On Summer in Paris, you will learn or polish up your French while taking unique fine-arts-related courses taught in English. You will live in the heart of Paris, just minutes from the Louvre, with all that this amazing city has to offer right outside your door. While your courses are technically classroom based, you’ll spend the majority of your class time out in the city painting, photographing, and drawing.
GPA Required: 2.5. If you find your GPA is lower than the requirement, do not despair! Use the "Contact An Advisor" button on this page or call us to let us know your situation. We'll do all we can to find the right program for you.
How to choose your courses
Now the fun part! As part of the application process you will be required to complete the CISabroad Course Selection Worksheet found in the CISabroad Application Page. The following instructions will guide you through the steps of choosing your courses.
Course load: 2 classes (6 US credits)
Course approval: Before you go abroad, it is best to get 3–4 classes approved for your semester program. This gives you some flexibility in setting up your class schedule. Think about courses required for your major, but also courses that fulfill your elective requirements.
Course descriptions and catalog: Choose 2 of the following 3-credit courses.
ART 376: Photography in Paris: Shooting Like the Masters (taught in English) 1PM - 4PM
In many regards, Paris is the birthplace of photography, making it the ideal place to develop your skills and historical knowledge of it. Whether you are a rank beginner or an accomplished photographer, Paris will inspire you. This digital photography course maximizes your time on the streets of Paris; you’ll develop your skills on assignment and in the field. By researching, observing, and emulating such great Parisian photographers as Eugene Atget, Robert Doisneau, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, you’ll learn various ways of depicting this great city in all its complexity.
ART 376: Painting in “Plein Air” in Paris (taught in English) 9AM - 12PM
This course will explore the pleasures of "plein air" painting in Paris, with the city itself as our classroom. "Plein air" literally means "in open air" but has come to mean any painting done outside the confines of the studio. June is a lovely time of year in Paris, and there are many outdoor settings where you can set up your materials and learn painting technique. Do a study of Notre Dame's facade, a sidewalk café, or even a Bateau Mouche as it floats down the River Seine. This course will teach you how to capture the visual dynamics of the city in paint. Through weekly instruction you will learn to work effectively with color, value structure, and atmospheric as well as linear perspective. All levels of artistic ability will be accommodated, from rank beginners to near professionals. Join us!
ARH 376. Old Masters: From the Renaissance to the Impressionists (taught in English) 9AM - 12PM
This course focuses on the major works of art created from the 16th to the 19th centuries, beginning with the arrival of the Italian Renaissance in France at the court of Francis I and ending with the Paris of Delacroix, Courbet, and Manet. You will learn about the sumptuous furnishing of Parisian interiors through visits to the royal palace of Versailles and to town houses such as the Hotel Soubise or the Musee Jacquemard-Andre.
ARH 376. Modern and Contemporary: Art from the Impressionists to Today (taught in French) 1PM - 4PM
This course focuses on the 20th century, from the innovations at the end of the 19th century, to Art Nouveau, to the Impressionists through the period when Paris was the center of the avant garde, to the new internationalism of the contemporary art market. Studies take place in the Musee d’Orsay, the Musee de la Ville de Paris, and the Beaubourg (MACFA), as well as on-site at le Corbusier’s Villa la Roche and the Defense. You will also learn about the day-to-day workings of the Parisian art market through visits to galleries and dealers in contemporary art.
French Language (all levels) 4:15PM - 7:15PM
Taught by native French speakers, French-language courses will develop your written and spoken French. Small class sizes mean intensive practical training in speaking and understanding art-historical concepts. If you have intermediate or advanced French, you can combine your language course with the Modern and Contemporary Art course for an intensive experience in language and culture.
*Please note: A French-language course is not required, but we do strongly recommend that you take one!