Duke in France/EDUCO

Advanced French Language and Culture

Experience France as a Student at the University of Paris

Apply Now

In 1983, Duke in France was created by the Department of Romance Studies as a Duke-administered study abroad program. This program introduces students directly into French institutions of higher education, where they study alongside French students. Today, the program has grown into an educational consortium that includes students from Emory, Cornell, and Tulane Universities, as well as other American colleges and universities. 

Duke in France offers students a full course of studies, with the experience of total immersion in French life and culture in Paris. Participants spend the year or semester as fully matriculated students at the University of Paris, selecting courses from many fields. Conditions permitting, they may also be eligible to take courses at the Institut D'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). Specially arranged courses are offered at EDUCO by the Faculty in Residence and by select French university faculty.

PROGRAM FAST FACTS

Location: Paris, France

Term: Fall, Spring, or Academic Year

EDUCO Dates: January 10, 2024 - May 26, 2024 (Spring); September 1, 2024 - December 22, 2024 (Fall)

Sciences Po Dates: August 24, 2023 - December 21, 2023 (Fall); January 10, 2024 - May 24, 2024 (Spring)

Application Deadline: March 1 (Fall and Academic Year); October 1 (Spring)

Academic Theme(s): French Language and Culture

Credit Type: Hybrid Credit Structure

Eligibility: Applicants must have completed French 204 or have equivalent proficiency. Priority will be given to students having an overall GPA of 3.0 and an average grade of B+ in French. Non-Duke students must apply through Emory University.

Duke Affiliation: Co-sponsored by the Duke Department of Romance Studies

Housing: Homestay or Student Dorm

GEO Advising: Request an appointment

  • Duke in France students exploring Paris near Montmartre

  • Enjoying a French meal with friends

  • Paris from above

  • Exploring Provence on a Duke in France excursion

  • In the Hall of Mirrors at Versailles

  • Sharing a meal in Normandy while learning about regional cuisine

  • Sunrise on the streets of Paris

ACADEMICS

All students are required to take four courses per semester, with no underloads or overloads allowed. All courses are taught in French. Course selection is made in Paris during the registration period.

Each semester begins with a one- to two-week orientation program. The orientation program includes an intensive language review, as well as special activities, lectures, cultural events, and local excursions to familiarize students with Paris. The orientation program is mandatory but does not earn academic credit.

Students staying for the fall semester only are required to enroll in two EDUCO program courses, plus two Paris university courses.

In the spring semester, students are able to select ALL FOUR courses from French university offerings if they wish. The two-course restriction is only true of the fall semester.

Each semester, students have the option of selecting up to two of their courses from among those offered by the EDUCO consortium. In order to fulfill the necessary number of contact hours during the fall semester, any student staying only for the fall semester will be required to take two courses at EDUCO and supplement their Paris University courses with special tutorial sessions as assigned by the faculty resident director.

EDUCO courses are taught by the Faculty in Residence, usually a professor of Duke, Emory, Cornell, or Tulane, and visiting professors from Parisian institutions. Each semester the program offers one French literature course; a second course rotates between art or globalization. Occasionally a third course, usually a French history course, is offered. Depending on the specialties of the visiting professors, the course line-up will vary.

In addition to the EDUCO courses, students are able to select courses from the offerings of the Universities of Paris I and The University of Paris Cité. Advanced students may consider courses at Paris IV.

  • COURSE APPROVAL
  • COURSE REGISTRATION
  • Credits & Final Grades

COURSE APPROVAL

Transfer Credit Approval

All transfer credit course approval requests for the Duke in France program are handled through the EDUCO program. All courses must be approved by an academic department at Duke to be eligible for credit towards the Duke degree.

To request approval of a French university course prior to departure, please contact the Duke in France advisor in the Global Education Office. To request approval of courses once in Paris, please consult with EDUCO Academic Services Coordinator Valérie Herbunot.

A list of French university courses already approved for Duke students can be found by searching "Duke In France" and the individual departments in the GEO Approved Course Database. Transfer credit courses (Paris university courses) and EDUCO (Duke) courses will be listed in this database. 

