Oxford Travel Portion
Overview
Georgia Tech’s Oxford Program takes place every summer and is composed of two sections: Travel Portion & In-Residence. Students wishing to participate on the program (Travel Portion + In-Residence) should select "Oxford Summer Program" when applying on OIE's website. Students must participate in both the Travel Portion and the In-Residence Portion. Participating in the Travel Portion only or In-Residence only is not currently an option.
During the first half of the program, students journey by bus to multiple European cities. Each group consists of 55 students, 2 professors and 1 Group Leaders. Students take 2 courses during this portion of the program; they attend lectures and visit numerous sites that enhance and contribute to their courses. After spending 1 week studying in Atlanta and 5 weeks learning on the road, students complete their travel portion coursework and head for Oxford, England for the second portion of the program.
A Typical Day on the Road:
- 7:00 AM - Breakfast in the hotel
- 8:00 AM - Museum #1
- 10:30 AM - City Walking Tour
- 12:00 PM - Grab a Quick Lunch
- 1:30 PM - Museum #2
- 3:00 PM - Free Time
- 7:00 PM - Concert
- 10:00 PM - You're finally done!!!
Destinations
Travel portion destinations are chosen based on their relevance to the ID 2242 and MUSI 3621 syllabi.
Housing & Meals
Housing
- While traveling throughout Europe, participants stay in various hotels pre-arranged by the Oxford Program staff. Students will share a room with one or two roommates.
No housing is provided by the program during the pre-departure classes in Atlanta; students are encouraged to stay with family and friends in the Atlanta area. Once accepted to the program, you will be given the opportunity to notify Oxford Program Staff of your housing needs. If you require pre-departure housing in Atlanta and would like to be put in touch with other students to split the cost, you will notify the program of this via Atlas once spring semester has commenced.
Meals
Breakfast will be provided every morning in each hotel. A Welcome Dinner will be provided on the first night in every city. Students are responsible for the remaining meals.
Oxford In-Residence
Overview
Following the completion of the Travel Portion, students will arrive in Oxford, England to complete 6 more credit hours while living in Oxford, UK. All Travel Portion students must also participate in the Oxford In-Residence program. When applying for the program, please make sure to choose "Oxford Summer Program" on OIE's website. In order to accommodate as many students as possible on both the Travel & In-Residence portions, participating in Oxford In-Residence only is not currently an option for applicants.
A Typical Day in Oxford:
- 8:00 AM - Wake up! It's time for breakfast at the Mansfield College Cafe!
- 9:30 AM - Head to your first of two daily (Mon-Thurs) classes
- 1:00 PM - Walk over to the Covered Market for a sandwich from Oxford Sandwich Company or a treat from Ben's Cookies or Moo Moo Milkshakes
- 2:00 PM - Spend your afternoon exploring Oxford--shop the Gloucester Green open air market, take a jog through Port Meadow or University Parks, visit Oxford's other colleges, study at Queen's Lane Coffee House, or go punting on the river
- 5:30 PM - Dinner in the Mansfield College's historic dining hall
- 6:30 PM - Head over to the pitch for an evening soccer practice, or take a simple stroll through Christ Church Meadow & by the Cherwell River
- 8:00 PM - Take some time to do homework or study and prepare to do it all over again tomorrow
- 10:00 PM - You're finally ready for some rest--unless you've got enough energy to head to the College Bar for trivia night with your friends!
Destinations
Oxford, England
Possible Weekend/Day Trip Destinations
London • Bath • Liverpool • Manchester • Stonehenge • Stratford-Upon-Avon • The Cotswolds • Edinburgh • Scottish Highlands • Dublin • Cardiff • Switzerland • France • Iceland • Norway ...and don't forget to spend at least one weekend in Oxford!
Housing & Meals
Housing
All students will receive a housing assignment at Mansfield College in Oxford. Each student's room will have either a common or ensuite bathroom, and a common kitchen area on the hall or in the building.
