For general questions about the Summer Core in Paris program,
please attend an upcoming GROUP ADVISING SESSION.
Combining these two Core courses into a single experience offers the opportunity for a rich exchange between the multiple contexts of Western artistic and musical creation. Open to Columbia undergraduate students, this is a special opportunity to take the courses in Columbia’s Core that pertain to the arts while studying abroad in a city particularly suited to artistic investigation.
This summer was a dream! One of the best parts of my Columbia experiences so far. It brings one's appreciation of art and music to a completely different level by not just teaching you the skills to interpret works but also the love for them. — Summer 2019 participant
Program Overview
- Take both Art Humanities and Music Humanities in 6 weeks
- Distinct disciplinary focus with overlapping emphasis on Parisian musical and visual cultures
- Shared concerts, museum visits, and trips to important sites in the region
- Live and study with other Columbia undergraduates in a Parisian student residence
- 3 points of credit for each course appearing on Columbia transcript
The museum visits and trips to Amiens, Giverny, Amsterdam, the opera and others enhanced my learning experience and engagement with the material. Not only could we apply classroom knowledge to the real pieces of art and music, but the lectures given on sight were incredible. In no other setting could I have learned so much in such depth. — Summer 2019 participant
Eligibility and Application
Eligibility
- Must be a currently enrolled student in Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, or the School of General Studies
- May not have taken Art Humanities or Music Humanities
- Students may apply to only one Summer Core program, either Paris or Berlin
- All students must meet the basic requirements for studying abroad: a 3.0 cumulative GPA, a 3.0 GPA during the semester before going abroad, and good academic and disciplinary standing in their home school
- Although knowledge of French is not required, some study of the language will be useful for students living in Paris
How to Apply
Before you apply, we encourage you to watch the Columbia Summer Core program overview to learn more about the structure of academics and the application components:
Want to apply? Click the “Start Your Application” button above. If the button doesn't appear above, the program is not yet accepting applications. You will be asked to set up a short profile, which will allow us to send you relevant information about your application. Once you’ve created a profile, you will see a checklist of items that you will need to submit. These generally include:
- Transcript
- Application questionnaire(s)
- Personal Statement: students will be asked to write 400-500 words on the following topics:
- Why do you want to take these two courses together in the city you've chosen?
- What personal skills and/or experiences do you think will contribute to your success in an intensive program away from the Morningside campus?
- What aspects of your Core experience would you like to see continued and/or challenged in studying Music and Art Humanities abroad?
- Personal Statement: students will be asked to write 400-500 words on the following topics:
NOTE: This program includes an interview process for admission. Selected applicants are invited to interview with the faculty directors.
Academics
Summer Core Courses
HUMA1121OC: Masterpieces of Western Art, 3 credits
Art Humanities teaches students how to look at, think about, and engage in critical discussion of the visual arts. The course focuses on the formal structure of works of architecture, painting, and other media, as well as the historical context in which these works were made and understood. In addition to discussion-based classes like those held in New York, Art Humanities in Paris will make extensive use of the city through field trips to museums, buildings, and monuments.
HUMA1123OC: Masterpieces of Western Music, 3 credits
The focus of Music Humanities is the masterpieces of Western art music in their historical and cultural contexts. The specific goals of the course are to awaken and encourage an appreciation of Western music, to help the student learn to respond intelligently to a variety of musical idioms and to engage the student in the issues of various debates about the character and purposes of music that have occupied composers and musical thinkers since ancient times. Students become actively involved in the process of critical listening both in the classroom and in the live performances that are as central to the course in Paris as in New York. Using a “great works” approach, the course will look at the changing genres and styles of music, examining composers’ choices and assumptions, as well as those of their patrons and audiences, as it moves chronologically from the Middle Ages to the present.
Note: The University reserves the right to withdraw or modify the courses of instruction or to change the instructors as may become necessary. Also, attendance at all class meetings, concerts, and excursions, unless otherwise indicated, is mandatory.
GRADING POLICY
Click here for the Columbia summer program grading policies.
TRANSCRIPTS
Upon successful completion of the program, grades are entered into SSOL as Columbia grades and are calculated as part of your GPA.