French major: All courses may be counted towards the French and Francophone Studies major, as long as the courses are approved by the Department of Romance Studies at Duke as per the course approval process. Courses may cover a variety of topics related to Francophone or Romance Studies. Approval will not be granted for courses with unrelated content, such as Biology or Math taught in French. 

French minor: A maximum of two courses with French course numbers at or above the 300-level per semester may be counted toward the French minor. Courses must meet the same criteria as explained for the major, above.

Information about requirements for the French and Francophone Studies major and minor can be found on Duke University’s Romance Studies website

COURSE REGISTRATION

Paris I, IV, and University of Paris Registration

Each semester's course listings for the Paris institutions are only available in the weeks immediately prior to the start of classes, making it impossible to announce in advance which courses will be available to students. When the French university courses are posted, students are aided in their course selection and registration by the EDUCO academic staff. Academic credit for a Paris university course is not guaranteed until the individual course is approved by the appropriate department at Duke University. A list of approved Paris university courses is available in the GEO Approved Course Database (search on "France, Duke-In" and departments). 

Sciences Po Registration 

Duke students authorized to enroll in Sciences Po will need to register online on the Sciences Po website prior to departure. Sciences Po will send registration information and instructions.

Full-time applicants at Sciences Po are required to take 30 ECTS each semester, but will receive only four course credits towards graduation. Registration should be made according to the following formula:

Per semester:

  • Cours magistral ET conférence de méthode  (10 credits ECTS ) -represents 2 courses, 3 contact hours
  • Séminaire ou cours optionnel (5 credits)- Elective , 2 contact hours
  • Séminaire ou cours optionnel (5 credits)- Elective, 2 contact hours
  • Séminaire ou cours optionnel (5 credits)- Elective, 2 contact hours
  • Cours de FRANÇAIS obligatoire (5 credits), 2 contact  hours

Total 6 courses=30 ECTS

All successfully completed courses, once transferred to the Duke transcript, will be eligible for major, minor, and coding requirements at departmental discretion.

Credits & Final Grades

Credit Information for Duke Students

For Duke students, Duke in France is a "hybrid" credit program. This means that EDUCO courses will earn full Duke credit and Duke grades, while courses taken in the Paris University system, including Sciences Po, will earn transfer credits.

Transfer credit courses may apply to major/minor requirements per departmental discretion, and are eligible for Areas of Knowledge codes. You may also apply for Modes of Inquiry coding for transfer credit per the instructions found at the Global Education Office for Undergraduates website. You must earn the equivalent of a C- or better to transfer the credit, but the grade will not appear on your Duke transcript and will not be computed in your GPA. All course approvals should be routed through the EDUCO academic services coordinator, Valérie Herbunot.

As none of the Sciences Po diplôme courses are EDUCO courses, all courses taken will receive transfer credit. Duke students at Sciences Po must take 5 courses per semester to transfer four back to Duke. Students studying full-time at Sciences Po are required to take five courses per semester. All five courses will be listed on the Duke transcript and all five will count towards major/minor and curricular requirements as appropriate, but only four course credits will count towards graduation. All five courses must be taken for graded credit at Sciences Po and a minimum grade of C- or better earned. In place of a grade, TR will appear on the Duke transcript for each successfully transferred course. 

Final Grades

Due to the manner in which French universities submit grades, final grades and credits may not be posted by the Duke University Registrar for up to four months or longer after the end of the semester. Students applying for summer internships and other employment or academic opportunities should keep this fact in mind. In addition, the program cannot guarantee that any participating seniors will graduate with their class, since grade reporting for courses taken in the program takes place significantly later than is common for courses taken on the Duke campus.

Courses

Students take a mix of courses offered at the EDUCO center, as well as those offered through the University of Paris, giving them hundreds of courses from which to choose.

All students studying with Duke in France for the fall semester only must take a minimum of two EDUCO courses out of a total of four to receive credit.

Spring semester students may take all four courses at the French universities if they so wish.

Only EDUCO courses will earn a Duke grade on your transcript. Other courses will be listed as transfer credit.

