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Academics
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, as well as other topics, through an in-depth and hands-on approach. Our world-class professors and course options at prestigious local institutions enhance your academic experience and provide you with new perspectives each day in class.
While in Nantes, you take 15–19 credits per semester, and all courses are worth 3 credits unless otherwise specified. All courses are taught in French.
Create your own academic experience by selecting from the following required and optional components:
- IES Abroad French language course (required, 3-4 credits)
- French-taught area studies courses (required, 3 credits each)
- French-taught courses at a local university (optional, 3 credits each)
- Teaching Internship and seminar (optional, 3 credits)
Courses
This is a tentative list of courses offered in Nantes. After you are accepted, you will see a list of final course offerings for your term in your MyIESabroad account. The final course list for each term will depend on faculty availability, students interested in each course, and discipline diversity.
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.
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| AH 313 - French Classicism: Art And Architecture | Fall | French | 3 |
| AH 314 - French 19th and 20th Century Art | Spring | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| CU 356 - French Cooking and Gastronomy: Food, Wine and Etiquette | Fall, Spring | French | 3 |
| SO/PO/CU 352 - French Overseas Territories: A Model of Diversity Management | Spring | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| EC 380 - International Trade And Globalization | Fall | French | 3 |
| PO/EC 382 - The European Union and France | Spring | French | 3 |
| PP/EC/ES 364 - Nantes Green Capital: A Model for Understanding the Green Economy | Spring | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP/EC/ES 364 - Nantes Green Capital: A Model for Understanding the Green Economy | Spring | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| FR 303 - French Language in Context: Emerging Independent Abroad | Fall, Spring | French | 4 |
| FR 353 - French Language in Context: Independent Abroad | Fall, Spring | French | 4 |
| FR 377 - Phonetics and Conversation | Fall, Spring | French | 4 |
| FR 401 - French Language in Context: Emerging Competent Abroad | Fall, Spring | French | 3 |
| FR 451 - French Language in Context: Competent Abroad | Fall, Spring | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| FS 320 - History of French Cinema | Fall | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| HS 358 - France And The Atlantic World | Fall | French | 3 |
| RL/HS 342 - Religion, Society and the State in Modern France | Spring | French | 3 |
| RL/HS 362 - Nantes Between Revolution and Counter-Revolution. Political and Religious Controversies of the French Revolution: the Example of Nantes (1780-1832) | Fall | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| IB 350 - International Marketing | Spring | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| IN 395 - Teaching Internship Seminar | Fall, Spring | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| LT 345 - Panorama of French Theater | Spring | French | 3 |
| LT 347 - French Writers and Foreign Nations: Encounters with the "Other" in 19th and 20th Century Literature | Fall | French | 3 |
| LT 348 - French Romanticism | Spring | French | 3 |
| LT 349 - French Poetry At The Turn Of The Century | Fall | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| PO 371 - Construction of a European Union from 1945 to the Present | Fall | French | 3 |
| PO 372 - Government and Politics in France since 1958 | Spring | French | 3 |
| PO/EC 382 - The European Union and France | Spring | French | 3 |
| SO/PO/CU 352 - French Overseas Territories: A Model of Diversity Management | Spring | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| PP/EC/ES 364 - Nantes Green Capital: A Model for Understanding the Green Economy | Spring | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| RL/HS 342 - Religion, Society and the State in Modern France | Spring | French | 3 |
| RL/HS 362 - Nantes Between Revolution and Counter-Revolution. Political and Religious Controversies of the French Revolution: the Example of Nantes (1780-1832) | Fall | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| SO 360 - Contemporary French Society: French Identity In The European Union | Fall | French | 3 |
| SO/PO/CU 352 - French Overseas Territories: A Model of Diversity Management | Spring | French | 3 |
| Course Name | Term | Language | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| TH 343 - Theater Production | Fall, Spring | French | 3 |
Partner Institution(s)
The amount of credit awarded by partner institutions varies and depends on the number of contact hours for the course. Course offerings vary from semester to semester, and course listings and syllabi are not available until shortly before the beginning of the academic year. While IES Abroad studnets have access to complete course listings at each of the following schools, final course availability and recommendations by the IES Abroad center will be availbale after arrival on-site.
