College of Social Sciences

Dr. N. Jane McCandless, Dean
678-839-5170
http://www.westga.edu/coss

Mission Statement

The programs of the College of Social Sciences are united by a shared passion for understanding the richness of human behavior and the complexity of communication among people. We are concerned with societies, cultures, groups, and, above all, individuals. The faculty of the College of Social Sciences is dedicated to educating students to meet the challenges of the future, not merely to live in the present

Degrees Offered

The Master of Arts degree is offered with majors in Criminology, Psychology, and Sociology. The Master of Public Administration degree is also offered. We also offer a PhD in Psychology concentrating on the study of Consciousness and Society. Some programs require a satisfactory score on the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing sections of the Graduate Record Exam are required. Some programs may accept the Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Contact the Graduate Studies Associate in the College of Social Sciences for more information.

Two options are offered in the Master degree programs: Plan I (with thesis) and Plan II (Comprehensive exam).

Thesis Requirement

The significance of a thesis or dissertation is as a scholarly or research project that carefully addresses a certain set of ideas, data, or other arguments in a manner approved by directing faculty and written to the highest standards. Dissertations are intended to be an original contribution to the field. An important element that contributes most to the attractiveness and readability of the thesis or dissertation is consistency in format. Consistency means the student establishes a series of conventions or protocols regarding heading sequencing and other aspects of appearance to visually guide readers through the document, thus enabling them to concentrate on the content.

For more information, refer to the “Style” portion of this Guide.