Experience life in an ancient city where twenty centuries of Western civilization are still evident in buildings graced by Roman, Medieval, and Renaissance architecture. Today, Poitiers is a center for education, agriculture, industry and communications where students benefit from a variety of course offerings, engage in the local community and meet students from around the world.
More photos from this program can be found here.
Experience life in an ancient city where twenty centuries of Western civilization are still evident in buildings graced by Roman, Medieval, and Renaissance architecture. Today, Poitiers is a center for education, agriculture, industry and communications. A university town, Poitiers boasts a population of 85,000 within a larger metropolitan area of 140,000 and offers students a chance to live in a manageably sized city while still being close to the larger cities such as Paris and Bordeaux. The Université de Poitiers is a comprehensive university comprised of 23,000 students taking courses in 14 different colleges, institutes and schools. Poitiers is in the storied western region of France, in close proximity to the Loire Valley and its châteaux, the Atlantic coast, and Normandy, with Paris less than two hours by train.
This program allows students to enroll in either French language courses or regular university courses in many fields of study, taught entirely in French. Some University of Poitiers courses are also available in English. The language program is open to students with at least one year of college-level French while students interested in a full schedule of direct enroll courses should complete at least three year college-level French. With opportunities for engagement in the local community and options to take studio art courses at Les Beaux Arts de Poitiers, the program offers unique aspects unavailable in other locations.
Program Duration:
Fall: March 31
Yearlong: March 31
Winter/Spring: October 15
- Sophomore or higher
- GPA of 2.75 or above
- minimum of one year of college-level French with a B average or higher
The Poitiers program is ideal for students in a variety of majors who have a base in French language and are hoping to experience cultural immersion in the French context. It is a unique opportunity for students to improve their French proficiency and take courses for their major, minor or general education requirements within a French university.
Most IE3 Global students in Poitiers take courses at the Centre de Français Langue Étrangère (CFLE), which offers intensive training in French language skills at all levels. Students whose French skills are sufficient may select from direct enrollment courses in a variety of fields in the humanities, social and natural sciences, and business management. Most students who arrive in Poitiers with three years of college-level French completed are ready for direct enrollment from the first semester, whereas students who arrive with first or second-year college French completed usually start mainly with CFLE courses. Depending on language progress, yearlong students may transition into more direct enrollment courses in the second semester.
Ahead of arrival, students take an online assessment of their French proficiency and then meet with a CFLE instructor to take an oral assessment, discuss the results and their placement within the CFLE curriculum. The fall academic program begins with a stage, an intensive cultural and linguistic orientation course for which students receive home university credits. All stage, CFLE and direct-enrollment courses are taught by University of Poitiers faculty members, but only international students (from outside France) participate in the stage and CFLE courses.
The Poitiers program is open to students from all fields of study. To be eligible, students must meet the following minimum requirements before departure:
Housing is coordinated through the Office of International Relations at the University of Poitiers. While most students will live in a residence hall, host families and/or apartment living may be possible. Students living in residence halls have access to cooking facilities and/or inexpensive student restaurants.
Fall: March 31
Yearlong: March 31
Winter/Spring: October 15
- Sophomore or higher
- GPA of 2.75 or above
- minimum of one year of college-level French with a B average or higher