Spring Semester in Bordeaux, France
St. Lawrence’s newest program operated for the first time in Spring 2018 in Bordeaux, France. Bordeaux is the center of the famous wine region in southwestern France. In 2016, the port city was named the favorite city of the French for quality of life and reasonable cost of living.
- Based in Bordeaux, France
- Spring semester
- Enrollment does not normally exceed 18 students per semester.
- Pre-requisites: 2.8 GPA recommended to apply, two semesters of college level French (Intermediate & Advanced French recommended).
- Housing in student residential facilities
- Apply Early Decision for this Program: SLU students who submit their applications to this program in full before December 6th will have their $50 application fee waived and will receive an automatic $100 in additional financial aid.
Apply to Study in Bordeaux, France
Location Academics Co-Curricular Housing
Calendar Orientation Program Contacts
Location
Bordeaux is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region and the fifth largest city in France. It is often referred to as the “Pearl of Aquitaine” with amazing landscapes such as the Dune du Pilat and hundreds of historical monuments; Bordeaux was named a World Heritage site in 2007. The program will be based at the University of Bordeaux Montaigne with access to the Sciences Po Bordeaux. In addition to Bordeaux, the program will travel to Paris, sites in southwestern France related to the Director’s course, and Senegal for approximately ten days.
Academics
All students will enroll in French language at the appropriate level at the University of Bordeaux Montaigne’s Centre de Langue as well as the Director’s Course taught by the accompanying St. Lawrence Faculty Director of the program. Students will choose electives from a range of offerings in English or French at Sciences Po Bordeaux and/or the University of Bordeaux Montaigne. (Read more about taking courses with French Professors.)
Required courses:
- French Language: at the appropriate level
- Director's Course: Contested French Identities
This course will explore the formation of French identity, and repeated contestations over this, in a few distinct periods of French history. The first unit will focus on medieval ideas of group identity, as Christendom and “national” identity interacted fluidly (in the Crusades and The Song of Roland, for example), possibly with a visit to Roncevaux Pass in the Pyrenees on the French/Spanish border. The next unit will consider the era of the Hundred Years War as an example of imagining a French identity, though a very contested one. A trip to the Loire Valley will provide another example, as the Valois kings sought to assert a distinct “national” identity in art and architecture, as well as politically. The next unit will focus on the French Revolutionary era, both the clash between secular republicanism and Catholic monarchism and the debate about the limits of citizenship, in terms of class, race, religion, and gender, all of which were vociferously contested. We will visit Marseilles, one of the hotbeds of revolutionary fervor and the birthplace of the French national anthem. Then we will turn to the Third Republic, exploring the issue of laicism and the battle over the exclusion of religion (in this case, Catholicism) from the public domain, the creation of a national identity through schooling and language homogenization (possibly with a visit to Brittany or Provence as an example of a region whose language was systematically displaced by French during this time), and the discussion of the possibilities of transforming French colonial subjects in Africa into French citizens. We will then look at France during the two world wars, with a visit to war memorials to consider how they represent national identity. A final unit will address how these issues of identity have echoed down to the present, in the debates about issues such as religious symbols in the public sphere, the integration into French society of African (usually Muslim) immigrants, and same-sex marriage. We will meet with political and cultural figures to discuss these issues, and follow topical stories in the news. The goal of this course is to introduce students to the complexities of French identity, and the contested nature of any national (or other group) identity, helping students reflect on the complexities and conflicts inherent in their own identities.
This course will be taught in English.
Elective courses:
Students will also select elective courses from a range of courses offered in English or in French. St. Lawrence University cannot guarantee that a particular course will be offered in any given semester.
Course enrollment is not confirmed until arrival in Bordeaux in January.
Sample Courses in English:
- Agenda Setting and Issue Definition
- Cities in European History
- Comparative Politics
- Environment in Europe: Policies and Politics
- European integration
- European Monetary Union: issues and challenges
- Gender and Politics in the European Union
- History of French Politics
- History of International Politics
- History of Modern Europe (combination of SLU HIST 205 & 206)
- Immigration and Integration in a 21st Century Europe: Main Challenges and Future Trajectories
- Intercultural communication and diversity studies
- Intercultural negotiation and cultural codes
- International migration
- International Relations Theories: an Introduction
- Media and Journalism: an introduction to History and Trends
- Montesquieu to Hugo
- Representation of French Society in Film
- Russia and the EU: Challenge Relations
- The World as It is: Current Strategic Analysis
- The World Economy in the 20th Century
Sample Courses in French:
- Afrique subsaharienne
- Les Cadres Juridiques de la vie Politique Francaise
- Civilisation du Commonwealth
- Economie Politique, Introduction
- Economie Monetaire
- Etudes de la Pensee Economique
- Histoire culturelle et politique
- Histoire de l’idée européenne
- Histoire des politiques culturelles
- Histoire des relations internationales
- Histoire politique française
- Introduction des études de genre
- Les Institutions de la Veme Republique
- Littérature francaise
- Littérature du Canada, du Maghreb, d’Afrique de L’Ouest
- Littérature Comparee
- Institutions Europeennes
- Institutions politiques françaises
- Littérature Britannique et Commonwealth
- Macroeconomie
- Mouvements artistiques et littéraires
- Sociologie Politique
- Theorie Politique
- Traduction et themes
*St. Lawrence University cannot guarantee that a particular course will be offered in any given semester.
According to the Francophone Studies major information, students participating in the Bordeaux semester program receive four units toward the Francophone studies major or minor if they take courses taught in French at the university (300-levels). Students will get 2 units if they take courses taught in English and French language classes.
Students minoring in Francophone Studies who participate in the Bordeaux semester program may count only three courses toward the minor.
Grading Scale Equivalency:
Co-curricular
All scheduled group activities, including field trips, are included in the comprehensive fee. The program will include one longer educational excursions to Paris and shorter excursions throughout France.
Housing
Students will be housed in student residences and will have their own rooms and will share common space with French and other international students.
Calendar
January
7: Departure date for Sciences Po
9: Departure date for University Bordeaux Montaigne
9-12: Orientation at Sciences Po
11: Orientation at University Bordeaux Montaigne
16: Classes begin at both institutions
February
24-29: Program Week-long Excursion
April
12-14: Program Week-end Excursion
19: End of Classes at Sciences Po
20-28: Easter Holiday Break
24- Exam/Final Assessment Period begins for Sciences Po
May
4: End of Classes for University Bordeaux Montaigne
6: Exams/Final Assessments begin at University Bordeaux Montaigne
16: Exams/Final Assessments conclude for both programs
17: Depart France
Orientation
Pre-Departure: The CIIS office organizes in-depth orientation sessions on-campus prior to the students participation in the program. This includes a program specific session(s) in which the students will learn more about the program, local culture, academic expectations, and any other important information. There is also an orientation session led by the CIIS office on culture shock, pre-departure preparation, as well as safety and security while abroad.
On-site: Upon arrival in Bordeaux students will participate in an orientation in which they will learn more about the city, student housing, the university site and their classes. Students are required to attend all orientation meetings and activities.
Program Contacts
If you are interested in learning more about studying in Bordeaux, please contact one of the following people:
CIIS Office: Caitlin Hatz, Director of Off-Campus Programs
Faculty Coordinator: Dr. Florence Molk - Questions about program academics.