| Program Terms: |
Academic Year, Fall, Spring |
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| Homepage: | Click to visit | |
| Budget Sheets |
Academic Year, Fall, Spring |
| Dates / Deadlines: |
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| Term | Year | App Deadline | Decision Date | Start Date | End Date |
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| Spring | 2014 | 09/15/2013 | 10/20/2013 | 01/08/2014 | 05/25/2014 |
| Academic Year | 2014-2015 | 02/15/2014 | 03/20/2014 | TBA | TBA |
| Fall | 2014 | 02/15/2014 | 03/20/2014 | TBA | TBA |
| Fact Sheet: |
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| Language of Instruction: | French | Class Eligibility: | 2-Sophomore, 3-Junior, 4-Senior (fall only) |
| Minimum GPA: | 3.0 | Housing Options: | Family Stay |
| Maximum Credits Earned (per semester): | 4.5 | Academic Area of Study: | Africana Studies, American Studies, Anthropology, Archaeology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Economics, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, French, History, International Business and Management, International Studies, Internships, Law and Policy, Mathematics, Middle East Studies, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Security Studies, Sociology, Theatre, Women's and Gender Studies |
| Foreign Laguage Prerequisite: | French 236 or higher | ||
| Program Description: |
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The Dickinson in France program gives students the opportunity to live and study in Toulouse, known as one of France's most youthful cities because of its vibrant student population. In addition to taking courses at the Dickinson Centre, students may study at one of five local universities. While in the Toulouse program, participants live with home-stay families, enjoy academic excursions to sites of regional and national interest and may undertake internships.
Toulouse's five universities are all highly respected institutions, some of which date back to the 13th century. Today, with 97,000 students and a total population of 1,120,000, Toulouse is the fourth-largest city and the second-largest university center in France. This significant student presence makes for a youthful city, offering an array of social and cultural opportunities.
Toulouse is noted for its many pink brick buildings, earning it the nickname "la ville rose." The city is in the heart of southwestern France, a region rich in history, culture and geographic diversity. It is located on the Garonne River just north of the Pyrenees Mountains, which span France's southern border from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. In one survey, French citizens rated Toulouse the city in which they would most like to live (excluding the capital) based upon quality of life.
While Dickinson's Toulouse program is language intensive and designed for students with an advanced level of French, participants have the chance to study a tremendous variety of subjects at the program's five partner institutions.
- Université de Toulouse 1 for studies in Social Sciences (Economics, Management, Marketing, Policy, etc). Click here for the website.
- Institut d'Etudes Politiques for studies in Political Science (International Relations, Media and Communication, Economics, Specialized programs in sustainable development, globalization and other current topics, etc). Click here for the website.
- Université de Toulouse 2 (Le Mirail) for studies in the Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (Literature, History, Psychology, Applied Mathematics, Sociology, Anthropology, Art History, Film, Music, etc). Click here for the website.
- Université de Toulouse 3 (Paul Sabatier) for studies in the Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics, etc).Click here for the website.
- Institut Catholique for studies in the Humanities and Social Sciences (History, Religion, Philosophy, Psychology, Communication, etc). Click here for the website.
The program provides an important reinforcement in French language skills and methodology and reflects Dickinson's emphasis on a well-rounded, liberal-arts education. Program participants may study overseas for the full academic year or for the fall or spring semester. In addition to enrolling in the local universities, students enroll in two core courses at the Dickinson Study Center. Classes are taught entirely in French by faculty from the University of Toulouse and Dickinson College.
The Dickinson Center, which serves as a study and resource space for students, is conveniently located within the city of Toulouse on the banks of the Midi Canal. In addition to taking classes, attending conferences, and meeting with classmates at the center, students may use the library and computer stations.
Courses typically taught at the Dickinson Center include (may vary year to year):
French Methodology and Composition (required)
Internship Seminar
Topics in Applied French
Toulouse Colloquium (required)
Studies in Intercultural Communication
In addition, students may enroll in a variety of courses up to the master's level at the university of their choosing (from the list of our five partner institutions). Students may not take all of their classes at the Dickinson Center, but must take at least part of their course load in a local university.
All students must have a declared major at the time of application.
As a part of the review process students’ conduct records and account status are also reviewed. Students should note that the review process takes all elements of the student’s academic record into consideration and that even if a student has the required minimum GPA and language pre-requisites, he or she may not be admitted.