Credit is not granted to students who do not complete the full program
Life in Paris
I would definitely recommend this program to other students due to the strong sense of community that was established between the students, professors, and program assistants. Just being together in another country and having an extremely packed and intense schedule made us a lot closer. In addition, I think the professors did a very good job of integrating the established course material with the city of Paris itself. — Summer 2019 participant
Housing
All students will be housed together in double rooms at a residence in Paris. It is required that you live in the program housing.
The quality of the dormitory wasn't what I was used to back on New York campus in the Columbia dorms, but the friendly staff, quiet floors, and INCREDIBLE location completely make up for everything else. The Luxembourg subway stop right outside the door was invaluable. The Foyer really became a home towards the end, and I will miss it a lot. — Summer 2019 participant
Meals
No meals are included, and there is no meal plan. However, there are grocery stores, boulangeries, fromageries, and charcuteries where students can buy food for casual dining.
There are several low-budget travel guides that give information about where to eat in Paris, as well as many blogs devoted to eating in Paris. We recommend taking the time to do some research beforehand if you are unsure about what to expect.
Program Activities
The program already has many course-related activities that will help students engage with the cultural life of Paris. Instructors will also organize a few social events. However, students are encouraged to take advantage of the many student discounts available to them and to explore Paris on their own. In addition, the Columbia Global Center has many activities throughout the summer that are open to students on the program free of charge.
Daily Living and Schedule
This program has a very full schedule and students should expect to devote most of their time in Paris to the program and complementary activities. Classes meet Monday through Thursday; most Fridays and weekends are reserved for excursions. Students will spend a lot of time with each other and the instructors of the course.
Location
Columbia Global Centers | Paris, located at Reid Hall, is the home base of the program and where you will take all of your classes. Reid Hall is a small group of buildings owned and administered by Columbia. It also serves as an educational center for other American universities and for scholars from around the world. For over a century, its long and distinguished past of intellectual, artistic, and cultural exchange has made it significant to the relationship between France and the United States.
Located in the lively Montparnasse (sixth) district of Paris, near the Luxembourg Gardens and within walking distance of the Latin Quarter and several branches of the University of Paris, Reid Hall was constructed in the early 18th century, before the French Revolution. Modern additions have enlarged the facility, creating an interior courtyard and private garden. Reid Hall primarily houses administrative offices and classrooms and also has a small reference library, a reading room, lounges, a multimedia lab, and two large conference rooms. Students have access to WiFi in all common areas of Reid Hall.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How competitive is this program?
A: This program is very competitive. You are encouraged to have a back up study abroad program in mind if applying.
Q: Can first-year students apply? Will upperclassmen get priority?
A: All students are welcome to apply. No preference is given to upperclassmen or students with a certain major.
Q: If I was rejected last year, can I apply again?
A: If interested, students are encouraged to apply again; any previous applications are not taken into account.
Q: I am interested in the program but would need financial assistance in order to attend.
A: Please carefully read the Financial Considerations page which includes a list of different websites to search for external scholarships. While UGE does offer a limited number of Global Learning Scholarships, these are typically small grants that cover only a small portion of your program tuition. If you would like to apply for additional summer scholarships you should start researching and applying as early as possible.
People
Staff
The faculty and program are supported by the staff of the Columbia Undergraduate Programs in Paris and the Columbia Global Centers: Paris. While you may encounter any number of staff members onsite, you will mostly interact with the Columbia Undergraduate Programs director, Séverine Martin-Hartenstein and the Administrative Assistant, Lucille Lancry.
Faculty
Born in Poland, Magdalena Baczewska [baCHEVska] has enjoyed a multi-faceted career as a pianist, harpsichordist, educator, recording artist, producer, and administrator, currently serving as Director of the Music Performance Program and Lecturer in Music at Columbia University. The press describes her as a “world-class” musician (The American Record Guide) and a “player of taste and admirable sensitivity” (Palm Beach Arts Paper). Her performances have been praised as “eloquent & technically flawless” (The Washington Post), “highly sophisticated and truly admirable” (The Weekend, New York). She has performed with the San Francisco Symphony, China National Symphony, and Macao Symphony, among others. She has appeared in concert with violinist Joshua Bell, as well as with maestro Tan Dun, with whom she has enjoyed an extensive collaboration. Magdalena has toured Europe and the US with double performances of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, which she performed twice in one evening, on the harpsichord, then on piano (this has not been done since Rosalyn Tureck’s 1977 double-bill performance at Carnegie Hall). Magdalena has also performed throughout Europe, China, and the US, appearing in Carnegie Hall (NYC), Davies Symphony Hall (San Francisco), National Center for Performing Arts (Beijing), Guangzhou Opera House (Guangzhou), Shenzhen Polytheater (Shenzhen), and Salle Cortot (Paris), among others. More information at MagdalenaNYC.com.
