Georgia Institute of Technology

Each participating Georgia Tech degree program in the International Plan has integrated international studies, language acquisition, and overseas experience into the traditional Bachelor of Science degree that works best for that specific discipline.

Admission Requirements

• Applicants must be undergraduate degree-seeking Tech students in one of the participating majors.
• Students must submit an application via the International Plan Web site. Notification of acceptance will be communicated via the student's Georgia Tech e-mail address.
• There is no GPA requirement for first-semester freshmen applying to the International Plan. All other applicants must have at least a 2.5 GPA at the time of application.

Student Classification

The International Plan is intended for students in their first four semesters of undergraduate study. However, a student who has earned 59-plus credit hours in a participating major may still apply. In their application essay, these students should include details about the International Plan requirements that they believe have been fulfilled as well as information about how they expect to complete the remaining requirements prior to graduation.

Costs

The only costs associated with the International Plan are incurred to complete the international experience. Some modest stipends are available to defray travel expenses for eligible students studying or working abroad in fulfillment of the program. In-state study abroad participants pay standard Georgia Tech tuition while out-of-state study abroad students pay a reduced tuition rate that is little more than in-state tuition.

Language Requirements

All International Plan participants must develop proficiency in a language other than English. Unless otherwise approved, the language chosen to fulfill this requirement will have a relationship to the country or region in which the student plans to fulfill the twenty-six week requirement. Any variance will require approval from the IP faculty representative and the IP Committee. For complete details on how to fulfill the language requirement, visit the language requirements page.

Globally Focused Course Requirements

International Plan students must complete a core set of courses that address international issues and transcend the student's major. It is advised that these courses be taken prior to or while abroad but not after the twenty-six week international experience. AP credit cannot count toward this requirement. Courses include:

• One course focused on international relations historically and theoretically.
• One course that provides a historical and theoretical understanding of the global economy.
• One course that provides familiarity with an area of the world or a country that allows them to make systematic comparisons with their own society and culture. This course should be directly relevant (coherent) to the international context of the overseas experience.

A list of courses approved to fulfill the three areas noted above is available in the Georgia Tech Catalog.

Overseas Experience

Students must complete twenty-six weeks (just over six months) of active engagement abroad, either as a whole or within no more than two terms demonstrating cultural, linguistic, or intellectual coherence. The experience is defined as any combination of study, work, or research conducted abroad, with the intended plan being subject to approval by the IP faculty representative in the student's degree program, the International Plan Coordinator, and, where applicable, the Division of Professional Practice and/or the School of Modern Languages.

Registration requirement while abroad

Students must be registered at Georgia Tech during their terms abroad, including for work and research terms. In addition to registering for the program specific courses, IP students will register for one of the following IP courses in the semester(s) they are abroad in fulfillment of the twenty-six week requirement:

• IPFS 3012 (if going abroad on exchange)
• IPSA 3012 (if going abroad on FLSA)
• IPCO 3011 (if going abroad on co-op)
• IPIN 3011 (if going abroad for internship)

Permits will be provided in time for Phase I registration if you have been approved for your chosen international program. It is important to register for the appropriate course in a timely manner if you want your term abroad to count toward your twenty-six week requirement.

Summer programs

• Only one Georgia Tech faculty-led summer abroad (FLSA) program may count toward the international experience. Note that a summer program plus a semester abroad may not add up to twenty-six weeks.
• Students may choose to enhance the FLSA immersion experience with a second semester or a longer internship. If a time lapse between two consecutive terms occurs, students may request permission to "bridge" the two terms with appropriate structured time in the same host country or linguistic region. Bridges may only be created in conjunction with FLSA programs, are available at the discretion of the FLSA program director, and must be approved by the student's IP faculty representative. Students should plan in advance if expecting to do a bridge.

GPA Requirement

International Plan students must maintain at least a 2.5 GPA.  Students who fail to maintain a 2.5 will undergo a review to determine if they may continue in the International Plan program.  Students must have a 2.7 GPA and must meet standards of the international program selected (e.g. minimum grades required by foreign university or the company abroad) in the term(s) prior to foreign experiences.

Capstone Course

The purpose of a degree-long International Plan is to provide students the opportunity to study, experience, and reflect on international issues throughout their undergraduate studies. The capstone course integrates knowledge of the discipline and the international experience in a global context.

When you complete the requirements for the undergraduate degree in your major and the IP requirements, your diploma and transcript will state that the degree is a "Bachelor of Science with International Plan." This will make the significance of your international preparation in your chosen field more apparent to future employers.