Students who have questions about the review process or their particular candidacy for a program should come into the Center for Global Study and Engagement for advising.
Center staff will not discuss students’ applications with parents, friends or any other party without the student’s consent and presence in the conversation.
European universities differ greatly from their American counterparts. Courses appear to be less intense. Classes follow a lecture format, often with little class participation or discussion. You will have to learn to work hard on your own with minimal guidance and take detailed notes during lectures. In most cases, you will not receive a detailed syllabus, but will be informed as the semester goes on of any assignments or exams. You alone are responsible for class attendance, keeping up with the readings, and mastering the material.
Professors will grade you the same way they grade French students. The grading system in France ranges from 0 to 20. Most students receive grades between 0 to 14; 15 and 16 are relatively rare, 17 and 18 are very rare, and 19 and 20 are almost never given.
The formal aspect of the work is very important. Professors will not accept torn off pieces of paper, spotted, badly written or hand written papers. Always verify the grammar and vocabulary of your written assignments. Never hand in an assignment without re-reading it, correcting it with Antidote and, if possible, having it re-read by a tutor or a native French speaker. Some students will have the impression that they have less work than they do in the U.S. Be on your guard. A large part of assignments and exams are concentrated at the end of the semester, so it is important to pace yourself!
We anticipate that the following courses will be offered for the 2013-2014 academic year in Toulouse. These course offerings may be subject to change each year.
Fall semester (SUBJECT TO CHANGE):
French 300, Toulouse Colloquium (required for all students arriving in the Fall semester), ½ credit
French 260, Writing Workshop (required for all students arriving in the Fall semester), 1 credit
Art and Art History 205/French 273, Photography, ½ credit
Spring semester (SUBJECT TO CHANGE):
French 300, Toulouse Colloquium (required for all students arriving in the Spring semester), ½ credit
French 260, Writing Workshop (required for all students arriving in the Spring semester), 1 credit
French 320, Studies in Intercultural Communication, 1 credit
Intern 301, Internship Seminar + Internship, 1 credit
Before arrival in Toulouse (May 4, 2013 for Fall semester & year students, November 16, 2013 for Spring semester students), students must fill out a form in which they select the partner university in which they will study. On this same form, students will choose at least 10 courses they are interested in taking in the chosen university and send the form (signed by the student’s advisor and the on –campus program coordinator) to Prof. Toux (touxs@dickinson.edu). Course listings and the blank Choix de l’établissement universitaire et choix des cours form are available on Moodle and will be sent via email.
During the course selection process (both before departure and while in Toulouse), students must be in contact with their advisor in order to ensure that credit will be granted for each course by the corresponding department.
First-semester courses at the French universities start mid-September and finish in January. Second-semester courses begin in January and finish in May.
Course selections are finalized in consultation with the Resident Director (see section “Course Selection” below). Students who choose to pursue a CEP (Certificat d'études politiques) at the IEP during their time in Toulouse must sign up for a social security account, which will be covered by the program.
The Psychology department at Dickinson has made Institut Catholique de Toulouse (ICT only!) course equivalencies available on their website. If you have any questions, please contact the department directly. http://www.dickinson.edu/academics/programs/psychology/content/Study-Abroad/
Otherwise, consult your major advisor for more information.
Institut Catholique de Toulouse courses in psychology are approved as “Dickinson courses” by the Dickinson Psychology department. Letter grades earned for these courses will be included in the student’s GPA.
All other courses taken at the universities will be listed on the Dickinson transcript with letter grades earned, but will NOT be computed into the student’s GPA. For these courses, credit toward the degree will be granted only if grades of “C” (2.00 on a 4.00 scale) or better have been earned. Official transcripts of the grades earned at the universities are kept in the student’s permanent file in the Registrar’s Office at Dickinson College.
Only liberal arts classes will qualify for transfer credit.
Transfer credit will not be awarded for coursework that duplicates what a student has already completed at Dickinson.
Transfer credit is awarded only for classes in which a student earns a grade of C (9/20) or better. Course titles and grades for Dickinson courses taught at the Dickinson Study Center will be recorded onto the transcript and will count towards the GPA, regardless of the grade earned.
All courses taken at the local universities are recorded on the student’s Dickinson transcript along with the grade earned, even though the grade is not computed into the Dickinson GPA.
To document coursework completed at the University of Toulouse, students must keep a dossier of work completed, including syllabus, papers written, oral presentations, class notes, examinations, and the like, to submit to the Resident Director and to the credit-granting department of the home institution.
