French Education Abroad

This program combines daily language courses, local excursions, and the opportunity to live with a French family in Montpellier, a dynamic city in the south of France. Students will also have the opportunity to travel to surrounding cities. During your time in this program, you will take part in intensive language learning and strengthen your cross-cultural knowledge as you explore the vibrant history and culture of France. To attend this program, you must have an intermediate competence in French, but this program is a good fit if you are looking to push your French language skills to the next level, gain international experience, or experience a new culture. By the end of the course you will have improved French speaking and comprehension skills through constant authentic interactions in the target language throughout the three weeks in the target culture.

2020 marked the 15th anniversary of our Maryland-in-Montpellier program! The Montpellier program is an intensive 3 credit summer course, FREN399X "French Language and Culture in the Mediterranean." The program includes a homestay with a French family in or near the vibrant city center. Students take courses at the Institut Linguistique Adenet and with the UMD resident director. Students also participate in guided excursions around Provence. Past activities have included visits to local farms (think olive oil and cheese tastings!), outings to musical and theatrical events, and visits to regional historical treasures such as Carcassonne (a UNESCO world heritage site), Avignon's Palais des Papes, and the ancient Arles Amphitheater. 

For more specific details about the program and to apply, visit the Education Abroad Program at UMD.

Nice offers students an exciting and engaging place in which to study French language and culture. Located in the French Riviera, on the south east coast of France on the Mediterranean Sea, at the foot of the Alps, Nice is the second-largest French city on the Mediterranean coast and is considered the economic and cultural capital of Côte d'Azur. Earning 18 credits per semester, students are immersed in the French language through their coursework, student language partner exchange and housing options. Through the Language Partner Program, offered in collaboration with the English Department the Université de Nice-Antipolis, students get to meet their French peers, build connections, and explore student life in Nice. The program also offers opportunities to explore the local region as well as other parts of France through excursions throughout the semester. Not only will students further their language skills through cultural immersion, they will also develop the ability to function effectively across cultures, to think and act appropriately, and to communicate and work with people from different cultural backgrounds – at home or abroad. These intercultural skills are a valuable asset in an increasingly globalised world where we are more likely to interact with people from different cultures and countries who have been shaped by different values, beliefs and experiences. It is also an experience that shapes you for a lifetime.

For more specific details about the program and to apply, visit the Education Abroad Program at UMD.