Oxford Program Details

FYSA Oxford

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. 

NOTE: Current undergraduates and new transfer students are not eligible for this program.

The program is open to students in most majors. Students in the College of Design should speak with their Academic Advisors and FYSA Staff before submitting an application.

Students must be 18 years of age by the date of their departure. 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 Oxford are taught in English.

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, although due to the condensed schedule, living on campus is highly recommended.

Fall In-Residence:  Lodging at Mansfield College of Oxford University in single rooms. Breakfast (drop-in) and dinner (seated) will be provided most days.  The food is prepared by an in-house chef and dietary restrictions can be met. 

Fall Travel Study: Included is bus transportation with instructors and guides, accommodations in each city, hotel breakfasts, welcome dinners in each new city, and all museum/concert tickets. Students will share a room with one or two roommates.  Students are responsible for the remaining meals which allows for culinary exploration.

Spring: Students may choose to live on campus in a Georgia Tech residence hall. Check out our FYSA Housing website for more information: https://housing.gatech.edu/fysa-housing 

Cohort Size

It is limited to 50 students to maintain small class size, promote strong student-faculty interaction, and keep to a manageable travel group size. 

Costs & Financial Aid

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

2024 Program Dates*

7/8 Students arrive on GT-Atlanta campus for Global@Home

8/3 Students fly together to London 

8/4 Arrive in London and travel by bus to Mansfield College in Oxford

8/4 Orientation and meet with professors

8/5  Full classes begin M/T, study day W, Th-F classes

9/14 In Oxford Final Exams

9/16 Start of Around Europe Courses

9/19 Students depart Mansfield College to travel by bus to first European city 

9/19 to 10/27 Students traveling and studying in Europe 

Please note that while the travel portion will conclude by the end of October, some courses may have requirements that continue through the end of the Fall term. 

*All dates are tentative and subject to change 

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. Students should indicate their first preference for home campus abroad (GTE or Oxford); students may also select both program options and will work with FYSA staff to determine the best match for their academic requirements and personal interests.

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. 

Program Expectations

All students are expected to participate fully in the Program from start to finish.  Therefore, no exceptions other than documented illness will be made for students to miss classes, museum visits, concerts, or other requirements. Early departures will not be permitted. 

Will you be one of the 50 students admitted to Tech’s First-year Semester 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.

  • 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).

Glossari 2014, Research Initiative

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.

Georgia Learning Outcomes, 2014 Research Initiative

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

Glossari 2014, Research Initiative

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.

Glossari 2014, Research Initiative

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).

Glossari 2014, Research Initiative