GTE Program Details

FYSA Georgia Tech Europe

Program details

Eligibility

Students must be newly-admitted undergraduate students who have been accepted to Georgia Tech’s first-year class for the coming academic year. Students will be required to begin in a special Summer session designed for all FYSA students.

NOTE: Current undergraduates and new transfer students are not eligible for this program, but are encouraged to explore other options for spending a semester at Georgia Tech-Europe.

The program is open to students in all majors.

Students must be 18 years of age by the date of their departure to France. For any questions on eligibility for FYSA, please email admission@gatech.edu or fysa@gatech.edu.

Language Requirements

There are no language requirements. All courses at Georgia Tech-Europe are taught in English, with the exception of optional French language courses.

Cohort Size

The program is limited to 50 students in order to maintain small class sizes and promote strong student-faculty interaction.

Housing & Meal Plans

Summer: Students will be able to live on campus in a residence hall, and students may register for a campus meal plan. Local students may choose to commute rather than staying in a residence hall.

Fall: Housing in a residence hall near the Georgia Tech-Europe campus is included in the program fee. A meal plan is not included, although students may purchase meal tickets for a student dining hall.

Spring: Students may choose to live on campus in a Georgia Tech residence hall.

Costs & Financial Aid

Click here for a full breakdown of the program rates/fees.

2024 Program Dates (to be confirmed)

7/8 Students arrive at Georgia Tech for three weeks of Summer orientation
8/3 Student move-out of GT Atlanta Housing
8/15 Depart for France
8/16 Arrive in France, Move-in Day at GTE
8/19 First Day of Class
Weekends 1-6: Faculty-led travel/excursions in the Metz region and to Paris
October: TBD Family Weekends
10/30 – 11/4: GTE Fall Break; faculty-led fall break excursions to select European destinations.
11/8- 12/1: Independent Weekend Travel
12/5 – 12/12: Final Exams
12/13: GTE Dorm Check-Out

After Global @ Home (Summer 2024), the FYSA @ GTE track will follow the GTE Academic Calendar. FYSA students will be given access to a calendar in Canvas with all-FYSA-related co-curricular and extra-curricular activities before the start of Global @ Home.

Application Process

Admitted first-year students may apply via their Admission Portal, where all FYSA application information is listed with other First-year Learning Communities and Summer Start programs. Students should indicate their first preference for home campus abroad (GTE or Oxford).

The FYSA program is first come, first-served, and admission is extremely competitive. Students invited to join the program will be able to accept their invitation until all spots are filled.

Please Note: Applying for FYSA (and, indeed, for any Learning Community) is a separate process from the Housing Application process. All students will need to follow the procedures and meet the deadlines for Georgia Tech Housing found on their website. Because students who are accepted for FYSA can cancel their fall housing until July 1st, penalty free, those considering FYSA are encouraged to apply for fall housing. 

Will you be one of the 50 students admitted to Tech’s First-year Fall Abroad Program?

  • Jump-start the international dimension of your college career.

  • Gain intercultural sensitivity skills and global perspectives that will frame the rest of your college career and life-long learning experiences.

  • Bond with a select cohort of like-minded, globally adventurous students.

  • Enhance language skills with immersion in French culture and other European cultures.

  • Build the confidence to travel through both escorted trips and independent weekend travel.

More reasons to participate in FYSA…

Those students who studied abroad were more likely to graduate within four years (49.6 percent) compared to students in the control group (42.1 percent).

Through pre-tests and post-tests, researchers found that study-abroad participants gained more functional knowledge of cultural practices and cultural contexts compared to those who did not study abroad.

88.7 percent of study abroad students graduated within six years versus 83.4 percent of the control group.

Students who venture abroad received a more conceptual learning experience, allowing them to see the big picture as opposed to only the facts, as was found to be common on campus.

There was also a greater increase in GPA for study-abroad participants (mean GPA increased from 3.24 prior to going overseas to 3.30 after) versus the control group (mean GPA increased from 3.03 to 3.06 over the same period).