Admissions

Domestic Transcripts

Whether unofficial or official transcripts are accepted for review is based upon your college, school or institute of interest.

Graduate applicants must submit one official transcript for each college or university (postsecondary institution) attended, including:

• Community colleges
• Schools where transfer credit was earned

An official transcript should be submitted regardless of where the final degree was conferred, length of time attended, and whether or not grades are listed.

International Transcripts:

Please submit all of the following:

• All transcript pages/mark sheets for terms attended
• Degree certificate (document that shows proof of degree/conferral information) (if applicable)
• Original language transcript(s) + translated transcript(s)

If you attended a school outside of the U.S. and the academic documents are not in English, we require you to upload an English translation certified by the college or university that issued the document(s) in addition to the original language document(s). If your institution does not provide documents in English, you can use an official translation agency. Be sure to order a word-for-word translation of your documents.

Colleges that Require an Official Transcript for Application Review:

• Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions
• School of Public Health

Colleges that Accept Unofficial Transcripts for Application Review:

• Andrew Young School of Policy Studies (including the M.I.S.; Criminal Justice Administration)
• College of Arts & Sciences
• College of Education & Human Development
• Institute for Biomedical Sciences
• J. Mack Robinson College of Business
• College of the Arts

Applicants who completed all or part of their education abroad are subject to additional application requirements. International credentials must be equivalent to a U.S. four-year baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution, which will be determined by an in-house evaluation. Some colleges, schools or institutes require a professional course-by-course evaluation, in addition to transcripts.

College(s) and schools that require Professional Course-by-Course
Evaluation:

(Evaluations will only be accepted from the agencies listed below.)

College of Education & Human Development  (requirements vary by program)

• Josef Silny & Associates International Consultants
• Educational Perspectives
• SpanTran: The Evaluation Company
• Institute of Foreign Credential Services

Byrdine F. Lewis College of Nursing & Health Professions

• Josef Silny & Associates, Inc. (recommended)
• Educational Credential Evaluators, Inc.
• World Education Services

School of Public Health

• World Education Services

An In-House Credential Evaluation will be done for programs in the following colleges, schools and institutes:

• Andrew Young School of Policy Studies
• College of Arts & Sciences
• College of the Arts
• College of Education & Human Development (requirements vary by program)
• Institute for Biomedical Sciences
• J. Mack Robinson College of Business

The Office of Graduate Admissions will make every attempt to evaluate your credential in-house. The In-house Credential Evaluation for degree equivalency requires submission of all postsecondary academic credentials (or transcripts). Please submit materials well in advance of your program deadline.

Academic credentials (and/or transcripts) should include the following information:

• University’s seal/signature
• Detailed mark sheets with course listing and grades
• Degree certificate or proof of degree with the date on the transcript
• English translation from the issuing institution (if an English translation is unavailable from the issuing institution, we require the original transcript with a signed copy of certified English translation.)
• The grading scale and student’s rank

In lieu of the In-house Credential Evaluation, we will accept a professional evaluation for degree equivalency. You will still need to submit all transcripts. Professional evaluations will only be accepted from  NACES member institutions.

If we cannot clearly determine equivalency, a professional evaluation by a NACES member institution will be requested.

Test Scores

Depending on your desired program and/or native language, you will be required to submit entrance exam or English-proficiency scores with your application. Testing requirements vary by graduate program. Applicants should contact the graduate program they are interested in to obtain specific admission requirements. Applications can be submitted prior to completing an entrance exam. Application materials, including official test scores, must be received by the application deadline.

To designate Georgia State as the recipient of your official entrance exam scores, use the noted selections:

Do not select program codes when requesting scores.

GRE: 5251

GMAT:  Georgia State University — J. Mack Robinson College of Business

GACE:  school code 5090

GA Educator Ethics 350:  school code 5090

GA Educator Ethics 370:  school code 5090

LSAT:  mail official sealed score report to an address below

MCAT:  mail official sealed score report to an address below

Mailing Address (U.S. Postal Service) Office of Admissions — Graduate Programs Georgia State University P.O. Box 4018 Atlanta, GA 30302

Delivery Address (FedEx, DHL, UPS) Office of Graduate Admissions Georgia State University 55 Park Place NE, Suite 308 Atlanta, GA 30303

English-Proficiency Requirement

In addition to meeting all other applicable requirements for admission, non-native speakers of English must demonstrate sufficient English-language proficiency. Proof of English proficiency can be demonstrated through one of the following:

• Proof of baccalaureate or graduate degree completion inside the U.S. (from an accredited institution)
• Proof of baccalaureate or graduate degree completion outside the U.S. (from an accredited institution), where English is the country's official language. See the list of countries that satisfy this requirement.
• Proof of baccalaureate or graduate degree completion inside (from an accredited institution) or outside the U.S., where English is the official language of academic instruction. See a list of countries below.
• TOEFL scores (paper or Internet-based)
• IELTS scores
• Completion of a University System of Georgia-approved ESL program

Any applicant whose country of birth is English-speaking is not subject to the English-proficiency requirement. See the list of countries (below) that satisfy this requirement.

To designate Georgia State as the recipient of your official English-proficiency exam scores, use the noted selections:

• TOEFL: Select Institution Code 5251
• IELTS: Select E-Delivery Account Name Georgia State University Graduate Admissions

Several graduate programs at Georgia State University ask for letters of recommendation as part of the application process. Please check your specific program’s application requirements to see if these letters are necessary.

View the PDF document below for tips on requesting a letter of recommendation.

Many graduate programs at Georgia State University require either a personal statement or statement of purpose. Please refer to your program’s application requirements to view which is needed for your application.

What Is a Personal Statement?

A personal statement is a short essay that serves as an opportunity to give an honest representation of who you are and who you hope a program can help you become. A personal statement allows you to share and showcase your unique qualities beyond what appears on your resume or transcripts.

A personal statement is different from a statement of purpose (if you’re asked for that as well). A statement of purpose will touch on your academic and career goals, as well as your past credentials. While those should also be discussed in your personal statement, it’s more about your life experiences and how they’ve shaped you and your journey to graduate school.

What is a Statement of Purpose?

A statement of purpose (SOP) is a critical piece of a graduate school application. It tells admissions committees who you are, outlines your academic and professional interests, and explains how you’ll contribute to the graduate program you’re applying to. Essentially, it’s a short essay that highlights your educational background, achievements and goals, while also sharing why you’d like to study your desired program at the university or college of your choice.

Please see the following guide for more helpful tips!

The Graduate School at Georgia State University provides application fee waivers for applicants who have participated in a range of programs designed to diversify graduate programs. To receive the application fee waiver, we will need to verify your eligibility.

PROGRAMS:

• Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) U-STAR Program
• Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD)
• Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
• Bridges to the Doctorate
• Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS) Attendance
• Gates Millennium Scholars (GMS) Program
• Research Initiative for Scientific Advancement (RISE)
• Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP)
• D. Project: Business Doctoral Programs for Minorities
• Annual Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Conference Attendance
• Annual McKnight Doctoral Fellowship Program & Graduate School Conference Attendance
• Completion of GSU's Center for the Advancement of Students and Alumni's 25 to Thrive Program
• Honorably Discharged U.S. Veterans, Active-Duty Military, Guard or Reserve
• Math Alliance Scholars Program
• Institute on Teaching and Mentoring (SREB) Conference
• Teach for America
• Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs)
• Participation in one of GSU's 4+1 dual bachelor’s/master’s degree programs