Degrees & Majors

Program Information

Psychology is the science of the behavior of humans and animals. The topics of investigation range from the life sciences to the social sciences, and applications occur in clinical, industrial, community, and other social contexts. Psychological knowledge contributes to the understanding of experience and behavior and to the formation of optimal personal relations. For the latest information about required courses, view the Undergraduate Catalog.

The Department of Psychology has five program areas, which oversee the seven concentrations. All graduate students in Psychology complete core psychology courses (i.e., History of Psychology, Ethics, Statistics I, Statistics II, Research Methods), a general exam, a master’s thesis project, and a dissertation project. Additional courses and requirements (e.g., practica, internship) are unique to the separate concentrations, which are administered by the program areas. Graduate students earn a master’s degree en route to the doctoral (PhD) degree (there is no terminal master’s program in the Department of Psychology). At the completion of training, graduates earn a PhD in Psychology with a specific Concentration (Clinical, Cognitive Sciences, Community, Developmental, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, Clinical-Community, or Clinical-Neuropsychology). For the latest information about required courses, view the Psychology Department website.

Studying world religions prepares you for economic success in professions where culturally diverse points of view are valued, and to succeed personally in an international city such as Atlanta or anywhere else in the world. The program introduces you to ideas, practices and values you’ve never encountered. Choose from two tracks and two career-oriented concentrations:

• Thesis Track: Students work with a thesis director and committee to research and write a thesis of publishable length.
  • Final project: Thesis
• Coursework Intensive Track: Students take more classes to gain more depth in their field or breadth across Religious Studies.
  • Final project: Research paper or project
• Concentration in Nonprofit Management: Students in this concentration earn the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies Certificate in Nonprofit Management while they complete their M.A. in Religious Studies Management while they complete their M.A. in Religious Studies.
  • Final project: Research paper or project that integrates work in Nonprofit Management, an internship and Religious Studies
• Concentration in Religion and Aging: Students in this concentration earn the Gerontology Institute’s Graduate Certificate while they complete their M.A. in Religious Studies.
  • Final project: Research paper or project that integrates work in Gerontology, an internship and Religious Studies

Our standalone M.A. program trains social researchers who do not necessarily plan to pursue a career in academia. Students in this program can receive training in social research skills that can allow them to work in industry or the non-profit sector as qualitative and quantitative researchers. The Department and individual faculty members have consulted and engaged in research projects with many different agencies, including the National Science Foundation, U.S. Public Health Service, National Institutes of Health, National Institute on Aging, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, American Educational Research Association, U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Bureau of the Census, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Georgia Department of Human Resources, Georgia Narcotics Treatment Center, Georgia Mental Health Institute, Atlanta Regional Commission, the City of Atlanta Bureau of Planning, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Pew Charitable Trust and numerous other government agencies, as well as private concerns.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program, provides students with both a broad exposure to the discipline of sociology as well as in-depth study in special areas of expertise. Qualified students are accepted into the Ph.D.-Only Program after their completion of a master’s degree in sociology or a closely related field. The broad knowledge of sociology comes through coursework in a variety of substantive areas, as well as through training in research methodology, statistics, and theory. For information on degree requirements, visit the program page.