The program invites you to explore all that the city of Paris has to offer during a five-week program based at Columbia's Reid Hall in Paris. Choose from the French Immersion track or English track. On this program you will explore both contemporary and historical issues in French and Francophone culture, and go outside of the typical tourist experience to gain an insider’s view of the city.
Program Overview
On this program students will learn about the layered history, culture, and society of France and the Francophone world. The academic curriculum is suitable for many different majors and students do not need to have French language background to apply.
The courses offerings will provide students with opportunities to deepen their appreciation of Parisian culture, improve French language skills, and learn more about French/Francophone culture. Students will take six points: two courses OR the accelerated French language course.
Classes are typically Monday to Thursday, while on Fridays activities are planned in conjunction with the courses to offer more cultural exposure to the city.
Eligibility and Application
- Currently enrolled undergraduate students in good academic and disciplinary standing
- Graduate students and post-graduates are all eligible to apply
- Minimum 3.0 average language GPA (if applicable)
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Students must meet prerequisites for individual courses
How to apply
Want to apply? Click the “Start Your Application" button at the top of this page. If the button doesn't appear, 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:
- Application questionnaire(s)
- Personal statement
Academics
Participants choose their courses according to personal aspirations and interests as well as the course schedule. Please note that the course offerings and schedule are still subject to change. Attendance at all class meetings, concerts, and excursions, unless otherwise indicated, is mandatory.
Note: The University reserves the right to withdraw or modify the courses of instruction or to change the instructors as may become necessary.
SUMMER 2023 COURSES
The French and Francophone culture courses are all designed to deepen your engagement with the paradoxes, pleasures, and contradictions of Paris, France, and France's relationship with its former colonies. These courses will challenge you to look at the history and culture of France from various perspective while using the city as an essential resource throughout the program. You may select courses from either the French Immersion Track OR the English Track--students may not "mix and match" courses from both tracks.
FRENCH IMMERSION TRACK
FREN1205OC: Accelerated Intermediate French. 6 points.
Prerequisite: Elementary French II or the equivalent.
This intensive French course combines both Intermediate French I and II, so that students may complete their second year of French language instruction in one semester. Students taking this six-point course will not take any other courses. More information to be announced.
FREN3405OC: Third Year Grammar and Composition. 3 points.
Prerequisite: Intermediate French II or the equivalent.
The goal of FREN3405OC is to help students improve their grammar and perfect their writing and reading skills, especially as a preparation for taking literature or civilization courses, or spending a semester in a francophone country. Through the study of two full-length works of literature and a number of short texts representative of different genres, periods, and styles, they will become more aware of stylistic nuances, and will be introduced to the vocabulary and methods of literary analysis. Working on the advanced grammar points covered in this course will further strengthen their mastery of French syntax. They will also be practicing writing through a variety of exercises, including pastiches and creative pieces, as well as typically French forms of academic writing such as “résumé,” “explication de texte,” and “dissertation".
FRST3994OC History of Contemporary French Cinema (1990-2018). 3 points.
Taught in French.
Prerequisite: 4-5 semesters of French language study or the equivalent.
"French cinema is characterized by its artistic richness, its vigor and, above all, its diversity. This film history course will function as a journey in which we explore contemporary French cinema. Our itinerary will take us from the 1990s, those of “young French cinema” and neoclassicism, to the end of the 2010s, those of directors like Julie Delpy and Christophe Honoré. Together, we will develop a panorama in which the works of Cédric Klapisch and Nicole Garcia will intersect, as well as those of Céline Sciamma and Arnaud Desplechin.
The objective of this course will be to introduce students to French cinema, its history and its diversity. We will also have the chance to correlate academic knowledge and practical experience, so as to give the students a significant idea of French film activity. The application process is competitive and will take place onsite in February.
MENA4100OC: Migration, Displacement and Diaspora in the Contemporary Mediterranean. 3 points.
Instructor: Madeleine Dobie
Taught in French.
This course is approved as a Global Core at Columbia.
This course examines the social, political and cultural history of migration in the Mediterranean,
with a particular focus on France and Africa. We examine the forces that have underpinned
migration in the nations of the Mediterranean rim since the 1950s and observe major transitions
in policy and legal frameworks. Though migration is often treated in mainstream media as an
object of policy and legislation, it is better approached as a ‘total social fact’ involving political,
social, economic and cultural dimensions. With this in mind, we look at different media, genres
and narrative forms in which migration has been represented and debated and grapple with
questions about the relationship between lived experience and representation and between
politics and the arts.
