Karen Pierce
International Plan and Curriculum Integration Coordinator, Office of International Education

In March 2010, Georgia Tech will be recognized by the Institute of International Education with the 2010 Andrew Heiskell Award for Innovation in International Education, awarded to Tech for its International Plan and excellence in making science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields more global.

The International Plan (IP) at Georgia Tech is an academic program that allows participating undergraduates to incorporate an international perspective into their education at Tech. It is a degree designator which students earn by fulfilling certain academic requirements that have been integrated into their major's curriculum. The requirements include spending a total of six months abroad (studying, working, and/or researching), developing proficiency in a language other than English, and taking globally-oriented coursework as part of the student’s usual coursework, all of which is intended to develop their global competence as it relates to their discipline at the university.

Currently, 25 of Tech's academic units - two-thirds of all majors - offer this program and more than six hundred students are taking advantage of the opportunity. It's very exciting for Georgia Tech to be on the cutting edge of education and the international community is taking notice. Georgia Tech wants to ensure the success of students toward earning the international education designator. Students have many resources that allow them to develop a plan which will help them meet their academic and professional goals.

The Office of International Education, for example, offers more than 20 faculty-led summer opportunities and more than 80 semester and year-long exchange programs from which students can choose. The International Plan Coordinator advises students and helps them understand the pathway to earning this innovative degree designator.

In addition, the Department of Professional Practice’s Work Abroad Office welcomes students to learn about global internships or international co-op opportunities, while the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program helps to guide students thinking about conducting research internationally. Each participating academic unit has a faculty representative to whom participating students in that major may go for advice on how to match their needs and interests with the academic requirements. There are also staff advisors to assist students in their decision-making processes.

Georgia Tech strives to ensure students receive a global perspective during their education at Tech. To read President Peterson’s recent article regarding international education, click here. For more information about the International Plan please contact our office at internationalplan@oie.gatech.edu or at 404.385.3200. For more detailed information and to see upcoming events associated with the program, please visit the International Plan Web site.