API students participate in 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.

What You’ll Study

TOTAL CREDITS - 12-15 credits per semester

The French Language and Liberal Arts program at the Institut Catholique de Paris (ICP) is open to students at all language levels and is a great opportunity to continue to develop French language skills in Paris. The ICP follows the European framework for their language levels, dividing students into the following: A1-1, A1-2, A2-1, A2-2, B1-1, B1-2, B2-1, and B2-2. A student’s French level is based on an online placement exam administered before arrival by the ICP. All students will take 15 U.S. semester credits during the semester. Extra fees will apply for students who choose to enroll in more than 15 U.S. semester credits.

BEGINNING LEVEL OPTIONS (A1-1, A1-2, A2-1, A2-2)

Students at the beginning language levels are required to take 15 contact hours of French language per week. Students take one comprehensive course that focuses on reading, writing, and speaking skills and will spend approximately 3 hours in the classroom each day. Students at a beginner level are required to do this program.

Students at the beginning levels have the option of earning an additional 3 credits each semester with an English or French elective offered through the ICP.

INTERMEDIATE AND ABOVE LEVEL OPTIONS (B1-1 AND ABOVE)

Students at all other language levels typically take 6-15 contact hours of French language and culture courses per week. Depending on how many contact hours of French language and culture a student takes, they may be able to take 1 or 2 cultural electives (offered in English).

Students at the high-intermediate language level (B1-1) and above also have the option of earning an additional three credits each semester if they complete an elective course from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, at the API office. Students generally take this course in place of one of the cultural courses at the ICP. Course subject to minimum enrollment.

TRANSCRIPTS

Students receive a transcript from the Institut Catholique de Paris upon completion of their program. If a student enrolls in the API-led course or the teaching internship, they will receive a transcript from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

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COURSE OFFERINGS

Students at the intermediate to advanced language levels will take from 9-15 hours of French language and/or culture coursework per week. They may then complete 1-3 elective course options offered in English or French depending on a student's language proficiency. Intermediate and advanced-level students may choose to participate in a teaching internship or API-taught coursework.

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.

OPTIONAL ELECTIVE COURSES

Students have the option to take additional elective courses in Paris offered through API. Some electives are taught in English while others are taught in French. French elective options require an intermediate to advanced language proficiency level. These elective courses incur an additional fee and are subject to change.

SPRING INTENSIVE OPTION

Students in this program take 21 contact hours of French language per week, over 3 weeks, earning an average of 4 credits. Students can either do the Jan Term in Paris before starting their Spring semester at their home university or add the intensive month to their Spring semester in Paris as an Early Start program. This option is open to all levels of French speakers.

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 complete 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. Students teach English in a French school. This is a unique experience for API students in Paris to get to know Parisians and Parisian life from the inside, not only through the teenagers in the classes students teach, but also from the teachers that students assist. The regular professor asks the student what is to be taught and helps students prepare for class. In order to get the 3 credits, students are required to teach English about three hours a week, to keep a journal where all course plans and weekly evaluations are registered to present it in French at the end of the semester and to write a final internship paper (in French) analyzing the French teaching system and their perception of French society through their own teaching experience.

Highlights

• Classes taught in French and English
• Transcript from U.S. accredited institution available (University of Massachusetts, Amherst)
• Teaching internships available (for credit)