Summer in Paris

Due to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, the program will not be offered. Applications for the 2025 Paris Summer Program (6/15-7/26/25) will reopen in Fall 2024. 

Program Description

Lodging & Travel

Admission & Program Fees

Application Forms

Scholarship Information

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Purpose

The Rutgers Summer Program in Paris is an academic program designed to provide undergraduate students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language and culture of France in the best possible social and intellectual environment.

Faculty & Staff

The faculty is composed of professors from prestigious French universities and faculty members from Rutgers University who accompany the group. 

Program of Study

• Students are placed into small classes according to their proficiency in French.  Classes will be held at the Maison des Mines. The minimum language requirement is the equivalent of two years of college-level French. 
• Classes meet for two two-hour sessions, four days a week (M-T-Th-F).  Students are expected to give top priority to their coursework. 
• One of the goals of the Summer in Paris program is to immerse students in the French language.  For this reason, you will be asked to pledge to speak only French during the entire length of the program. 
• Students will take two courses from the following list, for a total of 6 credits:
  
  (Please note that course topics may change)
  
  • 213. INTENSIVE ADVANCED GRAMMAR - (3 credits): The sounds, forms, and structures of French: grammar, phonetics, translation, vocabulary building, and composition. Oral drill and frequent written work.
  • 303. CULTURE, CONVERSATION, AND COMPOSITION - (3 credits): Development of fluency and spontaneity of oral and written expressions through cultural explorations, group discussions, and debates.
  • 372. TOPICS IN FRENCH CINEMA:  Beyond the Fiction Feature Film - (3 credits): This course examines three areas not ordinarily thought of as "French Cinema":  documentary, animation, and avant‑garde works. In each, we will try to tease out what, if anything is specifically "French," and what larger questions (theoretical, critical, or historical) these bodies of work help to illuminate.
  • 405/469. MODERN FRANCE/TOPICS IN FRENCH STUDIES - Poets and Playwrights of Paris:  Urban Scenes, Rhythms, and Performance - (3 credits): Who are the major poets and playwrights of Paris? How did their writing and performances (re)fashion lifestyle, trends, and aestheticism within and beyond la Ville Lumière?  To answer these questions, this course will explore seminal authors of Paris from the Renaissance to the present.  Students will discover how their works interconnect and shape cultural movements throughout Parisian history.  In our analyses of selected texts, we will discuss how poetry and theater coalesce with other art forms, such as dance, music, painting, fashion, and architecture.  In addition to studying the stylistics of theatrical and poetic expression, students will learn to identify urban imagery and its distinct soundscapes that often blend the personal and the political – the flâneur and the foule.  Students will interact directly with the rich literary legacies of Paris through class visits to city attractions, such as the Maison de Victor Hugo, the Comédie-Française, and the Rodin Museum.  Topics of discussion include urban development, (de)construction, cityspeak, Parisian history, and the stage and state.  The course includes a final performative project, which allows students to transform themselves into poets and playwrights of modern-day Paris!

Grades

Grades are based on examinations and class performance according to the Rutgers University system.  Upon completion of the program, students may request a transcript from the Rutgers transcript office.  Requests for special grading arrangements (e.g., Pass/Fail) must be made and approved before the program begins.

Cultural Activities

Our Summer in Paris program emphasizes the connection between the contemporary cultural life in France and the intellectual content of the courses.  And so, the program includes a significant number of visits to the beautiful museums, cathedrals, and other monuments of Paris and neighboring sites (such as Versailles), as well as participation in a variety of Parisian cultural events (plays, concerts, etc.).  In some cases, cultural activities - research in a library or in a museum, visiting a specific neighborhood - may fulfill part of the course requirements.  In addition, a five-day Bastille Day recess allows students to schedule independent activities.

Cultural Activity List

The following group activities Is a guideline of what may be available for any given summer.  A detailed list of scheduled activities will be provided to all participants closer to departure.

Enjoy Video (by permission of Samuel Vladimirsky): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3gbx2HJY-E

2022 Paris Group

Paris Journal

The 2016 group produced a journal about their experience.  We hope you enjoy it!

Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, reserves the right to make any changes in this program that may become necessary.

Lodging

• Lodging (at the Foyer International des Etudiantes), which consists of a double room, breakfast, access to 24/7 library, kitchen, music room, sports room and rooftop terrace.
  
  

Travel

• You are free to make your own travel arrangements.
• Once you are sure you are going, we recommend you purchase your ticket as soon as possible.
  