Meals
Breakfast and dinner are provided at the Mansfield College dining hall starting with dinner on Sunday evening through breakfast on Friday morning. Meals are not provided Friday evening through Sunday morning as most students travel on the weekends.
Program Cancellation Policy
Please review the program's full cancellation policy below:
Students who choose not to participate in the program (for any reason, including health emergencies or loss of job in the family) after being accepted into the program will be subject to the following fee schedule to cover expenses paid on your behalf:
- Students canceling before Jan. 1st will lose their $500 deposit.
- Students canceling on or after Jan. 1st will lose their $500 deposit and must pay 50% of the program fee.
- Students canceling on or after Feb. 1st must pay 100% of the program fee.
- All group airline tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable after Feb. 1st. (Although return dates may be altered for a fee by the airline, destinations may not be changed.
Georgia Tech will determine a date to assess program viability based on the current information available and timing of vendor pre-payments. Georgia Tech will require each program to make a first round of decisions on cancellations before non-refundable program funds are due to vendors. Cancellation before non-refundable funds are due will result in students not losing money paid to their program. After paying non-refundable program expenses to vendors, the standard Georgia Tech study abroad cancellation policy will apply. This policy states that should the program cancel due to circumstances beyond Georgia Tech’s control, only those funds recovered from vendors may be returned to students. Also, Georgia Tech cannot refund personal expenses incurred by students such as costs for visas, airfare, and other items not included in the program charge.
Georgia Tech reserves the right to alter (including a change to program fees) or cancel this program due to low enrollment, unavailability of a professor to teach a planned course, or other unforeseen circumstances. If Georgia Tech cancels the entire program before departure for reasons within its control, all fees paid by participants will be refunded. If Georgia Tech cancels the program before departure or while the program is in progress for reasons beyond its control, such as political unrest or danger to participants’ safety, only those fees that Georgia Tech is able to have refunded by service providers will be returned to participants.
Courses
Students take two courses during the Travel Portion and another two courses of their choosing during their six-week stay in Oxford. These courses are taught by Georgia Tech faculty members and are Georgia Tech classes; students do not need to transfer credit back to Georgia Tech. Students register for courses just the same as they do for courses here on Atlanta's campus—By logging into Oscar and registering for courses once your time ticket opens. Students participating in the Oxford Program will earn a total of 12 credit hours.
Travel Courses
All students must take the same two courses for the duration of the travel portion because the coursework is heavily integrated into each city that is visited. These two courses are:
- ID 2242: History of Art & Architecture - 3 Credit hours
- MUSI 3621: Composers & Their Music - 3 Credit hours
Travel Portion classes begin in Atlanta during the week of pre-departure classes and conclude the day before arrival to Oxford. Each course is 3 credit hours, so students earn a total of 6 credit hours on the Travel Portion. Times, locations, and professors will be announced closer to departure in May.
In-Residence Courses
Students will choose two courses to take during the Oxford In-Residence portion for a total of 6 more credit hours.
2025 In-Residence Course Offerings
COURSE | TITLE |
HTS 3033 | History of Medieval England |
HTS 3032 | Modern European Intellectual History |
HTS 3029 | Ancient Rome |
LMC 3219 | Literature and Medicine |
LMC 3514 | Victorian Literature and Culture |
MGT 3330 | Marketing Management I |
MGT 3310 | Marketing and Research Analysis |
COE 2001/CEE 2901 | Statics and Special Problems |
COE 3001 | Mechanics of Deformable Bodies |
ECE 3710/ECE 3801 | Circuits and Electronics |
CS 1315 | Introduction of Media Computation |
CS 4400 | Intro to Database Systems |
*In-Residence course list is tentative pending program approval in October
Program Costs
Overview
Program Cost Overview
Below is an estimated breakdown of the costs associated with participating in the program. Please note that exact amounts may vary slightly year to year.
