The Academic Program

GENERAL ACADEMIC STRUCTURE

Role of the Faculty Director (FD)

During the 2024-25 academic year, the FD will be Sage Goellner from UW-Madison. During the program, the FD serves as your academic advisor and will schedule an individual appointment with you during the first few weeks in Aix to discuss your course selections. The FD will work closely with faculty and academic advisors at your home school to help you develop a course of study that meets Program guidelines and keeps you on course for graduation. The FD is also responsible for obtaining your grades from the French professors and transmitting the record of course titles, credits, and grades to your home university.

All students will begin the semester with an intensive language course (Cours intensif). This course emphasizing grammar review and cultural preparation is required for all students at the beginning of the program in Aix. The course will be worth 2 credits.

 

Program courses (cours du Programme) are taught specially for students participating in the Aix program. These semester-long courses carry 2 credits and most of them are 30 hours long. These courses will be offered, pending program enrollment.

• “Expression orale / Prise de parole en français” – Instructor: Monsieur Claude Pelopidas (30 hours) – Fall semester

The objective of this course is to improve the students’ oral language skills by using techniques of the theatre. Attention is paid to the rhetorical conventions of academic discourse, pronunciation, intonation and rhythm as well as communication strategies.

 

• Faculty Director Course (TBD) – Instructor: Sage Goellner, 2 credits (30 hours) – Spring semester

Description TBD

 

• “La France et l’actualité internationale” – Instructor : Monsieur Claude Pelopidas (30 hours) – Spring semester

Terrorism, proliferation of nuclear arms, Arab revolutions, the rise of

Extremism… From Afghanistan to North Korea through Iraq, Iran and the West, this course seeks to examine international current events through the perspective of French foreign policy, especially the origins and consequences of the major conflicts shaping the beginning of the third millennium.

THREE ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS

After the intensive language course, depending on the institution you qualify for and were accepted to, students will begin their direct enroll courses at one of three institutions: Aix- Marseille University (arts and humanities); Sciences Po (international relations, political science); SUL (French language and cultural institute for foreigners). Note that French educational institutions are often less “user-friendly” than American ones and the first few weeks of class may seem disorganized to an American not used to the system. Courses and programs of study are not organized in the same way as undergraduate programs in the United States. In France, university students specialize from the beginning of their university studies (as opposed to the US

 

model where students are expected to take a variety of classes in many different areas to obtain a “well-rounded” broader education). The following information is separated by institution so please review your specific institution information below. Upon formal enrollment in Aix, you will receive a local university email and online course platform account (similar to Canvas or Blackboard in the US). If you are not sure how to access this account, ask the onsite staff for assistance. While not as widely used as in the US, some professors use the online platform as a place to post course information and other important updates.

 

• Aix Marseille University (AMU) – FAC ALLSH (Faculté des arts, lettres, langues, sciences humaines)

 

The FAC ALLSH is currently the largest College at AMU, offering courses principally in Anthropology, French literature, Linguistics, Psychology, Sociology, Education, History, Geography, and foreign languages.

All classes at AMU are semester-long courses. Some classes include a discussion section, called travaux dirigés (TD), in addition to a common lecture class. If a course includes a lecture and a discussion section, students must take both. Credits for your courses in France are awarded based on the total number of contact hours per week. Generally speaking, 1 contact hour per week = 1 credit.

 

APA students studying at AMU are also required to take the in-house “Cours sur la méthodologie universitaire” course. This course is designed to help you understand how to write a French-style dissertation and commentaire compose, and will also target difficulties in grammar and writing. The course is worth 2 credits.

Students may enroll in a maximum of 5 AMU courses per semester (including the “Cours d’initiation à la méthodologie universitaire”). In addition, you may choose to take up to two APA- specific classes (these include Prise de Parole, La France dans l’Actualité, or the resident director’s course offered in spring semester). In sum, your semester schedule will look something like this:

 

Cours intensif + Cours sur la méthodologie universitaire + FAC courses

 

OR

Cours intensif + Cours sur la méthodologie universitaire + FAC courses + no more than 2 Program courses

 

*Special note for science students: Students majoring in science may take one science course at the Faculté des Sciences at the Montperrin campus in Aix. For students interested in taking a science class. It is imperative that close consultation about this occurs well ahead of the student’s arrival in Aix, between the student’s advisor in the US and the Faculty Director. The Faculty Director will provide available information on the course the student is contemplating taking.

