The International Plan (IP) is not intended to be an add-on to the current curriculum of participating majors; rather, it is another way to earn the degree while integrating global competence into the program of study. Degree requirements are not modified, but are satisfied with specialized courses and appropriate choices of elective courses. Completing the requirements is not difficult but does require planning. Once your application to the IP is approved, it is important to be advised by your major school IP faculty representative and by the IP Coordinator.
Each participating Georgia Tech degree program in the International Plan (IP) has integrated international studies, language acquisition, and overseas experience into the traditional Bachelor of Science degree that works best for that specific discipline. When you complete the requirements for the undergraduate degree in your major and complete 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
International Plan student's will complete the following requirements:
1) Language Requirement
All International Plan participants must develop proficiency in a language other than English. Ideally, the language chosen to fulfill this requirement will have a relationship to the country/region in which the student plans to fulfill the 26 wk requirement (details below). This relationship is referred to as “coherence.” Plans not characterized by “coherence” will require both major school IP faculty representative approval and IP committee approval. The language requirement may be fulfilled by one of the following options:
A. Foreign language Option (recommended)
Students who choose the foreign language option will have their oral proficiency measured by an objective exam of the American Council for the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL). These students' proficiency must be at the Intermediate High Level (for French, German, Russian and Spanish) or at the Intermediate Mid level (for Arabic, Chinese, Japanese and Korean). Guidelines for basic proficiency development are available on the School of Modern Languages website as is a link to the ACTFL website.
B. English Language Option
The English Language Option was developed primarily for those students who, while abroad in fulfillment of their 26 wk requirement, will have little opportunity to develop proficiency in their chosen IP language (i.e. going to a country/region where English is the primary language spoken).
A. For students choosing the English Option, the language requirement is met when students complete or demonstrate the equivalence of completing a 2002 course or higher with a grade of B or better. This can be achieved by taking classes at Tech or at another accredited college/university or by earning AP Credit from high school with score of 4 or higher. Students who have taken a foreign language (French, German, Russian or Spanish) in high school should take an online placement test offered by the Modern Languages Department to determine the appropriate beginning level of language class. Students who place above 2002 have met the language requirement for the English Option of the International Plan.
Once accepted to participate in the International Plan, participants may request permits to register for language classes (especially useful when lower level courses are full) For information on requesting permits for language classes, see the International Plan Degree section of the School of Modern Languages website.
B. Students may also meet the requirement by taking a proficiency test applicable to ML (students must bear expense of test). This will typically apply to those students who believe themselves already proficient (no coursework necessary) in the language with which s/he intends to fulfill the IP.
1. If GT does not offer a placement test in the language that the student wishes to use to fulfill this requirement (note: this refers only to English Option Students) and if the student believes that s/he already has a skill level equivalent to the 2002 level or higher, then the student must provide documentation of the language skill level. This documentation may be:
i. an official transcript from another accredited U.S. university showing completion of courses through 2002 level OR
ii. a formal oral and written language evaluation by a professional instructor of the language OR
iii. official results of a formal language level test (such as test by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages or Simulated Oral Proficiency Interview)
The decision on which option IP students will use to fulfill the language requirement should be made in consultation with the major school IP faculty representative.
2) Globally-focused course requirements
International Plan students must complete a core set of courses that address international issues that transcend the student's major. It is advised that these courses be taken prior to or while abroad but not after the 26 wk international experience. 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 for the three areas noted above is available on the website of the Registrar's Office.
ap credit from high school courses cannot count as one of the three courses. only courses taken after high school may count towards your core classes.
3) Overseas Experience
Students must complete 26 weeks (just over 6 months) of active engagement abroad. The terms are 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. Although they need not be consecutive, the immersion experience(s) should demonstrate cultural, linguistic and/or intellectual coherence and must be completed within no more than two terms.
Summer programs
- Only one Georgia Tech faculty-led summer abroad (FLSA) program may count towards the international experience. Note that a summer program plus a semester abroad may not add up to 26 weeks.
- Bridge - Students may choose to stay longer to enhance the 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 and are available at the discretion of the FLSA program director. The content must be approved by major IP faculty representative as well. Such an arrangement may permit students to count a summer program, plus an approved bridge program, followed by a study/work/research experience to add up to 26 weeks. Plan ahead!
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 an IP course in the semester(s) they are abroad in fulfillment of the 26 wk 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)
Register only for one course per term, that which is appropriate to the type of program in which you participate. 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 26 wk requirement.
4) GPA Requirement
International Plan participants must have 3.0 GPA by the time they begin their international experiences. Students who fail to maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 in any semester or who fail to achieve an overall GPA of at least 3.0 prior to the start of the International Experience will be reviewed to determine if they will be allowed to continue in the International Plan program.
5) Capstone Course
The purpose for a degree-long International Plan is to provide students the opportunity to study, experience, and reflect on international issues throughout their undergraduate studies. The International Plan is integrated with the major area of study so that students can develop a working knowledge of the practice of their major in an international context. The capstone course integrates knowledge of the discipline and the international experience in a global context.
Each participating major has developed at least one sample curriculum showing how students might complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Science with the International Plan. Consult your major school website or contact your major school IP faculty representative for details.
International Plan participants have a variety of options in terms of language study, location of international experience, and type of international experience for meeting the International Plan requirements, so these schedules are only suggestions that show some of the ways you could plan your degree. It is important to plan ahead and to receive advisement.
- Students wishing to participate in the International Plan must submit the completed on-line application and be accepted into the program. Notification of acceptance will be communicated to the student in writing via his/her GT e-mail address.
- Applicants must be GT students in one of the participating majors.
- 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.
Click here to go to the application page!