Multidisciplinary Studies in French at Universite Paris Diderot

France Paris Students At Tour Eiffel 2
What's Included

Designed for students who wish to study abroad in Paris and take their courses with French students, this program allows students to select their courses from those offered at the Université Paris Diderot. Students with the appropriate language level may complete a course for API students, taught in French by a local professor at the API Paris Center. Interested students may also choose to complete a teaching internship for an additional fee.

What's Included?

Highlights

Pre Departure Services

Advising

APIConnect Platform

Orientation Materials and Resources

Access to International Phone Plans

API Alumni Network

Social Networking

Scholarships

On Site Services

Airport Reception

API Center

On-Site Orientation

Excursions

Resident Director

Tuition

Medical and Life Insurance

Social and Cultural Activities

Welcome and Farewell Group Meals

Volunteer Opportunities

Monthly Transit Pass

Tutoring

Housing (including meals and laundry with some options)

Language and Culture Tools

Re-Entry Services

Re-Entry Materials and Support

Post-Program Evaluation

Transcript

Alumni Network and API Ambassador Program
View all opportunities and amenities

Application Requirements

  • Minimum 2.75 G.P.A.
  • Open to juniors and seniors
  • Open to advanced/superior French speakers
  • Entry requirements: valid passport with student visa
  • Submit API application, one letter of recommendation, statement of purpose, and one official transcript to API
  • 2 passport I.D. photos
  • Online placement exam and interview with UMASS Amherst program coordinator
  • Supplemental application requirements are solicited upon receipt of API application
  • UMASS SYSTEM STUDENTS ONLY - Apply directly through the UMASS Amherst International Programs Office (IPO)
  • University Approval Form
Dates & Fees
Session Program Dates Program Cost Application Deadline Extended Application Deadline Payment Deadline
Spring Jan, 2022 - May, 2022 $17,250 Oct 1, 2021 No Extension Nov 10, 2021
Fall Sep, 2022 - Jan, 2023 $17,250 Apr 1, 2022 No Extension Jun 1, 2022
Academic Year Sep, 2022 - May, 2023 $33,500 Apr 1, 2022 No Extension Jun 1, 2022
Excursions

API students participate excursions designed to help familiarize them with the culture and surrounding areas of their host city and country. The following is a listing of potential excursions for API Paris programs. API may need to modify the excursions offered in a given term due to travel restrictions or health and safety concerns.

  • Bordeaux

    Bordeaux is one of the largest cities in France and is located in the South West of the country, not far from the Atlantic Ocean.

    The center of a legendary winegrowing region, this vibrant and sophisticated city is a top gourmet and cultural destination. Synonymous with fine wines, Bordeaux is one of France’s most beautiful and elegant cities - indeed, half the city is Unesco-listed, making it the largest urban World Heritage site. Visitors appreciate both the monumental stone architecture and attractive nooks and crannies of this city, with its fascinating historical and cultural heritage around every corner. Also, it is now fastly connected to Paris with a new TGV line connecting both cities in just over two hours.

  • Normandy- Honfleur & Etretat

    Honfleur looks so utterly enchanting, it is hard to remember that it was built essentially for commerce. Its harbour sits in a great location, tucked away on the southern side of the Seine’s estuary. During the Hundred Years War, the French king had this strategic spot fortified, but that didn’t stop the English taking over for several decades.

    The little town of Etretat is located in the Pays de Caux, on a section of the coast of Normandy called “La Côte d’Albâtre”, and is renowned for its impressive white cliffs, featuring arches, a large rock needle and tunnels, famous Impressionists painted them so memorably. There’s also an amazing needle-like structure called « aiguille » !

  • Champagne

    CHAMPAGNE - Reims

    The Champagne wine region is an historic terroir within the administrative province of Champagne in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name. EU law and the laws of most countries reserve the term "Champagne" exclusively for wines that come from this region located about 100 miles (160 km) east of Paris. The viticultural boundaries of Champagne are legally defined and split into five wine producing districts within the administrative province: Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne.