  • EDUCO Fall
  • EDUCO Spring
  • Paris Universities

EDUCO Fall

NOTE: All courses subject to change

Fall 2023

The EDUCO courses listed below are scheduled to be offered at the EDUCO Center. The Duke departments and course numbers are indicated unless not yet approved. Approvals will be posted as they are confirmed. All courses are taught in French. Courses subject to change.

FRENCH 343A
Communications 1: Grammaire et Communication
(CCI, FL), 1.0 credit
Instructor: Professor Caroline Ferrard

Ce cours prend en compte tous les aspects de la langue : grammatical, phonétique, lexical, et communicatif; sans oublier la civilisation, intrinsèquement liée à la langue. Nous poursuivrons un triple objectif : d'une part, se familiariser avec l'univers quotidien des Français d'aujourd'hui, d'autre part, développer les capacités de compréhension et d'expression écrite, enfin, intégrer et maîtriser les automatismes et réflexes de la communication orale.
 
FRENCH 343A
Communications 2: Phonétique et Communication

(CCI, FL), 1.0 credit
Instructor: Professor Caroline Ferrard

Ce cours a pour objectif de faire découvrir aux étudiants les phénomènes qui permettent une production orale efficace. Il est admis aujourd’hui que la maîtrise d’une prononciation correcte, est primordiale dans la communication. Il s’agit donc de favoriser l’intériorisation des systèmes phonétique, intonatif, accentuel et rythmique du français parlé. C’est pourquoi, nous nous engagerons dans une triple démarche : d’une part, se familiariser avec l’étude linguistique des sons, d’autre part, améliorer la perception et la production des sons, enfin, acquérir les structures prosodiques (accentuation et intonation) de la langue française.

FRENCH 416A 
(Please note: This course is NOT approved as an ARTHIST course)
Art moderne et Contemporain en France

(ALP, CCI, FL), 1.0 credit
Instructor: Professeur Samuelle Carlson

Le présent cours est composé de douze séances qui s’organisent autour des cinq modules suivants : Libération de la Tradition, Subversion et Expérimentation, Art et Société, Nouveaux Moyens et Nouveaux Endroits de l’Art, et Icônes du XXe siècle. Sous ces intitulés, le cours suivra un ordre chronologique, proposant un panorama des principaux mouvements de l’art moderne et contemporain en France (Fauvisme, Cubisme, Dadaïsme, Surréalisme, Nouveau Réalisme etc.). Basées sur l’analyse d’œuvres spécifiques, les sessions auront pour but de réinscrire ces dernières dans leurs contextes artistiques et social. Les œuvres facilement accessibles aux étudiants (Musée d’Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris, Musée National d’Art Moderne) seront privilégiées. Au fur et à mesure des séances, les étudiants seront invités à mettre en relation et à comparer les œuvres et les mouvements étudiés ce qui est la première compétence que le cours cherche à développer.

FRENCH 353A/PSYCH 354A 
History of Psychology in France and Europe

(FL), 1.0 credit
Instructor: Ségolène Payan

This course aims to open students to the place psychology holds and how it is presented culturally and socially, as well as exposing them to French psychological practices. To do so, we will identify historical and conceptual landmarks concerning contemporary psychology in France and Europe. Students will focus on the birth and life of psychology, from its 18th-century beginnings to its current applications in France. Such movements as physiology, associationism, psychoanalysis, Gestalt, cognitivism, and social psychology will be scrutinized through readings, lectures, and co-curricular outings to those places in Paris where psychology is put into practice.

FRENCH 390SA
Seminar on Culture, Work, and Experience

Practicum Seminar
(CZ, FL) 1.0 credit
Instructor: Resident Director Brent Keever

This interactive seminar is designed for students who are engaged in a community outreach, research, or professional project outside of the walls of the EDUCO campus. Reflective and reflexive, this course invites students to observe and articulate the cultural parameters and intercultural differences they encounter in the social theater of Paris and France.

