The French and Italian Department strongly urges its students to complete some portion of their undergraduate study abroad through the University’s Education Abroad Program in France. Living and studying in France will expand your horizons, improve your critical thinking, increase your independence and better prepare you for a career in an increasingly internationally competitive world.
Being a French major, you have already shown that you have international
interests. Why not take that interest a step further and have a transformative and life-enriching experience? Go live in France, enroll at a French university
and experience French language and culture firsthand.
Improve your knowledge of the language you have already studied by using it for everyday life as well as in school. Learn how to better express your thoughts on complex topics and follow your interests in French. Participate more fully in national and international politics and events. Discover greater access to
French films, music, and the visual and dramatic arts.
French majors who study abroad find that a term, or better yet, a full year spent in France not only is critical for their language fluency, but that the experience of adapting to another academic and cultural world expands their self understand- ing and gives them a keener sense of the political, cultural, and social differences in today’s world.
The intellectual and personal growth students experience during their time abroad will serve them well through out their lives. Participating in EAP provides further advantages when it comes to the challenges of graduate school and the competitive job market.
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While it is possible for students to go abroad at almost any point in their academic careers, the particular quarter, semester, or year that you study abroad depends on what courses you plan to take. Students interested in language and culture programs, or in fulfilling major preparation and General Education requirements, can participate as early as their sophomore year. Students wanting to fulfill upperdivision major requirements should, in most cases, go abroad in their junior or senior years.
PLAN AHEAD! Applications are typically due six months to a year prior to the program’s start date and some programs have academic or language pre- requisites that must be satisfied in advance. Please check the EAP website
for application deadlines: http://www.eap.ucsb.edu.
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EAP offers a variety of short-term and year-long programs in multiple locations
in France, including:
Intensive Language and Culture
• University of Bordeaux or Lyon
• UC Center Paris
l
Special Focus Programs
• French and European Studies, UC Center in Paris
• Political Science, Sciences Po, Paris
Immersion Programs
• University of Bordeaux
• University of Lyon
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All EAP coursework is automatically credited towards your degree require- ments. Depending on your course selection, you may fulfill major or GE requirements as well. Plan ahead and consult with the department and college advisors.
The French Department strongly encourages its students to take all of their courses abroad in French. In addition to language classes, we recommend
that students consider taking French literature courses. If you are a French major, you can use up to 20 upper-division units taken abroad towards your major. If you plan to minor in French, you can use a maximum of 8 upper-division units towards the minor. You must, however, complete a minimum of 20 upper-division major units (or 12 upper-division minor units) in residence at UCSB along with other residence requirements. Consult an advisor in the College of Letters & Science for more information.
The undergraduate advisor will work individually with each student to ensure the most effective use of courses taken abroad for major requirements. Internships, independent study and field work completed abroad can be used for major requirements upon approval of the department.
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Begin by identifying your goals for study abroad and then consult the EAP web pages (http://eap.ucop.edu/) to identify appropriate EAP programs. To find programs which offer particular disciplines or to search courses taken by EAP students over the last 5 years by subject, keyword and/or location, explore the resources found under Program and Course Search. Navigate to host universities’ web sites on the available links to learn more about the schools and their departments.
Stop by the EAP office at 2431 South Hall. Peer advisors who have recently returned from studying abroad as well as staff advisors are eager to answer your questions.
Go see your department Undergraduate Advisor and a College of Letters & Science advisor to discuss major, general education, residence and other requirements.
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If you go abroad in your junior year, you should strongly consider doing a senior honors thesis based on the coursework and intellectual interests you developed abroad. This provides an ideal way of integrating time abroad with the comple- tion of the French major. For requirements for the senior honors thesis, please check the department web site.
Returnees must submit a Petition for Degree Requirements EAP in order to
receive French major credit for work done abroad.
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French and Italian Department
5206 Phelps Hall
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-4140
Phone: (805) 893-3111
www.frit.ucsb.edu