    A visit to a vineyard in the country side and a visit of Reims cathedral are a sine qua non

  • A discovery day in the Ile de France region

    No need to go miles away from Paris to discover some rich and unexpected heritage

    In the footsteps of the impressionists (Auvers sur Oise, Chatou…) or a journey in the middle ages (Provins) or even an off the beaten path visit of Versailles ....

  • Strasbourg

    The capital of the Alsace region, Strasbourg has one of Europe’s largest medieval quarters. In the Grand Île and Petite France, cobbled streets weave between creaking timber-framed houses that have survived for hundreds of years. The city is also the home of many European and international institutions, including the Council of Europe, on which the European Court of Human Rights and the European Parliament.

  • Loire Valley

    Visiting the Loire Valley palaces is like visiting 16th century Renaissance France when fortified medieval fortresses were transformed into delicate castles inspired by Italian architecture. Such is the case of le Château d’Amboise where Leonardo da Vinci was buried.

    The Château de Chenonceau is an exceptional site not only because of its original design, the richness of its collections, its furniture and its decorations, but also because of its destiny, since it was loved, administrated and protected by women.

    Depending on the program, the students may also enjoy an ultimate experience: a traditional boat ride on the Loire river. Also, depending on the program, the students can experience the splendor of Chambord’s castle and its exceptional architectural creation that draws its inspiration from the French tradition as much as from the new ideas of the Italian Renaissance.

  • Lyon

    France’s second largest city, Lyon is located on the Rhone and Soâne Rivers with many sites to see, including the Gallo-Roman Museum, two excavated Roman theaters, and the 19th century Basilique Notre-Dame de Fouvière. In the Parc de la Tête d’Or, one will find botanical gardens, a small zoo, lakes for sailing, running trails, and many areas for relaxing.

  • A discovery day in the Ile de France region

    No need to go miles away from Paris to discover some rich and unexpected heritage

    In the footsteps of the impressionists (Auvers sur Oise, Chatou…) or a journey in the middle ages (Provins) or even an off the beaten path visit of Versailles ....

  • Bordeaux

    Bordeaux is one of the largest cities in France and is located in the South West of the country, not far from the Atlantic Ocean.

    The center of a legendary winegrowing region, this vibrant and sophisticated city is a top gourmet and cultural destination. Synonymous with fine wines, Bordeaux is one of France’s most beautiful and elegant cities - indeed, half the city is Unesco-listed, making it the largest urban World Heritage site. Visitors appreciate both the monumental stone architecture and attractive nooks and crannies of this city, with its fascinating historical and cultural heritage around every corner. Also, it is now fastly connected to Paris with a new TGV line connecting both cities in just over two hours.

  • Normandy- Honfleur & Etretat

    Honfleur looks so utterly enchanting, it is hard to remember that it was built essentially for commerce. Its harbour sits in a great location, tucked away on the southern side of the Seine’s estuary. During the Hundred Years War, the French king had this strategic spot fortified, but that didn’t stop the English taking over for several decades.

    The little town of Etretat is located in the Pays de Caux, on a section of the coast of Normandy called “La Côte d’Albâtre”, and is renowned for its impressive white cliffs, featuring arches, a large rock needle and tunnels, famous Impressionists painted them so memorably. There’s also an amazing needle-like structure called « aiguille » !

  • Champagne

    CHAMPAGNE - Reims

    The Champagne wine region is an historic terroir within the administrative province of Champagne in the northeast of France. The area is best known for the production of the sparkling white wine that bears the region's name. EU law and the laws of most countries reserve the term "Champagne" exclusively for wines that come from this region located about 100 miles (160 km) east of Paris. The viticultural boundaries of Champagne are legally defined and split into five wine producing districts within the administrative province: Aube, Côte des Blancs, Côte de Sézanne, Montagne de Reims, and Vallée de la Marne.

    A visit to a vineyard in the country side and a visit of Reims cathedral are a sine qua non

  • A discovery day in the Ile de France region

    No need to go miles away from Paris to discover some rich and unexpected heritage

    In the footsteps of the impressionists (Auvers sur Oise, Chatou…) or a journey in the middle ages (Provins) or even an off the beaten path visit of Versailles ....