By exploring models that help us understand intercultural discovery, mostly coming from a US perspective, and then weighing them against French perceptions of individualism, universalism, identity, social responsibility, and cultural critique, students will come away with tools to critically observe their professional surroundings and to articulate their lived experience. Augé, Derrida, Ladmiral and Lipiansky, Lévi-Strauss, Marin, Méda, Ndiyae and Piketty are amongst some of the authors we will read. Class content is punctuated by guest lectures in the fields of the study of work and French labor law, relevant films and television series on work and difference, and co-curricular outings to such destinations as the Musée du Quai Branly, the Musée de l’Histoire de l’Immigration, and the Musée de l’Homme.

Emphasis is also placed on the practical elements of cultural performance in the French workplace. Professional customs, social skills and professional cultural expectations will be explored and enacted. At the end of the seminar and thanks to their project, students will understand the art of greetings, farewells, conversations, debates, professional correspondence, composing CVs and letters of motivation, and navigating hierarchies in a French professional context. 

FRENCH 390A/GLHLTH 390A
Symptoms and Synthesis: Health and Medicine in French Literature

(ALP, CZ, CCI, FL) 1.0 credit 
Instructor: Prof. Deborah Jenson, Faculty in Residence (Duke)

Ce cours explore diverses cultures et philosophies de la santé et de la médecine à travers les littératures française et francophone de la modernité. Nous étudierons les paradigmes de la médecine narrative, des études sur le handicap, des économies de soins et de la biopolitique en relation avec la représentation des symptômes et des synthèses de la santé et de la maladie dans la littérature. Comment les humanités médicales nous permettent-elles de poser de nouvelles questions sur la littérature ? Par exemple, comment notre compréhension des maladies chroniques de Flaubert ou de Proust peut-elle informer notre interprétation de leur représentation de la réalité ? Comment les conceptions médicales de sujets tels que l'identité intersexuelle, la folie ou le VIH/sida ont-elles infusé le contenu des genres littéraires, du roman à la poésie en passant par les mémoires ? Comment les différentes cultures considèrent-elles la guérison et le handicap, comme dans la description par Aminata Sow Fall de la centralité de l'aumône pour les handicapés dans le Dakar indépendant ? Les étudiants apprendront à lire et à rechercher la vie du corps au sens large à travers le "miracle ordinaire" de la représentation littéraire.

FRENCH 390A, POLSCI 290A, PUBPOL 390A, SOCIOL 390A
Social Justice, Global Stakes
(CZ, CCI, EI, FL) 1.0 credit
Instructor: Florent Jakob

Ce cours propose une introduction aux questions et aux enjeux de la justice sociale. Après avoir expliqué, lors des deux premières séances, de façon aussi accessible que possible les principaux fondements théoriques de ce champ, nous thématiserons les différents domaines dans lesquels il y a aujourd’hui conflit et importance croissante des enjeux de justice sociale (ainsi les inégalités de richesses, les questions de genre, la discrimination raciale, la justice climatique…). 
Nous cherchons à le faire en explicitant le contexte global, environnemental, et historique de l’émergence de ces questions, exigences, et conflictualités (par conséquent, par exemple, la transformation des relations sociales tout autant que la réévaluation du passé qui se trouve mise en jeu pour les sociétés contemporaines). 

EDUCO Spring

Spring 2024

The EDUCO courses listed below are scheduled to be offered at the EDUCO Center. The Duke departments and course numbers are indicated. All courses are taught in French. Courses subject to change.

FRENCH 343A
Communications 1: Grammaire et Communication
(CCI, FL) 1.0 credit
Instructor: Professor Caroline Ferrard

Ce cours prend en compte tous les aspects de la langue : grammatical, phonétique, lexical, et communicatif; sans oublier la civilisation, intrinsèquement liée à la langue. Nous poursuivrons un triple objectif : d'une part, se familiariser avec l'univers quotidien des Français d'aujourd'hui, d'autre part, développer les capacités de compréhension et d'expression écrite, enfin, intégrer et maîtriser les automatismes et réflexes de la communication orale.

FRENCH 352A/ CULANTH 352A/ SOCIOL 252A
De la culture des Lumières à la culture populaire : Sociologie historique et critique de la culture

(CCI, FL, SS)
Instructor : Professor Florent Jakob

Les séances sont chronologiquement ordonnées, en suivant l’histoire française, et souvent parisienne, elles présentent les principales problématiques de la culture et des sciences sociales.