  

If you arrive before the program starts:

• You may arrive before the program starts; however, you must find your own lodging for those days. 
• You must inform the department of your travel itinerary.
• Contact the program director when you arrive in Paris.
• There is a mandatory workshop on the first Monday after arrival.
  
  

For non-US citizens:

• You will need to contact the French embassy in New York to find out if you need a visa. 
• If you do need a visa, you will need to purchase your airline ticket first, and then bring the itinerary and proof of payment to the embassy.

Dates: 6/15-7/26/25

Admission

The Rutgers Summer Program in Paris is open to both Rutgers and non-Rutgers undergraduate students.  We encourage candidates to apply as soon as possible.  The application deadline is March 2025. The group is limited to 24 students.

Apply in the fall; spring is also acceptable.

Program Cost - $5800.00 (In-state) and $8975.00 (Out-of-state)

Program fees include:  

Tuition, cultural activities, health insurance and lodging, which consists of a double room, access to 24/7 library, kitchen, music room, sports room and rooftop terrace. Classrooms are a 5-minute walk from the Foyer, which faces the Jardin du Luxembourg (for those who like to run).

Not included in the fees:  transportation (including airfare), lunch and dinner, books, personal expenses

Withdrawal Fees & Refunds

• For withdrawal on or before May 1st:  $700 will be deducted from payments.
• For withdrawal after May 1st, but on or before May 30th:  $1,500 will be deducted from payments.
• For cancelling between June 1st and the group's departure:  there will be a refund of $500. 
• There will be no refunds after departure.

Note:  These scholarships are available to Rutgers University students only.

Rutgers French Department

The French Department offers the following two scholarships for Rutgers students.  These are partial scholarships awarded to students on the combined basis of need and merit.  Upon acceptance, we will mail an application to all eligible students.  To be considered, applications must be received by April 1st.

• The Rick Lockwood Memorial Travel Scholarship
• The Albert M. Wolohojian Memorial Travel Scholarship
  
  

Douglass Residential College (DRC)

The Douglass Residential College offers scholarships to Douglass students planning on studying abroad through a Rutgers-sponsored program in the fall semester, spring semester, summer, or for the entire academic year.  If you are a Douglass student in good academic standing, and you would like to pursue studies internationally, please visit the DRC website to learn more about funding opportunities.
If you have questions about Douglass scholarships, please contact Lauren Zielinski, Director of Scholarships and Housing, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

School for Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS)

SEBS offers International Summer Scholarships to SEBS students.  For more information, please go to: scholarships.

School of Arts and Sciences (SAS)

SAS makes small awards to their students based on need [a Financial Aid Form (FAFSA) must be on file with the University] and merit.
For information on scholarships for SAS students, please contact the Scholarship Office Program Coordinator, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phi Sigma Iota

Phi Sigma Iota Merit Scholarship:  This scholarship is granted to undergraduate members of Phi Sigma Iota based on merit (overall cumulative average, average in foreign languages taken at Rutgers, and level of study achieved).  For more information, please go to: Phi Sigma Iota.

National Competitive Scholarship - Benjamin A. Gilman Awards

If you are a student who receives a Pell Grant and are a U.S. citizen, you can apply to receive up to $5,000 towards the costs associated with study abroad. This award is extremely competitive and requires an essay and a proposal. The deadline varies based on semester and early applications are available as well. For more information please visit http://www.iie.org/en/Programs/Gilman-Scholarship-Program.
Typical award amount: Up to $5,000

For more information about possible scholarships, please visit:

• Rutgers Office of Financial Aid
• Rutgers Center for Global Education

Is there an application fee?  No.

I studied French in high school, but I have not taken any college-level French.  Can I still apply? 
No.  Applicants must have taken Intermediate French, or the equivalent of French 132.

I am in my last year at Rutgers.  Can I still apply?  Yes.

What are the deadlines for applying?
We prefer students to apply in the fall; spring is also acceptable.  All fees are due by May 1st, so registration
should be completed by that date.

I submitted an application.  When will I be notified of my acceptance or denial?  Within one month.

Does financial aid apply towards the program? 
It may or may not.  Please contact the university financial aid office to confirm.

I have a parent who works at Rutgers.  Does tuition remission still apply?  Yes, one summer is allowed. 

I am a Rutgers student.  Can the doctor's form be filled out at one of the campus health centers?  Yes.

Are there any group activities planned?  Do we get to travel outside of Paris?
Yes.  Please see the cultural activities section of the program description page.
If you choose to go to any site independently, you must notify the director of your plans.

I am a non-Rutgers student.  How can I obtain a copy of my transcript at the completion of the program?
Please contact the Rutgers Transcript Office.