The Program
The Trinity-in-Paris program is based at the Centre d'Echanges Internationaux / Club des 4 Vents (CEI), which is a nonprofit educational organization that organizes quality international educational exchanges and programming. CEI staff help organize excursions and cultural activities and provide Trinity with the use of their facilities. They oversee the programming with the help of Trinity’s on-site staff in Paris, working with students prior to their arrival until their departure at the end of each semester.
Program Highlights
- The program is open to students with all levels of French language skills
- Students live in apartments or homestays in central Paris
- The program features an extended excursion each semester to the Loire Valley, Normandy, or other area of interest, as well as excursions in and around Paris
- Students participate in walking tours, visits to museums, sports events, and other cultural activities—students are fully engaged in the city
- Students have access to the program space with its computer facilities on Rue Gozlin in the heart of the Latin Quarter
Academics
The academics of the Trinity in Paris program allow students to customize their courses in a way that best fits their academic and language needs and abilities. In addition to the diverse selection of Trinity courses on offer, select students may also take classes at two host universities.
French language classes begin upon arrival in Paris, in conjunction with the on-site orientation, and continue for the duration of the semester.
For their remaining courses, students can select from a variety of courses and subjects in English and French. Beginner and intermediate French students can choose from Trinity program courses on French culture, art history, history, political science, American studies, sociology, urban studies and music . These classes are taught in English at the program site by Trinity-appointed faculty.
Students with two-and-a-half years of college-level French or above can select one or two classes in French from Trinity’s partner institution, the Institut Catholique (ICP), choosing from courses in the humanities, social sciences, and education. Students with a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher can be nominated by the study away advisor for the Paris program, to take a course in French or English at the Institut d'Etudes Politiques, or Sciences-Po. Advanced French language students can also do an independent study in French literature that is taught in French.
| Course |
Credit |
| Beginner French Language class |
1.5 |
| Trinity classes in English |
1.0 each unless otherwise noted |
Class in English at ICP for select majors
or at Sciences Po for students with a 3.3 GPA or higher and select majors(optional) |
1.0 each unless otherwise noted |
| |
|
Course
|
Credit |
|---|
| Intermediate French Language class |
1.0 |
|---|
| Trinity classes in English |
1.0 unless otherwise noted |
|---|
Class in English at ICP for select majors
or at Sciences Po for students with a 3.3 gpa or higher and select majors (optional) |
1.0 each unless otherwise noted |
|---|
|
|
|---|
| Homestay for improved language (optional) |
No credit |
|---|
| Course |
Credit |
|---|
| Advanced French Language class |
1.0 |
|---|
| Trinity class in French |
1.0 |
|---|
Classes in French at ICP
or at Sciences Po for students with a 3.3 gpa or higher and select majors (optional) |
1.0 each unless otherwise noted |
|---|
Homestay for improved language
(optional for French minors but mandatory for French majors) |
No credit |
|---|
| |
|
|---|
Program Prerequisites
The program is open to students with a 2.7 grade point average or above and can accommodate students at all levels of French language study, from beginning to advanced.
Program Dates
- Fall Semester: Late August through late December
- Spring Semester: Early January through mid-May
Housing and Meals
All students live in central Paris and housing is organized by Paris Academic Rentals. Students can choose to live in an apartment (studio or double) or with a homestay family (French language proficiency required). Note that French majors are required to live with French families. Students who live in apartments have kitchen facilities and prepare their own meals. Students who live with families have some meals with their families and prepare their other meals themselves or eat in local restaurants or cafes.
Excursions/Study Trips
Students participate in excursions to local points of interest as part of the Paris program. One longer excursion is planned each semester; previous groups have visited the Loire Valley and Normandy.
Expenses/Financial Aid
Students participating in the Trinity-in-Paris program are billed for Trinity tuition, housing, and fees. Students who receive financial aid from Trinity College will have that aid transferred to the program site each semester. Application for the transfer of financial aid must be made early and in consultation with the
Office of Financial Aid.
Application Information
All Trinity students who wish to study away are required to submit a Request for Approval to Study Away by the first week of December of the academic year prior to study.
For the Trinity in Paris application, please refer to the Application section of this website, in the left sidebar.