Study abroad in France this summer.

France

PARIS AND LA ROCHELLE

June 15–July 18, 2026 (five weeks)

Spend five weeks in France and discover its rich history and culture. Students have the opportunity to join exciting excursions in Paris and the La Rochelle region, including:

• Five days in PARIS – Take an insider tour of Paris led by your faculty leader, a French native. Find out how history has shaped this great city and experience life in the “City of Lights”.
• Four weeks in LA ROCHELLE – This city of rich history on the Atlantic Ocean is small enough not to get lost, but full of life in the summer. French classes in the morning with free time following.

In Paris accommodations are in comfortable hotels. In La Rochelle, students stay with selected families experienced in hosting American students. La Rochelle is located ninety miles north of Bordeaux on the coast.

FREN 221 2 units Intensive Intermediate French (Com 2 Second Language Proficiency)

FREN 301 1 unit French Conversation through Cinema

FREN 311 1 unit French and Francophone Culture

FREN 402 1 unit Advanced French Conversation

Courses are offered through the Institut d’Études Françaises (IEF), a branch of Excelia Business School. Students will enroll in 2 units and are encouraged to talk to the faculty leader early about course options.

Students taking FREN 221 and FREN 311 will be enrolled in a course with the general population of students at the IEF. Instruction for all courses at the IEF is provided by faculty members from the Institut, all of whom meet professional standards agreed upon by the Director of the IEF and University of Richmond’s faculty leader. FREN 301 and FREN 402 will be taught by the UR faculty leader.

$6,400

Costs are approximate, do not include airfare, and are subject to change without notice as a result of fluctuations in currency values and other factors. Participants are responsible for arranging and purchasing their own transportation to and from the program location. Airfare and airport transfer costs are not included in the program fee.

• Scholarship Assistance: UR students are eligible to apply for the Holt Summer Study Abroad Scholarship. Selected recipients will receive approximately $2,000 toward the cost of an approved UR Summer Study Abroad program.
• Financial Aid: Students who anticipate needing additional financial aid should view the Nuts and Bolts section of this website and make contact with the Office of Financial Aid with questions.
• Student Athletes: You are eligible to apply for a Weinstein Grant to provide reimbursement toward the cost of airfare. The application deadline is February 16. More information and the application can be found  here.

 

What's included?

• 2 units of University of Richmond credit
• Course materials 
• On-site orientation 
• Welcome dinner 
• Museum and site visits in Paris
• Home-stay accommodations and half-board in LaRochelle
• On-site supervision by faculty leader
  
  

Orientation
During orientation on campus in the spring semester, participants will meet to receive important logistical and cultural information, and begin to prepare for their exploration of France. Attendance at all orientation meetings during the spring semester is mandatory.

Housing and Meals
Once in La Rochelle, students live in the homes of selected French families with whom the Program has built relations over the years. Participants take their breakfasts and dinners with their host families during the week. Note: Lunches are not included in the program cost.

Activities and Excursions
Students will begin the program with a 5-day stay in Paris. Sites may include l’Arc de Triomphe, les Champs-Elysées, Notre-Dame, La Sainte-Chapelle, le Musée Rodin, le Musée d’Orsay , la Tour Eiffel, Montmartre and le Sacré-Coeur, le Louvre, and le Quartier Latin. All fees for the visited sites as well as transportation to those sites in Paris are included in the program cost.

Application Deadline

February 16

Apply online through Gateway Abroad, our study abroad application portal.