D. programs in music education.
Students have the opportunity to work with an internationally acclaimed faculty of 40 full-time and 24 part-time faculty in concentrations such as performance, pedagogy, music education, conducting, composition and jazz studies.
Photography, M.F.A.
The Georgia State University Graduate Photography program provides students with a critical and conceptual grounding as they independently pursue their studio practice. The weekly seminar serves as the backbone of the program. Critical theory is stressed, while critique forms the basis for dialogue about ongoing work. Students are encouraged to look beyond established photographic conventions and to push their work in new directions. Creative investigation across disciplines is avidly supported and results in students working in mixed media, video, digital, installation, performance and conventional photographic print media. Guest critics and guest artists are invited to final critiques to supplement the expertise of the faculty.
Printmaking, M.F.A.
The Georgia State University M.F.A. in Studio with a concentration in Printmaking supports artists who explore unique approaches to the creative endeavor and who transcend boundaries. We are interested in applicants searching for new insights into our culture and time. The faculty encourages innovative and original ideas.
The curriculum of the Printmaking program ensures a comprehensive exposure to an array of perspectives as represented by the various approaches to media, content, imagery and teaching styles of our faculty. Students are encouraged to explore the continuing traditions of drawing and painting as well as printmaking and to work in pursuit of new forms and with contemporary issues. While students work in the drawing, painting and printmaking combined seminar for a majority of their studio credit hours, they are highly encouraged to move among media with other studio areas within the School of Art & Design.
The Printmaking program integrates a number of traditional and alternative printmaking techniques, including etching, lithography, screen-printing, monoprinting, photo-transfer processes, block printing, book arts, papermaking and computer-based imaging. The print shop, book and paper-making facilities are frequented by photo, graphic design, textile and drawing and painting majors as well as printmaking majors, creating a lively atmosphere and interchange between disciplines.
Sculpture, M.F.A.
The Georgia State University Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Sculpture program emphasizes professional skills and achievements and fosters personal direction, diversity, technical proficiency and professional presentation. The Sculpture program offers a highly progressive curriculum that considers Sculpture as a broad-based, interdisciplinary practice while fostering technical mastery of the material. The individual direction of each student is further developed and focused through intensive time in the studio, group interaction across disciplines and periodic critical reviews. Sensitive handling of material and depth of inquiry are the unifying characteristics of work made in the Sculpture M.F.A. program.
The program emphasizes group seminars and critiques to provide a variety of settings for the development and exchange of ideas relevant to the arts in general and sculpture in particular. In the final two semesters of the graduate program, the student completes a thesis exhibition and writes a supporting thesis paper.
A strong component of the graduate program involves assistantships in either studio work or in teaching undergraduate-level courses. Students may teach a variety of courses during their studies, from Foundations to Introductory Sculpture. These experiences in conjunction with the acquisition of professional skills such as resume writing, job application skills and self-promotion prepare the student with the tools to be a professional artist once studies are complete.
Textiles, M.F.A.
The Georgia State University Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) in Textiles program emphasizes professional skills and achievements and fosters personal direction, diversity, technical proficiency and professional presentation. The Textiles program offers a highly progressive curriculum that considers Textiles as a broad-based practice while providing a strong foundation in the history of the discipline and fostering technical mastery of the material. The individual direction of each student is further developed and focused through intensive time in the studio, group interaction across disciplines and periodic critical reviews. Sensitive handling of material, the integrity of craftsmanship and depth of inquiry are the unifying characteristics of work made in the Textiles M.F.A. program.
The program emphasizes group seminars and critiques to provide a variety of settings for the development and exchange of ideas relevant to the arts in general and textiles in particular. In the final two semesters of the graduate program, the student completes a thesis exhibition and writes a supporting thesis paper.
A strong component of the graduate program involves assistantships in either studio work or in teaching undergraduate-level courses. Students may teach a variety of courses during their studies, from Foundations to Intermediate Textiles. These experiences in conjunction with the acquisition of professional skills such as resume writing, job application skills and self-promotion prepare the student with the tools to be a professional artist once studies are complete.