A chaque séance, nous étudions d’abord un peu le contexte historique, un grand problème théorique de cette époque, les évolutions sociales majeures, et quelques œuvres d’art de la période.

FRENCH 390A/ HISTORY 390A/ LIT 290A
Les Autres Frances: Cultures Migrantes

(CZ, CCI, FL, R) 1.0 credit
Instructor : Professor Helen Solterrer

Ce séminaire a pour but d’enquêter sur les cultures migrantes riches et profondes dans l’histoire de France et de sa société. Paris nous servirait de plan pour étudier les migrants à travers plusieurs époques, ceux que l’on nomme ainsi, d’autres que l’on n’identifie pas en tant que tels. On va tracer les trajets et mettre au clair des circonstances qui amènent d’innombrables gens aux villes portuaires: Calais dans le Nord, et dans le Midi, Marseille. On va faire plusieurs visites guidées dans la région parisienne: quartiers-clé, musées, centres d’accueil. Des rencontres avec des journaliste, écrivain.e et artiste nous aident de creuser l’ensemble des questions politiques : des droits humains, voire la citoyenneté des migrants.

 

FRENCH 390A/ENVIRON 390A/PUBPOL 390A
Enjeux et Politiques de la Transition Ecologique au XXIe Siècle

(SS, FL) 1.0 credit
Instructor : Stéphanie Monjon

L’objectif du cours est de présenter, dans une première partie, l’ensemble des enjeux qui fondent l’impératif de la transition écologique : dérèglement climatique, effondrement de la biodiversité, pollution des océans, déforestation… La seconde partie du cours abordera l’ensemble des moyens à notre disposition pour répondre à ces enjeux : technologies bas-carbone, recyclage, sobriété... La discussion abordera à la fois les actions individuelles mais surtout les réponses politiques envisagées actuellement et leurs conséquences possibles en matière sociale mais aussi géopolitique.

FRENCH 390SA
Practicum Seminar
(CZ, FL) 1.0 credit
Instructor: Resident Director Brent Keever

This interactive seminar is designed for students who are engaged in a community outreach, research, or professional project outside of the walls of the EDUCO campus. Reflective and reflexive, this course invites students to observe and articulate the cultural parameters and intercultural differences they encounter in the social theater of Paris and France.

By exploring models that help us understand intercultural discovery, mostly coming from a US perspective, and then weighing them against French perceptions of individualism, universalism, identity, social responsibility, and cultural critique, students will come away with tools to critically observe their professional surroundings and to articulate their lived experience. Augé, Derrida, Ladmiral and Lipiansky, Lévi-Strauss, Marin, Méda, Ndiyae and Piketty are amongst some of the authors we will read. Class content is punctuated by guest lectures in the fields of the study of work and French labor law, relevant films and television series on work and difference, and co-curricular outings to such destinations as the Musée du Quai Branly, the Musée de l’Histoire de l’Immigration, and the Musée de l’Homme.

Emphasis is also placed on the practical elements of cultural performance in the French workplace. Professional customs, social skills and professional cultural expectations will be explored and enacted. At the end of the seminar and thanks to their project, students will understand the art of greetings, farewells, conversations, debates, professional correspondence, composing CVs and letters of motivation, and navigating hierarchies in a French professional context. 

Paris Universities

The transfer credit courses found in the GEO Approved Course Database have been offered in the past by the Universities of Paris I and IV, the University of Paris, and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po). They have been approved by academic departments at Duke (equivalent course numbers are indicated). There are many more courses offered by the Paris Universities available to our students, so please do not limit your enrollment to the courses indicated.

Course approvals should be coordinated through our Academic Services Coordinator in Paris, Valérie Herbunot.

EDUCO Administrative Offices and Classrooms

The administrative offices and classrooms for EDUCO are located in the Accent Paris Study Center. The location is in the Bastille area, a central neighborhood with cafes, quiet residential squares, lively commercial avenues and one of the best Paris markets, Marche d’Aligre. Located in the 11tharrondissement on the Right Bank, the Center is also near galleries, boutiques, and a popular culinary scene. More information about the Accent Paris Study Center can be found at the Paris Center website.

