With its grand boulevards, world-famous monuments, and iconic skyline (think: the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and Sacré Coeur!), it will be difficult to leave this charmingly romantic city. Along with its many historic world-renowned museums, art flourishes in Paris in the form of public gardens, sidewalk cafés, and outdoor markets, fragrant with fruit and pastries.
This program combines rigorous study of the French language with a broad range of classes taught in French by accomplished faculty. You can also experience what life is like for French students by taking one or more courses at a local French university. Tutoring is available if you need help with the transition to higher education in France.
Paris will also be your classroom. Our courses use Paris as an extension of the classroom, taking you to monuments, museums, and neighborhoods as part of your academic study. This is what study abroad is all about.
We want you to feel at home in France, so we do everything we can to help you integrate into life in Paris. We organize many cultural events around Paris to help you familiarize yourself with the city and its culture. Enjoy plays at the Comédie Française, visits to the Louvre and Picasso museums, and classical music concerts at Salle Cortot and other local theaters.
While you’re in Paris, you can participate in an internship or service learning opportunity to get first-hand experience working in France. You’ll also improve your fluency in French, and maybe make some friends while you’re there.
These dates are preliminary and are subject to change. Students should not book flights according to these dates.
Our mission is simple: to provide you with the best study abroad program possible—which includes the highest quality academic and cultural experiences.
We offer unique courses that explore French Language, History, and Culture through an in-depth and hands-on approach. Our world-class professors and course options at prestigious local universities enhance your academic experience and provide you with new perspectives each day in class.
You take 15 to 19 credit hours per semester; all courses are taught in French, and are worth 3 credits each unless otherwise specified. You create your own academic experience by selecting from the following required and optional components:
This is a list of planned course offerings. After you are accepted, you will see a list of final course offerings in your MyIESabroad account.
To learn more about IES Abroad’s innovative theoretical and pedagogical approaches to teaching language abroad, refer to the IES Abroad MAP for Language & Intercultural Communication.
Université de Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV)www.paris-sorbonne.fr The Université de Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV) is one of the world's best-known universities. From its founding in the Middle Ages through its restructuring in the late 1960s, la Sorbonne has continued to attract scholars from around the world.
Courses Courses at the Sorbonne are typically worth 3 IES Abroad credits each. You can select from courses in the following disciplines:
Courses are offered in different departments: Unités de Formation et de Recherche, or U.F.R. Click here to see the university's various U.F.R.'s.
Location & Commute Time The Sorbonne is located near the Gare Montparnasse train station in the Latin Quarter, which is within walking distance of the IES Abroad Center; however, depending on whether you are studying art history, literature, philosophy, or history, you may be taking courses in three different neighborhoods (Métro: Malesherbes, Porte de Clignancourt, or RER: Luxembourg).
Institut Catholique de Pariswww.icp.fr/fr The Institut Catholique de Paris, founded in 1875 for the purpose of religious training, now offers a full curriculum to a diverse student population. As a small, private institution that enrolls 5,000 French students each year, the Institut Catholique gives you the advantage of smaller classes and more opportunities for interaction with both French students and professors.
Courses The Institut Catholique de Paris offers IES Abroad students opportunities in:
Location & Commute Time Located in the 6th arrondissement, the Institut Catholique de Paris is about 15 minutes from the IES Abroad Center by Métro or bus, or about 30 minutes by foot.
Université de Paris VIII (Vincennes - Saint Denis)www.univ-paris8.fr The Université de Paris VIII (Vincennes - Saint Denis) was founded in 1968 in order to provide a less traditional, more open teaching environment. Since its creation, Paris VIII has never stopped evolving and continues to attract eminent professors from a variety of fields.
With a current approximate enrollment of 20,000 students, Paris VIII is best known for its Women's Studies Program, directed by Hélène Cixous, a prominent French feminist philosopher.
Courses Paris VIII offers IES Abroad students opportunities in:
Location & Commite Time Paris VIII is located in the town of St. Denis, northeast of Paris and right outside of the city limits. Commute times from Paris VIII to the IES Abroad Paris French Studies Center range between 30-45 minutes by Métro.
Académie de la Croix Nivertwww.dessin-peinture-sculpture-paris.com The Croix Nivert's studio workshops allow you ample opportunity to interact with French students and faculty. Only Studio Art majors or minors may apply for this option. You are not required to submit a portfolio with your application.
Courses The Croix Nivert offers opportunities in:
Location & Commute Time The Croix Nivert is located in the15th arrondissement, about a 20-minute commute using public transportation from the IES Abroad Center.
Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris / Alfred Cortot www.ecolenormalecortot.com Classical music students who wish to benefit from high quality, demanding instruction may audition for the prestigious Ecole Normale de Musique/Alfred Cortot (ENM). Founded in 1919 by the renowned pianist Alfred Cortot, the Ecole Normale is the private-school equivalent to the National Conservatory, and educations about 1,100 students.
The Ecole Normale is located in a stately mansion (designated a historical monument) in the 17th arrondissement, about 40 minutes by Métro from the IES Abroad Center.
Registration at the Ecole Normale takes place once a year in the fall semester. For this reason, spring semester students may find that it is difficult to enroll in courses at the Ecole Normale.
The Ecole Normale has requested that interested students contact their IES Abroad Advisor with any questions. Please do not contact the Ecole Normale directly. Music study in Paris through IES Abroad is limited to the Ecole Normale; IES Abroad cannot customize music study at other institutions in Paris.
Courses Fall semester and academic year classical music students may audition to take up to four courses at the Ecole Normale. Registration at the Ecole Normale takes place once a year in the fall semester. For this reason, spring semester students may find that it is difficult to enroll in courses at the Ecole Normale.
The Ecole Normale offers classical instruction in the following instruments:
Admission into the Ecole Normale is based on a CD/audio tape audition. If accepted, you will also audition once on-site, in order to be placed in the correct level. All admissions decisions are made by the Ecole Normale.
Location & Commute Time The Ecole Normale is located in the 17th arrondissement, or about 40 minutes by Métro from the IES Abroad Center.
Registration & Advising Course offerings vary from semester to semester. Exact course availability is determined shortly before the start of each semester.
For this reason, it will not be possible for you to officially register until your arrival in Paris. Shortly after your on-site orientation sessions, you will meet individually with an Academic Advisor to carefully select courses based on your preregistration form, course schedules, academic needs and interests, and eligibility.
While adding study abroad to your resume is impressive enough, adding an international internship experience is even more powerful, and can help distinguish your application for graduate school or a job opportunity in today’s competitive job market.
An internship provides an invaluable cultural experience, and helps you develop professional and personal skills— and greater fluency in French. All IES Abroad internships are supervised and offered as academic options earning IES Abroad credit.
Your internship is complemented by a required seminar that offers contextual support to your practical work experience.
IES Abroad volunteer and service learning opportunities enable you to experience first-hand the social, environmental, and economic challenges facing France today. Service learning placements allow you to develop similar skills as an internship placement while working at social organizations in France. If you choose to participate in a service learning placement, you also participate in a corresponding service learning seminar.
Possible service learning placements include:
Our job is to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding what landmarks to see first or discovering the best café—not finding a place to live where you feel comfortable. We do our best to locate housing that is reflective of how the local students are living. Our goal is that when you leave Paris, it will feel like home.
Homestays - Most students live in French homes in the city of Paris and in the well-regarded adjacent suburbs. You share breakfast daily and three evening meals per week with your hosts. Other meals are available at university cafeterias and inexpensive local restaurants. Commuting times to the IES Abroad Paris Center can range from 15 minutes to an hour.
Apartments - A limited number of placements in apartments are available. You live in a single apartment with a small kitchenette; no meals are provided in this housing option. You can cook for yourself, or dine at university cafeterias and inexpensive local restaurants. The apartments have wired Internet access, on-site laundry, and an RA who lives on-site. The apartments are about a 20-minute walk or short metro ride from the IES Abroad Center. This housing option incurs an additional fee.
Part of making you feel at home in Paris is doing our best to help you feel safe and cared for. Whether it’s the orientation program that prepares you for what’s ahead, your housing that is well-located and comfortable, or the field trips that take you to places off the beaten path—we’re all about our student services. This is just one of the things we’re known for.
In the fall, the French Studies Program orientation begins in Paris and continues with a two-day trip in Normandy. In the spring, orientation continues with a trip to the Loire Valley. Orientation introduces you to the IES Abroad Paris staff, your fellow students, and the city of Paris, as well as to important topics such as academics, housing, transportation, and health and safety. A welcome lunch is included in the orientation, as are walking tours of Paris.
CORE™, IES Abroad’s Comprehensive Orientation & Re-entry Experience, begins during orientation and continues throughout the semester with activities focusing on cultural adjustment, goal achievement, and preparing for the return home.
Following orientation, you engage in a oneweek language-intensive program, called the propédeutique, which prepares you for classes taught in French.
Redefine the way you live and learn in Paris through our cultural events, such as:
Although your adventure begins in Paris, our field trips take you to other great places in France to provide contrast and context for what you are learning in Paris. Past destinations are listed below.
Chantilly 1 Day | Fall & Spring Tour the castle and see a horseback performance in the renowned stables.
