Study Abroad in Paris: Courses
Students may select courses in English, French or both according to language ability and placement tests. Students must place into the advanced level to enroll in Sorbonne lecture courses. Recommended semester credits are in parentheses. Quarter students should reduce total credits by one-third. Courses taught in French with the same course content as the English equivalent have an “F” after the course number.
Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne
French language classes for all foreign students (cours pratique and phonetics: one required, nine credits per course):
Fall semester |
Spring semester |
French 101 |
French 101 |
French 151 |
French 151 |
French 201 |
French 201 |
French 301 |
French 301 |
French 401 |
French 401 |
French 307 |
French 307 |
French 407 |
French 407 |
Seminars in English for AIFS students (three credits):
Fall semester |
Spring semester |
FA/History 313 |
FA/History 314 |
Fine Arts 319 |
Fine Arts 319 |
French 305 |
French 306 |
Philosophy 360 |
Philosophy 360 |
Political Science 360 |
Political Science 360 |
Literature 360 |
Literature 360 |
Sociology 360 |
Sociology 360 |
Seminars in French for AIFS students (three credits):
Fall semester |
Spring semester |
FA/Hist/French 313F |
FA/Hist/French 314F |
Fine Arts 319F |
Fine Arts 319F |
Fine Arts 328 |
Fine Arts 329 |
Sociology 311 |
Fine Arts 330 |
French 310 |
|
Sociology 311 |
|
Lecture courses in advanced level French for foreign students:
(lecture topics may be modified at short notice)
Fall semester |
Spring semester |
Econ/Geog 401 |
Econ/Geog 402 |
Fine Arts 411 |
Fine Arts 412 |
French 415 |
Philosophy 412 |
Philosophy 411 |
Philosophy 414 |
Philosophy 413 |
Politics 410 |
politics 409 |
Sociology 412 |
Sociology 411 |
|
French 411 |
|
Courses available at other institutions in Paris
Usually three credits per course, check course descriptions:
Fall semester |
Spring semester |
| Académie de Port Royal (in French) | |
Fine Arts 301 |
Fine Arts 301 |
| University of London Institute in Paris (in English) | |
Fine Arts 293 |
Fine Arts 293 |
Fine Arts 306 |
|
| Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (in English) | |
Fine Arts 205 |
Fine Arts 205 |
Fine Arts 305 |
|
| Schola Cantorum (in French) | |
Music 307 |
Music 307 |
| Special courses of the Sorbonne and Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris | |
Certificat de Français Professionnel |
|
Diplôme de Français des Affaires—1er degré |
|
Diplôme Supérieur d’Études de Civilisation Française (Sorbonne only). |
|
Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne
Several courses are organized and taught by Sorbonne instructors exclusively for AIFS students. Beginning and lower intermediate students should choose courses taught in English during the first semester in Paris. Advanced students in both semesters and full year students in the second semester should choose courses taught in French (see listings). These classes should not be confused with the regular Sorbonne lecture series.
A minimum of 10 students is needed to confirm a course (classes usually have about 15 students). Each seminar meets 30 hours per semester plus 15 hours of directed study outside class. (These are 60-minute classes for 30 contact hours, equivalent to 36 hours of 50 minute classes.) All levels of French language (cours pratiques) meet considerably more hours—140 contact hours of 60 minute classes.
Beginning and intermediate students must take the cours pratique in French and a seminar in French or English given by the Sorbonne each semester. They should also plan to take two additional courses or seminars each semester. Full year students whose level of French is sufficient by the second semester will be encouraged to enroll in advanced courses. Advanced students must take one seminar in French the second semester.
French language courses for all foreign students (top)
French 101 fall/spring (9)
Elementary French I
First year cours pratique in French grammar and writing practice for beginners and students with up to two years of college French. An average of 12 hours per week for 12 weeks including phonetics lab. Placement is by test.