  • Strasbourg

    The capital of the Alsace region, Strasbourg has one of Europe’s largest medieval quarters. In the Grand Île and Petite France, cobbled streets weave between creaking timber-framed houses that have survived for hundreds of years. The city is also the home of many European and international institutions, including the Council of Europe, on which the European Court of Human Rights and the European Parliament.

  • Lyon

    France’s second largest city, Lyon is located on the Rhone and Soâne Rivers with many sites to see, including the Gallo-Roman Museum, two excavated Roman theaters, and the 19th century Basilique Notre-Dame de Fouvière. In the Parc de la Tête d’Or, one will find botanical gardens, a small zoo, lakes for sailing, running trails, and many areas for relaxing.

  • Loire Valley

    Visiting the Loire Valley palaces is like visiting 16th century Renaissance France when fortified medieval fortresses were transformed into delicate castles inspired by Italian architecture. Such is the case of le Château d’Amboise where Leonardo da Vinci was buried.

    The Château de Chenonceau is an exceptional site not only because of its original design, the richness of its collections, its furniture and its decorations, but also because of its destiny, since it was loved, administrated and protected by women.

    Depending on the program, the students may also enjoy an ultimate experience: a traditional boat ride on the Loire river. Also, depending on the program, the students can experience the splendor of Chambord’s castle and its exceptional architectural creation that draws its inspiration from the French tradition as much as from the new ideas of the Italian Renaissance.

Program Details

What You’ll Study

TOTAL CREDITS - 12-15 credits per semester

Designed for students who wish to study abroad in Paris and take their courses with French students, this program allows students to select their courses from those offered at the Université Paris Diderot. Students with the appropriate language level may complete a course for API students, taught in French by a local professor at the API Paris Center. Interested students may also choose to complete a teaching internship for an additional fee.

UNIVERSITÉ PARIS DIDEROT

Located within the 13th arrondissement of Paris that is known by Parisians as the Rive Gauche, Paris Diderot is an ideal university to study and immerse oneself in the local culture. Students can select from courses in the French language, the humanities, and social sciences. All courses are taken with French students and taught in French. To prepare for the immersion experience, students complete preparatory program or “stage” aimed at introducing visiting students to the French academic system and the campus.

TRANSCRIPTS

Transcripts are issued by the University of Massachusetts Amherst upon completion of the program.

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    Julia Nelson

    Julia Nelson will be your Program Manager and prepare you to go abroad!

    (she/her/hers)

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    Francine Bost-Millischer

    Francine Bost-Millischer will be one of your Resident Directors in Paris and a resource for you on-site.

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    Violaine Peladan

    Violaine will be your Academic Coordinator in Paris and will assist you in achieving your educational goals with us in France!

Courses
Click Here to Find Classes

COURSE OFFERINGS

Students choose from the following subject areas taught in French:

  • Études Anglophones
  • Études Cinématographiques
  • Français langue Étrangère
  • Géographie
  • Histoire
  • Histoire de l’art
  • Langues Étrangères Appliqués
  • Lettres et Sciences: Transmissions des Connaissances
  • Linguistique
  • Littérature
  • Psychologie
  • Sciences de la Ville
  • Sociologie
  • Sports
  • Théâtre

For more course information, click here.

CREDIT INFORMATION

Most API partner universities in France operate on the contact hour system, wherein the number of credits earned depends on the time spent in class. To determine the conversion of contact hours to U.S. semester credits, divide the contact hours available by 15.

A French Experience: Paris Teaching Internship

All students with 4 semesters of college-level French (equivalent to the intermediate level) or more are able to participate in the teaching internship for an additional 3 credits. Beginning and intermediate-level students can also do the internship, but are not eligible to earn credit or a grade for the experience. Spaces are limited and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. An additional fee is charged for the internship.

Language of Instruction: English French    Language Level Required: Intermediate  

Recommended US semester credits: 3  

Diderot Course Information

Please visit the university site for more detailed individual class descriptions.

Language of Instruction: French   

Université Paris Diderot Class Catalog

French Civilization

The post-WWII era was a time of deep transformations in the French way of living, the political structure of the French society, and through cultural and social representations and is strongly represented through the Parisian architecture and the design of the main avenues and boulevards. This course examines French society chronologically from 1945 to today by highlighting the main events of this era and examining the city itself through daily life, buildings, movies, paintings, and theoretical developments.