Fontainebleau and Vaux-le-Vicomte 1 Day | Fall & Spring Explore the famous châteaux.
Giverny 1 Day | Fall & Spring Visit the inspiration for Monet’s water lily gardens painting.
Reims 1 Day | Fall & Spring Take a guided tour of the Cathédrale Notre Dame, and visit Champagne Pommery for a tour and champagne tasting.
Normandy 2 Days | Fall orientation trip Visit the beaches of Normandy, the Mémorial de Caen, and the American cemetery.
The Loire Valley 2 Days | Spring orientation trip Visit famous châteaux such as Chambord and Amboise and local restaurants with regional specialties.
IES Abroad field trip destinations, activities, and length of stay may vary according to term and availability.
IES ABROAD PARIS FRENCH STUDIES 77, rue Daguerre | 75014 Paris | France The IES Abroad Paris French Studies Center is located on a bustling market street near the Cimetière du Montparnasse. A thriving business district, the area is filled with restaurants, food shops, boutiques, and cafés.
Features include:
Marie-Anne DevauxIES Abroad Director
Marie-Anne Devaux holds a Licence ès Lettres Modernes and a Diplôme d'Etudes Théâtrales from the Université de la Sorbonne (Paris III). Prior to joining IES Abroad, Mme. Devaux worked as Administrative Director of EDUCO, the Duke and Cornell joint program in Paris, as a Drama instructor for several programs in Paris (such as Duke, Scripps, and Northwestern), and as Director of the Academic Year Abroad program in Paris. She is also the Director of the IES Abroad Arles Summer Program.
IES Abroad Staff Olivia AuzouRegistrar
Celine ChataingHousing Coordinator
Eve GrinsteadStudent Affairs and Academic Coordinator
Anna ShoemakerAdministrative and Financial Officer, Customized Program Coordinator
Faculty Anne-Catherine AbécassisIslamic and African Art Doctorat d'Histoire de l'art, Université de Paris I M.A. en Histoire de l'Art, Université de Montréal D.E.A. d' Histoire de l'art, Université de Paris I
Leigh AllenTheater Ph.D, Department of French & Romance Philology, Columbia University DEA, Littérature comparée, Paris IV, Sorbonne
Michel BerthetFrench Certificat de Didactique du Français Langue Etrangère - Université de Paris III M.A. University of Oregon Licence de Lettres Modernes - Université de Lyon II
Marie-Anne DevauxTheater Maîtrise d'Etudes Théâtrales Université de Paris III - Sorbonne
Denis FerréHistory Agrégé d’histoire Maîtrise d’histoire contemporaine, Université de Grenoble Maîtrise de Sciences Politiques, IUP, Grenoble
Sophie FesdijianSociology Doctoral Candidate in Social Anthropology, l'Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (l'EHESS) DEA d'Anthropologie Sociale, l'Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (l'EHESS)
Anaïs Frantz de SpotGender studies / Literature Doctorat en Littérature et Civilisation Françaises, La Sorbonne Nouvelle-Paris III
Marc GermananguePolitical Science DEA de Sciences Politiques - Université de Paris I - Sorbonne Maîtrise de Sciences Sociales, Université René Descartes de Tours Diplôme de l'IEP de Paris (Sciences Po)
Sonia GourévitchPhonetics Maîtrise de Français Langue Etrangère Université de Nanterre-Paris X
Dominique JouhaudFrench, Translation DESS Anglais - Allemand - Université de Paris III Diplôme Anglais - Allemand Ecole supérieure d'Interprètes et de Traducteurs - Université de Paris
Fabrice MasanèsArt History / History of Photography Doctorat histoire, mention histoire de l’art, Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne, Master Histoire de l’art, Université de Montréal
Antoine MégieSociology / Political Science Doctorat de Sciences politiques, Institut d’Études politiques de Paris/Centre d’études européennes
Renée MollArt History Maîtrise et DEA Histoire de l'Art et d'Archéologie Université Panthéon-Sorbonne
Claude RabatéHistory Licence ès Lettres Université de Paris I-Sorbonne
Sophie RobertFrench Literature Docteur ès lettres de la Sorbonne- Paris IV DEA Littérature et Civilisation Françaises Maîtrise Lettres Modernes Université de Paris IV - Sorbonne
Pierre SamsonFrench Studies Licence ès Lettres Modernes Diplôme de l'Institut des Hautes Etudes Cinématographiques Réalisateur cinématographe
Veronique TeyssandierFrench DEA Lettres et civilisation françaises, Université de Paris III
Truc Long Vô TrânBusiness French Maîtrise de Français Langue Étrangère Licence de sciences du langage Université Paris III-Sorbonne Nouvelle
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