Study Abroad | Paris

Housing

Homestay

Parisian homestay carefully selected by the local staff

• Double room
• Shared bathroom
• Typical French breakfast every day
• Single room in a homestay for a supplemental fee of $345 for Session 1 or Session 2 and $690 for Sessions 1 + 2 combined.

Optional Student Residence

A single or double room in a centrally-located student residence with international students.

• Typical French breakfast every day or daily breakfast stipend
• Session 1 or Session 2: $995; Sessions 1 + 2 Combined: $1990

City Facts

Food

Paris is famous for its restaurants and haute cuisine, food meticulously prepared and artfully presented. Thanks to immigration, every French regional cuisine and almost every national cuisine in the world can be found in Paris; the city has more than 9,000 restaurants. In addition to restaurants, the café concept arrived in Paris in the 17th century. Since then, Parisian cafés have been considered centers for the city’s political and cultural life.

Fashion

Since the 19th century, Paris has competed for the title of Fashion Capital of the World, particularly when it comes to haute couture, clothing hand-made for special clients. Some of the largest fashion houses and designers call Paris home including Dior, Chanel, Karl Lagerfeld, and Christian Lacroix. The city also plays hosts to two Fashion Weeks, held in January and July. 

Architecture

The city owes its style to its aligned street-fronts, distinctive cream-grey “Paris stone” building decoration, aligned top-floor balconies, and tree-lined boulevards. Amazingly, Paris has never been destroyed by catastrophe or war and has preserved even its earliest history, including many famous landmarks and buildings. Parisian architecture is best highlighted in the city’s churches (Basilica of Sacré-Cœur, Sainte Chapelle, La Madeleine, Notre Dame Cathedral), Palais Garnier Opera House, Louvre Pyramid and Eiffel Tower.

Site Staff

AIFS in Paris Director, Summer Program

Danica Debizet

Bonjour! “Hello” in French, one of the four languages I am fluent in, along with English, German and Slovak. You have quite the experience awaiting you in Paris; from the cultural activities offered, the number of museums to visit and the various people you will meet, it is sure to be an amazing time.

I studied for three separate MA degrees in Paris and Grenoble and have lived in four different countries. I consider myself a “global citizen” and am looking forward to helping you to adjust to your time abroad. As your Program Director, I am here to advise, listen, help and encourage you to make your stay in Paris a wonderful experience that you will always remember.

The Program Director provides academic advice, introduces you to the community and handles communication with the University.

Cultural Activities

Learning does not begin or end in the classroom. To help you get a true taste of French culture, a wide range of cultural activities and excursions are included in your program fee. The AIFS team organizes a variety of activities which usually include:

• Sightseeing in Paris
• Welcome and farewell dinners in typical French restaurants
• Walking tours of the Marais district, Montmartre, Père Lachaise cemetery, the Paris Opéra area and the Left Bank

Visits to:

• Rodin Museum
• Cluny Museum
• Orangerie Museum
• Holocaust Memorial
• Picasso Museum
• The Conciergerie (where Marie Antoinette was held during the Revolution)
• The Paris Mosque
• Sainte-Chapelle
• Bateaux-Mouches boat trip along the River Seine

Half-day trips outside of Paris such as:

• Giverny
• Château of Vaux-le-Vicomte
• Versailles

Students taking more than one session will go on the included day trips only once and the program fee reflects that.

A non-credit cultural course in French Cuisine is also available for an extra fee. Please note that some schedule conflicts between cultural activities and certain classes may be unavoidable.