SPRING 2008 COURSES
SUMMER 2008 COURSES
FALL 2008 COURSES
SPRING 2009 COURSES
FRENCH UNIVERSITY COURSE OPTIONS - French Universities post their courses later than US universities so the list will be posted as soon as it is made available to us. Meanwhile, feel free to contact Dr. Rockmore with any questions regarding this option.
Le Centre d'Avignon
Le Centre d'Avignon offers all its courses in French within an entirely French-speaking environment. The semester program is based on a rich curriculum which invites students to discover the richness and diversity of Avignon, Provence, France, France in Europe and beyond. Students choose courses in archaeology, art history, philosophy, history, linguistics, literature, business French, political science, and visual arts.
To complement the coursework and invite the local community to an exchange of ideas, a lecture series brings in three presenters on topics closely related to the courses being taught that particular semester.
Regular attendance and vigorous participation are not only required but also part of a successful integration into life in France. Among study abroad programs, the Avignon approach is unmatched.
All students choose five courses from a large selection including but not restricted to Oral and Written Expression, French or francophone literature, linguistics, political science, art history, history, business French, visual arts and philosophy. Supervised internships in local businesses and/or independent studies akin to a senior's thesis are also possible.
Faculty at Le Centre d'Avignon
The Centre d' Avignon, which is an all French Program, employs approximately 10 professors per semester who are all native speakers of French. Nearly 80% of them have terminal degrees in their fields and/or teach similar courses at the local French Universities (Université d’Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse, Université d’Aix-Marseille). For the two “bridge” (intensive French language) courses, the Centre employs professors with training in French as a foreign language. In the summer, for cross fertilization purposes, one or two professors from US campuses, (native speakers of French) are invited to teach at IAU.
The Directrice, Sylvie Rockmore, a US-France bi-national, has extensive experience both as a professional teacher and in study abroad. At the Center, she regularly teaches one course per year. Her career and degrees spans both continents. Originally from Nice (France), she holds a Licence ès Lettres d’enseignement from the Université de Nice, and a PhD. in Comparative Literature from Vanderbilt University; she taught for many years in the US, at Yale and Carnegie Mellon Universities, among others. Dr. Rockmore has been director of the Centre d’Avignon since January 2003.
Study at the French University
IAU has a formal agreement with l'Université d'Avignon under which a limited number of qualified students, either in the Fall and/or in the Spring semester may enroll in courses for credit under the supervision and with the approval of the Institute's Academic Director and the students home campus. The Center Director is available to counsel students on their choices. For more information, go here.
Intensive 4 week Intersession
From approximately mid May to mid June, le Centre d'Avignon offers an intensive 4 week program covering the 4th semester of College French and thus enabling those students who so desire to experience the language in context in a brief interlude and for others to continue naturally into the summer session. For more information, please click here.
Summer Programs at Le Centre d'Avignon
Avignon in the summer presents a splendid, lively 24-hour street performance throughout the city. Thousands of people flock to the city for the two concurring Avignon Theater Festivals, which run during the month of July, amongst which the regular daily life of the Avignon citizens goes on. IAU's Centre d'Avignon is centrally located in the midst of all the festival activity and all Centre d'Avignon students attend at least one play at the Official Theater Festival as part of their program. Courses in the summer center around the Theater and attendance at several plays is an integral part of these specific courses.
Regular classes are held daily in the Chapelle St. Antoine. S tudents are housed with French hosts-both within and outside the walls of the city, and thread their way to the Centre and home again through all the activity.
Students may enroll in the regular 6-week IAU summer program and choose two 3-credit courses from offerings in art history, French language and Literature, business or visual arts. Typically the center offers excursions into the surrounding region to further expose students to the history, colourful beauty and charm of Provence .
The Faculty in the summer program is largely taken from those professors who teach during the regular semester programs and is supplemented by visiting professors from American institutions.
The Avignon Summer program affords a structured, supportive and dynamic environment for the serious student of French.