French 151
Elementary French II
This course reviews basic grammar and further studies the foundations of the French language. Many complex grammar points are considered, giving students a solid background in the language.
French 201 fall/spring (9)
Intermediate French
An average of 12 hours a week for 12 weeks including phonetics lab. Vocabulary, grammar, composition and textual analysis. Placement is by test, regardless of previous study.
Phonetics (-)
Phonetic French intended to give students a working knowledge of the language for everyday needs. Taught in small groups for 20 hours per semester. Must be taken in conjunction with French 101 or 201.
French 301 fall/spring (9)
Advanced French I
Meets for 12 hours a week. Vocabulary, grammar, composition and textual analysis. Placement is by test, regardless of previous study. Taken in conjunction with a phonetics class.
French 401 fall/spring (9)
Advanced French II
Meets for 12 hours a week. Perfecting techniques already learned and acquiring a more sophisticated written and spoken style. Taken in conjunction with a phonetics class.
Phonetics (-)
Phonetic French. Taught in small groups for 20 hours per semester. Must be taken in conjunction with French 301 or 401.
French 307/French 407 fall/spring (9)
Certificat de Français Professionnel Diplôme de Français des Affairs-1er degré
This course is described in detail under "special courses" below.
Seminars in English for AIFS students (top)
Fine Arts/History 313 fall only (3)
French Civilization
Major historical, artistic and literary trends and the relationships of artistic and literary works to the social, political and economic evolution of the French state. Art and society in Roman Gaul through the 10th century. Development of the French nation in medieval France. Renaissance artistic and literary developments concluding with 17th century. Recommended for students not yet at the advanced level. Continues spring semester as Fine Arts/History 314.
Fine Arts/History 314 spring only (3)
French Civilization
French society and artistic movements in the tumultuous 18th century and political and artistic changes in the 19th century. Study of 20th century developments. Recommended for students entering spring semester not yet at the advanced level. Full year students are encouraged to enroll in Fine Arts 314F, which covers the same material but is taught in French.
Fine Arts 319 fall/spring (3)
Paris: Its Architecture and History
Growth patterns of the city from Roman times to the present, stressing history of art and architecture. Takes students around the city. Students must pay entrance fees. Recommended for first semester students below the advanced level.
French 305-306 fall/spring (3)
French Literature in Translation
Emphasizes 17th and 18th century literature in the fall semester, and the 19th century and modern French novel in the spring.
Philosophy 360 fall/spring (3)
Studies in French Philosophy
Through detailed readings, students analyze authors who have made significant contributions to western philosophy. Authors are placed in their historical, cultural and philosophical context.
New! Political Science/Literature 360 fall/spring (3)
Franco American Relations from Lafayette to Today
This course traces the history of the close intellectual and political
relationship between France and the U.S. from American Independence to
the present day. Works by Benjamin Franklin, Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude
Stein and other writers and statesmen who lived in Paris are considered,
as well as writings by Lafayette and de Tocqueville's Study of American
Democracy. This course visits Parisian locations described in the writings
of some of these American authors.
New! Sociology 360 spring only (3)
Multiculturalism and Modern France
This course concentrates on the multiculturalism of modern France,
studying the historical background and contemporary reality of the various
components of French society today.
Seminars in French for AIFS students (top)
These electives are organized and taught by instructors of the Sorbonne exclusively for AIFS students. A minimum of 10 students is needed to confirm a course. Advanced level participants are required to elect at least one each semester.
Fine Arts/French/History 313F fall only (3)
Civilisation Française
(French Civilization)
This course is the same course as Fine Arts 313/History 313 but is taught in French. Recommended for all fall semester advanced level students. Continues in the spring semester as Fine Arts/History/French 314F.
Fine Arts/History/French 314F spring only (3)
Civilisation Française
(French Civilization)
This course is the same as Fine Arts 314/History 314 but is taught in French. Recommended for all advanced and full year students, but not for students entering the program in the spring semester below the advanced level (they should choose Fine Arts 314 in English).