Université de Nantes
www.univ-nantes.fr
IES Abroad students have been enrolling in courses at the Université since the IES Abroad Nantes Program opened in 1965. All students will be automatically registered at the Université de Nantes and are encouraged to enroll in at least one university course provided you have the appropriate prerequisites. You may choose to enroll in just one course or you can take the majority of your courses at the Université in addition to your IES Abroad French language class.
Courses
Most university courses are assigned 3 credits for a semester. At the Université de Nantes, most courses consist of a cours magistral (lecture course) and a travaux dirigés (discussion sessions). The lecture course is taught by a professor or a maître de conférences, and the travaux dirigés are generally taught by an associate professor.
You may select French-taught courses in:
- Art History
- Business and Economics
- Education
- Geography
- History
- Humanities
- Languages and Literature
- Political Science
- Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy
- Sciences: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Mathematics, Physics
Location & Commute Time
The main campus, called Tertre Campus, hosts the colleges of Language, Literature, Geography, History, Art History, Humanities, Political Science, Business, Economics and Management, Education, and Psychology. The Tertre campus, situated on the Erdre River, is located in the outskirts of Nantes, in the northern part of the city. The Tertre Campus of the Université de Nantes can easily be reached by tram and buses. It is only a 20-minute tram ride from the city center and approximately 25 minutes from the IES Abroad Center.
The Lombarderie Campus hosts all courses in the sciences, and is a 10-minute tram ride from the city center and the IES Abroad Center, in the same direction as Tertre Campus.
Audencia Business School
www.audencia.com/en/
Consistently ranked as one of the world’s top 100 institutions for Business & Management, the Audencia Business School is one of France’s elite Grande Ecole institutions, ranked sixth in the nation. Audencia has AACSB and EQUIS accreditation and offers French-taught courses. The Audencia Business School is ranked 6th in all of France and is highly international, with a third of the student body made up of international students.
IES Abroad students have access to French-taught courses within the following three parts of the institution:
- Audenica Business School
- SciencesCom (communications & media)
- Ecole Atlantique de Commerce (business)
Ecole Supérieure des Beaux Arts (ESBA)
beauxartsnantes.fr/
Fall and Academic Year IES Abroad students (with priority given to students with experience) may enroll in one course at this fine arts school. As registration takes place in September only, spring students may enroll only if a spot becomes vacant.
Courses
ESBA courses are practical workshops - you work alone with advising from the class instructor. Your evaluation and grade is based on your work and progress in class. ESBA offers you opportunities in:
- Drawing (i.e. pencil, pastel, ink, etc)
- Life Drawing
- Painting
Courses typically earn 2 credits.
Location & Commute Time
ESBA is located in downtown Nantes, a 10-15 minute walk from the IES Abroad Nantes Center.
Internships
IES Abroad offers students the opportunity to intern as an English teacher while in Nantes. Interning as a teacher while you study in Nantes gives you a rewarding job experience with a wealth of long-lasting career benefits. You will:
- Gain a better understanding of the real-life, everyday culture of your host country
- Add global work experience and skills to your résumé or your applicationfor graduate school
- Improve your confidence
All of our teaching internships are supervised and earn IES Abroad credit. You participate in a 3-credit seminar to complement the practical experience you gain during the internship.
Teaching Placements
Participating in a teaching internship in Nantes as part of your study abroad experience gives you the opportunity to learn about the French education system and teach English to French students. No prior teaching experience is required. A teaching internship abroad will help distinguish your application for graduate school or a job opportunity. It’s an exhilarating challenge, and we’re here to help guide you in securing your placement and succeeding in your internship.
You complete at least four hours of supervised teaching each week, and participate in a seminar to complement the practical experience you gain during the internship.
Placements are available in écoles primaires (elementary schools), collèges (junior high schools), and lycées (high schools).
Field Trips & Events
Even though your adventure starts in Nantes, our field trips take you beyond the city to discover the culture and traditions of your host country. These trips are subsidized by IES Abroad. Here are a few possible destinations:
Clisson
1 Day | Fall & Spring
Tour this small, Italian-style town and the Muscadet vineyards of the Nantes region.