Both the student and the advisor are encouraged to be flexible in terms of course selection and allocation of credits, and to be cognizant of the value of cultural differences in science education.

 

Sciences Po-Aix

 

Sciences-Po, Aix is one of France’s many “grandes écoles”, an elite institution that is separate from but parallel to the French public university system. The APA program has agreements with Sciences Po-Aix such that a certain number of program participants may register at this institution each year, providing they have an appropriate academic background and major. Science Po

reviews each student’s application and ultimately decides whether or not to accept a given student to their institution. APA students who wish to attend Sciences Po are expected to have declared a major, or at least a minor, in one of the disciplines offered at Sciences Po (Political Science, International Studies, Social Science) prior to arriving in Aix and to have taken at least two university-level courses relating to Political Science, Political Theory, Political Philosophy, Social-Science Theory, European History, or similar topics. The Sciences Po Director will judge each candidate’s background in these fields and his/her level of French before making the final acceptance decision.

Contrary to what its name might suggest, Sciences Po should not be perceived as a Department of Political Science in the American sense. Courses that one would normally find in an American Political Science Department are available; however, Sciences Po offers an interdisciplinary education which aims to provide students with a general knowledge with which to choose a field of specialization that is of particular interest to them. Linked to the Departments of Law, Economics and the Sciences at Aix-Marseille Université, Sciences Po offers classes taught by professors and researchers at the Law School and with professionals working in the fields of International Relations, Finance, International Commerce and Communication.

 

In addition to regular Sciences Po courses, APA students are required to take the Conférence de méthode class called “Français langue étrangère”. The course is aimed at improving students’ written French and helping them understand the methodological demands of Sciences Po. The course, worth 2 credits, will also help students overcome difficulties in grammar and writing.

 

Courses offered at Sciences Po are either formal lecture-type courses or discussion classes called conférences de méthode. Most lecture courses meet for 20 hours during the semester. Many courses at Sciences Po are now offered in a 5-week intensive format, called périodes. Courses may be offered entirely in a single period, or spread across two, while some (semester courses) run across all three. Courses that meet in only one period will generally meet twice per week. You are strongly advised to spread your courses for the semester across all three periods rather than grouping many of them into one or even two. Be aware that even if a course meets only in the first period (i.e., the first five weeks of the semester), its final exam may well be during the final exam period in May. Most final exams are oral and not written.

 

Students enrolled in courses at Sciences Po may not take first-year courses or the course Culture Générale. Students may choose one of two different programs of study at Sciences Po:

 

• The Sciences Po Diploma Program – Certificat d’Etudes Politiques (CEP) Students who participate in the Sciences Po year-long diploma program will earn 28 credits within Sciences Po. The FD will work closely with each student to plan their individually designed program at Sciences Po. The typical program of study is as follows:

 

• Two mandatory foundation courses – taught exclusively for international students (one- semester duration) – one course focuses on French institutions (La Vie Politique Française) and the other on France in the world (La France dans le Monde). Each course is worth two credits. Both courses have a three-hour written exam.
• Students select additional classes from a variety of elective courses for a total of 16 credits over the course of the year. Classes are formal lectures. Exams are mostly ora..
• Students are required to select two seminars (conférences de méthode) each semester. One of these two conférences de méthode must be « Français langue étrangère » (to be taken during fall semester). These courses meet for fewer hours in the semester than regular courses. Since they are interactive in nature and require more work (they are similar to discussion sections held at your home institutions), they are 2 credits each.

 

• Non-Certificate Program – Programme d’Etudes Politiques Annuel (PEPA) Students who do not wish to pursue the Sciences Po Diploma Program (CEP) can opt to pursue the Programme d’Etudes Politiques Annuel (PEPA).
• Students who choose this option must select from a variety of elective courses and conférences de méthode for a maximum of 28 credits. The student’s choice must include one or two conférences de méthode classes per semester and one of these must be Français langue étrangère (to be taken during fall semester).