Ioannis Mylonopoulos was educated at the University of Athens and the Ruprecht-Karls Universität Heidelberg (Ph.D. summa cum laude 2001). Before coming to Columbia in 2008, Mylonopoulos was a Research Associate at the University of Heidelberg (2001-03), Assistant Professor at the University of Vienna (2003-06), and Junior Professor at the University of Erfurt (2006-08).
In 2007/08, Mylonopoulos was a Fellow of the Harvard Center for Hellenic Studies. In 2011/12, he was a member of the School of Historical Studies of the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton. In the spring of 2015, he was a visiting professor at Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne and the first Columbia professor to teach Art Humanities in Paris. Mylonopoulos has received fellowships and grants from the Alexander S. Onassis Foundation, the German Archaeological Society, the Ernst-Kirsten Society, the Friedrich-Naumann Foundation, the Gerda-Henkel Foundation, and the German Research Council.
Robert E. Harrist, Jr. is the Jane and Leopold Swergold Professor of Chinese Art. A former Chairman of the Department of Art History and Archaeology and former Director of Art Humanities, he is the recipient of a Lenfest Distinguished Faculty Award. He has published books and articles on Chinese painting, calligraphy, and gardens, as well as on topics such as replicas in Chinese art, clothing in 20th-century China, and contemporary artists such as Xu Bing. Harrist's most recent book, The Landscape of Words, which studies the role of language in shaping perceptions of the natural world, was awarded the Joseph Levenson Prize in 2010.
Audrey Amsellem [ahmSAllem] is a Lecturer in Music at Columbia University. Originally from Paris, France, she received her PhD in Ethnomusicology from Columbia University. Amsellem’s work lies at the intersection of music, law and science and technology studies and is published in interdisciplinary journals such as Surveillance & Society and Law Text Culture. She is the recipient of the National Science Foundation's Doctoral Research Improvement Grant in Science and Technology Studies, the 2021 Surveillance Society Network Early Career Researcher Award, and is a member of the Open Voice Network at the Linux Foundation. Amsellem regularly teaches Music Humanities, as well as courses on Music and the Law and on Hip Hop. She also teaches music courses at Rikers Island as part of the Justice-in-Education Initiative.
Financial Considerations
Summer 2025 Tuition & Fees*
Please see our cost breakdown for detailed information on additional estimated expenses.
*Tuition and fees are subject to the Board of Trustees' approval and may change.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
If you receive financial aid during the academic year, you may remain eligible for financial aid when you attend a summer Columbia-Led Program as long as you take a minimum of 6 points.
CC/SEAS: Contact the CC/SEAS Financial Aid & Educational Planning to understand if any of your federal financial aid may cover enrollment costs for a summer program. Please note the Columbia Grant is not available for summer studies.
General Studies: Contact the GS Office of Educational Financing to understand if any of your financial aid may cover participation in a summer program.
GLOBAL LEARNING SCHOLARSHIP
The Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement (UGE) offers the Global Learning Scholarship (GLS) to support Columbia students so they may enhance their undergraduate education by participating in a summer global learning opportunity.
GLS Eligibility:
You are eligible for the Global Learning Scholarships (GLS) if you are:
A Columbia College, Columbia Engineering, or General Studies student who demonstrates financial need
All other students are not eligible for the GLS
Application and Timeline:
Students apply for the Global Learning Scholarship and the Columbia-Led summer program with two separate applications.
Scholarship applications are due: February 14, 2025 (closes at 11:59 pm EST)
GLS applicants must also submit a completed program application by the program application deadline.
To apply to the Global Learning Scholarship, please click here.
OTHER SCHOLARSHIPS
For a list of other scholarships specific to study abroad, please visit the Scholarships for Study Abroad for more information. Of note are the:
Withdrawal Policy
To learn about the financial consequences of withdrawing from the program, please review the Summer Withdrawal and Refund Policy here.
Resources for Accepted Students
After being accepted to the program, we will share information and email communications regarding the next steps. We understand that there will be a lot of steps to complete, so please utilize the resources below to help you get started:
