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featured programs

Study in China
beijing - chinese language + culture

Study in France
paris - critical studies

Study in Nicaragua
managua - liberal arts

Study in the Czech Republic
prague - film studies

Study in Italy
naples - liberal arts

Study in Italy
naples - classical studies

Study in Germany
berlin - language + culture

Study in Thailand
khon kaen - community public health

Study in Australia
perth - sustainability + the environment

Is this program right for you?

This program is geared to students who have completed a minimum of two semesters of French study (or the equivalent) and wish to continue improving their language skills while also taking courses on French culture and contemporary France taught in English and/or French.

Program Snapshot

  • Uniquely adapted to the intermediate and advanced student with an interest in contemporary French society and culture
  • Flexible program offers content courses in both English and French, with a French-only option: cultural outings integrated into classes
  • Shared housing with French speakers: volunteer opportunities with French youth
  • Option for qualified students to audit or enroll in a class at the Université de Paris

Subject Areas

  • Anthropology
  • Architectural History
  • Art History
  • Communications
  • Cultural Studies
  • Culture (host country)
  • Education
  • Film Studies
  • French Language
  • French Studies
  • Gender Studies
  • History
  • Language (host country)
  • Language, Literature, Culture (host country)
  • Philosophy
  • Political Science
  • Sociology

About Paris

Paris, France’s capital, is a major world metropolis. The Seine River traverses the city; its waterways, quays, and bridges are major thoroughfares, and also ways to see the city’s most famous monuments, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre museum, and the Notre Dame cathedral. The city is known for its cafés (one for every 200 inhabitants); its parks (Bois de Boulougne, Jardin de Luxembourg, Bois de Vincennes); its street life and markets; and as a center for culture, art, fashion, gastronomy, and intellectual life.

Where You'll Study

Paris Center for Critical Studies

The CIEE Study Center in Paris, known as the Paris Center for Critical Studies, is on the rue du Sentier in the lively, central Sentier neighborhood, in the 2nd arrondissement. The Center is less than a minute away from the Grands Boulevards, a 10-minute walk to the Palais Royal, and a 15-minute walk to the Louvre. Courses taught by CIEE-hired faculty take place in the Center. Advanced language students may audit or take courses at the Université Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris 3, a 30-minute bus-ride away, or at the new Grands Moulins campus of the Université de Paris Diderot.

Thoughts From Abroad

Why do people come to Paris? Is it for the rush of beauty in the urban landscape? The sense of history, the street corners haunted by great writers, great thinkers, artists, or revolutionaries who lived or died there? Or curiosity about this European capital, no longer a world leader, no longer the center of an empire, still nourishing lost grandeur, full of the sons and daughters of its former colonies? Is it for the promise of glamour, luxury, taste? A love for the language itself, a desire to master its sounds and rhythms? Whatever your reasons, welcome. I hope the Contemporary French Studies program can be a way for you to satisfy your curiosity in a non-trivial way, and help you achieve the goals you planned—and those unplanned.

— Hannah Taïeb, Resident Director

Staff Bios

Resident Director Dr. Hannah Taïeb first lived in France as a teenager, taking classes at the Collège Cévenol and Aix-en-Provence, and working in Boulogne making jewelry. Her university studies, at the University of California and New York University, culminated in a Ph.D. thesis on women and identity, based on fieldwork in a rural center in Morocco. Hannah settled permanently in France in 1992, where she was the co-editor of a multilingual, multidisciplinary review, Mediterraneans. She taught intercultural and interpersonal communication at the American University of Paris for several years; and has been working at the CIEE Study Center since 2001. She runs yearly seminars on religious diversity in France and teaches a class on cultural métissage or “mixing” in popular culture

Natalie Malacrida, Student Services and Housing Coordinator, is responsible for housing, excursions, and student well-being. She is a former CIEE student and has a B.A. in English and French from the University of Iowa, and a Master’s in French and Comparative Literature from Middlebury College, with a thesis on study abroad.

Lucie Laureillard, Program Coordinator, has a Master’s degree in French language teaching and is a doctoral candidate in linguistics at the Université de Paris VIII. She organizes cultural events and outings; and is responsible for the conversation exchange program and the French language-teaching internship program with the Université de Paris. The internship program brings French students into the Center to help CIEE students perfect their French language skills. Lucie is also a French instructor in the program.

