Every year, Georgia Tech sends a group of students to explore continental Europe and the United Kingdom through the Oxford Summer Study Abroad Program. Students spend five weeks traveling through Europe taking classes and then remain in residence at Mansfield College in Oxford to do additional coursework. The Oxford Program offers a unique opportunity for Honors Program (HP) students to engage in enriching activities and earn HP class credit.
In summer 2022, ten Honors Program students participated in the “HP at Oxford” Program and were able to earn up to six credit hours that could be applied to the HP curriculum requirement. They took HP classes such as HTS 3032: European Intellectual History, HTS 3033: History of Medieval England, and MGT 4803: International Business Ethics, with the option of earning additional credit from MUSI 3621: Composers and their Music and ID 2242: History of Art and Architecture.
Honors Program students also participated in some enrichment activities to further enhance their experience. They participated in an HP walking tour of Oxford with seasoned guide David Gunnell, where they got to see the city and the college through Mr. Gunnell’s insights and experience. HP students also worked to create an amazing Tumblr blog, which is online at hpoxfordprogram.tumblr.com. On the blog, they shared their favorite experiences, reflections on what they have learned from international travel, and photos of their journey.
Here are some of the reflections from Honors Program students on their “HP at Oxford” experience, as well as the fantastic photos that they shared. We encourage all Georgia Tech students, and especially members of the Honors Program, to apply for this amazing experience. Information is available at oxford.gatech.edu.
LILY KACHMAR
Participating in the Oxford Program has been one of the best experiences of my life, and the memories that I have made during this time will stick with me forever. I have visited so many amazing places, learned about other cultures, made new friends, eaten amazing foods, and ultimately learned how to become a respectful world traveler.
PAUL HUTCHINSON
The Oxford Program has given me a fulfilling opportunity to study abroad: forming new friendships, seeing beautiful old sites, and engaging in a culture distinct from my own. More broadly, the program has allowed me to live in new cultures, gain respect for them, and give me a new perspective on American culture.
CONNOR MCPHILLIAMY
This study abroad has been one of, if not the best experience I’ve had in my life. The chance to spend five weeks traveling around Western Europe, to countries like Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, and France, and then to spend six weeks in Oxford with free weekends to travel to even more places on my own (Ireland, Spain, and Scotland to name a few) has been incredibly fun and educational. I’ve made new friends, had too many new experiences to count, and the ability to experience first-hand numerous different cultures while abroad.