FR 236: "Introduction to Cultural Analysis" must be taken before studying abroad.
The Dickinson Center staff requires all students to use French as the only language of communication (oral and written) in the Center and during any program activities. If you are overheard speaking English, you will be asked to leave the building.
The Dickinson program in Toulouse is designed as an intensive academic, language and cultural immersion experience. Students interested in studying the English language while in Toulouse are limited to enrolling in only one English-based academic course per semester of study in Toulouse. Any English-based course work done in Toulouse is to be done at the master's level.
Yes, it does. Participants in this program typically take part in day excursions to numerous historic and cultural sites around Toulouse as components of the orientation and program in each semester. Visits to the ruins of the Cathar castles (Montségur), Romanesque churches and monasteries (Conques), fortified villages (Cordes-sur-Ciel) and prehistoric caves (Niaux) reinforce history, culture, and language courses. The program also includes a four-day excursion to Paris.
Students’ lodging costs will be covered during overnight excursions. Also, any meals that would not be otherwise covered by a standard meal stipend for all students on the program will be covered. Group transportation to and from the excursion site, as well as group travel for all group activities will be covered. Students will not be reimbursed for snacks, personal travel and personal activities during an academic excursion.
Specific dates and locations for the multi-day excursions will be announced during the semester preceding the excursion. Site visits in and around Toulouse will be organized and announced by the professors and Resident Director during throughout the semester.
No, unfortunately, for logistical and academic reasons non program participants are not able to join the program for excursions.
Not necessarily. These excursions are linked to your academic program and, in some cases, content delivered through the excursion will be relevant to a student’s studies and assessment. All students should plan to participate in all excursions. If a student misses an excursion or a planned departure for a trip, these arrangements and costs will not be made up for the student. It is each student’s responsibility to be where they need to be in order to participate fully in each academic excursion.
In addition to the full day mandatory pre-departure orientation you’ll have on campus the semester prior to your program, there will be an on-site orientation for this program. In Toulouse students’ on-site orientation occurs during the weeks before classes begin at our French partner universities and the Dickinson Center. The on-site orientation is a combination of sessions and activities designed to enhance students’ knowledge of Toulouse and its history.
During the orientation you will meet and work with the on-site director, Professor Sylvie Toux, as well as our administrative director and Toulouse program alumna, Laura Raynaud.
Students on this program are required to arrive on a specific date and within a certain window of time. You will be met at the Toulouse airport (TLS) by your hosts. You must communicate your arrival plans with your hosts and the on-site staff, as well as the CGSE. To notify the CGSE, you should enter the flight information in your on line program accessible here. Official dates for the program can be found here.
No, there is not a group flight organized for this program. Students must make their own travel arrangements after confirming the appropriate arrival dates. Students may wish to book their travel on their own or use Advantage Travel based in Syracuse, New York. We recommend students contact agent Sally Curtis at Advantage Travel by calling 1-800-788-1980 or emailing scurtis@advantagecny.com. Although flights can be booked online, we strongly encourage students and their families to consider the benefits of an agent’s services given the duration of study abroad programs and the complexity of international air travel today.
Students will be met at the airport by their hosts and will proceed directly to their new homes!
If you have family or friends who are planning to visit you, please do not make travel plans until you arrive at the program and become familiar with your class schedule and program excursions. It is not acceptable to skip class for personal travel. Please note that many courses have an attendance policy and absenteeism will negatively affect the student’s grade.
You will travel in and around the Garonne region as you work your way through each semester. There will also be a group academic excursion to Paris each semester. Many students also travel on their own during holiday periods when classes are not in session.
Students may not arrive early and stay in Dickinson-arranged accommodations. However, some students may stay late if they have the written approval of the on-site director. Please note that if you stay late, you may not be able to stay with your hosts; however, if you do stay in Dickinson-arranged accommodations, you will be asked to pay additional fees in order to cover the expense. You should also consider your visa validity when you make the decision of whether or not you may arrive early or stay late. No student may arrive late for the start of the program.
Click here for the program budget sheet. It can be found at the top of the page to the left of the Apply Now button.
The fee includes tuition, room, board, academic excursions and emergency insurance. Airfare and visa fees are not included. The budget sheet also lists additional fees students should anticipate.
The flight is not included but the cost is taken into consideration when your financial aid need is calculated for your semester abroad.