AHIS3682OC. Issues in Nineteenth Century Art. 3 points.
In this course, we will focus on a key artistic period that is full of upheavals. We will particularly consider the affirmation of the individuality of the artist in relation to the institutions and great pictorial movements that have marked the history of French painting of that time.
ENGLISH TRACK
FREN3405OC: Third Year Grammar and Composition. 3 points.
Prerequisite: Intermediate French II or the equivalent.
The goal of FREN3405OC is to help students improve their grammar and perfect their writing and reading skills, especially as a preparation for taking literature or civilization courses, or spending a semester in a francophone country. Through the study of two full-length works of literature and a number of short texts representative of different genres, periods, and styles, they will become more aware of stylistic nuances, and will be introduced to the vocabulary and methods of literary analysis. Working on the advanced grammar points covered in this course will further strengthen their mastery of French syntax. They will also be practicing writing through a variety of exercises, including pastiches and creative pieces, as well as typically French forms of academic writing such as “résumé,” “explication de texte,” and “dissertation".
FILM4325GU : Waves on Different Shores: Film in France, Japan, Brazil. 3 points.
Instructor: Richard Pena
Taught in English.
This course is approved as a Global Core at Columbia.
In the early 1960s, a number of new film movements emerged in national cinemas around the world. Called “new waves” or “new cinemas,” these movements, made up of young filmmakers, would challenge the cinematic industrial structures in each of their respective nations, as well propose both radically different approaches to filmmaking and to cinematic storytelling. Perhaps inevitably, these films and filmmakers would also be drawn into larger political discussions about the futures of their respective nations. This course will explore three important examples of this development—the French New Wave, the Japanese New Wave and the Brazilian Cinema Novo—detailing both the commonalities among these movements (aesthetic, social, technological, political) as well those factors which made each unique. Among the filmmakers included will be Jean-Luc Godard, Jacques Rivette, Nagisa Oshima, and Glauber Rocha. The relationship of these respective “new waves” to simultaneous radical experiments in visual arts, theater, literature and music will be a special focus of the course. A watershed moment in film history that would forever change the way films were made, financed, seen and discussed.
FREN3822OC Blackness in French: From Harlem to Paris and Beyond. 3 points.
Instructor: Kaiama L. Glover and Maboula Soumahoro
Taught in English.
This course is approved as a Global Core at Columbia.
What are the historical linkages between ‘Black’ France and the United States? Between African-Americans and ‘Black’ French women and men? How is this relationship different from and contingent on the relationship between the French and their post(-)colonial ‘Others?’ Taking an internationalist (specifically transatlantic) approach and considering the 20th and 21st centuries, this course explores literature, art, culture, history, and politics emerging from or grappling with ‘Black’ France. The course features guest lectures by Black French intellectuals and cultural actors, guided museum visits and walking tours, and educational dining opportunities with owners of Black French African and Afro-Caribbean restaurants, so to offer students the opportunity to encounter ‘Black’ France in a variety of contexts, and to bring them into conversations about the fact and fantasy of ‘race’ in the complex, long-historical relationship between the United States and the French Republic. "'Blackness' in French is part of a wider 'Black France Consortium cohort that will engage over the course of the five-week session in a broad range of co-curricular activities and programming.
AFAS UN3000 OC: France’s Abolitions and Republics. 3 points.
Instructor: Véronique Charles
Taught in English.
To what extent was the abolition of slavery co-constitutive to the creation and recreation of France’s first two republics? In light of a second and more “universal” abolition of slavery that France’s third republic inherited; what contradictions did the imperial nation-state carry onto the colonial conquest of Atlantic Africa? Students will explore how this particular past of slavery and its afterlife marked Black French intellectual and cultural production. This course thus bridges metropolitan and colonial histories to shed light on humanist revolutions in Europe and its limitations. Leading figures in the cultural and academic spheres of Black France will serve as guest lecturers throughout the summer term. Students will also have the opportunity to attend theatrical performances, museums, and art galleries as well as the opportunity to visit principal landmarks that attest to this larger history. "France’s Abolitions and Republics" is part of a consortium of Black France course offerings at Columbia University and other partnering U.S.-based universities.
