Location
  • France
    • Nantes
Term
Academic Year, Fall, Spring
Need-based funding, Merit-based funding, General grants/scholarships, BIPOC funding
Health & Safety

Program Details

Program Type
Provider
Degree Level
Bachelors
Housing
Host Family
Language
French

Pricing

Price Details
Contact IES Abroad or see website for details: www.IESabroad.org/
What's Included
Accommodation Classes Wifi
What's Not Included
Airfare Visa
Jul 07, 2022
Sep 08, 2023
9 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

Located on the Loire River, Nantes—France’s sixth-largest city—has all the amenities of a big city: world-class museums, breathtaking cathedrals, a great public transportation system, and even its own château. But the best thing about Nantes for study abroad? It’s small enough to feel like home.

Before long, you’re blending in with local residents and university students, and saying “bonjour” to the shop keepers you pass on your way to class every day. This livable, accessible, and exciting city was the official EU 2013 Green Capital. It’s something to celebrate when you study abroad in Nantes and can get around easily on the bus, tram, or by foot.

Immerse yourself in French language and culture in this city full of history and vibrant city life. You won’t want to leave.

Video and Photos

Diversity & Inclusion

LGBTQIA+ Support

Today, and every day, we celebrate who you are and who you will become. We take pride in simply getting to know you, and look forward to adventuring through this incredible world with you.

Studying abroad as part of the LGBTQIA+ community can present unique opportunities and challenges in exploring a new culture, so we have compiled resources on sexual orientation, gender identity, and allyship to help prepare you and support you along the way.

Neurodivergent Support

Going abroad, whether this is your first time or your umpteenth, can be a trip both literally and figuratively. Seeing something new or being someplace unfamiliar has its own challenges, especially when it comes to mental health and physical accessibility. With IES Abroad, you won't handle these concerns on your own.

We have not only compiled resources on mental health, physical health, and self-care to help prepare you and support you along the way, but we also have a dedicated Student Affairs staff that are available for you to contact from the United States and once in your host country.

Accessibility Support

Going abroad, whether this is your first time or your umpteenth, can be a trip both literally and figuratively. Seeing something new or being someplace unfamiliar has its own challenges, especially when it comes to mental health and physical accessibility. With IES Abroad, you won't handle these concerns on your own.

We have not only compiled resources on mental health, physical health, and self-care to help prepare you and support you along the way, but we also have a dedicated Student Affairs staff that are available for you to contact from the United States and once in your host country.

Impact

Sustainability

As part of IES Abroad's Global Good Commitment, IES Abroad employs sustainability measures in the following ways:
-Moving toward more sustainable Headquarters and Centers abroad
-Producing printed materials mindfully
-Hosting events and conferences in LEED-certified buildings
-Purchasing carbon offsets for staff air travel
-The formation of the IES Abroad Sustainability Team - a dedicated group of volunteers responsible for implementing sustainable practices across our organization. The team comprises of members across our Centers, departments, teams. It is truly a global effort, and we are better for it.

Program Highlights

  • Founded in 1965, IES Abroad has established a strong partnership with the University of Nantes
  • Enjoy the benefits of this partnership with access to university libraries, sport and other on-campus facilities, and IES Abroad's wealth of experience
  • Full immersion program creates a valuable cultural, linguistic, and academic experience
  • Carefully selected field-trips and excursions for travel around Nantes and France available to all students
  • Teaching internships for education majors available

Popular Programs

student smiling in front of a large brick chateau in Nantes

Improve your written and verbal proficiency in French through language and area studies courses and teaching internships, and learn about contemporary France and its role in the European Union. This program enjoys a close relationship with the Université de Nantes. You have access to the school’s libraries, computer labs, cafeterias, and sports facilities, and are welcome to join student clubs and other social and sports organizations. You also can enroll in university courses.