Fine Arts 319F fall/spring (3)
Paris: Son Architecture, Son Histoire
(Paris: Its Architecture and History)
This is the same as Fine Ar ts 319 but taught in French. Recommended for advanced and full year students in the spring. Enrollment is limited.
Fine Arts 328 fall only (3)
La Peinture Française aux 17ème et 18ème Siècles
(French Painting in the 17th and 18th Centuries)
Survey of French painting from Fouquet to Quentin La Tour. Regular museum visits, including the Louvre. Students pay museum entrance fees.
Fine Arts 329 spring only (3)
Impressionnisme: Ses Antécédents, Ses Suites
(Impressionism: Its Antecedents and What Followed)
The development of the Impressionist movement from such precursors as Corot and Courbet to Monet and Renoir, ending with post-Impressionists Van Gogh and Gauguin. Students pay museum entrance fees.
Fine Arts 330 spring only (3)
La Peinture Française du Post-Impressionnisme à Nos Jours
(French Painting from Post-Impressionism to Modern Art)
Major current events in modern art since the Impressionist movement. Museum visits. Students pay museum entrance fees.
French 310 spring only (3)
Le Roman et la Poésie aux 19ème et 20ème Siècles
(19th and 20th Century French Novels and Poetry)
Development of modern French literature through the analysis of 19th and 20th century prose and poetry. Poetry and the novel are explored through the major ideas of romanticism, realism, surrealism, symbolism and existentialism.
Sociology 311 fall/spring (3)
La Société Française
(French Society)
France through its social and political life, its inhabitants and culture. Geographic, historic and demographic factors as well as social institutions such as the family, education, religion and the legal system. Contemporary social and economic problems.
Honors level courses for advanced language students
Students at the advanced level of French and with a GPA of 3.0 or above may take the following courses in the Honors Program. Students must be aware that their French level is determined by the Sorbonne French test placement result, regardless of the number of semesters of French study previously completed. Student placement is the sole responsibility of the Sorbonne, and AIFS cannot overrule the Sorbonne's decisions concerning placements and grades.These courses are not open to quarter students. Language classes meet for 12 hours week, lecture classes meet for 24 hours per semester. Program is subject to change at short notice.
Advanced Independent Study 450 fall/spring (2)
Honors Research Seminar in French Studies
Students placed in Advanced French I or II have a preliminary
meeting with a professor to choose a research topic (in French) on a subject
related to French civilization (history, art, literature). This course
will have monthly tutorial supervision. Each student must write a research
paper (15,000 to 20,000 words) in French. The final grade is determined
by the supervising Sorbonne Director of Research.
French 301 fall/spring (9)
Advanced French I
Meets for 12 hours a week. Vocabulary, grammar, composition and
textual analysis. Placement is by test, regardless of previous study. Taken
in conjunction with a phonetics class.
French 401 fall/spring (9)
Advanced French II
Meets for 12 hours a week. Perfecting techniques already learned and acquiring
a more sophisticated written and spoken style. Taken in conjunction with a phonetics
class.
Lecture courses in French (top)
Economics/Geography 401 fall only (3)
Géographie Economique et Sociale de la France
(Economic and Social Problems in France)
The structure of the French economy—industry, management, labor relations, economic institutions, imports/ exports and related topics. Current problems, alternatives and solutions, as well as implications on other aspects of French national life.
Economics/Geography 402 spring only (3)
Vie Economique et Sociale des Régions Françaises
(Economic and Social Life of the French Regions)
A continuation of 401, emphasis is on regional problems. Development and state aid are among topics.
Fine Arts 411/412 fall/spring (3)
Histoire de l’Art Français
(French Art History)
Movements and individual artists and the development of painting, architecture and sculpture in France. The first semester covers the art of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The second semester covers modern French art from the academics to cubism.
