About the Program

Tulane University, along with Emory, Duke and Cornell, has partnered with three Parisian universities to provide an immersive study abroad option for students. The EDUCO consortium offers a variety French-language courses for students at the EDUCO study center. Students round out their semester schedule by taking courses at a local, French University. The EDUCO program in Paris, France carries on the long tradition of immersive study abroad at Tulane, begun in 1955 by Dr. William Woods, Tulane professor of Romance Languages, when he led the first group of Newcomb students abroad to spend their Junior year in France.

EDUCO usually offers 3-5 courses each semester taught by the EDUCO president (a faculty member from one of the US consortium universities) as well as guest professors from various Parisian institutions. These courses include French grammar, Literature, Theatre, Art History, History and Cinema. Current EDUCO offerings are listed on the program website.

Each semester, EDUCO offers a rich array of excursions and activities, including an overnight trip and a day trip. Past locations have included the Loire Valley, Burgundy, Reims and Chantilly. EDUCO also animates cultural activities within Paris, such as trips to the theater, museums, boat and walking tours, and many optional activities, such as cooking classes, wine and cheese tastings, “un pot d’amitie” with French students and additional guided excursions to provincial cities.
 
EDUCO students may also take advantage of internship and volunteer opportunities. The 8-week, unpaid internship is a great way to conduct professional development and deep cultural immersion.

Paris, France
The French capital of Paris is a major world metropolis. The Seine River traverses the city; its waterways, quays, and bridges are major thoroughfares to the city’s most famous monuments, such as the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, and Notre Dame. Known for its cafés (one for every 200 inhabitants); parks (Bois de Boulougne, Jardin de Luxembourg, Bois de Vincennes), street life and markets; Paris is a center for culture, art, fashion, gastronomy, and intellectual life. While much has changed in Paris since 1955, it remains an intoxicating intellectual center.

Eligibility

• 3.0 cumulative GPA and 3.5 GPA in French
• Completion of two semesters of French at Tulane, with a B or above, including FREN 3210 or FREN 3250. Students are strongly recommended to take FREN 3210 and/or FREN 3250 prior to the semester of departure.

Fields of Study
Art History, Biology, Chemistry, Communication (Cinema Studies), Economics, Environmental Science, French, History, Linguistics, Literature, Mathematics, Philosophy, Political Science, Sociology, Theater. 

Academic Culture 
Tulane students complete some of their coursework at the EDUCO study center. EDUCO courses are taught in French and offered only to EDUCO students. In addition, students enroll at a local university where they will take the same courses undertaken by French students who are studying for their degrees. 
 
There are two main types of courses within the French university system. One type, called cours magistraux/cours fondamentaux, consists of a series of lectures held in amphitheaters. The lectures present a broad theoretical analysis of major issues and trends in the given field. Although assigned homework is rare, professors do provide extensive bibliographies from which you are expected to select books to read. You will not receive a schedule of reading assignments such as you might receive at Tulane. On the final exam, you may be asked to present a broad, conceptual analysis of a given question based on lectures and independent reading. You must obtain a comprehensive knowledge of the subject through judicious reading. Tulane EDUCO students are required to complete the same coursework and exams as their French peers in the French university courses.   
 
The cours magistraux/cours fondamentaux are supplemented with travaux dirigés or conférences de méthode. These are conducted in smaller groups and follow more closely the pedagogical pattern practiced in American universities.

**Political Science majors who wish to study at Sciences-Po should make an appointment with an advisor. Students who study at Sciences-Po must be nominated by the Tulane French Department.**

Course Plan

Semester or Academic Year Students**

• French language course at EDUCO

• One additional EDUCO center course

• Two courses at a Parisian university

  • (Tulane EDUCO students are required to complete the same coursework and exams as their French peers in the French university courses.)  

• **Academic Year students may select all four courses from the Parisian university during the spring semester

Student Life
Each semester begins with a two-week orientation program, which includes an intensive language review as well as special activities, lectures, cultural events and local excursions to familiarize students with Paris.

**Health Insurance**
Students on the EDUCO program will be automatically enrolled in GEO Blue Health Insurance to cover them while they are abroad. Students will be billed for this insurance on their Tulane account. GEO Blue Health Insurance is not domestic (US) health insurance. Students must still maintain a domestic health insurance policy while they are studying abroad.
 
Housing
Tulane students may select from two types of student housing offered by EDUCO: French households and student foyers. By and large, the most popular option, and the one most encouraged for students wanting to gain fluency in the French language and culture, is living in a French household. Students will rank their preference for housing type at the time of application to the program, but should be aware that spaces for each are limited. Housing type cannot be guaranteed.

Tulane students are not permitted to live with other JYA Paris at EDUCO participants, be they from Tulane or another institution, without special permission from the Director of Study Abroad at Tulane.

Lodgings are located throughout Paris, in a variety of neighborhoods and arrondissements (not solely in the 5th, 6th, 7th arrondissements). An average commute to the EDUCO center or to the universities for classes is 35 minutes by Métro (which is considered an easy commute by Parisian standards).

Housing in Paris will differ greatly from what students may be accustomed to in the United States. Dormitories or apartments are often located in old buildings and are not equipped with all the household amenities taken for granted in the U.S. For example, clothes dryers are a rarity, and access to Internet not always available.
**Students will be billed for housing on their Tulane account at the start of each semester.**

Helpful Links

Le Millefeuille – Le Magazine des Etudiants d’EDUCO
Cite Universitaire de Paris
Paris Tourism Webpage
Universite Paris 1 – Pantheon Sorbonne
Universite Paris-Sorbonne – Paris 4
Universite Paris-Diderot Paris 7
France Visa Information

Contact Past Participants
Click HERE to contact recent study abroad alumni in this region.