Georgia Institute of Technology

Metz, France is the capital of the northeastern region of Lorraine, part of the larger Grand-Est region. Situated equidistant from Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany, this historic city has been called "the gateway to Europe." 

Just 90 minutes from Paris by train, Metz is at the heart of renowned arts, political movements, scientific innovation, and more. Today, Metz is known as much for its beautiful Gothic cathedral and the Centre Pompidou-Metz, as it is for being a center for innovation, driven in part by Georgia Tech-Lorraine.

Be a part of Georgia Tech's innovation in the Metz Technopole.

The Georgia Tech-Lorraine campus is located in the Metz Technopole, a short transit ride from downtown. As a key player at this crossroads of innovation and technology, Georgia Tech-Lorraine joins other prestigious French engineering and business schools, research labs, and business centers.  

The heart of Georgia Tech-Lorraine is housed in one secure building where you will find classrooms, labs, faculty and administrative offices, and a student lounge. 

The small campus fosters a strong sense of community, and students enjoy small class sizes and highly accessible faculty.

Enjoy privacy and close proximity in nearby residence halls - at a lower cost than the Atlanta campus.

Undergraduate Housing

Undergraduate students live in residence halls just a short walk away from campus. 

Most dorms offer studio apartments complete with a small kitchenette and full bathroom. 

There is also an option of two-person apartment-style rooms that can be shared with a Georgia Tech-Lorraine student, or in the Fall and Spring semesters, a French student from a nearby engineering school!

Not all dorms will be available every semester, but the following are frequently reserved for Georgia Tech-Lorraine students:

• Lafayette 
• ALOES 
• CROUS
• Resam
• Pythagore

Important to Know: 

• Housing costs are significantly lower in Metz, than in the residence halls of Atlanta!
• If you have a housing contract on campus, we will provide you with a signed form so that you can break your contract without penalty.

Graduate Housing

Most graduate students live in the ALOES residence hall just a short walk away from campus. Families may wish to find an apartment downtown. Most dorms offer two-person apartment-style rooms with a community kitchen.

What to Bring

You will receive guidance on what to pack during the mandatory orientations. Cookware and bed linens are provided.

At the beginning of each semester, a "Swap Shop" will be hosted, during which time you will have the opportunity to choose items left behind by previous students like small appliances and cookware. 

There is also a textbook purchase process from previous semesters' students organized by the Georgia Tech-Lorraine staff. If you cannot find what you need, you can either bring your pre-purchased textbooks or have them shipped to the Georgia Tech-Lorraine campus building.

Resources for when you are not feeling well.

Students have 24/7 access to an emergency contact at GTL who can advise on how to obtain medical care. 

All students are given an emergency card on arrival with pertinent phone numbers and emergency procedures.

An English-speaking nurse keeps office hours at Georgia Tech-Lorraine several days a week and can refer students to local doctors if needed.

Food is at the heart of French culture - and there are so many options!

You'll become adept at making your own meals in your dorm room's kitchenette. Or, take a look at some  of the other options below.

Meal Plans

*  Students can eat lunch and  dinner at the local student cafeteria, CROUS. You'll learn about getting a meal card at the beginning of the semester.
*  Summer students will have meal plan for lunches only on the days they are in class.

Groceries

There are two nearby grocery stores: CORA and Simply. CORA is along the lines of a Super WalMart, where you can get your haircut, buy clothes, grocieries, and some pain au chocolat. 

Simply is a smaller grocery chain with fresh fruits and vegetables. 

At the beginning of the semester during the swap-shop, students can pick up several reusable grocery bags to assist with trips to the store.

Restaurants

There are many restaurants in Metz and the Technopole area, and some are close to campus. For a full list of restaurants around Metz, see the city's restaurant listings.

There are always things to do around campus and around the city!

Bureau des Etudiants (BDE)

Similar to the Student Government Association of Georgia Tech-Atlanta, the BDE plans events for and supports the student population. 

Past events have included indoor skiing, karaoke and go-karting, amusement parks, Super Bowl parties, cheese and chocolate tasting, and more!

Get involved with the BDE and take part in the planning!

Sports

Get Involved

Gym: Georgia Tech-Lorraine staff and the BDE work to establish a schedule with a local university’s gym each semester, based on availability. There are also several reasonably priced gyms in the Technopole. Additional information will be provided upon arrival.

Soccer: The fields located across the lake from Georgia Tech-Lorraine have set times for use by Georgia Tech-Lorraine students. This is a great way to meet and connect with local students, but you may want to start referring to soccer as football - you are in Europe, after all!

Basketball: Students usually have access to a court and are sometimes invited to form a team to play with a local team.

Softball: Students can participate in a softball tournament with teams from nearby schools.

Become a Fan

• Soccer: FC Metz is a professional football team playing in Leagues 1 and 2. Their stadium is a bus ride away, and tickets are affordable. Get into the football spirit during a Friday night home game!
• Handball: Metz Handball plays in the French Women's First League. The handball club has won multiple championships across France, and tickets are still reasonably priced.

As we're sure you've heard, Georgia Tech-Lorraine students are expert travellers. Now it's your turn!

Check out our official blog, written by and for students, "To GTL...and Beyond!"  to learn more about what life is like at Georgia Tech-Lorraine - and find some inspiration and tips for your dream travels!

Check out our Vlogger, Lubby's Travels!

Undergraduate Independent Travel

Independent travel is an important part of the Georgia Tech-Lorraine experience. 

In the Fall and Spring semesters, students have 3-day weekends to travel Europe.  Occasionally you will have 4-day weekends, and you will have one week off for Fall and Spring break. 

Summer students will have 2-day weekends, with the occasional 3 or 4-day weekend. But, don’t start planning yet--dates for breaks will change from semester to semester and will be scheduled according to French holidays.

Between a Eurail pass and budget airlines, students travel all over France and Europe. Every weekend is a new adventure! The closest station to Georgia Tech-Lorraine is Metz-ville, which also offers shuttle service to the Lorraine TGV Station.

Students use our closed Facebook page and GroupMe to help with trip planning. You’ll always find someone to travel with.

Enjoy writing and getting involved? Check out our Eurail Blogger Contest, offered in the Fall and Spring semesters (link to the Scholarship and Contests page), and you could win a Eurail Pass in exchange for writing a few weekly blog posts.

Graduate Travel

Although you likely won’t have as much time to travel as our undergraduate students, when you are ready to go you will be within easy reach of many exciting destinations within Europe.