GRADUATE PROGRAMS
In recent years, all eligible MA students in Religious Studies have received funding that includes a stipend and tuition waiver.
Graduate Study
Our curriculum supports student learning in four areas of focus: the Study of Religion; Religion, Race, and Change; Religion, Gender, and Sexuality; and Religion, Health, and Humanity.
Alongside Religious Studies courses in these areas, students engage in meaningful work in internships and through classes in other departments. Our applied approach to the study of religion means that students graduate having practiced a number of key career skills, such as global and intercultural fluency, critical thinking and problem solving, oral and written communication, and professionalism and leadership. Students in our program also have opportunities to network with our alumni, who have gone on to careers as nonprofit executives, healthcare professionals, chaplains, academic faculty and staff, K-12 teachers, lawyers and entrepreneurs. We are proud that the return on students’ investment in studying religions at GSU is among the highest in the entire university. Religious Studies graduates have the twelfth-highest ROI at GSU and the third-highest in the College of Arts and Sciences after computer science and mathematics.
Graduate Pathway to Chaplaincy
Completing an M.A. in Religious Studies and the additional certificate coursework allows students to meet APC’s graduate education requirements to apply as an Associate Chaplain.
The Graduate Pathway to Chaplaincy program aims to train chaplains in interreligious perspectives and make the profession more accessible to providers from diverse backgrounds. Working with area providers of Clinical Pastoral Education, we strive to create a path into chaplaincy for students interested in certification. Led by award-winning faculty, the program offers training in religion and leadership, the study of religions and cultures, the philosophical and social aspects of religion, and various perspectives on the practice of chaplaincy and spiritual care within a supportive international student community.
Graduate Programs in Religious Studies
Master of Arts in Religious Studies
Thesis Track
Students pursuing the thesis track begin discussing thesis ideas with a potential thesis director in their second semester. They may enroll in RELS 8998 to earn credit for writing a thesis prospectus in their second or third semester (or during the summer term between semesters two and three). Once they pass the prospectus presentation, they may enroll in RELS 8999, “Thesis Research and Writing,” with their thesis director.
Coursework Intensive Track:
Students in the intensive track complete 36 hours of coursework and submit a final paper/project to meet the graduate research and writing requirement.
Concentration in Nonprofit Management
Students in the Concentration in Nonprofit Management will develop expertise in both nonprofit management skills and diverse cultural systems that will prepare them uniquely for service in metropolitan Atlanta as well as in national and international nonprofit organizations. Students who graduate from this unique program will have the requisite cultural training in Religious Studies as well as the preparation for employment in a nonprofit agency.
The Program is:
- Singular: there’s no other program like it in the state of Georgia;
- Collaborative: Religious Studies and the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies designed a program that prepares students for careers in the non-profit world
- Focused on theory, method and practice: students understand the world’s religions and complete an internship in their areas of interest as part of the course requirements.
Concentration in Religion and Aging
Students who successfully complete the M.A. of Religious Studies with a Concentration in Religion and Aging will be able to employ the theories and methods acquired in their study of religions and aging to craft a final research project in which they:
- Identify relationships between the study of religions and aging significant to their own research interests and career objectives
- Articulate those relationships in a graduate-level research project that fulfills the M.A. with a Concentration in Religion and Aging degree requirement
Master of Arts in Religious Studies Pathway to Chaplaincy
The Three-year Pathway: MA in Religious Studies + Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies
The Pathway is designed for students interested in certification as an Associate Chaplain or Board Certified Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains, requiring applicants to hold the M.A. in Religious Studies (36 hours) and complete a total of at least 48 hours of relevant coursework through the Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies (12 hours).
Learn more about Board and Associate Certification through APC’s website.
The One-year Certificate: Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies
Anyone interested in learning more about chaplaincy, spirituality, and religions may apply to the Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies (GCCS). Applicants holding the MA in Religious Studies from GSU or another accredited institution may complete the GCCS to earn the additional graduate credit hours required for application as an Associate Chaplain (48 hours) or Board Certified Chaplain (72 hours) through the APC.
Chaplaincy Studies Graduate Certificate
The program at Georgia State University offers a graduate certificate in chaplaincy studies in partnership with the Association of Professional Chaplains. It prepares students for careers in various chaplaincy specialties, providing rigorous academic training and practical skills in ethical decision-making, leadership, and navigating complex situations with compassion and integrity. Graduates gain expertise in providing spiritual and emotional support in diverse settings such as hospitals, prisons, hospices, and universities, fostering inclusivity and respect in multicultural and multifaith environments.
The Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies consists of at least 12 hours of graduate course work in Religious Studies, including RELS 6660, “Ethics in Health and Medicine,” and RELS 6789, “Applied Religious Studies: Projects, Papers, and Internships.
The WellStar Fellowship in Spiritual Care
In partnership with WellStar Health Systems, the Department of Religious Studies offers one graduate fellowship annually to an applicant interested in studying spiritual care or chaplaincy. Fellows work and conduct research at WellStar alongside the spiritual care team for up to 15 hours/week in exchange for a $6000 stipend and tuition waiver for two academic years. Recent fellows have conducted oral histories with spiritual care providers, led workshops on advanced care planning, and published peer-reviewed research with WellStar experts.
Other Funding Opportunities
The admissions committee reviews all complete applications submitted by February 15 for Fall admission and funding. We make funding offers at the time of admission, ranging from one semester to two years of support. Students with funding work as graduate assistants and earn a $ 3,000 stipend per semester and a tuition waiver. (All GSU graduate students are responsible for fees. Learn more about graduate fees)
Our funding is restricted to students in the MA program, and we are not permitted to fund students in the certificate program. Students who continue into the Graduate Certificate in Chaplaincy Studies should look for on-campus funding via Handshake, speak with their faculty about grant-supported work opportunities, or secure alternate means of support.
The return on students’ investment in studying religions at GSU is among the highest in the entire university. Our graduates have the twelfth-highest ROI at GSU and the third-highest in the College of Arts and Sciences after computer science and mathematics.
Contact Us
The Department of Religious Studies
Office Hours (Available Remotely):
Monday - Friday
8:30 a.m. - 5:15 p.m.
Office Hours (In Person):
By appointment
Department Chair
Director of Undergraduate Studies
Director of Graduate Studies
Department Specialist
Department Specialist
Office/Delivery Address
Department of Religious Studies
Georgia State University
25 Park Place, Suite 1700
Atlanta, GA 30303
Mailing Address:
Department of Religious Studies
Georgia State University
P.O. Box 3994
Atlanta, GA 30302-3994