Georgia Southwestern State University

A Private School Feel at Public School Rates

Georgia Southwestern State University (GSW) is one of Georgia's fastest-growing four-year public universities, with some 3100 students and a slate of newly renovated buildings, three new residence halls, and the recently built Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex. GSW is competitively priced as part of the public University System of Georgia and prides itself on its private-college feel, with a student to faculty member ratio of 17:1 and special guidance for GSW freshmen. GSW was founded in 1906 as an agricultural and mechanical school in the charming city of Americus, Georgia, about 150 miles south of Atlanta. Over the years, the school has expanded its scope to include education, arts, business, and health science programs. Notable GSW alumni include former U.S. President, Habitat for Humanity International supporter, and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jimmy Carter, and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

A Beautiful Natural Setting for Learning and Recreation

GSW's 400 acre campus features a natural landscape of pines and hardwood trees. The College Lake covers eight acres on the eastern side of the campus and is a popular spot for picnics, fishing, and swimming. The nearby lake house is available for student events. The Griffin Bell Golf and Conference Center, named for the former U.S. Attorney General and GSW alumnus, provides students, faculty members, and the public with an 18-hole golf course and an elegant setting for student social events. GSW's Challenge Course is designed to serve as an outdoor classroom. The Challenge Course offers students and guests a place to work on teambuilding and character-development skills, while the Olympic-size swimming pool, the climbing wall, and the campus disc golf course offer other ways to stay fit and unwind.

An Abundance of Scholarships for Freshmen

Georgia Southwestern State University has one of the largest endowments in the state. The school offers many scholarship options. Twenty percent of the students in the freshman class earn merit-based scholarships. GSW offers two-dozen scholarship programs especially for freshmen, awarded on the basis of academic achievement, special talent, financial need, field of study, and other criteria. The school's Beginning Freshmen Scholarship Application streamlines the application process by covering several of the school's scholarship programs.

The First Year Experience Program

The transition from home and high school to college life and campus living is made easier by GSW's First Year Experience (FYE) program. FYE includes learning communities for first semester freshmen, time-management and study skills instruction, social activities, tutoring, and a freshmen residence hall. The FYE program also gives new students access to the First Year Advocate, a full-time staff member devoted to helping freshmen and their parents navigate college life.

School of Nursing and Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving Programs

The University's School of Nursing has been training students since 1953. It now operates in the cutting-edge Rosalynn Carter Health and Human Sciences Complex, which includes a simulated hospital lab with critical care, trauma, medical-surgical, obstetrical and pediatric units. The school operates a study abroad program in Jamaica, and GSW nursing students help with community health fairs in and around Americus. Nursing students may choose among degree and certificate programs including a traditional Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.) degree program, an Accelerated B.S.N. degree program for students with degrees in a non-nursing field, and the L.P.N. to B.S.N. degree program for current licensed practical nurses. The Rosalynn Carter Institute Caregiving Issues and Management Certificate Program is open to all GSW nursing students and practicing nurses. It covers caregiver support and cultural issues and is the only such program in Georgia. High school students may apply for the School of Nursing's Guaranteed Acceptance Program (GAP), a program offering highly qualified students guaranteed admission to the nursing program upon successful completion of pre-nursing requirements. GAP students are advised by School of Nursing faculty members and can take part in the GSW Association of Nursing Students activities.

Concentrations and Pre-professional Programs in the Health Sciences and Engineering

Georgia Southwestern State University offers a wide range of pre-professional degree plans and concentrations for students pursuing careers in dentistry, medicine, occupational therapy, optometry, pharmacy, physical therapy, and other health science disciplines. There is also a pre-veterinary program. In conjunction with Georgia Tech, GSW offers the Dual Degree Engineering Program and the Regents Engineering Transfer Program (RETP), both of which let students begin their coursework at GSW and transfer to Georgia Tech if their grades are satisfactory. Graduates from the dual degree program earn Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees from both GSW and Georgia Tech. RETP graduates receive B.S. degrees in engineering from Georgia Tech.

Preparation for Careers in Computing and Mathematics

Graduates from GSW's School of Computing and Mathematics have gone on to jobs with Google, Amazon, Dell, the U.S. Marine Corps Logistics Base, and other high-profile employers. Students working toward a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degrees can choose among computational science and engineering, financial engineering, teacher certification, and other options. The Department of Computer Science offers bachelor's degree programs in computer science, business information technology, and multimedia information technology, along with a master's degree in computer science.

A Strong Foundation for a Career in the Classroom

Future educators have an array of options within the School of Education. Bachelor of Science in Education majors include early childhood, health and physical education, special education, and exercise science and wellness. The school offers a concentration in middle grades education and prepares students for secondary-education certification in English, math, music, and history.

Building Real-World Business and Management Skills

GSW's School of Business Administration offers students opportunities to work on real-world business issues through internships and its Center for Business and Economic Development. The center helps regional enterprises with research, consulting, and management while students gain hands-on experience under faculty supervision. Bachelor of Business Administration degree programs include accounting, management, marketing, and human resource management. Concentration options include natural resources management and professional golf management.

Strong Liberal Arts Options

The College of Arts and Sciences at Georgia Southwestern offers Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Science degrees in core fields of study such as English, chemistry, biology, geology, psychology, political science, sociology, history, and the dramatic arts. Southwestern also offers a pre-law advisor for students wishing to pursue a law degree after graduation.

Glassblowing and other Art Programs

Glass-art students get hands-on experience at GSW, which has the only academic glassblowing studio in the state. Art majors can pursue Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.) degrees or Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degrees with a stronger liberal arts focus. Concentrations within the undergraduate art program besides glass include ceramics, digital media, photography, printmaking, and sculpture.

An Honors Program with a Sense of Community

GSW Honors Program students earn special privileges through hard work and academic excellence. Honors students get priority housing and course registration, extra enrichment activities, faculty interaction, and study abroad support. Students in the Honors Program also have the opportunity to attend academic conferences with their peers.