 

In addition, according to your Sciences Po degree program you may choose to take up to two APA-specific “Program” classes (these include Prise de Parole, La France dans l’Actualité, or the resident director’s course offered in spring semester)

A Science Po semester schedule will look something like this:

 

Cours intensif + Programme d’Etudes Politiques Annuel (PEPA) including the conférence de méthode “Français langue étrangère” + no more than 2 Program courses.

 

OR

 

Cours intensif + Certificat d’Etudes Politiques (CEP) including the conférence de méthode

“Français langue étrangère” + no more than 1 Program course.

SUL (Service Universitaire de Langues)

SUL is the French language and culture institute associated with AMU.

 

A student who has only 4 semesters of French prior to starting the program or who does not have the B2 language level (determined by the placement test provided by SUL will be enrolled at SUL for the semester. Students will be in class with other international students learning French language and culture. During the semester, SUL students will take French language classes at the appropriate level as determined by their placement test. In addition to the language course work, students will select several topic-focused French culture workshops. If a student staying in Aix for the year places high enough after one semester at SUL, he or she may enroll at AMU or Sciences Po for their second semester, but this is not a guarantee and will depend on the individual student’s performance.

 

There is a fixed curriculum of morning language classes offered through SUL plus elective courses offered in the afternoon for a minimum of 13 US credits per semester. Specific course options will be shared with you upon arrival.

For your language courses you will be placed at the most appropriate level, determined by the SUL Placement test. Your course program will depend on your language level: A2/B1=12.5 hours or level B1+=11.5 hours of language classes/week.

 

THEMATIC WORKSHOPS

Depending on your level, you may be required to take the Phonétique (1h30) workshop. You will also need to select a minimum of 2 thematic workshops, such as the following:

• Phono-graphie
• Ecriture créative
• Jeux de rôle
• Bande dessinée
• Régions françaises
• Français parlé
• Panorama de la littérature
• Histoire de France
• Débats société
• Médias francophone
• Grammaire renforcée
• Philosophie
• Arts et publicité
• Ecrire avec les écrivains

 

REGISTRATION AND CREDITS

 

Registration & Enrollment at French Institutions

Both the academic structures and the process of selecting and enrolling in courses are different from anything you have been used to at your home university. During the first weeks in Aix, there will be several useful orientation meetings during which the FD will explain in detail important matters such as:

• academic calendar;
• the policy regarding attendance;
• the layout of plaquettes (course descriptions);
• the codes used to designate various disciplines and levels;
• the procedure for selecting and registering for courses;
• program policy regarding course contact hours and home university credits;
• preparation of year-end transcripts.

 

Selection of Courses

You will have two tools available to you to help you select courses: 1) a “catalogue” of courses commonly taken by APA students, put together by the APA office (NOT comprehensive!), and 2) the AMU and Sciences Po’s own comprehensive course description system called Plaquettes. We offer both these tools because until you get used to the French system, navigating the plaquettes can be a challenging and frustrating experience!

 

*If the cours intensif is 2 weeks long, academic year students must carry at least 28 but no more than 36 credits for the academic year. These numbers include the credits earned in the mandatory Cours intensif. In addition to the Cours intensif, students are required to take at least 13 credits each semester.

*If the cours intensif is 3 weeks long, you must carry at least 27 but no more than 36 credits for the academic year. These numbers include the credits earned in the mandatory Cours intensif. In addition to the Cours intensif, students are required to take at least 12 credits each semester.

 

The Plaquettes

AMU and Sciences Po offer a wide array of courses. Like all French universities, they do not usually publish catalogues and comprehensive timetables, in part because their budget is determined late regarding course offerings. However, each department of a division publishes a description of its degree programs and a list of courses for the year, called a plaquette. Plaquettes are generally available on the web, but the information needs to be read with care and is not always up to date many months ahead. Be aware that course listings and descriptions –plaquettes– are NOT systematically organized and presented across different departments. For many courses and sections the meeting time and day is shown (most meet only once a week), sometimes along with a list of reading and reference materials, and even an indication of the way the course is graded. But some plaquettes can be difficult to decipher, for example you may find course titles but have to dig or look elsewhere to find course meeting times and places. One of the main functions of our program orientation meetings is to familiarize you with both the academic structures and course offerings of your academic institution!