Recommended US semester credits: 3  

Histoire de la Gastronomique Française (History of French Cuisine) - API Course

Who has never dreamt of chocolate mousse, foie gras, or fondue? Why is France so attached to its cuisine and culinary traditions? How did they develop and what role do they play within daily life as well as national identity? How could the French indulge themselves in fastuous and lengthy meals and joyfully continue to speak about food while eating? What does eating mean? This course is designed to understand the role and place of French Cuisine within its society from an historical point of view, and to put into practice this “savoir vivre français” by cooking some traditional dishes and sharing them together. This is a reading and research class, with a cooking and tasting component.

Language of Instruction: French   

Recommended US semester credits: 3  

A French Experience: Paris Teaching Internship

All students with 4 semesters of college-level French (equivalent to the intermediate level) or more are able to participate in the teaching internship for an additional 3 credits. Beginning and intermediate-level students can also do the internship, but are not eligible to earn credit or a grade for the experience. Spaces are limited and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. An additional fee is charged for the internship.

Language of Instruction: English French    Language Level Required: Intermediate  

Recommended US semester credits: 3  

Diderot Course Information

Please visit the university site for more detailed individual class descriptions.

Language of Instruction: French   

Université Paris Diderot Class Catalog

Histoire de la Gastronomique Française (History of French Cuisine) - API Course

Who has never dreamt of chocolate mousse, foie gras, or fondue? Why is France so attached to its cuisine and culinary traditions? How did they develop and what role do they play within daily life as well as national identity? How could the French indulge themselves in fastuous and lengthy meals and joyfully continue to speak about food while eating? What does eating mean? This course is designed to understand the role and place of French Cuisine within its society from an historical point of view, and to put into practice this “savoir vivre français” by cooking some traditional dishes and sharing them together. This is a reading and research class, with a cooking and tasting component.

Language of Instruction: French   

Recommended US semester credits: 3  

A French Experience: Paris Teaching Internship

All students with 4 semesters of college-level French (equivalent to the intermediate level) or more are able to participate in the teaching internship for an additional 3 credits. Beginning and intermediate-level students can also do the internship, but are not eligible to earn credit or a grade for the experience. Spaces are limited and are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. An additional fee is charged for the internship.

Language of Instruction: English French    Language Level Required: Intermediate  

Recommended US semester credits: 3  

Diderot Course Information

Please visit the university site for more detailed individual class descriptions.

Language of Instruction: French   

Université Paris Diderot Class Catalog

French Civilization

The post-WWII era was a time of deep transformations in the French way of living, the political structure of the French society, and through cultural and social representations and is strongly represented through the Parisian architecture and the design of the main avenues and boulevards. This course examines French society chronologically from 1945 to today by highlighting the main events of this era and examining the city itself through daily life, buildings, movies, paintings, and theoretical developments.

Recommended US semester credits: 3  

Highlights
  • Enroll in classes with French students
  • Classes taught in French
  • Transcript from U.S. accredited institution (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
  • Teaching internships available (for credit)
Housing

Students who choose to live with families are provided with five breakfast meals and two dinner meals per week with the family, along with a grocery stipend card to offset the cost of meals. Host families serve as a unique introduction into French culture and may be made up of a married couple with children, retirement-age couples, or a divorced or widowed woman with or without children. Most families live in apartments with 2-4 bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, and a living/dining area. In some cases, there may be another API or international student in the same apartment. While most family placements offer a single room, some students share a double room.

Students also have the option of living in shared apartments that are located throughout Paris. Most are designed to house 4 students in double-occupancy bedrooms, though some may be larger. Meals are not provided, however, apartments are equipped with kitchen appliances, and students receive a grocery stipend card to offset the cost of meals.

Students in the dorm generally live in single rooms. Some rooms may be equipped with a sink, though students share bathroom and kitchen facilities. Most of the other students in the dorm are American. Students who select the dorm option are responsible for their own meals, though they will receive a grocery stipend card to offset the cost of meals.

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