FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
How This Works
Our credit prediction tool can help you figure out which credits Georgia State University will accept toward the degree/program you are interested in.
The transition process is the same as if attending the in-person format. However, students must follow these steps on the application to specify the switch to online instruction:
- Choose an online major.
- Answer “yes” when asked if you are interested in the online structure.
- Designate ATL Online as the selected location.
For more information about the transition process, visit this transition webpage.
If you need personal assistance with the online transition application process, please reach out to an Enrollment Coach at [email protected].
No.
Yes! Incoming (first-time cardholder) students will receive an invitation through their Georgia State student email account with instructions for submitting a photo online. Please monitor your student email account for this communication. If you have not received an email invitation, please contact us at [email protected]. DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO VIA EMAIL.
Many of the materials needed for online courses, including some textbooks, are available online. However, some courses do use textbooks that are not available online, meaning you would have to purchase the physical textbook. Textbook costs are not included in tuition.
You will need consistent access to a laptop and Internet connectivity and know-how to troubleshoot a few basic situations on your computer. At a minimum, you need a computer that can access the Internet, preferably with a high-speed connection. You should have access to email, productivity software like Microsoft Office and other applications needed to perform a variety of educational functions (Examples: Internet browsing; managing, retrieving and sending files; using presentation and spreadsheet functions.) Georgia State offers Microsoft 365 to currently enrolled students free of charge. Many classes that require advanced or special applications offer tutorials. Georgia State has a ton of software and hardware assistance available. If you get stuck, Georgia State has a help desk that can answer questions and help resolve your problems.
Associate pathways generally take two years for degree completion. Bachelor's degrees take two to three years as degree completion tracks, meaning that a specific number of transfer credit hours are required for your Georgia State University Online degree. *Degree completion means a specific number of transfer credit hours are required towards your GSU Online degree. Master’s degree programs are typically completed within two to three years.
* A degree completion program is an academic program designed for students who have begun, but not finished, a four-year undergraduate degree. GSU’s unique online completion programs require that students have a minimum of 60 credits or an associate degree to qualify for admission.
Please note: Program duration depends on a range of factors, such as the number of required credits for degree completion, transferred credit hours and attendance track (full-time or part-time).
The majority of our degree programs are offered entirely online with no campus visits required; however, there are a couple of programs that require occasional campus attendance. Your success coach or academic advisor will let you know if this is a requirement for your program.
An online degree is designed to ensure that you will have a fully online course load throughout your entire degree program. While many on-campus students are offered the option to take some classes online, there are often requirements for these students to be on campus at a pre-determined date and time to attend class. A fully online degree, however, removes the need to go to campus and ensures that you will always have the flexibility of studying online while pursuing the degree program you are in.
Programs labeled as hybrid offer 50% or more of required courses online. The amount of in-person class or meeting times vary among the programs using this modality. Details about on-campus requirements are available in the program explorer and Catalog.
Online and hybrid degrees provide the same degree and learning outcomes as on-campus programs. The courses are developed and taught by the same faculty who teach in-person.
Submitting Your Application
After you complete and submit your application, you will receive a confirmation email with a link to the check status page. You can access the status page by logging in with your application portal credentials.
Testing is optional for GSU Online for perimeter college applicants only, except for nontraditional first-year students who must submit ACCUPLACER scores. To learn more about ACCUPLACER visit this website.
Our associate and bachelor’s programs have three entry terms with the following deadlines:
- Fall (associate degrees) - August 1
- Fall (bachelor’s degrees)- July 1
- Spring - Dec 1
- Summer – May 1
Priority transfer admissions deadlines:
- Spring – October 1
- Summer – February 1
- Fall – February 1
The programs listed below follow specific application deadlines:
- Social Work – Fall only July 1 deadline
- Dental Hygiene - Fall March 15 deadline and Spring Oct 15 deadline
- Nursing - Fall only deadline May 15
Application deadlines vary for our graduate degree programs. Please visit the GSU Online Graduate page to view the complete list of degree and certificate programs for more information and specific application deadline dates.
If you’re admitted and enrolled in an on-campus program, you do not need to submit a new application to become an online student. If you didn’t finish the application or you were admitted but never attended Georgia State University, your application will expire over time. This means you might need to submit a new application in some situations.
The Academic Experience
A degree completion program is an academic program designed for students who have begun, but not finished, a four-year undergraduate degree. GSU’s unique online completion programs require that students have a minimum of 60 credits or an associate degree to qualify for admission.
GSU Online offers over ten bachelor’s degree completion programs! Check out the complete list of programs here.
GSU Online offers over 20 associate degree programs! Check out the complete list of our pathways here.
No. The online and hybrid degree, certificate and pathway options are full Georgia State University credentials and do not have different outcomes or learner objectives. Your diploma will not indicate that you earned your degree online. (But you should be super proud that you did because it means you balanced a ton of competing priorities and yet you persevered.)
Yes! Online students are encouraged to participate in Georgia State's graduation ceremonies. This is why you're doing this: receiving your degree may be one of the most fulfilling moments in your life.
Georgia State University is regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award associate, baccalaureate, master's, specialist and doctoral degrees. SACSCOC is the regional accrediting body for colleges and universities in 11 southern states and Latin America for institutions of higher education. Regional accreditation is the most accepted and recognized accreditation for colleges and universities in the United States. This means that regionally accredited schools, such as GSU, are the gold standard in higher education. SACSCOC accreditation allows Georgia State to maintain eligibility for state and federal funds, including student financial aid through the U.S. Department of Education.
Georgia State instructors and faculty use a variety of methods to share materials, promote interaction between students and monitor student progress throughout the course. One of the benefits of completing your degree online is flexibility. A few courses may require specific log-on times for certain activities or assignments, and most courses have assignments and due dates. Some assignments and tests may only be available for a limited time (such as a 48-hour period), so they must be completed within a designated time.
The material covered in each course is the same and the requirements for completion are the same. Online learning certainly isn't easier in terms of your faculty member or instructor expecting any less of you. Online students will tell you that doing well takes an incredible amount of self-discipline, time management and personal responsibility. Because you may not have to be in a classroom at a certain time on a certain day, it's easy to tell yourself that you will complete that assignment or do the reading later and then put off the school work until you are rushed or staying up late. Georgia State has numerous staff and programs designed to help students succeed and not fall behind. Please take advantage of these programs.
The Student Experience
Online students have access to all student services offered to on-campus students.
Online students may join the organizations offered to on-campus students. Visit the Student Organization page to see which organizations might be a good fit for you.