Recommended Credit

semester: 15 semester/22.5 quarter hours
academic year: 30 semester/45 quarter hours

Eligibility Requirements

  • Overall GPA 3.0
  • Minimum of 2 semesters of college-level French or equivalent

Program Dates

Fall 20098/26/2009 - 12/19/2009
Academic Year 2009-108/26/2009 - 5/22/2010
Spring 20101/13/2010 - 5/22/2010

Application Deadlines

Fall 20094/1/2009
Academic Year 2009-104/1/2009
Spring 201011/1/2009

Click here to check for deadline extensions.

Duration

Fall 200916 weeks
late August - late December
Academic Year 2009-1039 weeks
late August - mid-May
Spring 201021 weeks
mid-January - late May

CIEE Costs

CIEE program fees, inclusions, and estimated additional costs, are outlined below. Please note that CIEE reserves the right to adjust its fees in the event of significant change in exchange rates or other factors beyond its control. The actual cost of the programs may vary slightly for students from different institutions.

For comprehensive fee breakdowns and estimated additional costs, click the costs below:

  • Fall 2009 $16,500
    The CIEE fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, tuition, housing and one meal per week, orientation, cultural activities, day trips, excursions, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

    Program Fees

    This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

    Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed below.

    Educational Costs (direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students; including $300 non-refundable Participation Confirmation Fee)$11,626
    Housing$4,800
    Medical Insurance$74
    Total$16,500

    The CIEE fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, tuition, housing and one meal per week, orientation, cultural activities, day trips, excursions, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.



    Estimated Additional Costs

    The estimated additional costs indicated below are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.

    Transportation (round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure)$1,250
    Meals$2,000
    Personal Expenses$3,000
    Books and Supplies$200
    Local Transportation$390
    Visa Fees$185
    Potential Travel to Consulate for Visa$400
    Total$7,425


  • Academic Year 2009-10 $29,700
    The CIEE fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, tuition, housing and one meal per week, orientation, cultural activities, day trips, excursions, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

    Program Fees

    This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

    Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed below.

    Educational Costs (direct cost of education charged uniformly to all students; including $300 non-refundable Participation Confirmation Fee)$20,026
    Housing$9,600
    Medical Insurance$74
    Total$29,700

    The CIEE fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, tuition, housing and one meal per week, orientation, cultural activities, day trips, excursions, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.



    Estimated Additional Costs

    The estimated additional costs indicated below are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.

    Transportation (round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure)$1,250
    Meals$4,000
    Personal Expenses$6,000
    Books and Supplies$400
    Local Transportation$780
    Visa Fees$185
    Potential Travel to Consulate for Visa$400
    Total$13,015


  • Spring 2010 $16,700
    The CIEE fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, tuition, housing, daily breakfast and one dinner per week, orientation, cultural activities, day trips, excursions, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.

    Program Fees

    This breakdown has been prepared from the program budget for the purpose of calculating eligibility for financial aid. During the course of program operations, actual figures may vary. It should not, therefore, be used as a basis for calculation of refunds. CIEE reserves the right to adjust fees at any time.

    Students required to study on CIEE programs through a School of Record will be charged a $340 administrative fee in addition to the Program Fees listed below.

    Educational Costs (direct cost of education charged directly to all students; including $300 non-refundable Participation Confirmation Fee)$11,826
    Housing and Some Meals$4,800
    Medical Insurance$74
    Total$16,700

    The CIEE fee includes an optional on-site airport meet and greet, full-time leadership and support, tuition, housing, daily breakfast and one dinner per week, orientation, cultural activities, day trips, excursions, pre-departure advising, and a CIEE iNext travel card which provides insurance and other travel benefits.



    Estimated Additional Costs

    The estimated additional costs indicated below are intended to assist students and parents in budgeting for those additional living and discretionary expenses not included in the program fee. Actual expenses will vary according to student interests and spending habits.

    Potential Travel to Consulate for Visa$400
    Additional Meals$1,700
    Books and Supplies$200
    Local Transportation$390
    Visa Fees (average)$100
    Transportation (round-trip based on U.S. East Coast departure)$1,050
    Personal Expenses$3,000
    Total$6,840


Scholarship Information

For a complete list of scholarships available, please vist our Scholarships section.