Study abroad students follow a curriculum of the Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne. All classes are taught in French and are intended specifically for nonnative speakers.
The program begins with a ten day Orientation session, which includes a French language review course. Then a placement test determines appropriate course levels for all students: advanced, high intermediate, intermediate, low intermediate, and beginning.
All students enroll in the following courses for a total of 16 credits:
• French Language Course: students are placed at the appropriate language level. This 9 credit course meets for 10 hours each week.
• A minimum of two elective conferences at the appropriate language level-conferences meet once a week for two hours and are worth two credits each. Subjects covered in the conferences vary, but may include French History, French Literature, Social and Economic Geography of France, French Politics, French Art History, and French Cinema and Theater.
• Director's Course: a 3 credit course on French culture, which turns all of Paris into a classroom. Students visit the historical quarters of Paris and study the city's wealth of architectural and fine arts treasures.
Other options include:
Business French (for high intermediate and advanced students) This course covers the main aspects of French business language, commercial office work and correspondence, commercial French, the language of company management, the language of international relations. The course runs for 12 weeks, with six hours of practical language (six credits) and four hours of business French (four credits FRE 399 Business French) plus 10 hours of phonetics per month. Students earn a Certificate of the Chamber of Commerce of Paris.
La Section Universitaire: (for advanced students) with a choice in literature or economy. Earns the same total credit hours as the less advanced courses, but just 2 hours of grammar per week. The remaining hours are lectures, classes in literature, or in economy at the same level as the French students at the university; however, students still study with other international students. Students earn a Diplome of Sorbonne Paris IV, equivalent to the one French students earn.
A program of cultural activities, field trips, theater, ballet and opera is offered as an option to students. The tickets/entry fees are subsidized, enabling students to attend these events at greatly reduced costs.
A resident director is on-hand to assist students in selecting courses, organizing the orientation with walking tours of Paris and visit to museums, and plans the excursions and evenings at the theater.
