WHY fysa &
How doES it work?
Why should I participate in this program?
Did you dream of starting your first year of college at Georgia Tech? Maybe you pictured yourself hurrying from class to class on Tech’s large, beautiful, urban campus in Atlanta?
Living & Learning
What if you got a taste of Georgia Tech in the late Summer Session on our Atlanta campus where you would get familiar with Georgia Tech as well as start mastering the tools you’d need to add an international dimension to your college career?
Spend Your First Semester Abroad
What if you spent your first Fall semester at Georgia Tech-Europe, Tech’s campus in historic Metz, France or at picturesque Mansfield College on Oxford’s campus in England – while also traveling throughout Europe?
With Georgia Tech’s First-Year Semester Abroad program, you’ll gain intercultural sensitivity skills and global perspectives that will frame the rest of your college and life-long learning experiences.
You’ll bond with a like-minded, globally adventurous cohort. Only 50 students per program track (GTE or Oxford) will get the opportunity to immerse themselves in a new culture and enhance their language skills through group travels across Europe.
Who is eligible for the program?
Admitted first-year undergraduate students are encouraged to apply for the First Year Semester Abroad (FYSA) program, and should review this pertinent information prior to doing so:
- Students must be 18 years of age by the time of departure for the abroad portion of the program (typically by the first week of August, based on the academic calendar).
- Admission to FYSA is selective. In order to provide a low student-to-faculty ratio, each program track (GTE or Oxford) will enroll approximately 50 students.
- We strive to include students from all academic disciplines; however, some majors may not be able to participate due to scheduling conflicts or other curricular implications. Students pursuing a major in the College of Design must check with their academic advisor. Students may also need to discuss specific academic questions with their major advisor.
- Students are encouraged to complete Calculus 1 (Math 1551) prior to starting the summer portion in Atlanta. Students will take first-year English (either English 1101 or 1102 depending on if prior credit has been earned for 1101) in the fall, while abroad.
General questions about these criteria may be sent to the FYSA program manager via the link below.
How does the program work?
In the First-Year Semester Abroad program, students will:
1. Apply to the Program
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), and they will be invited to submit a short essay responsive to a question about their preparedness and interest in the program. In their essays, students are encouraged to share the ways that studying abroad is aligned with their academic and career goals.
2. Start in Atlanta
Students will start their undergraduate education at Georgia Tech’s Atlanta campus in a short, three-week session that begins in late July. During this session, students will complete two courses totaling three credit hours, including GT 1000: First-Year Seminar (1 credit) and APPH 1040: Scientific Foundations of Health (2 credits). The APPH course satisfies the health and wellness requirement. Students will be able to live in GT housing and will participate in special co-curricular programming that prepares them for their experiences abroad.
3. Travel Abroad
After the summer session, students will immediately depart for the campus of their program (either GT-Europe or Oxford University). Students will take approximately 12-15 hours of credit in fall semester, and the exact courses are determined by course availability in each program. Courses are GT courses, earning GT credit, and they are taught in English. Students should consult with the FYSA program manager and their major’s academic advisor to ensure that the selected courses are appropriate for the major. To learn more about how each program track works, students should consult the FYSA@GTE or FYSA@Oxford pages of this website.
4. Return to Atlanta
After spending the fall in Europe, students will return to GT’s Atlanta campus for spring semester to complete their first year.