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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.

Poitiers | France

More photos from this program can be found here.

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.

  • The University of Poitiers offers a broad array of academic disciplines and courses in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and business
  • Poitiers participants who are studying art may take a studio art course at Les Beaux Arts de Poitiers on a case-by-case basis
  • A center for Erasmus, the European exchange program, the Université de Poitiers attracts 4,000 international students each year which is a larger percentage of the overall student enrollment (17%) than any other university in France
  • Students of theater arts and film studies will benefit from Poitiers’ wonderful program in “arts de spectacle,” including all aspects of stage and film studies
  • The medieval studies center at the Université de Poitiers is one of the largest and best in France
  • Still nestled into its medieval walls, Poitiers is one of the most intact medieval cities of Europe, with its church from the 900’s proudly standing in the center of the walled area

Program Duration:

  • Fall:late August – mid December
  • Winter/Spring:early January – late May
  • Fall/Winter/Spring:late August – late May

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.

Centre de Français Langue Etrangère

Université de Poitiers exchange student information

The Poitiers program is open to students from all fields of study. To be eligible, students must meet the following minimum requirements before departure:

  • 45 credits or more (sophomore standing)
  • An overall GPA of 2.75 or above
  • Minimum one year of college-level French with a B average or better.

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.

IE3 Global seeks to make its exchange programs affordable and accessible. For detailed information regarding the program budget (both the program fee and an estimate of personal expenses), please click on the following:

The program fee includes academic and administrative fees, room and board allowance, on-site support, orientation expenses, group activities, and health and accident insurance. The program fee does not include airfare, visa expenses, campus-based fees and personal expenses such as local transportation, textbooks, laundry, recreation (including continental travel), personal supplies and incidental expenses.

 

Terms

Fall | Fall/Winter/Spring | Winter/Spring

Application Deadline

Fall: March 31
Yearlong: March 31
Winter/Spring: October 15

Basic Requirements

- Sophomore or higher
- GPA of 2.75 or above
- minimum of one year of college-level French with a B average or higher