Loire Valley
2 Days | Fall
Visit five of the most famous châteaux in the heart of the Loire Valley.
Mont Saint-Michel and Saint Malo
1 Day | Fall & Spring
Visit the famous abbey on the island of Mont Saint-Michel and explore Saint Malo, a walled port city on the English Channel.
Normandy
2 Days | Spring
Visit the historic D-Day beaches and the American Cemetery of Normandy.
IES Abroad field trip destinations, activities, and length of stay may vary according to term and availability.
Daily Life
Part of making you feel at home in Nantes 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.
Orientation
The program begins with a 10-day orientation and language-intensive session that introduces you to the IES Abroad staff, your fellow students, and the city of Nantes, and prepares you for full French immersion.
A portion of your orientation takes place off-site in coastal resort towns, such as Caen, Quimper, or Vannes in the fall; and the city of Tours in the Loire Valley in the spring.
Additionally, 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.
Housing
We want to make sure that your greatest challenge is deciding which 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 Nantes, it will feel like home.
Homestay
Live in a private room with a local family in a homestay. Many host families have been welcoming IES Abroad students into their homes for years. Only one student is housed with each family. You receive breakfast daily and five evening meals per week.
Extracurricular Activities & Cultural Events
Redefine the way you live and learn in Nantes through our cultural events, such as:
- French table lunches with Center staff and professors
- Trips to local operal and theater productions
- Visits to museums, local industries, and exhibitions
- Student theater performances
- A weekly conversation club for French and IES Abroad students
University Clubs & Events
Upon enrolling in the IES Abroad Nantes Program, you are automatically registered at the Université de Nantes and have access to join student clubs and other social and sports organizations.
Get to Know Your New City
For instance, try the galettes de blé noir, savory buckwheat crêpes filled with eggs, cheese, and ham.
Named because it serves as a link between two streets, this spectacularly ornate and elaborate little shopping mall is stunning, whether you’re here to shop or just passing through.
With beautiful gardens surrounding the moat and a fascinating museum of Nantes’ history inside, this impressive castle is a must see.
Since Nantes is right on the Loire River, a scenic boat cruise down the estuary to the nearby Atlantic Ocean is a great way to spend a few hours.
This collection of gigantic and whimsical mechanical beasts is something you’ll only find here in Nantes.
Program Cost
Consider these prices as a starting point. We encourage you to contact your study abroad office to determine the actual cost to you when factoring in financial aid, scholarships, your home school policies, and other factors.
Use our budget worksheet to calculate your costs
$5 Million in Financial Aid
Our Center
The IES Abroad Nantes Center is located in a gorgeous 19th-century residential building that is located just steps from the historic center of Nantes and the Passage Pommeraye—a narrow passageway of galleries that fill three levels and is covered by a canopied glass ceiling.
Features include:
- WiFI access
- Computer stations and printer
- A student lounge and TV room
- Classrooms, offices, and a library
- A kitchen for student use
Our Staff
Anna Shoemaker
Center Director
Anna Shoemaker joined the Nantes Center in the summer of 2016. She brings with her years of IES Abroad experience. Since 2008, Anna served at the Paris French Studies Center in many different roles, ranging from accounting and student affairs to managing customized programs and organizing the internship program. In 2013, she served as Interim Director.
Anna attended the IES Abroad Paris French Studies Program as a student from the University of Texas – Austin, where she received a BA in French, Art History, and Plan II Honors. Anna then went on to complete her Master’s Degree in Training Management from the Université Paris-Dauphine, where she wrote her thesis on training faculty to use learning technology.
IES Abroad Staff
IES Abroad Nantes Staff
Béatrice de la Bretesche
Senior Accountant and Academic & Administrative Coordinator
Eugénie Fouré
Housing Coordinator
Cindy Brétéché
Academic and Cultural Coordinator
Latest from Nantes
View from the dinner boat we took up the river Erdre last week
Contact a Past Participant
From budgeting tips to housing insight, 500+ IES Abroad Ambassadors volunteer their study abroad experiences and advice.
