Purpose
The Rutgers Summer Program in Paris is an academic program designed to provide undergraduate students the opportunity to immerse themselves in the language and culture of France in the best possible social and intellectual environment.
Faculty & Staff
The faculty is composed of professors from prestigious French universities and faculty members from Rutgers University who accompany the group.
Program of Study
- Students are placed into small classes according to their proficiency in French. Classes will be held at the Maison des Mines. The minimum language requirement is the equivalent of two years of college-level French.
- Classes meet for two two-hour sessions, four days a week (M-T-Th-F). Students are expected to give top priority to their coursework.
- One of the goals of the Summer in Paris program is to immerse students in the French language. For this reason, you will be asked to pledge to speak only French during the entire length of the program.
- Students will take two courses from the following list, for a total of 6 credits:
(Please note that course topics may change)
- 213. INTENSIVE ADVANCED GRAMMAR - (3 credits): The sounds, forms, and structures of French: grammar, phonetics, translation, vocabulary building, and composition. Oral drill and frequent written work.
- 303. CULTURE, CONVERSATION, AND COMPOSITION - (3 credits): Development of fluency and spontaneity of oral and written expressions through cultural explorations, group discussions, and debates.
- 372. TOPICS IN FRENCH CINEMA: Beyond the Fiction Feature Film - (3 credits): This course examines three areas not ordinarily thought of as "French Cinema": documentary, animation, and avant‑garde works. In each, we will try to tease out what, if anything is specifically "French," and what larger questions (theoretical, critical, or historical) these bodies of work help to illuminate.
- 405/469. MODERN FRANCE/TOPICS IN FRENCH STUDIES - Poets and Playwrights of Paris: Urban Scenes, Rhythms, and Performance - (3 credits): Who are the major poets and playwrights of Paris? How did their writing and performances (re)fashion lifestyle, trends, and aestheticism within and beyond la Ville Lumière? To answer these questions, this course will explore seminal authors of Paris from the Renaissance to the present. Students will discover how their works interconnect and shape cultural movements throughout Parisian history. In our analyses of selected texts, we will discuss how poetry and theater coalesce with other art forms, such as dance, music, painting, fashion, and architecture. In addition to studying the stylistics of theatrical and poetic expression, students will learn to identify urban imagery and its distinct soundscapes that often blend the personal and the political – the flâneur and the foule. Students will interact directly with the rich literary legacies of Paris through class visits to city attractions, such as the Maison de Victor Hugo, the Comédie-Française, and the Rodin Museum. Topics of discussion include urban development, (de)construction, cityspeak, Parisian history, and the stage and state. The course includes a final performative project, which allows students to transform themselves into poets and playwrights of modern-day Paris!
Grades
Grades are based on examinations and class performance according to the Rutgers University system. Upon completion of the program, students may request a transcript from the Rutgers transcript office. Requests for special grading arrangements (e.g., Pass/Fail) must be made and approved before the program begins.
Cultural Activities
Our Summer in Paris program emphasizes the connection between the contemporary cultural life in France and the intellectual content of the courses. And so, the program includes a significant number of visits to the beautiful museums, cathedrals, and other monuments of Paris and neighboring sites (such as Versailles), as well as participation in a variety of Parisian cultural events (plays, concerts, etc.). In some cases, cultural activities - research in a library or in a museum, visiting a specific neighborhood - may fulfill part of the course requirements. In addition, a five-day Bastille Day recess allows students to schedule independent activities.
Cultural Activity List
The following group activities Is a guideline of what may be available for any given summer. A detailed list of scheduled activities will be provided to all participants closer to departure.
Enjoy Video (by permission of Samuel Vladimirsky): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3gbx2HJY-E
| MUSEUMS & LANDMARKS | MUSIC & THEATER | EXHIBITS & FESTIVALS | OTHER MISCELLANEOUS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Notre-Dame de Paris | Fête de la Musique | Fête du cinéma | Croisière bateaux parisiens |
| Château de Versailles | Opéra Garnier | Festival Paris Plage | Picnic in the Luxembourg Gardens |
| Cité de la Musique - Parc de la Villette |
Opéra Bastille (Ballet) | Cimetière du Père Lachaise | Promenade Littéraire |
| Visit to the Louvre | Molière - 400e anniversaire Comédie Française |
Portes ouvertes des Ateliers d'Artistes du Père Lachaise | Parcours Saint-Germain |
| Maison de Victor Hugo | Ionesco - La Cantatrice Chauve (Theatre de la Huchette) |
Portes ouvertes des Ateliers d'Artistes du Pré Saint-Gervais | Défilé de Mode - Galeries Lafayette |
| Les Catacombes | |||
| Institut du Monde Arabe |
2022 Paris Group
Paris Journal
The 2016 group produced a journal about their experience. We hope you enjoy it!
Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, reserves the right to make any changes in this program that may become necessary.