Scholarships

IES Abroad Scholarships

IES Abroad Scholarships and Financial Aid

Financial limitations shouldn't prevent you from studying abroad with us. That's why IES Abroad offers more than $6 million in scholarships and aid. IES Abroad offers a number of diversity scholarships and grants to provide opportunities for traditionally underrepresented communities in study abroad.

Value
$500 - $5,000

Program Reviews

4.93 Rating
based on 60 reviews
  • 5 rating 93.33%
  • 4 rating 6.67%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 0%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Academics 4.4
  • Support 4.9
  • Fun 4.95
  • Housing 4.75
  • Safety 4.85
Showing 25 - 32 of 60 reviews
Default avatar
Brigit
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Merci Nantes!

This program was overall great. I loved Nantes as a city, not too big and not too small, with plenty of students around due to the large University of Nantes. The IES program was great at welcoming us and helping us understand Nantes, and although the classes were not very vigorous and I had very little homework, my french improved a great deal. I loved my host family and my host mom's delicious, traditional french meals. I made some great American friends and a few French friends, however it was difficult to meet French people my age. I loved my time in Nantes and would recommend this program to anyone who loves France and the French language.

What would you improve about this program?
I was frustrated by the amount of English spoken in the program center and by students in general on the program. The program in theory had a zero tolerance policy for speaking english, but this wasn't enforced at all and students pretty quickly found out that they could get away with speaking English. Part of the problem is that you have to be really self-motivated to speak only French when you're surrounded by Americans most of the time, but I think the program needs to figure out a better system for enforcing French speaking at all times.
Also, there was little interaction between the program administration (not professors) and the students (and to be honest, it sometimes felt like the staff really didn't like our group of students, which may be because of the excessive english speaking) but it was kind of a strange dynamic.
51 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Molly
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Finding a Second Home

Nantes was truly an ideal place to study abroad, especially when it comes to what I was looking for, which was a moderate sized city that would allow me to use my French as much as possible. It was big enough that there was always something to do, but not so big that a lot of people spoke English which was great when it came to having to use French and practicing my skills. I also knew that IES Nantes offered a home stay option which turned out to be the absolute best part of my trip. Living with a family gave me the opportunity to really understand what life in France means, but also gave me a chance to form connections that will last for the rest of my life. The IES Nantes center does an incredible job at matching students with families, and is so helpful if problems do come up. The center staff was also helpful with other issues as well, anything from locating important places like the post office or the doctor, to having a band-aid if you needed one on the spot. The classes offered were very interesting and taught at a reasonable pace, and the instructors were very adaptive to student's needs and issues. IES Nantes also offers an option to take classes at the local university which is a great opportunity to experience class with French students and take a class that is taught at a standard pace that is not adapted to American students. All classes in France are focused around large tests and papers rather than smaller assignments, which is important to keep in mind. There is less work to do on a daily basis, but you are expected to keep up with you classes and do work individually. Overall the program was amazing and I had a great semester!

What would you improve about this program?
I think the only improvement would be having activities that allow all of the students to get to know one another right at the beginning of the program. Everyone naturally split up into the groups that they would hang out with for the semester, but I think it would have been nice to get to know everyone not just a small group of people. Maybe having certain activities with predetermined groups so that everyone gets to know everyone.
53 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Tatianna
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Just Enough Guidance

Nantes was the perfect place for my study abroad experience. Going into studying abroad, I was looking to be fully immersed in French Language & Culture, and that is exactly what this program did for me.

When I was trying to choose a program, what stood out to me about IES is how they genuinely wanted to ensure that you had a good experience. They didn't just want you to sign up for their program and then completely disregard you once you got there. Their staff was involved from beginning to end making sure that every student had a good experience.

Another one of my favorite parts of the program was the home-stay experience. Everyone is required to live with a host family, which really helped everyone's french improved and allowed us to really get to know french culture. Almost all of my friends loved their host families, which is not something I have necessarily heard voiced from other people who have studied abroad. The host families in Nantes have been doing the program for years, so they are familiar with the student's experience. For me, having a host family was a great thing because it meant not being alone. I still had that home base to go back to every night where I was able to continue to learn about french culture and also build connections with a "second" family.

