CIS Abroad Semester Programs in France

Name: CIS Abroad Semester Programs in France
Brand: CIS Abroad
SKU: 269342
Rating: 4.91 (11 reviews)

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4.91 Rating

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Location

France
- Paris
- Aix-en-Provence

Subject Areas

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Program Details

Program Type

Provider

Degree Level

Bachelors

Housing

Apartment Host Family

Language

French

Pricing

Starting Price

13890

Price Details

Price may be an estimate, the lower end of a range, or from a previous term. Please see our website for specifics.

What's Included

Accommodation Some Activities Classes Wifi

What's Included (Extra)

Please visit our website to see all that's included.

Last Updated: Jun 09, 2021

Last Reviewed: Nov 19, 2018

Wish List

3 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Experience firsthand the rich culture, the fascinating history, the famous art, and the tasty cuisine that have made France one of the most visited countries in the world! Whether you choose traditional Aix-en-Provence or metropolitan Paris, with CIS Abroad, you’ll be more than another tourist – you’ll be engaged in the local culture, living like a local. In Paris, choose from Paris School of Business, a European elite Grande Ecole management school that combines academic excellence, international awareness, and professional experiences, or be a Parisian for a semester at the Institut Catholique de Paris (ICP). ICP is a respected, private university located near the lively Latin Quarter of Paris. For a smaller city, the Semester in Aix-en-Provence takes place at Institut Américain Universitaire (aka IAU College) among the tree lined, cobble-stoned streets of Aix-en-Provence.

This program is currently not being promoted on Go Overseas by its provider. Check with CIS Abroad for the most up-to-date information regarding the status of this program.

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Program Highlights

Diverse course offerings in English and full-immersion French studies
Great support and cultural insights from local staff
Apartments located in a traditional French neighborhoods or immersive local homestays
Local activities and excursion to explore your new home

Popular Programs

Semester in Paris - Paris School of Business

Study at the Paris School of Business, a European elite Grande Ecole management school that combines academic excellence, international awareness and professional experiences. Cited as one of the top post-baccalaureate schools in France, Paris School of Business values audacity, awareness, and responsibility and prepares students to become highly skilled managers open to the world, enabling them to commit as efficient decision makers and conscious leaders.

Semester in Paris – Institut Catholique de Paris

Semester in Paris is perfect for every level of French speaker, from beginners to advanced. You’ll study at the Institute Catholique de Paris with expert professors and fellow study abroad students. A Paris City Tour will let you explore places like Versailles and Fontainebleau. Additionally, this program offers an exclusive bonus: a weekend excursion to another fabulous location in France!

Students studying in Aix -en-Provence, France

Semester in Aix-en-Provence - IAU

With a mild Mediterranean climate, historic sites, and striking scenery, it’s easy to fall in love with Aix-en-Provence. You'll improve your French as you wind your way around this charming, chic city. A true “college town,” you’ll meet other students from all over the world, and also explore the nearby seaside villages, beaches, and exquisite sites. Join numerous service-learning opportunities to get involved both on campus and in your local community.

Program Reviews

4.91 Rating

based on 11 reviews

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Rating Spread Study

5 rating 90.91%
4 rating 9.09%
3 rating 0%
2 rating 0%
1 rating 0%

Academics 4.75
Support 4.45
Fun 5
Housing 4.9
Safety 4.9

Showing 9 - 11 of 11 reviews

This program was PERFECT for me. It combined so many essential components of what I wanted from my study abroad program: an apartment in the middle of the city (not a dorm!), integration into a local school, great on-site advisor, fun activities, but loads of independence. Every moment from the planning stages to the end of the semester was seamless with the help of the CIS staff. Cannot recommend highly enough!

What would you improve about this program?

I have no complaints about this program- it was everything I wanted!

Read my full story

This program will provide you every opportunity to take what you want from France. If your goal is to simply find a place to study so that you can travel Europe at your leisure on the weekend, you can do just that. If your goal is to obtain certain credit hours but to do so in a beautiful setting far different from the States, you can do just that. And if your goal is to better your French, you can do just that by fully immersing yourself in the experience of a home-stay and the night life of Aix. However, IAU has a very French way (and preferable in my mind) of facilitating this process. They will provide you all the elements and materials you need to make the leap of immersing yourself but it is up to you to make that leap.