Credits and plaquettes

Note that the number of credits indicated in the plaquettes are for regular French and European degree-seeking students, and do NOT correspond to the credits you will receive from Indiana University or the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

 

For students’ convenience, we offer a print copy of each department’s plaquettes at the APA office. The plaquettes are also available online (this is especially the case with AMU plaquettes). As mentioned above, do not be surprised to discover that each AMU department has a different format for its plaquettes! You will need to go over them carefully to make a preliminary selection of courses. You will then schedule an advising session with your FD to finalize your course selection as much as possible. A card file of professor and course evaluations by past program students is available for consultation in the APA office. You will be asked to contribute to these toward the end of the year.

 

The FD will announce the dates of the beginning of classes as soon as they become available. Please note that these dates are often different for each institution, and some classes may not begin on the first day the institution is in session. It is your responsibility to check the bulletin boards and to begin attending classes when they start, even if your appointment with the FD has not yet been scheduled. Attend as many classes as you might want to register for, and make sure to write your name on any list the instructor may compile. This ensures your spot in the class, but does not bind you to it; you may drop it later.

 

Classes which are not available for APA students, or are available with a caveat:

 

• General introductory classes on French literature and civilization or culture are usually not offered at French universities because these topics have been covered in secondary schools. However, AMU has recently begun to offer such courses, specifically aimed at foreign students. You will need to check with your home institution as to whether or not you can receive credit for such classes towards your major.
• Foreign language classes (other than French): Taking a foreign language other than French may be not allowed or discouraged depending on the student’s home university and/or major. Thus, APA participants need to be aware of their home institution’s policies regarding studying languages other than French while on the APA program:
• UW-Madison students cannot take for credit foreign language courses taught at UW in languages other than French unless they have received approval from the appropriate department at UW prior to their departure.
• Indiana students are not allowed to take foreign language classes unless they have declared a major or a minor in the language.
• Taking courses in English is not allowed.
• UW-Madison students may receive an exception to take courses in English offered by visiting scholars at Sciences Po, but only with pre-approval from the FD.
• Indiana University students are not permitted to take classes taught in English without the permission of their Study Abroad Advisor in Education Abroad and the FD. Exceptions will only be considered if the course taught in English is fulfilling a requirement in the student’s major.
• If AMU offers any art classes as part of their regular course offerings, students may register for them. However, they must be aware that the number of credits they will receive may be different than for other classes. Students must obtain approval from their home institution prior to registering for these classes.
• Ceramics, drawing, sculpture, and practical workshops in the arts, are offered at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. However, students in the APA Program cannot take these courses for credit since APA does not have an agreement with this institution.
• Studio art courses are not allowed as part of the normal curriculum for students in the APA. Students can take studio art courses on their own and at their own expense. They cannot assume that they will receive credit for studio art courses they take independently of APA.
• AMU has a Music Department and APA students may take such courses; however, unlike in American universities, instrument practice is NOT part of the courses offered. The courses are strictly theoretical in nature.
• Music / practice of an instrument: such courses are offered at the Conservatoire de Musique. Classes at the Conservatoire are not part of the APA program. Students may take classes there (provided they are accepted) at their own expense. Students cannot assume that they will receive credit for music courses they take independently of APA.
• AMU has a cinema department (Arts du Spectacle), but APA students may only take the esthetic, historic and theoretical courses—not the film-making courses.

 

 

Differences in academic background which affect your course selection

The first three years of university study in France yields a diploma called the Licence. While you are in Aix, you will be selecting classes offered at the licence level. APA students typically take first or second year licence courses. Be aware that Licence 3 (3^rd year classes), while available, may be too difficult and specialized for APA students who might not have the required background

 

knowledge for this level. If a student wishes to take licence 3 classes, he/she must speak with the Faculty Director prior to enrolling in such classes.

 

You may not take courses which duplicate work for which you have already received college credit. Such courses cannot count toward your degree and will not be approved by the FD.

 

When selecting courses, keep in mind your degree requirements and the recommendations of your home campus advisors. UW-Madison and Indiana students should also keep in mind the possible equivalents in their home campus catalogs.