This depends on you. We encourage students to not travel every weekend, but to really engage their host city in meaningful ways during their semester abroad. An estimate of personal expenses is included on the budget sheet, but it really depends on you and your spending habits.
You will receive a monthly allowance to pay for meals not taken with your hosts and to help defray the cost of transportation to and from the University. Students who eat 3 meals with their families will receive €385 per month for their meals and €52 per month for their transportation costs. The transportation allowance covers the cost of a monthly unlimited bus and subway ticket (€10), bike rental and occasional taxi rides. Students choosing to take 5 meals per week with their family will receive €299,50 per month for their meals and €52 per month for their transportation costs. Your monthly allowance is intended for food and transportation costs only and is not meant to cover leisure or traveling expenses. The amount of €900 per month, which is used in the Center for Global Study and Engagement financial guarantee letter written in support of your visa application, is roughly equivalent to the combined home stay room and board costs and the monthly allowance named here. It is NOT an additional amount.
Shortly before your arrival in Toulouse, the staff at the Dickinson Center will open a bank account for you at the Crédit Agricole (CA), Pont des Demoiselles, Toulouse. You will receive a French debit card about 10 days after arrival. After opening your account, the program will immediately deposit your first allocation and will continue to electronically transfer money into your account once a month for your food and transportation money allocations. Second, you can deposit both travelers checks and foreign checks in your account. However, checks in American dollars take approximately two weeks to clear and there is a large exchange fee.
The most inexpensive way to transfer money from the U.S. to your French bank account is by withdrawing euros with your American bank card at an ATM machine in France. You can then deposit the cash in your French back account. This method will only cost you the fees your American bank charges for a foreign withdrawal. However, be careful of foreign cash withdrawal limits imposed by your American bank. Check with your bank before leaving.
Yes. There are options to earn money in Toulouse. Students often give private English lessons to French children or babysit. These are excellent ways to earn money, to improve your own language skills, and to create a bond with French people outside of your host and the Dickinson Center.
If you apply for a visa and register with the OFII (see visa section), you may legally work a limited number of house in France. You are, of course, responsible for delcaring your revenue to both French and American authorities.
Good medical care is available in Toulouse. The program staff will help you make appointments if needed. If you require allergy shots, you should consult with your allergist concerning your needs for allergy serum. You may need to take a year's supply with you, or the allergist may have other suggestions.
Please be sure to check that your U.S. health insurance policy covers you while you are abroad. For more information, click here. You will need to be prepared to pay up front in doctors’ offices, pharmacies, and hospitals, and to get receipts to present to your U.S. insurer for reimbursement.
An appointment with a general practitioner costs around 20-25€. Specialists cost around 40-50€ per consultation.
For more information about health and insurance abroad, please click here.
To ensure that students experience local culture to the fullest, all Toulouse program participants are housed with French hosts. The hosts are carefully matched with students for compatibility. These hosts open their homes and their tables so that students may discover French culture through their daily life. Hosts provide students with a safe space to ask questions and hold conversations and a trusting, adult relationship while being included in the household and learning about the French culture from a first-hand perspective.
Full details about your hosts will be sent to you from the Toulouse staff as soon as it becomes available. Many students chose to contact with a short email to their hosts ahead of time to introduce themselves.
This will vary depending on the location of your hosts and the university or center and can range from 20 to 45 minutes. Most students will use public transportation to get to and from university classes.
You can choose between eating three or five meals with your hosts per week; as you figure out your schedule, you can determine with the hosts which meals you would like to eat with them. Also, during vacation periods, you are not expected to have meals with your hosts.
You can do your laundry using your hosts' washing machine; however, some hosts may do your laundry for you. They will also provide you with sheets, bedding and a bath towel.
Before having friends over, simply check with your hosts. Also, keep in mind that they may have plans or need to wake up early the following morning; not having friends in the house past 9:00 or 10:00pm is a good rule of thumb.
It is always a nice gesture to bring your new hosts a token from your hometown or region and as an initial ‘thank you’ for having you in their home.
The Administrative Director is on-site to help you with any housing concerns should you need her.
Yes, Dickinson’s hosts have wireless internet access in the home; however as you will quickly learn, the French are less reliant on the internet. There is also free wireless internet at the Dickinson Center during its office hours.
For academic-year students with a good command of the French language, internship opportunities are available in business and marketing, public administration, journalism and communications, education, the arts, and medicine. Students completing an internship also enroll in the required internship seminar at the center, and receive one credit for their work.
