To ensure the continued health and safety of its community during the COVID-19 pandemic, Georgia Tech offers remote learning through Summer 2020. The summer remote learning program enables students to earn credits over the summer even though on-campus, face-to-face classes are still not possible. Summer 2020 remote learning will differ from remote instruction in Spring 2020 because summer classes will have been planned and adapted for the remote delivery mode.

Is remote learning the same as online learning?

Online learning and remote learning differ in fundamental ways. At Georgia Tech, online learning programs are purposely designed for instruction to take place solely online. Remote learning, on the other hand, mimics face-to-face instruction using technology to engage with students.

How does remote learning work?

Remote delivery of courses entails live lectures via video conference or pre-recorded lectures that are posted for students to view in their own time. Faculty can choose to deliver their courses synchronously, which requires all students in the course to attend lectures at the same time, or asynchronously to allow students greater flexibility. Faculty who decide to deliver their instructional content synchronously follow a specific class schedule. Students taking asynchronous courses can view their lectures and work on course content in their own time provided they meet deadlines set by faculty.

What is the difference between SOUP and Summer Remote Learning?

In Summer 2020, classes will be delivered remotely as they were for SOUP in previous summers. The difference is that since there is no classroom component this summer, so faculty will not be recorded delivering their lectures to students in the classroom. Instead, they will be delivering their lectures virtually from their homes directly to students in video conferences in synchronous classes or directly to the camera in asynchronous classes. The other difference this summer is that in-person proctoring will not be an option.

How does tuition work for Summer 2020?

• In and out of state rates still apply and based on the students’ residency status.
• Students who were slated to study abroad for summer will still be given the nonresident tuition waiver as if they were studying abroad.       
•  All mandatory/course fees have been eliminated with the exception of the Special Institutional Fee and Technology Fee.     
• If a student qualifies for the Mandatory Student Health Insurance premium they will still be charged the premium for summer and they can apply for a waiver if they have other comparable insurance.

How will grading work?

Based on University System of Georgia (USG) requirements, grading will be handled the same way it has been handled to date at Georgia Tech. Students will continue to receive letter grades, and pass/fail grades are not an option.

What are the class sizes? How many students can you accommodate per class?  

We are currently working on increasing class sizes for the most in-demand courses.

I am registered for an on-campus section of the class. Do I need to register for the online version?

No. If you have already registered for an on-campus section, you do not need to register again. All courses will be delivered remotely this summer, so there is no difference between Atlanta campus section and Q-section courses this summer.

Will International students, remaining in their home country for the summer, be able to take summer courses without their Visa status being affected?

Summer 2020 courses will be delivered remotely, so you can take them from any location in the world as long as you have an internet connection. To find out about visa status, please contact the Office of International Studies.

For Physics 2211 and 2212, how do labs work?

To find out about lab requirements, you would need to contact the faculty member teaching the course. Lab requirements are course specific, so faculty teaching the courses can best respond in regards to lab structure and requirements.

Will lectures be live or will they be taped?

All Summer 2020 courses will be delivered remotely and may include live video conference lectures or pre-recorded lectures. It is up to faculty members decide whether to deliver their lectures live or to pre-record them. To find out how your course will be delivered, please reach out to the faculty member teaching the course.

How will exams work? Is it different by class?

Exam methods for summer courses are set by the faculty teaching the courses and may include online proctored exams or take-home exams. Please note that paper exams with in-person proctoring will not be an option in Summer 2020.

Do students need a proctor for exams this summer?

Paper exams with in-person proctoring will be not be an option for Summer 2020. Exam methods are set by the faculty teaching the courses and may include online proctored exams or take-home exams.