Academic Schedule
When selecting your courses, please make sure that the courses you choose are not in conflict with each other. In general, the program tries to avoid conflicts with courses.
Grades and Transcripts
Grading Policy
Click here for the Columbia summer program grading policies.
Transcripts
Upon successful completion of the program, grades are entered into Columbia's online grading system.
No credit is granted to students who do not complete the full program.
All courses taken on the program are converted to an American grading scale and transmitted to students as follows:
Columbia students: Grades appear on SSOL and your transcript as semester grades from courses taken at Columbia. For more information, please see the section on Academic Credit in Steps to Study Abroad.
Barnard students: Grades appear on eBear and your transcript as any semester grades from courses taken at Barnard. For more information, please see the section on Credit and Transcripts for Barnard Students on our Barnard student pages.
Non-Columbia students: can request electronic transcripts online through the Columbia University registrar.
Life in Paris
Housing
Program Housing
Students will live in a residence hall or in a homestay placement.
Residence Hall: Students will live in a single furnished room with access to a shared kitchenette and laundry facilities.
Homestay: Live with a francophone family and live like a true Parisian, off the beaten tourist path. Homestays are located throughout Paris and the nearby suburbs and never more than a short train ride from Reid Hall. You will have your own room and share common spaces with your host family and will share meals with them. Sharing meals in France is not only an excellent opportunity to practice your language skills but the chance to partake in an essential part of French culture. Living with a host family is a great way to experience firsthand the daily rhythm of French life, learn about Paris from an insider's perspective, and be immersed in a French-speaking environment. The following meals are included in this option: breakfast, and three dinners a week.
Independent Housing: Students with extenuating circumstances or those that wish to stay with family in Paris may submit a independent housing petition. Requests must be approved by the home school study abroad adviser.
Daily Living and Schedule
Depending on the specific courses you take, you will have different commitments for work outside of class. Your commute to Reid Hall will also be between 35-50 minutes, on average. Weekends are free and students are encouraged to enjoy Paris on the weekends.
The program has many course-related activities, as well as a few social events, that will help students engage with the cultural life of Paris. Past activities have included theater workshops, pottery, crépe-making, wine tasting, and excursions around Paris. You will have adequate time to explore Paris on your own and to soak up the ambiance of the city Paris in the summer. In addition, the Columbia Global Center Paris has many activities throughout the summer that are open to students on the program at no charge.
Location
The home base of Columbia University in Paris is the Columbia Global Centers|Paris at Reid Hall, where all of your classes will take place. 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 more than a century, its long and distinguished past of intellectual, artistic, and cultural exchange has made it significant for the relationship between France and the United States.
Reid Hall, constructed in the early 18th century before the French Revolution, is located in the lively Montparnasse (6th arrondissement) district of Paris, near the Luxembourg Gardens and within walking distance of the Latin Quarter and several branches of the University of Paris. 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.
People
The faculty and program are supported by the staff of the Columbia Undergraduate Programs in Paris and the Columbia Global Centers: Paris. You will be introduced to the Columbia Undergraduate Program staff during the orientation.
Faculty
Please see individual courses for faculty links.
Financial Considerations
*Summer 2023 Tuition and Fees
Please see our cost breakdown for detailed information.
*Tuition and fees are subject to the Board of Trustees' approval and may change.
Financial aid and scholarships
If you are on financial aid, check to see if it can be applied to studying abroad. In general summer financial aid is not available to Columbia College or Columbia Engineering students, but may be available to School of General Studies students. Non-Columbia students should check with their home schools for funding availability.
For more general information and resources on financing your time abroad, please see the pages below:
Global Learning Scholarship (GLS)
The Center for Undergraduate Global Engagement is pleased to announce Global Learning Scholarships to help students fund their participation in this program. If awarded, these partial scholarships will be applied toward tuition charges for this program.
Eligibility:
Open to Columbia University and non-Columbia undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need
Recipients must be accepted to this Columbia-led program
To Apply:
After starting a program application, complete the “Global Learning Scholarship” questionnaire in your UGE account.
Scholarship Applications Due:
March 7 (closes at 11:59 pm EST) or program deadline, whichever occurs first.
Read more about the GLS here.
Withdrawal PolicY
To learn about the financial consequences for withdrawing from the program, please read the Withdrawal and Refund policy.