Academically, the program was great. Taking all of my classes in French definitely helped improve my french. The work load was a good amount. It wasn't so much that you had no time for anything else, but it wasn't too little to the point where it felt like you weren't even in school.

The IES staff and local french university teaching students also made this program stick out. The staff were always readily available to help you with any problem you had. There were also local french university teaching students who were there to help you with anything from academic problems to how to use the public transportation. Having other french students in the center were great because they helped hold us accountable to speak in french and they gave us an insight into the life of a french student. Not to mention by the end of the program we were all close friends!

The Nantes program was exactly what I was looking for in study abroad! They gave us enough guidance to feel comfortable living in a new country and city, but enough freedom to grow and explore on our own.

What would you improve about this program?
Overall, I had a very positive experience with this program. The only thing that I was unsatisfied with was the amount of english that was spoken between the students. The IES center had a no english policy, but many students just ignored that policy. The staff enforced the policy from time to time, but maybe not enough. Once students realized that they could get away with speaking english, they would just continue to do so. While some of it is the fault of the student's, I think the program needs to find a more effective way of enforcing the french only policy.
51 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Margaret
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Just Walking Along

Living and studying in Nantes was one of the best semesters of my life. The center staff was always helpful, my host mother was just so nice and helpful, and the teachers gave interesting lessons over a variety of French subjects. Basically, IES provided a fantastic program that not only developed my French, but helped me understand the nuances of French culture which only strengthened my love for France.
Living in the city of Nantes likely made this process easier too. Nantes is just a fantastic city to live in, with so many things to do it can be a bit overwhelming at times. However, my favorite thing to do in Nantes was just go walk along the river. Every Sunday I would just spend the afternoon walking up and around the river Erdre, which was relatively close to where I lived. It was calming just walking along the nature trails and boardwalks built alongside this majestic ancient river, watching (and maybe listening to) all the people walking by on their afternoon strolls. It was also really fun to take the boat to the other side of the river, just because I could, and continue observing French life, and wildlife. It really was a nice way to take a break from whatever piece of homework I had to work on, while still being a part of French society.

What would you improve about this program?
Maybe more weekend trips or activities scheduled by the IES center in Nantes and France.
48 people found this review helpful.
Erin Steward
Erin
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Right at Home

Oh, Nantes. My home away from home. How I miss you! But where should I start... Probably with my family. My French host family was absolutely my favourite. Coming from being one of two children, I was a little nervous for what to expect when I ended up being one of six kids during my semester abroad. However, let me tell you that this provided a really neat opportunity in that I was able to a) practice my French more, as there always seemed to be someone around with whom I could chat, b) end up being connected to a lot more people, as my family would bring me with them when they went places, and c) take part in lots of memories that I will cherish forever. My parents were awesome about spending one-on-one time with each of us, and their household ran on a well-oiled system that provided just enough structure but also a lot of fun. I loved taking classes. Personally, I took all of mine at IES, but that doesn't mean that you need to! I had many friends who thrived with a mixture of classes at the program centre and at the local university. Our professors were dynamic, witty, thoughtful, and helpful-- they allowed me to go beyond what we were learning in the text and to make real-world connections. I LOVED going on field trips-- what a neat way to truly see first hand how skilled French bakers make their phenomenal bread or how much work it takes to grow the grapes that will become the equally-as-famed French wines! I also did a teaching internship, even though I am not an education major or minor. This was particularly insightful for me as it allowed me to get to know more about how the French school system operates in comparison with that in the United States. Finally, just a brief commentary on the city itself-- Nantes is big. It may take a bit to find your way around, particularly if you're like me and not necessarily good with maps. :) That being said, it is not overwhelmingly large! I found myself making true connections with shopkeepers who I would pass each day. I loved the balance between familiar and new, routine and adventure! I would definitely recommend if you're looking to make new friends (and family!) and to truly call another place halfway around the globe home.