Sciences Po Exchange 

By exchange arrangement with the prestigious Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po), a limited number of advanced level Duke French students each year may attend Sciences Po full time for the fall, spring, or academic year. Duke selects the students to be nominated for the exchange.

Applicants for Sciences Po need to complete a Duke in France/EDUCO application within MyExperientialEd and indicate that they would like to apply for Sciences Po. The exchange nominees who are selected will then be contacted by GEO and provided instructions for completing the Sciences Po online application.

Full-time applicants at Sciences Po are required to take 30 ECTS each semester. Regardless of the number of courses taken, they will receive a maximum of four Duke credits towards graduation per semester. All successfully completed courses, once transferred to the Duke transcript, will be eligible for major, minor, and coding requirements at departmental discretion.

NOTE: Only Duke students are allowed to study at Sciences Po through the Duke-Sciences Po exchange.

EXCURSIONS & ACTIVITIES (NOTE: All excursions and activities are subject to change due to COVID)

  • ACTIVITIES
  • EXCURSIONS
  • LOCATION

ACTIVITIES

EDUCO usually offers a selection of the following cultural activities for students.

Activities for all students:

  • Language partnership with French students
  • An evening at the Opéra
  • Dinner at a restaurant 
  • Internships
  • Volunteer opportunities
  • Museum visits

Activities for small groups (sign-up sheets) during the semester:

  • French Gastronomy Workshop (20 students per semester)
  • Wine tasting workshop (28 students per semester)
  • Dinner with French students (30 students per semester)
  • Visual arts workshop (6 students per semester)
  • Photography workshop (5 students per semester)
  • One-day exploration to the "province" to Lille, Rouen, Dijon, Amiens (6 students per semester)

See http://www.educo.fr/en/discovering-french-heritage for more information.

EXCURSIONS

Students will have the opportunity to participate on day trips to locations such as Chartre, Chablis, Fontainebleau, Vaux-le-Vicomte, Giverny, or Riems.

LOCATION

Paris, the capital of France, possesses a unique and lively character that forever changes those who visit, live, or study in the city. One million people reside in Paris proper, and over eight million live in the surrounding Ile de France region, endowing the Paris metropolitan area with a legendary vibrance.

Divided into 20 districts or "arrondissements," Paris has a mosaic-like appeal. The Left Bank of the Seine River comprises the southern half of the city and has been home to the Latin Quarter, the center of French and international university life since the Middle Ages. A historical gathering place for students, artists, and intellectuals, the Left Bank has come to signify not only a geographical region, but also a particular lifestyle or fashion centered on scholarship and creativity. The Right Bank is traditionally known for its elegance and sophistication and for what is perhaps its signature: the breathtaking avenue of the Champs-Elysées.

Cultural Paris both defies and exceeds expectation. Those traveling to the Louvre to view the famous Mona Lisa might be equally impressed by the stunning glass Pyramide juxtaposed with historic museum buildings or by the rapturous Michelangelo sculptures also housed in the Louvre. Notre Dame, the Musée d’Orsay, L’Opéra, the Centre Georges Pompidou, the theaters, and the myriad smaller museums and galleries all provide unparalleled cultural opportunities.

Grand monuments such as the Eiffel Tower and Napoleon’s Arc de Triomphe yield an astounding backdrop for the bustling streets of contemporary Paris. Cafés, bookstalls along the Seine, fashionable stores, and restaurants boasting gastronomic delights—all of these uniquely Parisian features give the city an atmosphere that Hemingway aptly described as "a moveable feast."

HOUSING & MEALS

The EDUCO program offers two types of student housing: French households and student foyers. Although housing type cannot be guaranteed, students are able to rank their preference for housing type at the time of application to the program.

French Household 

By and large, the most popular option, and the one most encouraged for students wanting to gain fluency in the French language and culture, is living in a French household.

Lodgings are located throughout Paris, in a variety of neighborhoods and arrondissements (not solely in the 5th, 6th, 7th arrondissements). An average commute to the EDUCO center or to the universities for classes is 35 minutes by Métro (which is considered an easy commute by Parisian standards).

