Well-prepared undergraduates (normally juniors, but occasionally some seniors) who have a demonstrated interest in France and French-speaking cultures and have completed French 21 and 22 (Composition and Conversation) or the equivalent to six semesters of college-level French may apply to the program. At least one third-year level course, such as French 31 or 32 (Masterpieces of French Literature) or French 121 or 122 is highly recommended. A grade point average of 3.0 in all French courses is required. Regardless of language level or previous instruction, students are advised to take a course in French language or literature in the semester preceding the semester or year in Paris. Majors from the following departments have participated in the program in recent years: art history, economics, English, French, history, international relations, political science, psychology and sociology. All majors are encouraged to apply, but preference will be given to students with solid French language skills and a strong commitment to the cultural and academic goals of the program.

All students applying to the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (Sciences-Po) must pass a test administered on the Tufts campus in spring 2008. A cumulative GPA of 3.5 is required for application. Sciences-Po makes the final decision with regard to admission.

Students are expected to enroll in a minimum of four courses each semester. At least one course each semester must be taken in the French university system. Three in-house courses are offered by Tufts in Paris during the fall semester, and a fourth in-house course on French & European Political History is offered in the spring. Full-year students are required to take either the in-house French language or French literature course each semester. Spring semester students must take at least two in-house courses, including French language. The art history course meets once a week, mainly in museums, whereas all other Tufts courses meet twice a week. Regular French university courses meet once or twice a week, depending on the course and institution.

The Tufts-in-Paris in-house courses are the following:

French P 121/122 - Advanced Language
Written and oral expression, with an emphasis on contemporary usage and culture, current events, and French academic writing skills and methodology. (This course may be taken in addition to FR 121-122 in Medford.) Offered fall and spring semesters. One course credit each semester.

French P 31/191 - French Society in French Literature: Middle Ages to 18th Century
French P 32/192 - French Society in French Literature: 19th & 20th Centuries

Survey of French literature with an emphasis on texts in which Paris plays a prominent role. Authors and texts may vary from year to year, but have included Marie de France, Rabelais, Molière, Racine, Voltaire, Marivaux, Musset, Baudelaire, Balzac, Zola, Camus and Modiano. Students who have already completed FR 31 or 32 (or both) in Medford must do extra work in order to receive 100-level credit towards the French major. In that case, the course will appear as FR P 191 (fall) and FR P 192 (spring) on the Tufts transcript. One course credit each semester.

PS 194- France and the European Union (spring only)

Course themes and topics vary from year to year but may include: the evolution of French constitutions, politics, and foreign policy since World War II; France’s role in the creation of Europe and its stance on current EU policies; France’s relations with other EU countries; French perspectives on immigration and globalization; and major historical events and social movements in France and Europe from 1945 to the present.

FAH 193 & 194- History of French Art : Middle Ages to the 20th Century
Chronological survey of French art and architecture from the Middle Ages to the present, with an emphasis on works and monuments in Paris. Classes and lectures take place mainly in the museums of Paris and are complemented by field trips outside of Paris each semester to places such as Chartres, Giverny, Versailles, Fontainebleau, and Vézelay. Fall semester covers the Middle Ages to the early nineteenth century; spring semester focuses on nineteenth- and twentieth-century artists and movements. One course credit each semester.

Students can take no more than three in-house courses each semester and must select remaining courses from among the offerings at Tufts’ partner institutions in Paris: Universities of Paris I and Paris III, the Institut Catholique, and Sciences-Po. Students who have completed 100-level French courses at Tufts are strongly encouraged to take no more than two in-house courses and enroll in at least two regular French university courses. Prerequisites may apply in certain courses; all advising and final course selection occurs in Paris and must be approved by the resident director. Course offerings for the current year may be viewed on the Web sites below.
 

University Courses

http://www.sciences-po.fr

http://www.univ-paris1.fr/

http://www.univ-paris3.fr/

http://www.icp.fr

The French university courses listed below were taken by Tufts-in-Paris students in recent years.  Note: The list is not exhaustive and course themes may vary from year to year.

Cinema Studies
New Wave Filmmakers and Films
Film Noir
Films of Agnès Varda

Economics
History of Major Economic & Social Movements
Economics of Development
World Economy

French and Comparative Literature
North African and African Francophone Literature
Theater & Madness
Representations of the Bourgeoisie in 19th-Century Literature
Representing Passion in 17th-Century French Literature
Nature and Civilization in 19th-Century Literature
Libertines in 18th-Century Literature

Fine Arts
Art of the Middle Ages
Art of the Renaissance
Gothic Architecture in France
Art since 1945

History/Political Science
History of Political Thought
Contemporary World History
French Politics, Culture, and Society in the Early Twentieth Century
European Union: Construction and Institutions
Comparative Politics
USSR During the Cold War
History of Nazism: 1919-1945

France During the Reign of Louis XIV
Twentieth-Century African History

International Relations
History of Modern China
History and Politics in the Middle East
Women and Politics in Europe
Major Issues in Contemporary Africa
Geopolitical & Cultural Approach to Europe
Issues in Globalization
Latin America in the Twenty-First Century

Social Sciences
Child Psychology
Psychology and Education
Sociology of Exclusion

Urban Sociology
Social and Cultural Anthropology
Ethnology of African Religions

PLEASE NOTE: All courses listed above not necessarily offered each year.

Internships
Full-year students may apply in the fall for a one-credit internship of 150 hours beginning in early February and continuing through late May. Interested students must attend an informational meeting in October and submit their résumé in French to the internship coordinator by November 1. Previous Tufts-in-Paris students have done internships in various non-profit organizations, cultural centers, libraries or research institutions, a French bank, a magazine, etc. Advanced French skills may be required for certain types of internships; interviews are conducted in French, and the organization offering the internship makes the final decision. All participants must attend a monthly meeting, submit a final internship report in French, and do an exit interview in order to receive a grade. This experiential internship may replace an academic course in the spring, and credit in French is granted by the Department of Romance Languages.

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Academic Calendar 2007-2008

(dates are approximate)

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Accommodations, Meals, and Transportation

Full-year students receive an annual transportation pass at the beginning of the year. Semester students receive a transportation stipend every month to purchase a monthly pass.

The program also provides participants with a railway pass for students enabling purchase of reduced-fare train tickets for travel within France.

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Orientation

Student Activities

The Tufts-in-Paris program includes day and overnight trips each semester to sites of historical and architectural interest. Past excursions have included Fontainebleau, Giverny, Versailles, Chartres, the Loire Valley, Brittany, Burgundy, and Provence. In addition, an individual cultural stipend each semester allows students to be reimbursed for things such as museum exhibit entry fees, tickets to French plays or movies, membership fees for a club or cultural center, or subscriptions to a French magazine or newspaper.

As full-time students in France, Tufts-in-Paris participants benefit from the same advantages as French students: low-priced meal tickets for use in university restaurants throughout Paris, reduced-price entry fees at cinemas, concert halls, theaters, museums, and private gyms.

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Comprehensive Program Fee

2007-2008

• Ten-day orientation in Paris and group excursion;
• Three program courses in fall and four in spring, as described above;
• Full tuition and fees to allow each student to take a range of courses at the following institutions, as appropriate: University of Paris I or III, Institut d’Etudes Politiques, Institut Catholique;
• Room, breakfast, and five dinners per week with French homestay (Christmas and Easter vacations excluded);
• Lunch allowance (Christmas and Easter vacations excluded);
• Transportation passes;
• A weekend group excursion and day trips each semester;
• Cultural events in Paris: theater, concerts, etc.