French 411 fall only (3)
Littérature et Civilisation Française de la Renaissance et de l’Age Classique
(Renaissance and Classical Literature and Civilization)
Literature forms and their principal exponents. A cross-disciplinary perspective is taken so as to examine literature as a product of its social and historical contexts.
French 414 spring only (3)
Littérature Française du 19ème Siècle
(19th Century French Literature)
Major works and writers of the 19th century from Chateaubriand to Mallarmé. Different genres: drama, poetry and the novel.
French 415 fall only (3)
Littérature Française du 18ème Siècle
(18th Century French Literature)
French literature from the classic period to the Siècle des Lumières with attention to Montesquieu, Marivaux, Voltaire, Diderot and Rousseau. The pre-romanticists and the development of the novel.
French 416 spring only (3)
Littérature Française du 20ème Siècle
(20th Century French Literature)
The naturalist movement in the novel, symbolism as a new kind of poetry, Claudel and idealism, André Gide, Proust and the social, psychological and moral implications of La Recherche and the novels and plays of Jean Giraudoux.
Philosophy 411/412 fall/spring (3)
Histoire des Idées en France
(History of Ideas in France)
During the fall semester, French tradition in thought from the Middle Ages to the 18th century. Spring semester covers the Revolution to the present. Individual thinkers and their works are outlined.
Philosophy 413/414 fall/spring (3)
Vie et Pensée Modernes
(Modern French Thought)
Cultural transformations in French thought throughout the centuries. Fall semester studies the 17th and 18th centuries, spring semester, 19th and 20th centuries.
Politics 409/410 fall/spring (3)
Approche de l’Actualité en France
(Political and Economic Problems in Today’s France)
Analysis of France’s economic and social policy. Domestic policy and France’s relationship with other European countries and the third world. French diplomacy, economic growth, unemployment, political parties, immigration, education and culture.
Sociology 411/412 fall/spring (3)
La Société Française
(French Society)
French society has experienced social, political, economic and cultural upheaval for centuries. Fall semester studies the ancien régime to the Revolution; spring semester examines aspects of these crises and their effect on daily life.
Courses taught by other colleges and institutions in Paris (top)
- Académie de Port Royal
- University of London Institute in Paris
- Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode
- Schola Cantorum
Students may take one or two courses at these institutions. Except in special circumstances, a minimum of 10 is needed for a course. Students receive transcripts or certificates authenticating work completed.
These institutions vary in accreditation status. The Académie de Port Royal is an art school not of university status in France. Students wishing to transfer credit for Port Royal courses should check with their home institutions. The University of London Institute in Paris is a joint institute of both the University of London and the Université de Paris and, therefore, enjoys university status. The Schola Cantorum is a private music school in Paris. Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (ESMOD International) is a division of the Institut Supérieur Européen de la Mode (ISEM), which is affiliated with Université Lumière Lyon 2. Students should confirm with home institutions whether transfer credit is allowed from private educational institutions.
Académie de Port Royal (top)
Fine Arts 301 fall/spring (1-4)
Art in Studio
Media, techniques and concepts associated with figure studies. Conducted in French, but students with a basic knowledge of the language will still benefit. The amount of credit granted depends on the work produced and hours spent at the Académie. One or two sessions of three hours per week. Students must pay a supplement in Paris of $500 per session.
University of London Institute in Paris (top)
Fine Arts 293 fall/spring (3)
Impressionism and Its Origins
The French Impressionist movement, its origins, major exponents and derivative tendencies in modern art. Taught in English, it meets 30 hours (60 minute classes). Students pay museum entrance fees. Enrollment is limited.
Fine Arts 306 spring only (3)
Introduction to French Cinema
Survey of French cinema from the poetic realism of the 1930s to the present. Although the course is taught in English, a good oral comprehension of French is required as film showings are in French. It meets 35 hours (60 minute classes). Enrollment is limited.
