French Field Study Program: IFE Paris Internship Program (Fall) & Northwestern's Science Po Exchange Program (Winter-Spring)

» General Information

Location:

Paris, France (population: 10 million)

Description:

The French Field Study Program is a full-year program consisting of:

Fall Semester at IFE
During the Fall, students participate in IFE's Paris Field Studies & Internship program. This program prepares students to succeed at Sciences Po by helping them acquire confidence in French and familiarity with France and allowing them to develop knowledge about a particular subject of interest. IFE offers an intensive internship/academic experience for a small group of study abroad students, with individualized placement for work and research in a variety of fields including economics, political science, development studies, international relations, education, social policy, visual arts, theatre, and more. Students receive a thorough grounding in French political, social, and cultural issues prior to the internship, in the form of two lecture-and-workshop courses: French Society: Issues and International Context and The Political Life of France Yesterday and Today. During the internship portion of the program (12 weeks), students complete a seminar course entitled Towards a European Society, and report to a research advisor. The semester culminates in a long research paper written in French, based on the internship.

Linking the Two Semesters
Late in the fall term, IFE works closely with students and the Sciences Po to ensure proper enrollment in courses needed to continue the themes (and major field) undertaken by students during the fall semester. 

Spring Semester at Sciences Po
During the spring, students take courses at Sciences Po.  Sciences Po is an elite, world-renowned institution that specializes in political science and also excels in history, economics, and international relations.




Terms:

Full year only: Fall Quarter at IFE and Winter-Spring Quarters at Sciences Po

Sponsor:

Northwestern University Office of International Program Development (IPD), in collaboration with Internships in Francophone Europe (IFE) & Science Po

Website:

Northwestern's French Field Study Program

Program Contact:

Greg Buchanan, Program Coordinator, International Program Development Office 1800 Sherman Ave., Ste. 4-700, Evanston Phone: 847-467-6953

» Related Links

» Other Programs in France

Language Requirements

  • Students must have completed 2 years+ of college level French or the equivalent, and are required to meet with Prof. Margaret Dempster in the Department of French in order to assess their language skills prior to application.
  • A high degree of independence and initiative are qualifications for an exchange program, which often offers less structure and on-site support than other types of programs.

Northwestern Requirements

Fall Semester:  Students must enroll in a full course load, as determined by IFE.

Spring Semester: Students must enroll in at least 30 ECTS credits at Sciences Po.

Please review our web page Interships for Credit.

Additional Information

Special Arrangements:

The following special arrangements help strengthen the connections between the Fall semester at IFE and Spring semester at Sciences Po, and make this one cohesive program:

  • During the fall, students work with IFE and an adviser at Sciences Po to select courses for the spring that will deepen their theoretical understandings of their IFE research topics. Students are also granted library access at Sciences Po from the fall term on.
  • The month before the fall semester, the Sciences Po International Office offers an orientation, called the "stage d'integration," which is intended to prepare its full year students linguistically and academically to succeed at Sciences Po. It includes daily French classes, optional visits around Paris and the outlying region, and pedagogical sessions to help prepare students. Northwestern and IFE have made special arrangements for French Field Studies students to attend parts of this orientation, as the IFE course schedule allows, at no extra cost.

Planning to go Abroad:
When choosing a world-class institution, careful academic counseling and planning is essential to successful integration into non-American settings. Working with the office of International Program Development and your departmental/school advisers, and following up with your own research, will make issues such as credit, cultural adjustment and course selection work for you as an individual student.

Housing

Housing for the entire year will be arranged through IFE in either a homestay, foyer, or apartment.

Program Costs

Application Requirements

Northwestern students must complete four applications for this program:
  • Northwestern University Application for Permission to Study Abroad
  • An IPD application
  • An IFE application, which can be obtained from the IFE website
  • A Sciences Po application. Students should contact the Office of International Program Development for more information on how to obtain and complete the Sciences Po application.

Students must also complete personal interviews:

  • Meet with IPD representative. Call 847-467-6953 well in advance of the study abroad application deadline to set up a personal interview.
  • Students must also meet with Professor Margaret Dempster and Professor Michael Loriaux, the academic advisor for the Sciences Po Exchange Program.

Contact Returnees

Northwestern students may enter this section of the site for a list of students who participated in this program.