 

Since you will have met with an academic advisor before going to France, you should have a clear idea of the course requirements you must satisfy, as well as personal preferences. Make a list of course requirements and give a copy to the FD. In your search for courses and discussions with the FD, you need a balance between your needs and wants and what Aix has to offer. During the first few weeks, you should plan to attend as many courses as you can that interest you, more courses than you will eventually end up taking for credit. For the first 2-3 weeks, you will in effect go “course shopping” to decide which classes, professors, etc. you like the best before being asked to commit to a final schedule for the whole semester. Please also be as helpful as you can to your fellow program students by giving or exchanging information you may have about courses.

 

Check your university’s academic information concerning course equivalents.

• Indiana University: Students will be awarded IU course equivalencies for each class they take while abroad. Students can begin having their courses evaluated while they are abroad or upon their return. Students who would like to begin the course evaluation process while abroad should first review the course equivalency list to see if the course has already been evaluated by an IU department for a specific equivalency. If it has not, students can begin the evaluation process by contacting the academic advisor from the department where they would like to receive credit for the course.
• UW-Madison: Equivalents and Course Equivalent Request (CER)

Each course you take abroad must be assigned a UW-Madison “equivalent” and the grade you receive in the course also transfers back to be recorded on your UW-Madison transcript. In order to establish UW-Madison course equivalents for your study abroad courses, you will submit a Course Equivalent Request (CER) through your My Study Abroad account. The deadline to submit the CER is by the end of the fourth week of classes (not including the pre-session Cours Intensif). Detailed information on the UW course equivalent process that you will use through your My Study Abroad account is available in the IAP Study Abroad Handbook and in your My Study Abroad account under the academics tab.

 

UW students are also encouraged to read through the UW French Guide to Course Equivalents found in your MyStudyAbroad account under Handbooks for additional information specific to French course equivalents.

Course Selection Checklist:

• Look through “catalogue” provided by APA (not comprehensive!)

 

• Read last year’s plaquettes (course details) on the internet or in the Program office.
• Attend Program information meetings about courses.
• Begin to put your program together.
• Read this year’s plaquettes when they become available on the internet or in the Program office.
• Revise your program according to the courses available.
• Meet with the Faculty Director about your preliminary selection of courses.
• Find out when your courses start by reading relevant department bulletin boards at the university.
• Attend the first class of each of your chosen courses, and make sure to write your name on any list that is circulated by the professor.
• Meet with the FD to finalize your course selection.
• Adjust your selection by adding or dropping courses.
• Sign your course enrollment verification sheet.

 

For students enrolled at AMU or Sciences Po, the general rule is that you will do the same oral and written work as that required of French students. You will take the final examinations at the same time they are given to French students, unless the professor of the course, in agreement with the Faculty Director, wants to evaluate your work in a different manner. French professors are extremely reluctant to agree to exceptions to the official exam schedule and format. This may depend on the level of the course. If you are enrolled in one of the certificate programs, you will be required to meet the academic obligations and final exam requirements as specified for that program. Note that in multi-section classes, mid-semester and final exams may be scheduled on Saturdays! Inquire with your professor at the beginning of the semester before scheduling weekend travel.

 

Course Structure

In the traditional structure of French courses (cours magistraux) the professor lectures and students take notes, read required texts, and prepare for an all-or-nothing final exam. An increasing number of courses have contrôles continus (i.e., oral reports or exposés), short papers (devoirs or mini-mémoires), mid-semester exams (partiels), all designed to give students some indication of their progress in the course. Nevertheless, some courses might still have only a final exam. Some of the large courses have parallel travaux dirigés, for discussions, questions and answers, and supplementary work. If you enroll in such a large course, you must also enroll in a parallel travaux dirigés section. Similarly, you may not enroll in a parallel travaux dirigés section without also enrolling in the related lecture course.

 

Government funding has not kept pace with the recent dramatic increase in university enrollments in France, and few resources are available for repair and upkeep of heavily used classroom buildings. Thus, you may find the sprawling FAC AMU building shabby, crowded, and noisy. There is no break between classes, so students surging out of one class must jostle past those trying to enter for another. Try to arrive early and sit near the front of the classroom so that you have the best position for hearing and understanding the professor and are less distracted by student chatter during the lecture.

