Ivan Allen College Enrollments, Applications, Surge

Posted April 6, 2020

Applications to join the freshman class of the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts grew at a brisk pace for the 2020-2021 academic year, reflecting growing awareness of the value and impact of the College’s unique liberal arts programs.

Applications to the Ivan Allen College for the summer and fall terms rose 31.4% over the 2019-20 academic year. That is more than triple the application growth for Georgia Institute of Technology overall during the same time period, and the highest of the Institute's six colleges.

The news also comes amid unprecedented growth in enrollment in the College during the 2019-2020 academic year. Enrollment for 2019-2020 grew by 44% over the previous year, to a new high of 1,865 students.

“The word is out,” said John Tone, interim dean. “People realize that ‘liberal arts at Georgia Tech means excellent programs, world-class faculty, and experiences students just can’t get anywhere else.”

Much of the growth has been driven by strong interest in the interdisciplinary Master of Science in Cybersecurity offered jointly by the Ivan Allen College of Liberal Arts, the College of Engineering, and the College of Computing.

The Ivan Allen College School of Public Policy offers a concentration in cybersecurity policy, and each of the 598 students enrolled in the joint degree program will take at least one class from the School. The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs also offers courses in cybersecurity.

“Cybersecurity is a good example of how technological change creates new issues in public policy that can only be addressed through an integrated understanding of technology, law, policy and government,” said Milton Mueller, professor of public policy and director of the policy track of the MS Cybersecurity program.

“This kind of integration is a hallmark of the School of Public Policy and the Ivan Allen College and a reason why so many students want to come here for this degree,” he said. “Our style of teaching not only opens up new career paths but also broadens the perspective of those working on the narrow technical aspects of information security.”

Other areas of strong growth throughout the decade include undergraduate programs in the School of Literature, Media, and Communication (LMC) and the School of Economics, as well as the master’s degree programs in LMC's digital media and human-computer iInteraction.

Ivan Allen College Minors Also Bring Value to a Georgia Tech Education

In addition to its 10 bachelor's, 14 master’s, and six doctoral degree programs, the College also offers numerous minors and certificate programs that provide students and professionals opportunities to extend their learning.

From the popular social justice studies minor and the health, medicine, and society minor to offerings in energy systems; film studies; international business, language, and culture; and women, science, and technology, these programs expose students to the College’s humanistic, socially conscious approach to problem solving, whether in Atlanta or around the world.

“People are beginning to realize that the essential skills that you get in liberal arts settings, are, in the long run, as important and more durable than technical skills,” Tone said.

For instance, a recent New York Times story highlighted research showing that while graduates with STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) degrees may enjoy initial employment and pay advantages, humanities and social science majors do just as well in the long-run.

“Why do the earnings of liberal arts majors catch up?” wrote David Deming in the Times. “It’s not because poetry suddenly pays the bills. Midcareer salaries are highest in management and business occupations, as well as professions requiring advanced degrees such as law. Liberal arts majors are more likely than STEM graduates to enter those fields.”

Bridging Technology and the Social Sciences, Humanities

The College’s programs help meet the need in today’s increasingly technological workplace. They bridge the traditional division between technology and the humanities and social sciences, equipping students with a strong, human-centered liberal arts education, a strong socially and ethically conscious framework, and a firm foundation in technology and science that allows graduates to tackle the world’s most pressing issues.

“Ivan Allen College graduate programs attract students who are interested in developing creative, robust solutions to meet design, policy, economic, and political challenges. M.S. and Ph.D. graduates enter government, business, non-profits, and academe well-prepared to contribute their talents and to change the world,” said Carol Colatrella, associate dean for graduate studies and faculty development.”

Many alumni identify three attributes they developed as part of their Ivan Allen College education: the ability to bridge technological and non-technological realms, the ability to solve complex problems, and savviness with science and technology.

“Ivan Allen College alumni serve successfully as leaders in social, business, and technology-oriented fields because of their ability to communicate effectively with people across and within multiple fields of work,” said David Shook, associate dean for undergraduate studies. “And, differently from students at other liberal arts institutions, our students have experience with technology that helps them understand and manage many aspects of work and interpersonal interactions, now and in the future. Prospective students see that advantage, and that’s why they want to come here to study.”