France Field School - Parisian Artists' Studios & Writers' House Museums

Students will visit 5 artists' studios, 3 house museums and 1 national museum, led by the course instructor, local professors and specialists associated with these institutions. ​Assignments for the course will lead students to explore other institutions and monuments independently. Students will examine the role cultural institutions play in cultural inclusion and how institutions both respond to, and shape, dominant discourse.

As the course is taught in English, knowledge of French is not required, but students will be encouraged to use any French skills they may have to engage with the local culture.​ By living in Paris for three weeks, students will expand communication skills by finding creative ways to navigate around communication barriers, and develop an understanding of non-verbal cues of communication used in daily interactions.  In addition, students will learn how to navigate around the city relying on public transit and will discover large urban renewal projects in Paris such as the restoration of Notre-Dame, the installations of bike lanes on the rue de Rivoli and cleaning the Seine in order to allow for the 2024 Olympic swimming events to take place in its waters.

Information Session

Tuesday, November 5
5:30 - 7 pm
UC 430 (take the North elevators by Starbucks)

or

Join the meeting here (virtual on Teams)

Field School Details

• Instructor: Dr. Margot Irvine, French and European Studies
• Offered: Summer 2025 
• Prerequisite: 7.5 credits or permission of the instructor, 68% cumulative average
• A (tentative) course outline can be found a the bottom of this page
• If you have any questions about the program, please contact Dr. Margot Irvine or Allison Broadbent, Study Abroad Manager.

Program Dates (tentative)

• Four 2-hr predeparture classes taught in hybrid format (in person and on Teams)
• 3 weeks in May 

Course 

Students will be registered in 1.0 credits at the third year level. While the course will be taught in English, students taking French Studies or with French skills may opt to get a French course credit by doing the assignments in French.

This international field school is open to students from all disciplines at the University of Guelph.

Costs

Students should budget for the following:

• Round-trip airfare to Paris (estimated $1500)
• Tuition at the University of Guelph for 1.0 credits
• The France Field School fee: approximately $2100  (includes accommodations in hostel, field trips in and around Paris, and in-country travel). Amount is subject to change based on fluctuating exchange rate.
• Meals estimated at $1000
• Mandatory travel health and emergency insurance through the company Guard Me ($1.65 / day)
• Personal expenses (souvenirs, additional personal excursions, etc) 

Travel Grants

See the University of Guelph travel grants available.  

Eligibility

Students applying for the program must have completed a total of 7.5 undergraduate credits by the time the program begins in May 2025 (or permission from the instructor), and must have a 68% cumulative average. 

The program is open to students from all disciplines at the University of Guelph, with a maximum of 15 students being accepted to the program. 

Application deadline: January 31, 2025

Apply to the France Field School

To apply for Field School programs you must complete CIP's online application. Step-by-step application instructions are outlined in the link below.

Application Instructions