Breakfast every day and three dinners per week are included in this housing option. Sheets and towels are also provided.

Students are able to request a preferred roommate on the housing form at the time of application. Roommate requests must be mutual, so please coordinate requests. Requests will be considered and honored if possible, but cannot be guaranteed.

Student Residence (Foyer)

This is an excellent choice for independent students who wish to meet other French and francophone or Francophile students in an international environment. Each student has a single room with a shower and a sink; meals are not included but there are communal kitchens that students can use to make their meals. The student residence is located in the 14th arrondissement, at the Cité Universitaire de Paris.

Sheets and towels are provided at the foyer.

More information about housing types can be found be found on the EDUCO housing form, due at the time of application to the program or at http://www.educo.fr/en/housing.

ESTIMATED COSTS

These costs are estimated based on previous years’ programs and the current exchange rate. All costs are subject to change.

Fall 2024 or Spring 2025

  Duke Students
Tuition $33,162.50
Program Fee $2,500
Other Costs*

See Cost Sheet

TOTAL (Estimated) $48,792.50 (Fall)

 

*A customizable program cost sheet that includes a breakdown of other costs is available on the program's MyExperientialEd brochure page

Explanation of Costs

Financial Aid

Duke students receiving institutional need-based grant aid are eligible for aid for this program; work-study funds are converted to grants. Students are individually responsible for making the necessary arrangements with the Karsh Office of Undergraduate Financial Support and the Duke Bursar’s Office.

DATES

For academic year students, the fall semester does not end in December, but rather in mid- to late January. There is a winter break in December/early January for academic year students, the dates of which are not available before the start of each Parisian academic year. Arrival and departure dates for students attending Sciences Po full-time will also differ from the regular EDUCO calendar. Please contact the EDUCO staff in Paris for details.

Students studying at EDUCO for the fall only can make special arrangements with their professor to take course exams or submit papers in December, rather than in late January when the French semester ends.

The dates listed are tentative and subject to change. Students should verify dates with the EDUCO staff before making any personal travel plans. 

NOTE: The academic calendar for Sciences Po students is very different, especially with regards to arrival dates. Please consult the Sciences Po and EDUCO websites for details.

  • Spring 2024

Spring 2024

EDUCO

  • EDUCO Student arrival: January 10, 2024
  • EDUCO Orientation: Wednesday, January 10-19
  • Some Université de Paris classes begin: January 15 
  • EDUCO classes begin. Paris I and Paris IV, and some Université de Paris classes begin: January 22
  • Spring Holiday: April 6-22
  • Exam period: Month of May
  • End of semester: May 24
  • End of EDUCO housing. End of program: May 26

Sciences Po 

  • Spring Sciences Po Arrival: January 10, 2024
  • EDUCO Orientation for Sciences Po: January 10-12
  • Sciences Po Welcome Program: January 15-20
  • Sciences Po Classes begin: January 20
  • End of Sciences Po courses (exams included): May 24

Flights

You will make your own travel arrangements to and from the program site. You are expected to arrive on the arrival date cited below, which usually means departing the U.S. one day prior. Once you have a flight itinerary, log in to MyExperientialEd to update your travel registry.

Housing Before/After

You will need to make your own housing arrangements if you will be arriving before the program start date or leaving later than the program end date.

VISA & PASSPORT

VISA

NOTE: Visa, travel, and passport rules, restrictions, and procedures are all subject to change due to COVID.

All students will be required to obtain a long stay student visa to study in France, unless you are a citizen of the European Union.

Duke's Global Education Office will send you instructions on how to obtain your student visa and make this information available in MyExperientialEd. It will be your responsibility to follow these instructions and gather all documentation required by the French Embassy in Washington, DC. It is a two-step process. First, you will need to apply online to register with the French Embassy via Campus France. After that registration is confirmed, you will make an appointment and appear at any VFS Global Center in the US to submit your visa application and required materials. We encourage all students to be in possession of a valid passport and to begin the VFS visa process within ninety days of your departure for Paris. You can begin the Campus France registration as soon as you receive your acceptance into the program. You should allow at least three weeks for Campus France processing and four weeks for VFS processing. You must obtain a French student visa prior to your departure in order to participate in the program.

