Le Centre D'Avignon

A Center for Cultural Integration

Le Centre d'Avignon is IAU's cultural integration program, providing an opportunity for serious students to immerse themselves in French culture and pursue the study of language, literature, and the civilization of contemporary France in a French-only environment.

Le Centre d'Avignon 

It is housed in the remodelled 13th Century Chapelle St. Antoine in the heart of town, close to the Papal Palace, and is complete with classrooms, WIFI, and a kitchen. Le Centre d'Avignon is the ONLY American study abroad program in Avignon, which lends itself well to the Center's focus on cultural integration since little English can be heard in and around the city.

Qualified students

The best students for Le Centre d'Avignon include those:

• with an advanced level of French proficiency (3rd year College level or its equivalent), eager to use it in their daily environment
• interested in a multiplicity of courses in disciplines such as visual arts, history, political science, economics, literatures, philosophy, linguistics, architecture and archaeology, 19th and 20th century art, sociology, translation and stylistics
• interested in enrolling in courses (credit or audit) at the local French university
• who want to give back something to the community they live in: here, this can be done through academic internships and/or bénévolat
• majoring in French or ESL education who want to participate in a teaching practicum (40 hours) with a local professor in a French school

The Curriculum, Faculty, and Staff

The Centre d’Avignon courses are at the 300 and 400 levels and cover a wide array of topics and genres: art history, the visual arts, political science, architecture, archeology, economics, history, literature, linguistics, philosophy, poetry, theater studies and film. Semester students enroll in five courses (15 credit hours) while summer students enroll in two courses (6 credit hours).

In addition, fully customizable internships, are available to selected students who wish to apply their language and work skills in a practical French environment.

The Centre d’Avignon program relies on a core of highly trained French professors with advanced degrees in their subjects and who are attuned to the specific needs of American students. Most summers, an invited visiting professor from an American campus joins the faculty. All professors who teach in the program are French native speakers. The director of the Centre d’Avignon, who taught French and Francophone studies for many years in the United States, and most staff members are French native speakers.

The City of Avignon

A bustling city steeped in history and the sophistication of modern France, Avignon is a provincial university town, with wonderful architecture and a rich history. Each summer, it takes center stage in the world of theatre as tens of thousands descend on the city to participate in or watch nearly 900 stage and street performances daily. In addition, the city's proximity to the Mediterranean coast allows students to enjoy the beaches and seaside towns. The nearby Marseille/Provence airport allows students to take advantage of low cost flights to the rest of Europe and Northern Africa. To view the city of Avignon in more detail, go here.

Avignon