 

ATTENTION!!!! It may be tempting to let your work go when your classes meet only once a week, but you will see that it takes far more effort to catch up with a delayed assignment or a missed class precisely because it is not like missing a class that meets three times a week. Your professors may seem somewhat undemanding, but this is an illusion. They may not be demanding about specific assignments, but they expect you to read beyond the class assignments. Professors assume that you are a mature and responsible scholar who will take the initiative of reading widely from the bibliography without having to be told which specific pages to cover. Students doing only the “minimum” will find themselves in serious trouble toward the end of the semester.

 

Credits. Students will earn credit for semester-long courses as follows:

 

Strikes in France

Student and faculty strikes occur regularly in France due to political, economic, and social conditions. Such strikes often result in class cancellationsfor a few days or even weeks until the strike has been resolved. If prolonged strikes result in multiple weeks of missed classes, APA and IAP will arrange for special make-up courses so that students receive the full academic content of classes affected by strikes.

 

Drop/Add and Course Enrollment Verification

Students wishing to drop a class must do so within the first three weeks of classes. Students who need to drop after the third week, but by the end of the half-way point in the course, must speak with the FD. The FD will grant or deny permission to drop courses.

The FD will give you a Course Enrollment Verification worksheet which you should review carefully to make certain that it accurately reflects the courses in which you are enrolled. Course equivalents, where applicable, will be determined by your home institution after the program ends. It will be your task to work with enrollment specialists and advisors at your home institution to find existing equivalents for your chosen courses, or to make requests for course equivalents that do not already exist.

Pass/Fail

 

The following information gives more details regarding Pass/Fail for students from the two consortium institutions.

 

Indiana University:

Please consult with your Study Abroad Advisor for direction on requesting pass/fail credit.

 

University of Wisconsin-Madison:

UW-Madison students must refer to the Academics section of their MyStudyAbroad account for the rules governing Pass/Fail. A decision to declare a course as Pass/Fail must be completed and submitted by the deadline listed in MyStudyAbroad.

 

Incompletes

You may NOT take an “incomplete,” regardless of home institution policy. Courses not completed

will be recorded as Fs/Es on the home institution transcript.

 

Attendance Policy

Attendance in Cours intensif and Cours du Programme, as well as in the Conférences de méthode at Sciences Po is required of all participants. No unexcused absences are allowed. Excused absences will only be allowed for illness (written statement from student will suffice for one

absence; several or extended absence require a doctor’s letter). For every unexcused absence, the instructor will lower the final grade one (1) point (on the French grading scale of 0 to 20).

Final Exams

The exact date of final exams is variable. Depending on the institution, the list and dates are usually available by December for first semester courses, in March or April for second semester. You must make sure that your name appears in the lists of examinés. Incompletes are NOT permitted, and it is your responsibility to scrupulously observe all the deadlines and exam dates for a successful completion of your academic semester in Aix.

 

When you agreed to participate in the program, you signed the acceptance form indicating that you would fulfill all program requirements. This includes completing all your final exams. You must remain in Aix until you have taken all your exams.

Honors Program

The FD is not responsible for granting Honors credits. Please see your university’s academic

information.

Grades and Grade Conversions

Students in France are graded on a scale from 0 to 20. The French say “la note de 20 est pour le bon Dieu, 19 est pour le professeur, et 18 est pour le meilleur élève.” Twelve is a perfectly respectable grade (B+/AB). In order to take into account the differences between French and U.S. grading practices, the APA has developed grade conversion scales for the Université, Sciences Po, the Cours intensif and the program courses. Any grade with .5 or above will be rounded up/down to the next whole number. For example:

10.5= 11

11.60= 12

8.63= 9

 

11.30= 11

 

The official French grade will be recorded by the FD as originally reported. Its equivalent will also be recorded, along with the French grade. The equivalent will be used in transferring the number grade to a U.S. letter grade.

Grade Scales

 

 

 

Final Grades and Credits

At the end of the academic semester, students will have the opportunity to meet with the Faculty Director individually to verify the courses they have taken during the semester. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss their overall impression of their studies and of the program. This session is not a time to negotiate or change grades earned during the program. When all grades are received, the Faculty Director will finalize the grade transcripts and forward them to home institutions to have grades posted to your official transcript.