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montpellier, france: université paul valéry montpellier III Semester Exchange

This exchange program is geared towards intermediate to advanced level French students.  After a three-week immersion pre-session, students will take university classes at the UPV Montpellier III.

Fast Facts

Program Type:Semester Exchange
Term/Duration:Semester/Academic Year
Spring 2013 Semester Dates:January 2 - June 5, 2013
Fall 2013 Semester Dates:

Presession: August 17 - September 6

Official Arrival/Pickup Day is August 17

Official Semester Dates TBA

Credits:Full-time
Supplemental Application Process:Yes
Application Fee:$20
Program Fee:$1500 Fall; $1000 Spring
Tuition:$2785 in-state/$7410 out-of-state
Fall/Academic Year Application Deadline:March 30
Spring Application Deadline:September 30


 

The Program

Geneseo's program at the Université de Montpellier III - Paul Valéry enables five (5) undergraduates to study in France for the academic year or a semester, while paying SUNY tuition for the credits accrued abroad.  In exchange, Geneseo receives a French graduate assistant who teaches language and conversation.

The Country and City

Montpellier is the capital of the region known as Languedoc-Roussillon located in the south of France.  Once the capital of a formidable autonomous state, the city now boasts the oldest medical school in Europe.  Montpellier has three universities totaling 50,000 students.  It frequently hosts international dance and music festivals.  Despite a fast-growing population of 300,000, Montpellier has been awarded prizes for its quality of life.

It is a mere six miles from the Mediterranean Sea and is close to Barcelona, the economic capital of Spain.  Nearby are extensive, fine sandy beaches, the wild Camargue, the Cévennes Mountains, the Pyrenees and Spain.  By plane, Paris is 70 minutes away; London is 95 minutes away; and Barcelona a short 50 minutes.

The College

The University is one of the oldest in Europe, founded by Pope Nicholas IV on October 26, 1289.  Eighty percent of all French students seeking tertiary education are registered in the 3 universities of Montpellier.  They include schools of engineering and trade, the international complex Agropolis, ancillary medical and social schools, and the school of art and architecture.  Many laboritories and research centers of all disciplines (140 in the three universities) accommodate the students.

 

Housing

Students live in either university housing, host family, or apartment/board situation, which they will arrange on their own with the help of the International Student Office at Montpellier.  For more information on housing, please visit Montpellier's International Office website (link provided above).

Orientation

Geneseo students must attend two orientation sessions before departure.  Upon their arrival, an orientation course will be offered to all enrollees, prior to the start of the regular class schedule. 

Eligibility

Candidates to study in Montpellier are normally French majors or minors at the advanced level.  If not, they are required to have a solid foundation in French and thus be prepared to enroll in university courses with native students on site.  Students are eligible to enroll in any course offered by the Université de Montpellier, provided they are sufficiently competent, and may thus tailor their academic schedule to fit the requirements of their majors or minors at Geneseo, e.g. language, international relations, fine arts, and political science.  All students take a placement examination upon arrival and those whose language skills require remediation are able to take classes at the language institute affiliated with the university. 

Applicants with a disciplinary record or pending disciplinary hearings should alert the Study Abroad Office.

Faculty Coordinator

Dr. Beverly Evans, Associate Professor of French language and literature, has served as Chair of Geneseo's Foreign Languages department, and established Geneseo's Humanities II summer program in Paris.  Email evans@geneseo.edu.