Summary

Study for the summer alongside other international students at Ecole Superieure d'Agriculture (ESA) in Angers, France! Students enrolled in this program will spend four weeks in the classroom taking courses in English about French culture and politics, French language, while also choosing a concentration for study in agriculture and agribusiness or rural tourism, viticulture and gastronomy. Students also have the option to follow the four weeks of coursework with a 4 or 8 week internship.

Students may spend the semester or Academic Year at ESA if they are fluent in the French language.

A center of learning, Angers boasts two renowned universities and several specialized institutions, altogether responsible for more than 40,000 students. The city is about an hour and a half train ride from Paris and about 100 kilometers inland from the ocean.

Academics

The ESA summer program is a four-week program with the purpose of introducing students to the French way of life, the role of France in the European Union and the rich heritage of French culture, while at the same time providing concentrated study in one of four fields:
Agriculture & Agribusiness
Horticulture
Viticulture & Wine Making
Rural Tourism & Gastronomy

A French language course will be conducted in French at the students' proficiency level, but all other classes are conducted entirely in English. The program combines lectures, educational field trips, and cultural visits in a wide variety of places.

Students can choose to participate in a four or eight week internship following the four weeks of classes at ESA. Internships take place on a farm; industry internships are also available but only in exceptional cases as they are generally very difficult to find, particularly for non- French speakers.

Cost

Program cost information includes not only program fees, but out-of-pocket expenses with notes to help explain costs. Program fees are estimated and can be adjusted at any time. Accepted students receive cost sheets with confirmed program fees in their acceptance packets.

Summer 2008-09 Cost Estimate Sheet Summer 2009-10 Cost Estimate Sheet

Location

Ecole Superieure d'Agriculture is located in Angers, a city of 270,000 people situated along the Maine River in the Loire Valley of western France. The city is about an hour and a half train ride from Paris and about 100 kilometers inland from the ocean.

The region hosts the greatest variety of crop and animal production in Europe, including cereals, oilseeds, vegetables, flowers, fruit, wine, cattle, pigs and poultry. This agricultural diversity, along with modern processing plants, numerous food companies and research centers make Angers an ideal setting for an agricultural institute of higher learning. Angers is known as the Most Flowered City in Europe for its many parks, gardens and fresh cut flowers. Angers also hosts a middle-age fortress where the longest tapestry in the world can be seen. It is also the home of the famous Cointreau liquor and of a number of modern industries.

Student Life

Orientation:  Students are required to attend the pre-departure orientation at UW-Madison and they will also receive an orientation when they arrive in Angers.

Housing:  During the first four weeks of the program, will live with a host family in Angers. Meals are provided and families may speak some English. During the internship component, students will stay on the farm with a host family and will also have meals provided by the family.

Excursions and Activities:  For the first five days, students will spend time exploring the city of Paris and the magnificent castles of the Loire valley. During the final weekend, students will participate in a group cultural trip to Brittany and Normandy, visiting landmarks dedidated to World War II and the beaches.

ESA is very close to the city center, less than ten minutes walk from the railway station, and no more than that to the major shops. Angers has an exciting cultural life with festivals, concert halls, cinemas, gymnasiums, tennis courts, parks and plenty of French cuisine. Students will have three free weekends to explore the area on their own or in groups.