Faculty-Led and Embedded Programs FAQs

Here you will find answers to commonly asked questions regarding Faculty-Led or Embedded Study Abroad Programs. Atlas-specific questions are towards the bottom of the page.

Eligibility Requirements

1. All programs require that students are in good academic and disciplinary standing in order to participate however some programs have set academic eligibility requirements higher than the minimum (such as a GPA requirement). Therefore, please check with the particular program you are interested in applying for.
   • Good academic standing is determined by the Registrar's Office and is indicated at the end of your transcript each semester.
   • Academic warning is a subcategory of good standing, so students on warning are still eligible.
   • Disciplinary standing is determined by the Office of the Dean of Students and/or GT Housing based on your disciplinary record.
   • Students on Academic and/or Disciplinary Probation are not eligible to apply, participate or be accepted to GT study abroad programs. 
2. All programs require that students have completed a minimum of two full-time semesters on campus at GT (or at an equivalent institution/university) before participating on a FLSA program.
3. All programs require that students be at least 18 years of age by the program's US departure date.
4. *Some programs have set additional eligibility requirements higher than the minimum. Therefore, please check with the particular program you are interested in applying for.

General Questions

1. How can I contact my Program Director?
   • Program director contact information is listed on individual study abroad program pages. To search study abroad programs, click here. 
2. Where do I make my payments?
   • Tuition should be paid to the Bursar's Office, just as it is for on-campus study.
   • Program fees should also be paid to the Bursar's Office. Your program director will be able to answer questions about what is included in your program fees. Please note that program fees do not cover tuition. 
3. I don't see my program fees on my Bursar's account. What do I do?
   • Contact your Program Director
4. How do I know if I need a visa for my program?
   • You should contact your Program Director to find out about any visa requirements for your program.
5. How many meetings do I have to attend?
   • OIE requires that you complete the OIE Online Pre-departure Orientation, which can be accessed through your Atlas application.
   • Contact your program director to find out if there are other program-specific meetings that you are required to attend.
6. Can I become ineligible to study abroad after I've been accepted to a program?
   • Yes. If you do not complete ALL pre-departure requirements in Atlas, you will not be allowed to participate. Additionally, if you fall out of academic good standing, or if you fall out of good standing with the Office of Student Affairs anytime after your acceptance to a program, you will no longer be allowed to participate.
7. Can I drop or withdraw from study abroad classes? 
   • No. Once your program begins, you will not be able to withdraw from any of your classes.
8. Can I take a study abroad class pass/fail?
   • No. All study abroad courses must be taken for a letter grade.

Atlas Questions

1. How do I access my study abroad application after I created it?
   1. Login to Atlas (if you are a GT student, use the GT Login; if you are a transient student, use the Non-GT Login). 
   2. Navigate to the Applicant Homepage (Home Icon → Applicant).
   3. On the left side of the screen you should see an Applications section.
   4. Click on your program name, and that will take you to your application.
2. I have everything completed, but my disciplinary standing still isn't marked as received. What should I do?
   • Just be patient. Disciplinary standings are requested once a week and can take up to 2 weeks to get back. If it is during the winter break or close to the application deadline, the wait times can be a bit longer.
3. I paid my program deposit and received an email confirmation of payment. Why is the program deposit still not marked as received?
   • It can take up to 10 business days for your deposit to be processed and marked as received. If it has been longer than 10 business days since you have paid your deposit, and it is still not marked as received, please contact education.abroad@oie.gatech.edu.
4. How do I know if my application is complete?
   • All check boxes will be marked when you have finished all application requirements
5. How do I submit my application? I don't see a submit button.
   • There is no submit button. Once all of the application requirements are completed, your application is automatically changed to Complete and sent to the program director.

1. I completed all parts of my application, so now what?
   • Now, your application will be sent to the program director for review. Once the program director notifies OIE of their decision, you will be sent a decision letter.
   • Some programs have a decision date. If you applied to a program that has a decision date, you will be notified on or after that date.
2. When will I know if I've been accepted?
   • Application processing does not begin until after November 1st each year. If you applied between August and November 1st, you should wait until after November 15th to inquire about your status.
   • After November 1st, students can expect to hear from OIE approximately 2.5 weeks from the date that the application was completed. OIE will send, to the e-mail provided in your application, an e-mail message informing you of your status. Applications of students with disciplinary files with the Office of Student Affairs may take longer than 2.5 weeks to be processed. Since the Program Director must review and decide on each application, this period of time is approximate. Decisions may take longer than 2.5 weeks based on interviews or other additional criteria by individual Programs, the Program Director or OIE.

1. How can I find out where I am on the waitlist?
   • Contact your program director.

1. My application status automatically changed from Accepted to Committed, but I didn't commit yet.
   • To OIE and your study abroad program, Accepted and Committed mean the same thing. Once you pay your program deposit and submit your application, you are committing to the program. Once you are Accepted, you are bound by the program's cancellation policy. So, Atlas automatically changes status from Accepted to Committed.
2. Which pages of my passport do you need a copy of?
   • You only need to upload the passport page with your photo, information, and signature.
3. How do I know if my post-decision requirements are complete?
   • Requirements will be marked complete and moved to the Completed Requirements section.
4. I want to cancel my application, but Atlas doesn't let me withdraw any more. What do I do?
   • Please email education.abroad@oie.gatech.edu and CC your program director if you wish to cancel your application.
   • You will be bound to the program's cancellation policy.

1. You are asking for my overseas contact phone number, but I don't have one. What should I submit?
   • You have a few different options: Whatsapp number, Skype number, a friend's number, or the number at your residence/hotel.
2. You want me to complete the Program Evaluation, but I don't see a link to access the evaluation. How do I get that link?
   • Towards the end of your program, OIE will email you a link to an online survey with more instructions on how to complete it.