Program Charge: ~$15,000
This fee covers:
- Housing accommodations in Oxford and during the European travel portion
- International health insurance
- Daily breakfast and most dinners while in Oxford
- Ground transportation between program cities
- Tickets for academic excursions (museums, cultural events)
- All logistical and administrative support throughout the program
Please note: The program charge does not include Georgia Tech tuition, mandatory student fees, course materials, or personal expenses.
The Program Charge is paid in three separate installments:
- A $500 nonrefundable deposit due within one week of acceptance (applied toward the total program charge)
- Two remaining installment payments due during the spring semester
Students who intend to apply financial aid toward the program may request a deferment of the remaining balance until Summer Financial Aid disbursement. However, students are still responsible for any unpaid balance not covered by aid.
Tuition & Fees
All students will be charged regular in-state Georgia Tech tuition, regardless of residency status. Students must also pay the standard technology fee and USG Institutional Fee.
Tuition and fees are based on the standard summer rates, typically for 12–15 credit hours. Financial aid such as HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships may be applied for eligible students.
Airfare (Optional Group Flight)
Estimated Cost: ~$1,250
An optional group flight is available, providing round-trip airfare from Atlanta to the first city on the travel itinerary and back from London. Participation in the group flight is not required, but students who opt in must commit once selected—tickets are non-transferable and non-refundable.
2025 group flight costs and itinerary details will be announced after acceptance.
Books and Course Materials
Estimated Cost: $100–$300
Includes textbooks, lab supplies, and other required academic materials.
Estimated Out-of-Pocket Expenses: $3,500–$4,500
These are non-billable expenses and will vary by student. Estimates include:
- Meals not included in program: ~$2,000 (most breakfasts and many dinners are provided; students should budget for lunches and weekend meals)
- Personal transportation and incidentals: ~$300
- Entertainment and shopping: ~$500
- Independent weekend travel: ~$1,000–$1,500
These estimates are based on previous participants' feedback and may vary depending on exchange rates and personal spending habits.
Dates
Important Dates
The Travel Portion begins with pre-departure courses in Atlanta and concludes upon arrival to Oxford. Students will also be responsible for attending 2 group meetings with their Group Leaders prior to departure; specific dates will be chosen closer to the departure date. Below is a general timeline for pre-departure:
2025 Program - Important Pre-Departure Dates/Timeline:
- November
- First round of admitting those who have applied.
- February
- Application Deadline is February 14. If the program fills before the deadline, application process will close.
- January
- 1st Pre-Departure Orientation--Mandatory
- Payment I Due
- February
- Payment II Due
- March
- 2nd Pre-Departure Orientation--Mandatory
- May
- Financial Aid is disbursed into student accounts; if you have deferred your payments, all payments should be made at this time
- Final day to pay tuition without being penalized by the Bursar
2025 Important Program Dates/Timeline:
What's Happening?
May 19th to 26th
- Pre-Departure Courses in Atlanta**
May 27th
- Depart with Travel Group for Continental Europe
May 28st
- Travel Groups Arrival in Continental Europe
- Group 1: France
- Group 2: Portugal
- Group 3: Italy
June 29nd
- All Groups Arrive in Oxford
July 1st
- Oxford In-Residence Courses Begin***
August 10th
- Program Ends - Students Depart Oxford****
**No housing is provided by the program during the pre-departure classes in Atlanta; students are encouraged to stay with family and friends in the Atlanta area. Once accepted to the program, you will be given the opportunity to notify Oxford Program Staff of your housing needs. If you require pre-departure housing in Atlanta and would like to be put in touch with other students to split the cost, you will notify the program of this via a questionnaire at some point during spring semester.
***All students are expected to remain in Oxford during the first weekend in order to participate in planned activities.
****All Oxford Program students will be expected to fully participate in the Oxford Program from start to finish. Therefore, no exceptions will be made for students to miss any pre-departure class/exam days or depart early from the program.