Program Duration

Academic year: Late August - Late June
Spring semester: Early January - Late June

Program Description

The Academic Program in Aix-en-Provence, established in 1962, is offered by a consortium of Indiana University, the University of Michigan, and UW-Madison. A faculty member from one of the participating U.S. universities serves as the Resident Director for the academic year and teaches at least one course. The Resident Director, along with local staff, assist with all aspects of the program. The Université de Provence was founded in the early fifteenth century. Along with the Institut d’Etudes Politiques, it offers many opportunities for study of French language, culture and various courses in social sciences. Both institutions are part of the Université Aix-Marseille and are located in Aix-en-Provence, a city of about 150,000 people in southeastern France.

As the former capital of the Kingdom of Provence and a former Roman city, Aix features remnants from Roman and Medieval times. For centuries, Aix-en-Provence has been famous for art, music festivals, fountains, and a pleasant climate. Encounter a variety of open-air markets and enjoy wandering down the tree-lined Cours Mirabeau with its many cafés and shops. Cezanne’s paintings immortalize the beautiful countryside of this region. While small enough that students can walk anywhere and not get lost in the shuffle, Aix offers plenty to explore and is located only a short distance from Marseille and the Côte d’Azur.

Academics

A wide variety of courses are available at two institutions: Université de Provence and Institut d’Etudes Politiques (IEP) where program participants are enrolled in classes alongside French students. The program also offers specially designed courses for program participants in grammar and composition, phonetics, and history and civilization.

At the Faculté des Lettres of the Université de Provence Aix-Marseille- Courses are offered in cinema, education, geography, history, art history, archeology, and communication, foreign languages, French literature, music, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and theatre. Students enroll in courses after the program orientation in consultation with the Resident Director. Course offerings are published at the beginning of each semester and are taught by Université faculty.

The Institut d’Etudes Politiques- IEP offers courses in political science, international studies, communications, European Union, economics, history, law, and French and European Institutions. There is a separate application process for students interested in IEP and acceptance is not guaranteed as spaces are limited. Students interested in applying for IEP must have a declared major in political science or international studies and have taken at least two university-level courses related to political science, political theory, political philosophy, social-science theory, European history, or similar topics prior to departure. Courses are taught by law researchers, professors, and professionals in the field.

To prepare for regular university courses at both institutions, students will enroll in an orientation/language session called the Cours Intensif. This session consists of one to three weeks of intensive study of French language, literature, and civilization. In addition, students enroll in a semester-long Expression Écrite course to help improve their written French.

Housing

Year students may choose to live in an apartment or university residence halls (depending on availability). During orientation, all participants are housed in university residence halls.

Spring students are typically placed in a homestay, which includes breakfast and dinner during the week, or a rented room with kitchen access. Students may eat in any of the university cafeterias at very affordable prices, cook for themselves, or dine at numerous popular cafés and restaurants in Aix-en-Provence.

Excursions and Activities

Once in Aix, students attend orientation meetings that provide practical and academic information as well as an introduction to life in Aix. These orientations include specially conducted sightseeing trips and visits to historical monuments. Students can take one sports activity at the University Sports Center and in the past, students have also joined sports teams.