My experience was enjoyable for any number of reasons: I made French friends quickly at the bars, my home-stay was by far one of the best cooks I've ever met, I traveled rarely so I felt like a part of Aix culture as opposed to a tourist of Europe. Additionally, the wine tasting courses are superb and unique to anything that other programs would have to offer. I would fully recommend this to anyone who is willing to put forth the effort to buckling down and learning the language. The rewards are immense.

What would you improve about this program?

The communication between the staff responsible for creating events and the students was sometimes lax. Honestly, this was my only complaint as I felt everything else was handled beautifully.

Paris is a wonderful place to spend the summer. The culutural scene is beyond compare and the city is relatively safe. I was told that the best thing to do is to get lost ...and I did (of course I kept my apartment address in my pocket so if I couldn't find my own way back I could get help). I saw a lot of cool things I wouldn't have seen otherwise and it gave me the confidence to explore further.

However, speaking French is not required outside of the classroom. Paris is so global I found most people responded to me in English. That's great for beginning French students, not so great when you want to practice your French.

The courses were interesting and the staff was great, but the biggest educational aspects occurred outside of the school. Those came in the social aspects of purchasing groceries, attending the Fireman's ball, visiting museums,riding the metro, sitting in the park, and yes even enduring the "Did you drop your ring?" scammers.

The whole city was my classroom for the summer. A semi-immersion into the French speaking world...I could live among the French, speak their language, and still have the comfort of my English speaking classmates. I think that's why this program is so successful. It allows you to customize your immersion: you can jump in and submerge your entire body or just dip your big toe.

I know this was a summer I'll never forget and one I would like to live again and again.

What would you improve about this program?

I would change the graduation ceremony we attended. Although the castle was gorgeous and worth a visit, I don't think we needed to stay so long. We didn't know any of the graduates;we barely knew each other...it was just too long of a day. I think a smaller party for just the summer program would've been better for that early in our arrival.

I would also change the location of the farewell diner. The staff was rude, broke our group into two separate areas and I didn't think the food was worth it.

Questions & Answers

Alumni Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with verified alumni.

Why did you choose this program?

I chose this program because it had all the elements I was looking for in a study abroad experience. Living in an apartment and not in student housing was a major factor for me, as I wanted to experience life as a Parisian and not a student!

The academics allowed me to integrate into a French University where I could take classes with a mix of people from all over the world.

The primary reason I chose this program was because of the amount of independence it allowed me. I felt completely self-sufficient and independent during my time in Paris, which is just what I wanted.

What did your program provider assist you with, and what did you have to organize on your own?

They helped me with administrative aspects of the pre-departure process. All of the paperwork, obtaining a Visa, planning my classes, and my housing arrangements were all handled by CISabroad. They were great at setting up the foundation for my semester abroad, and were always there to answer any questions I had.

What is one piece of advice you'd give to someone going on your program?

My biggest piece of advice is to get out there and explore! Don't feel like you always need to take a buddy to go experience new things.

Take a day to yourself and go to a new museum, or go sit at a cafe and read a book.

Some of my favorite memories from my time abroad are ones where I was experiencing things on my own.

What does an average day/week look like as a participant of this program?

My average week was pretty great! Monday through Thursday I had classes. Each class is a three-hour period but only meets once a week. Some days I only had one class, but others I had two. Each morning I would take the metro to school, which was about a 20 minute commute.

Some days I would grab a quick croissant for breakfast on my way to class. I typically had enough time between classes to go back to my apartment for lunch. The best thing about the schedule was not having classes on Friday. That made it easy to maximize my weekends with lots of exploring and occasionally traveling to new places!

Going into your experience abroad, what was your biggest fear, and how did you overcome it and/or how did your views on the issue change?

To be honest, study abroad had been a dream of mine for so long that I had barely any apprehension about going. I was ready to fully immerse myself into the culture and to experience a new adventure! My only concern was that the housing wasn't going to be ideal, but it turned out to be amazing!

What was your favorite routine thing do to?

I loved getting in the habit of grabbing coffee at a classic Parisian cafe. My favorite cafe in Paris, Cafe de Flore, is where I spent many mornings drinking a "cafe creme" and reading a good book from Shakespeare and Co. It was a great place to people watch and to feel like a real Parisian!

About CIS Abroad

We provide innovative education programs that broaden academic perspectives, promote global awareness, and encourage personal development while laying the foundation for participants to become engaged world citizens. Our lives were transformed by international experiences. Every day we create a more connected and compassionate world, one person at...