Field experiences are available to students studying in Toulouse for a single semester. Semester students may be eligible to earn a transcript notation on their Dickinson transcript through the Career Center. For more information click here.
Students can conduct research abroad under the guidance of a Dickinson advisor. The Student International Research Fund (SIRF) was established to help students with extra travel costs associated with independent research projects. Students are encouraged to present their research at the International Research Symposium when they return to campus. For more information on SIRF, click here.
A visa is a document, normally affixed within your passport, which allows you to enter the country and stay for the duration of your program. The requirements for the visa and visa process are controlled by the government of the country you are entering, are non-negotiable, and can change regularly. If you arrive without the proper visa, you will be sent home by immigration officers at your own expense.
A student visa is required to participate in the Toulouse program. If you do not hold a U.S. passport, you should consult with the French embassy in your country of citizenship for the student visa requirements. Obtaining a student visa is the student’s responsibility. We will review the guidelines for obtaining a student visa at the Pre-departure Orientation.
We have produced visa guidelines to provide you with an overview of what you will need to do to obtain a student visa. Please note: this is only a tool to help you get started! It is not a substitute for consulting with the French consulate that has jurisdiction over your state of home residence. Make sure you are familiar with the most up-to-date regulations by visiting their website frequently.
Also, you need to ensure that your passport is valid for 6 months after the program end date.
You will need to register online with the French education abroad system, CAMPUS FRANCE, then make an appointment at the French consulate in order to submit previously-gathered documents and CAMPUS FRANCE confirmation email that are required for the visa. Please consult the Visa Guidelines for France.
Yes, you will need to make a visa appointment at the French consulate in Washington DC or the French consulate that presides over your home state jurisdiction in order to submit your student visa application.
Currently the visa fee is set at 99€; however this amount is subject to change. The visa fee can only be paid by credit card (Visa or Mastercard only). Be sure to check the consulate’s website for any fee change before you submit your visa paperwork.
OFII is the French Office for Immigration and Integration. See your Moodle site for further information on OFII.
At the Washington DC consulate, it can take up to 3 weeks to obtain a student visa.
Yes, you will need to do your own research on visa requirements for citizens of your home country to study in France. The CGSE may be able to help you with the required documents. Also, you will need to inform Gwen Moore and Jackie Wong that you will be studying outside of the United States and discuss how you will remain in valid F-1 status during your studies abroad.
Yes, there may be visa services that can assist you in obtaining the student visa. You will need to research these providers and their fees and timetables.
Yes, we provide you with visa guidelines, as well as various required documents needed for the visa process.
Global Ambassadors are returning study abroad students who serve as peer advisors for their program. Please feel free to contact them for a student perspective.
Christina Socci is an English major and French minor who spent the spring of 2012 in Toulouse, France. In retrospect, her decision to study abroad in Toulouse was based mostly on that strange mix of luck and fate that guides all life-changing moments. The summer before her first year at Dickinson, she flipped through the brochure of study abroad opportunities and came across the Dickinson en France program. With an undefined yet persistent interest in Toulouse and in French, she took an introductory language class during the fall of 2009 and fell in love. Though the experience of studying abroad often oscillated between “magical” and “challenging”—imagine a fairytale starring Indiana Jones—it was always rewarding. Her only regret is that it all ended too soon. She hopes to return to France (and to Toulouse in particular) after graduation to continue her study of the language and reconnect with her adopted home away from home.
Toulouse blogs:
http://blogs.dickinson.edu/toulouse/
http://blogs.dickinson.edu/annatoulouse/
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Carla Maranto-Arnold |
Marlena Meikrantz |
Prof. Andy MacDonald, On-Campus Coordinator
Department of French
Dickinson College
P.O. Box 1773
Carlisle, PA 17013-2896
Phone: (717) 245-1756
E-mail: macdonai@dickinson.edu
Sylvie Toux (right) is resident director of the Toulouse program and Dickinson Center. She oversees the staff, plans and leads the academic program, advises students and teaches. Administrative Director, Laura Raynaud (left), a Toulouse program alumna, manages program logistics, including cultural excursions and the network of hosts. A part-time assistant, usually a recent program alumus, assists the staff and provides practical advice to the students.
Resident Director
Prof. Sylvie Toux
touxs@dickinson.edu
Administrative Director
Mrs. Laura Raynaud
raynaudl@dickinson.edu
