The Office of International Education (OIE) is excited to invite you to our Welcome Series, designed to help new international students like you get started at Georgia Tech. Our orientation program features both virtual and in-person events covering crucial topics such as pre-arrival preparations, navigating life and academics at Georgia Tech, and maintaining your F-1/J-1 visa status. This series is a fantastic opportunity to meet fellow new students, engage with campus representatives, and ask questions to our international advisors. For more details on the Welcome Series, visit https://isss.oie.gatech.edu/welcome-series. 

To assist with your arrival preparations, this email includes essential information on check-in requirements, arrival resources, and details about our first webinar. 

All F-1 and J-1 students are required to have the student health insurance coverage for the duration of their studies at Georgia Tech. International students are enrolled in the United Healthcare Student Resources (UHCSR) student health insurance plan mandated by the University System of Georgia. For more information, see the Stamps Heath Center insurance website. Charges for the student health insurance will be automatically added to your bursar account. 

All Georgia Tech students are required to submit proof of immunizations before  course registration.  Information on requirements and procedures can be found at http://health.gatech.edu/immunization/requirements.    

As part of our comprehensive health programming, Georgia Tech expects each member of the first-year undergraduate class and incoming transfer students to complete an online course called AlcoholEdu. AlchoholEdu will empower you to make well-informed decisions about alcohol usage. 

As part of Georgia Tech’s comprehensive health program designed to promote the safety, health, and well-being of our community, Georgia Tech requires all incoming undergraduate and transfer students to complete Sexual Assault Prevention for Undergraduates and all incoming graduate students to complete Sexual Assault Prevention for Graduate Students. 

Did you know that one of the most critical ways you can enhance your academic performance at Georgia Tech is to enroll in a GT 1000 class? GT 1000 is a one-credit hour, letter graded seminar course offered in both fall and spring semesters that demonstrates Georgia Tech's commitment to supporting the successful transition to college in general and to Georgia Tech specifically. Each section meets one hour per week and is taught by either an academic faculty member or an administrator with an advanced degree. You can register for GT 1000 during FASET or during Phase II registration. Visit their website for more information: https://transitionseminars.oue.gatech.edu/. 

Starting August 2025, all incoming first-time Georgia Tech students — both undergraduate and graduate (including fully-online and transfers) — are required by University System of Georgia (USG) Board of Regents policy to complete training in civil discourse. To meet this mandate, Georgia Tech has partnered with the Constructive Dialogue Institute (CDI) to offer the asynchronous online course, Perspectives. The course is comprised of six consecutive modules. These modules do not need to be all completed in one sitting; students can set a pace that matches their own personal preference and schedule. Based on data from Georgia Tech students who completed the training last academic year, students should plan to spend approximately one hour completing Perspectives.

All students required to complete Perspectives will receive an email invitation to access the course in September from the Vice President for Student Engagement & Wellbeing from the email vp_sewb@gatech.edu. Please make a note of this address so that you do not mistakenly screen this out as spam. Subsequent timely reminders will be sent until Perspectives has been completed.

Students have until December 31, 2026, to complete the civil discourse training. Students who do not timely complete Perspectives will have a hold placed on their academic record, which impacts their ability in Spring 2027 to register for courses or to access other student-related privileges.

At Georgia Tech, safeguarding freedom of inquiry and expression is one of our strategic values. Through the free exchange of ideas, Georgia Tech students learn to see the world from different perspectives, question their own beliefs, hone their critical thinking skills, and develop their own unique viewpoints. In addition, the abilities to communicate and collaborate effectively across differences is a key aspect of promoting belonging within a community – and constitute durable skills that are in high demand by employers.

This online course is designed to equip students with the knowledge and capacities essential to engage in meaningful conversations with others from a wide array of various backgrounds, cultural beliefs, ideas, or opinions. Developing these skills helps to reduce the possibility of interpersonal, organizational, and campus conflicts. In 2025-26, 71% of Yellow Jackets taking this training reported satisfaction with their Perspectives experience. Additionally:

Strengthening our community, through dialogue and disagreement, is an essential responsibility of being a Yellow Jacket! For more information about Freedom of Expression @ Georgia Tech, please bookmark and visit this page (students.gatech.edu/foe).

We’re excited to welcome you to Georgia Tech in August! For any further questions, please email us at info@oie.gatech.edu or attend one of our Virtual Drop-in Advising Sessions.

Best Regards, 

Office of International Education 

Georgia Institute of Technology 
631 Cherry St. Savant Suite 211 
Atlanta, GA 30332-0284 
oie.gatech.edu