Paris

Courses & Credits

Participants take required courses and some electives at the Skidmore Center in Paris and can take other electives at a variety of schools throughout Paris. Skidmore has official exchange agreements with the Université de Paris IV, La Sorbonne and the Université de Paris X, Nanterre. However, students also have the opportunity to enroll in courses at these additional institutions:

•
 University of London Institute in Paris •
 l’Institut Catholique de Paris
•
 Académie de Port Royal •
 l’Ecole du Louvre
•
 Ecole Normale de Musique •
 Schola Cantorum
•
 Centre de Danse du Marais •
 American Business School in Paris

Actual elective course offerings will vary each semester depending on what is available through the local universities and students’ academic needs. Selected courses offered through the local universities are accompanied by Skidmore-sponsored tutorials that aim to help students succeed in that given discipline.

Some courses – one in advanced language (3 or 4 credits), another in French society studies (4 credits), and one in understanding Paris culture through its arts (1 credit)  – are required of all students. Elective courses are offered in subjects such as French language and literature, art history, studio art, government, phiosophy, and other liberal arts areas. All courses are taught in French, with a few exceptions. Course selection depends on your level of proficiency in French and prerequisites, if applicable. Courses may also available upon request in certain other disciplines such as biology, Chinese, computer science, geology, German, Italian, Spanish, et. al. These requests must be discussed in advance with an advisor in Off-Campus Study & Exchanges.

All participants are expected to carry a full course load of 14-17 credits per semester. French language majors at the advanced language level are required to take one course at a French university. All coursework studied in Paris is reported on a Skidmore transcript. Grades will be computed into the Skidmore  GPA and 300-level credits taken in Paris may count toward the “maturity-level” credit requirement. Visiting students from other colleges/universities should check with their home campuses for information on credit transfer.

Skidmore’s academic departments and programs have designated specific study abroad programs that best fit the curricular needs of their majors and minors. Please check the approved programs list for your major or minor department to see if this program has been approved.