Ecole Supérieure des Arts et Techniques de la Mode (ESMOD) (top)
Fine Arts 205 fall/spring (3)
20th Century Parisian Fashion
History of “haute couture” from early 1900 Parisian domination of the fashion world to today’s multicultural fashion scene. Visits to fashion museums and boutiques are included.
Fine Arts 305 spring only (3)
Fashion Merchandising
This course takes a multidimensional approach to fashion merchandising by combining studies in business fundamentals with fashion theory, from both a theoretical and practical perspective.
Schola Cantorum (top)
Music 307 fall/spring (1-4)
Instrument Study
May be taken only with consent of the Resident Director. Placement is by examination, except for beginners. Instruction in French is at the student’s expense. Credit granted depends on the work produced and hours spent at the Schola. Instruments (except piano) are not provided.
Special courses (top)
A special program organized jointly by the Sorbonne and the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris is available in Paris for Business Administration students at the advanced levels of French who wish, as a part of their major, to do advanced studies in France. Admission is contingent on a written placement test.
The program is especially valuable for students specializing in any aspect of international commerce or economics and who already have strong background in the French language. Students take courses leading to the Certificat de Français Professionnel or the Diplôme de Français des Affaires—1er degré.
The program of study combines intensive language courses (cours pratiques) with additional study in business French. (It is not possible to take only the business courses.) These courses are cours pratiques which replace the standard cours pratiques required of all students. Students are also required to take a Sorbonne seminar in French as part of the program in Paris.
Examinations leading to the Certificat and the Diplôme are given by both the Sorbonne and the Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie de Paris. Students must take both sets of exams to receive the qualification and will receive certificates from both of these prestigious institutions. The Sorbonne exam grade goes on the transcript, but the Chambre de Commerce exam grade does not.The Chambre de Commerce charges an exam fee of approximately $100 (at the student’s expense).
If the Chamber of Commerce exam is held after the end of the regular semester, students are responsible for their own housing during that time.
French 307/French 407 fall/spring (9)
Certificat de Français Professionnel or Diplôme de Français des Affaires-1er degré
Practical study of the French language (six hours per week) and phonetics (20 hours per semester) with study of French business terminology (four hours per week). Students wishing to enroll for these one semester courses must be in Advanced French II or Advanced French I. During the fall semester, the Chambre de Commerce exam is held in January, so fall quarter students enrolled in this course cannot take it.
The Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne, organizes two university level courses of study leading to the Diplôme de Français des Affaires 2ème Degré or the Diplôme Supérieur d’Etudes de Civilisation Française.
French 408 fall/spring (9)
Diplôme de Français des Affaires-2ème Degré
Students must be seniors or graduate students and pass the entrance exam given for the Section Universitaire (annual or semestrial). Emphasis is on the theory of French economics and commerce and practical applications in the French business world. It is for students with university-level French. This option is not open to fall quarter students.
Sorbonne only (top)
French 409 fall/spring (9)
Diplôme Supérieur d’Etudes de Civilisation Française (Option Littéraire)
Students must be seniors or graduate students and pass the entrance exam given for the Section Universitaire (annual or semestrial). This section includes practical courses as well as lectures and literary seminars, and is also open to teachers. Transcripts are issued by the Cours de Civilisation Française de la Sorbonne. This option is not open to fall quarter students.
Non-credit courses
French Cuisine
Basic techniques and regional variety of French cuisine. Taught in a Parisian apartment where dishes are prepared and sampled by students. Recipes are provided. Fee of approximately $200 for the three 2-hour sessions must be paid on arrival. Taught in English. Held only if a minimum of six students enroll.
Wine Science and Appreciation
This is a 10-week program that explores in depth the cultural, historical and marketing aspects of the French wine tradition. It covers the wine-making process, the extensive wine laws, and the importance of French wines world-wide. Students analyse wine through tasting sessions. The course is held 2 hours each week and is taught by a teacher at the Institut Européen de Management International. Students must pay a supplement of 300 Euros for this course. A minimum enrolment of 12 students is required for this course.