Your long stay student visa will allow you to study in France for a semester or an academic year. You will not be allowed to work on this type of visa.

PASSPORT

All participants must possess a valid, signed passport. Make sure your passport has at least six months of validity beyond the program end date to avoid unintended disruptions. For instructions on obtaining or renewing your U.S. passport, visit passports.state.gov.

International Student Identity Card

An International Student Identity Card (ISIC) is optional. ISIC is the only internationally recognized form of student ID, endorsed by UNESCO. If purchased in the U.S., the card also carries with it a supplemental insurance policy, which can prove to be very helpful in the event of serious injury. You may purchase this card through www.myisic.com. Processing of the card takes between 4-15 days. 

FACULTY & STAFF

EDUCO Staff - Paris

On a rotating basis, each university in the EDUCO consortium (Duke, Cornell, Emory, and Tulane Universities) sends a professor to Paris for the academic year to act as the Faculty in Residence for the year. 

The permanent EDUCO staff provide on-site advice on every aspect of life in Paris and are dedicated to helping students have a first-rate educational experience:

  • EDUCO Administrative Director - Brent Keever
  • EDUCO Program Coordinator - Giulia Squatriti
  • EDUCO Academic Services Coordinator - Valérie Herbunot 
  • In addition, there are often graduate students to assist the staff with program activities.

Contact information for the Paris staff will be provided in orientation materials.
 

Duke in France Contacts - Duke Campus

The Duke in France program is jointly administered at Duke University by the Department of Romance Studies and the Global Education Office for Undergraduates. 

Dr. Deborah Reisinger

Associate Professor of the Practice of Romance Studies

Kayla Soltis-Katella

GEO Assistant Director

Joy Searles

GEO Senior Staff Assistant for Programs

ADMISSIONS

Deadline:  March 1 (Fall and Academic Year); October 1 (Spring)

Eligibility: Applicants must have completed at least French 204 or have equivalent proficiency.

This program has rolling admission. Applications will be considered on a first-come, first-served basis until the program fills; after that, qualified students are added to a waitlist and notified of openings. Applications must be received by the deadline to be considered.

Priority: Priority will be given students having an overall GPA of 3.0 and an average grade of B+ in French. Full-year applicants also receive priority.

Minimum GPA: The minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) required for Duke students wishing to study away during the semester is 2.7 (3.0 for Pratt students) on a scale of 4.0. See Academics section for details.

Non-Duke students: Duke in France only accepts applications from Duke students. Non-consortium students applying to EDUCO must apply through Emory University. More details and an application can be found on Emory's Office of International and Summer Programs website.

APPLY

Start your application early to ensure that it is complete by the deadline! Incomplete applications will not be forwarded to the program directors for consideration.

Submit the following items using MyExperientialEd

  1. Online application
  2. Transcript(s) from all colleges and universities attended. First-year students should wait for fall semester grades to be posted before submitting their transcript.
  3. Personal statement, one page minimum, written in English or French, describing why you want to study with Duke in France/EDUCO in Paris and what you hope to gain from it.
  4. One language recommendation from a French instructor.
  5. Duke in France Housing Application

Once an applicant has submitted the materials listed above, the Department of Romance Studies will contact him/her to set up a language interview. Please note that students do not need to complete the interview prior to the application deadline.

STUDENT STORIES

Max Recounts Paris Experience: The Language and the Land

“I am certainly more fluent in reading and hearing French than I was previously, even now that it has been three years since I had any French instruction. Taking the classes at French universities also helped to improve my writing, since the writing style is extremely regimented in philosophy classes there.”
 

Read More

Study Abroad in Paris Inspired Daniel's Senior Thesis and Plans for a Ph.D.

"After a semester in Paris, I felt really satisfied with the experience and wanted to practice my French even further; that was why I stayed for the whole year in the City of Light. Some of the courses I took in Parisian universities were so cool, especially a course on the history of French language, where I actually learned Old and Medieval French."

Read More