What would you improve about this program?
I feel as though there could be some better interaction between the staff (excluding professors) at IES and the students. I think that sometimes students felt like it was difficult to approach staff members, and I'm not sure whether or not that was just a difference in cultures/ personalities or if that was a true vibe that was being given off.
48 people found this review helpful.
Read my full story
Default avatar
Rosemary
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I found a perfect fit in Nantes!

I had an absolutely wonderful time in Nantes, France through IES Abroad. You take five classes through the program, one of which is a French language class (which you are placed into by the program staff, unless you test out of it), and you choose the other four. You can also take classes at the local university, which I did and had a great time! The classes at IES are geared toward U.S. students so, while they're ALL IN FRENCH, they are structured much more like an American college or University. I took four classes at IES and one at the university and was very pleased! As mentioned, the classes are taught completely in French, which really helped me to improve my language skills (my principal goal) very quickly. My host family, with our dinners together almost every night, also helped me improve my French skills very quickly. My host family was absolutely amazing. By the time I left, I felt like they were my real family; they treated me like one of their own daughters. Not everybody had this experience from what I heard, but most people liked their host families. Expect cultural differences regarding ideology and politics, though. Getting involved in athletics/dance at the university was a blast too! I highly recommend this program for someone looking for an immersive French experience, but who also doesn't want to be so bogged down on school work that they can't adventure. I definitely had time for both.

What would you improve about this program?
Get better wifi at the IES center and a new printer. Make orientation less dense so we can retain more information.
49 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Abigail
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Absolutely Amazing

I had an incredible time while studying abroad at IES Nantes. It was really a magical experience. The IES staff was supportive with anything and everything that I needed and the language assistants ended up being some of my best friends. I took three classes with IES and two with the university and found that to be a perfect balance for me in terms of having classes with actual French students. IES classes are not as rigorous as I am used to, but that is not to say that I didn't learn a lot while and will take the skills and knowledge that I learned with me through my various academic endeavors and the rest of my life. My French also drastically improved, both through making French friends, and because of IES having a strict "en français s'il vous plaît" policy. It was a very encouraging atmosphere and I felt very comfortable speaking French and being taught how to speak better by making many mistakes. My host family was wonderful. They were some of the best people I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, let alone living with them in their house. I was immediately welcomed into their house as if I were actually part of their family, and they were wonderful in every way possible. Not to mention, I never spoke English with them, and my French drastically improved! The nightly dinners with my host family were simply magical -- I think that this is the memory that I will cherish the most from my study abroad experience. I also loved the way that I was able to learn about the French dining experience as a cultural phenomenon through a real French family. I tried my best to participate in the many cultural activities that were going on in Nantes, but it can be a bit intimidating at times. I was also looking forward to making more French friends, and while I did make a couple, it was hard to approach them in classes. That being said, the IES assistants did an amazing job of introducing us to various events going on in the city, and I did my best to attend every single one of them, which helped a great deal. The city had so much to offer!

What would you improve about this program?
The classes at the program could be slightly more rigorous, but again, I learned a great deal.
45 people found this review helpful.
Default avatar
Abby
4/5
Yes, I recommend this program

What a semester...

There are only two words I can think of to describe my semester abroad in Nantes: absolutely wonderful. My main reason for selecting this program is that I wanted to immerse myself in the French language and improve my speaking skills as much as possible. From the website and what I'd heard from friends, the Nantes program seemed quite immersive and had everything I was looking for: a homestay component, courses taught in French and the option of taking courses at the local university. I learned so much while I was abroad. My French improved drastically, and I now have a lot more confidence in my own abilities. Since returning I've read entire books in French, and I can even watch Netflix shows in French as well (without subtitles). I would highly recommend this program to anyone who wants a truly difficult but rewarding language immersion program.

50 people found this review helpful.

Questions & Answers