Our mission focuses on empowering our students through rich experiences that engage their critical-thinking skills and prepare them for their chosen careers. We know that in order to say, "mission accomplished" on graduation day, we have to foster an inclusive community that rallies around the individual dreams and aspirations of our students. Through outstanding programs, appropriate support, and an environment that reflects 21st-century business and industry, we make their dreams a reality.
At Clayton State, dreams are made real every day in our top-ranked, highly engaged programs. Students have many opportunities for classroom learning and experiential learning as well, guided by award-winning faculty—faculty who get to know you and your plans for the future. Whatever your path, we will provide you the resources, facilities, and support you need. Because our dream is seeing you make yours a reality.
You might know the dream you want to build, or you may still be searching for one—no person, and no dream, is the same. We celebrate that individuality by offering a full range of undergraduate programs, including bachelor's degrees with over 60 majors and minors to choose from, and associate's degrees and certificate programs.
You will have many opportunities to explore interests and career fields at Clayton State. Through hands-on learning projects, you will take what you have learned in the classroom and apply it in real-life situations. By the time you graduate, you will have a wealth of knowledge, a full resume, and a solid hold on that dream of yours.
With expert faculty, research opportunities, and peers as passionate about your field as you are, our graduate programs are immersive and designed to help you reach your life's next phase and your dream. The School of Graduate Studies is home to eight master's programs, with several concentration areas.
Assistantships offer an opportunity to engage with your field through teaching or research. You will work alongside faculty, gaining practical, hands-on experience in your degree area to support your professional development. These competitively awarded positions aid in affording your time at Clayton State through special tuition rates, tuition waivers, or stipends.
Many graduate students also have the opportunity to participate in research projects independent of assistantships. Students pursue research within their fields of study for professional experience and better understand their subject. Often, such research is a part of the thesis or final graduate project work.
The accomplished graduate faculty at Clayton State are passionate scholars and passionate mentors. They excel at using their expertise in their fields and experience as educators to assist you in your professional and academic development.
The path to making a dream real is as unique as the dreamer—that is you. Moreover, if an on-campus program is not going to fit into your life, there is another path to earning your degree and living your dream: Clayton State Online. As an online student, you can earn your degree during the hours that work best for your busy life, and you can do it from anywhere with a Wi-Fi connection: your comfy chair at home, your favorite coffee shop, a quiet nook at the library. No matter where you settle in for class, you will engage in an engaging online learning environment.
An online degree with Clayton State is part of a full curriculum that meets all the requirements for attaining a bachelor's or master's degree. Moreover, that means you will graduate with the credentials and skills you need to make that unique dream a beautiful reality.
Our online programs offer the same quality and rigor as our on-campus programs. Through our online learning platform, BrightSpace, you will have class discussions with your peers, receive guidance from dedicated instructors, submit assignments and take exams, and access resources that will support you right up until graduation day. As an online student, your computer will be your classroom, library, and workspace, so making sure you have the right components, configurations, programs, and devices is crucial. You can connect with the Communications and Technology Services, our tech-support central, to learn more about distance-learning technology at Clayton State and to download programs such as Microsoft Office for free.
At Clayton State University, the beauty of our surroundings provides an exceptional environment for your learning. As you explore our community, you will discover our faculty and staff's unrivaled strengths, their shared commitment to our role as stewards of place—an engaged university focused on learning and enriched by active community involvement. Together with you, the students we are dedicated to serving, we make dreams possible.
At Clayton State, we reach out because we understand that real dreams take real partnerships. Because we know that community ties enhance everything we do here, from teaching to research. Moreover, our students, the professionals of tomorrow, will carry this knowledge with them into their careers and lives—they too will reach out.
Clayton State students have engaged community members eager to jump in and lend a hand. We partner with businesses and organizations in the area to ensure they have the opportunity. Students can participate in several volunteerism and community-based initiatives and PACE courses, which connect students with local organizations for community engagement experiences.
With a range of interest areas, such as animal welfare, senior care, and conservation, students gain invaluable hands-on and career-building experiences doing work they are passionate about. Our local partners, in-kind, receive extra help from students who care about active citizenship.
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