Internships in Francophone Europe (a French non-for-profit educational organization founded in 1987)

IFE Paris

Paris, France (population:  ca. 10 million)

Fall Semester or Spring Semester (Winter-Spring Quarters). Students who are considering studying abroad on this program during Spring Semester must speak with an advisor in the Study Abroad Office before applying to ensure they understand credit transfer rules. Students may combine a Fall semester at IFE with a Spring Semester at Science Po (a Northwestern exchange program) through the Northwestern French Field Study Program. For more information, please contact the Northwestern University International Program Development Office and visit the French Field Study Program Page. For any students who are considering IFE, the French Field Study Program is strongly encouraged by Northwestern!

Northwestern Requirements for this program:

• At least 2 years or equivalent of college level French -- more is recommended.  The Northwestern Department of French and Italian recommends that students take at least 2-3 200-level French courses at Northwestern before beginning program.
• Northwestern Study Abroad requires that you enroll in a full load of courses as determined by IFE.
• Note:Students may earn a maximum of 4 NU units of credit from this program: 1 for each of the two regular courses offered, 1 for the internship course, and 1 for the seminar relating to the internship. Students who apply to this program must identify a faculty adviser at Northwestern for the internship course and submit a Northwestern Study Abroad internship petition signed by this adviser to the Northwestern Study Abroad Office, along with other required pre-departure forms. The Northwestern faculty adviser will review the student's internship paper upon completion of the program and make the final determination regarding whether Northwestern should award 0 or 1 credit for the work. For more information, click here to download our document explaining internships abroad.  *Please note: this requirement does not apply to students studying on the French Field Studies Program. For the specific requirements of the French Field Studies Program, please contact Greg Buchanan in the Office of International Program Development at g-buchanan@northwestern.edu.

IFE Program Requirements: Successful applicants to the IFE Internship Program are those who combine the following qualifications:

• A strong scholastic record (e.g. 3.00+ grade point average) demonstrating the ability to assimilate large quantities of material, to think synthetically and analytically, and to carry out independent research.
• The French language competence needed to enroll in IFE's Major Internship Program includes:
  • the ability to present oneself and express some ideas in French
  • good reading and oral comprehension; the ability to understand a lecture in French
  • an intermediate level of written expressions
• The personal and intellectual maturity to survive and to thrive in an intense, cross-cultural experience. Values, assumptions, and viewpoints may be called into question at the same time that a student is expected to respond to a work environment. Virtually all IFE placements call on a student's ability to work within a group structure with individuals who may well be quite different from the student and from those to whom the student is accustomed.

This is a very small, intense program for independent-minded students with strong French language skills and some background in French culture and society. The program includes: 1) a 5-week introductory course on French social issues followed by 2) a 12-week intensive internship experience that culminates in a long research paper written in French and 3) an ongoing course on France and the European Union. All courses are small, taught just for IFE students (in French). The nature of internship placements vary, and students can read about past placements here.

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Internship Program. Very small, intense program (8-12 students) for independent-minded students with strong French language skills and some background in French culture and society. Program includes: 1) an intensive internship experience that culminates in a long research paper written in French, 2) a 5-week introductory course on French social issues; and 3) an ongoing course on France and the European Union. All courses are small, taught just for IFE students (in French).

To see examples of the types of internships students have participated in during past semesters, please visit the IFE site.

Apartments/Foyers or Homestays

12-15 students

1. All study abroad students must complete the mandatory Study Abroad 101 Quiz on Blackboard.  Call (847-467-6400) or e-mail studyabroad@northwestern.edu (include your name and net ID) to be registered for this quiz.
2. After completing the 101 Quiz with a score of 90% or above, students can pick up the Northwestern University Application for Permission to Study Abroad at the Study Abroad Office. This application is not available online.
3. Students must complete the Northwestern University Application for Permission to Study Abroad by the specified deadline.
4. In addition, IFE requires students to complete an IFE Program Application.  This application (and specified deadline) can be found on the IFE web site.

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UMN-Montpellier Intensive Language Summer Program
IES-Arles Summer Program for Advanced French Students
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Northwestern Exchange:  Ecole Polytechnique
Northwestern Exchange:  Université Louis Pasteur
Northwestern University European Union Studies Program (Sciences Po, Paris)
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The Northwestern/Sciences Po French Field Study Program (in cooperation with Internships in Francophone Europe, Paris)
Northwestern University Global Cities Program (Chicago, Mexico City, Shanghai, Paris)
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