College of Graduate Studies

About COGS

Georgia Southern University, founded in 1906, is the largest and leading center of higher education in the southern half of Georgia and is third in student enrollment among state universities. The university's population of nearly 17,000 includes approximately 12 percent graduate students representing almost every state and more than 60 nations. The College of Graduate Studies was established at Georgia Southern University in 1969. The College administers graduate degree programs in the following: M.A., M.M., M.T., M.B.A., M. Acc., M.F.A., M.P.A., M.P.H, M.H.S.A., M.S., M.Ed., Ed.S., Dr.P.H., Ed.D. and the Psy.D,

Graduate Studies

The evolution of the College of Graduate Studies is a story of vision, challenge, persistence, and hope. In 1958 the Board of Regents authorized the first graduate degree, the Master of Education (M.Ed.) to be offered at Georgia Southern College. In 1969, the President of Georgia Southern University, Dr. Edison, established the Graduate School under the leadership of Dr. Jack N. Averitt. In 1998, in honor of his many contributions to the development of graduate studies at the University, the College was named the Jack N. Averitt College of Graduate Studies. Currently, 34 degree majors and 68 study concentrations are offered to over 2,000 students by over 500 graduate faculty members. In addition to the offerings at the University's main campus in Statesboro, graduate courses/programs are also offered at our off-campus centers: the Coastal Georgia Center in Savannah, the Brunswick Center in Brunswick, the Liberty Center in Hinesville, and the Dublin Center in Dublin.

In 1990 the Board of Regents directed Georgia Southern University, Savannah State University and Armstrong Atlantic University to form one graduate college to serve all three institutions. As the lead institution in this consortium, Georgia Southern University created the position of Vice President of Graduate Research and Dean of Graduate Studies. In addition to graduate studies and research services, this position administrated all continuing education and public service activities. After five years, the plan was abandoned by the Board of Regents, the three schools disaffiliated, and ultimately reorganization at Georgia Southern University resulted in the creation of the current administrative structure.

The Off-Campus Centers

Coastal Georgia Center. The Coastal Georgia Center opened in 1985 as a center for continuing education for both Savannah State and Armstrong State. The Coastal Georgia Center is 45 minutes from the campus of Georgia Southern, is located in Historic Downtown Savannah, Georgia, adjacent to the Savannah Visitor's Center. This 40,000 sq. ft. full service conference center includes a tiered Assembly Hall with desk-front seating for 360, a 4000 sq. ft. dividable multipurpose room, and 7 meeting rooms seating from 12 to 65. Recently, major improvements were made to the facility, including renovating the lobby, adding up-dated equipment and installing new carpeting.

On July 1, 1998 The University System of Georgia transferred this facility to the inventory and responsibility of Georgia Southern University, with Armstrong State and Savannah State University as partners in the use of the facility. The major change was the establishment of graduate education as the number one priority for space usage. Home to Georgia Southern's graduate course offerings of the College of Business Administration and College of Education, the facility also houses graduate programming from Savannah State University's Master of Social Work and Master of Public Administration programs, and non-credit continuing education activities by Armstrong Atlantic State University, Georgia Southern University and Savannah State University.

While graduate programming utilizes most of the facility during the evening, daytime activity at the Center encompasses the wide ranging needs of Southeast Georgia. The Center hosts a wide range of federal, state, and local governmental agencies, business and civic groups and organizations. The Center also houses the Savannah Science Museum Administrative Office and the Georgia Institute of Technology Economic Development Center. The Regional Engineering Program has re-located to the Chatham Center in Savannah. Technology is advancing quickly at the Coastal Georgia Center with a state of the art wireless laptop computer system turning every room into a virtual computer lab at a moment's notice and one traditional computer lab and one Distance Learning/computer lab capable of live interaction between numerous sites. In 2003, a new addition will be completed which will more than double computer space and provide more meeting rooms. The blending of graduate, continuing education and public service activities continues to be very successful.

Brunswick Center. The Brunswick Center is a consortium composed of the Coastal Georgia Community College in Brunswick, Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah, Georgia Southern University in Statesboro and the Coastal Georgia Community College at Brunswick. The Center serves as a residence center for the two institutions and its staff assists students enrolled in either primarily undergraduate programs at Armstrong or primarily graduate programs at Georgia Southern University. The Brunswick Center staff serve in a joint staffing arrangement with the two universities. Georgia Southern's participation in the Brunswick Center is under the oversight of the Dean of the Division of Continuing Education and Public Service as the Chief Academic Officer's designee. It was authorized by the Board of Regents in September 1986 for the purpose of establishing a residence center for selected baccalaureate degree programs and the Master of Education program in Camden County via the Brunswick Center and the Camden Center of Brunswick College. Georgia Southern offers the Bachelor of Business Administration - Management, and selected graduate courses leading to graduate degrees at the C.G.C.C.

Liberty Center. Georgia Southern University became involved in discussions that culminated in the creation of the Liberty Center in Hinesville, Georgia in 1995. A group of local citizens and politicians approached the University System institutions about setting up a college/program center in their community. The only higher education instruction available at the time in the town was offered by out-of-state private colleges and state universities under contract with the Army and located at Fort Stewart. As a directive from the central office, GSU administrators began discussions with the other area institutions and with the local leadership in Hinesville about opening a center. The Army agreed to dismiss the colleges on the post when the state agreed to participate there.

The Center opened in 1997 after a tentative start. GSU was the first to offer core courses on the post and was soon followed by Armstrong Atlantic State University. The Liberty Center is under the management of Armstrong Atlantic State University. As a residence center for Georgia Southern University, participation in the Liberty Center is conducted through the oversight of the Dean of the Division of Continuing Education and Public Service as the Chief Academic Officer's designee. Cooperating institutions offer certain degree programs. The goal of the partnership is to provide affordable post-secondary education programs that will meet individual, community, and Army needs at Fort Stewart, Liberty County, and the City of Hinesville.

Dublin Center. Georgia Southern was directed by the Board of Regents to become the senior institution at the Dublin Center, located in Dublin, Georgia to offer courses beginning in the Fall of 2000, replacing Georgia College and State University of Milledgeville. Georgia Southern will offer graduate, senior, and junior level courses.

Georgia Southern programs at the Dublin Center are offered by standard program delivery, distance learning, internet, and web CT. Under the coordination of Georgia Southern's Dublin Center office, the Center offers a complement of student services for the Dublin student. Georgia Southern offers junior and senior level courses leading to bachelors degrees in Early Childhood Education, Middle Grades Education, Business Administration-General, Management, Criminal Justice, and Nursing. Graduate programs are offered in Business Administration; Educational Leadership, School Psychology, Middle Grades, Early Childhood and Reading Education and Public Administration. Sharing the Dublin Center and responsible for the physical management of the Center, Middle Georgia College offers freshman and sophomore level courses leading to two year associate degrees in more than 50 areas of study.

Dean Chronology