Faculty-led Program in France (Prof. Zwanziger)

Bonjour et bienvenue! Hello and welcome!

We are thrilled you want to learn more about spending May Term in France.

Participants of this unique program will draw intercultural comparisons between francophone and U.S. culture while experiencing French culture firsthand. While in Paris, students will take in iconic monuments including the Arc of Triumph, Notre Dame Cathedral, and the Eiffel Tower, and experience the cafe lifestyle and French cuisine. In the southern French regions of Provence and Occitanie, visits will include a Roman arena and aqueduct, a medieval palace, and a boat ride along the Mediterranean coast.

Scholarship funding is available to students studying French for participation in the summer 2025 Faculty-led Program in France. For more information and to apply visit the Department of Languages & Literatures Special Awards.

It was immersive and informational while still being fun. I learned so much about not only France and the French language but also about myself. I think this was the best way to learn about French culture and the typical day-to-day things a French person does and Elizabeth did a wonderful job of showcasing this. - 2023 participant

This trip has been life-changing in the sense that it allowed me to prove to myself that I have the capability to do anything I put my mind to. I can travel in a foreign country, communicate with people who speak a different language than me, and overcome obstacles that seem insurmountable. I will forever cherish the things I learned and the memories I made. -2024 participant

Dates & Deadlines

App Deadline: January 31st, 2025
Program Dates: May 20, 2025 to June 1, 2025 (Dates tentative)

To get started for Summer Break-France 2025, schedule a meeting with an advisor using the link below.

Schedule First Steps Meeting

Interested in studying abroad in the summer of 2025 or later? Please fill out the waitlist form below and the study abroad center will notify you when applications for future terms open. If you are still deciding where or when you want to go abroad, you can also schedule an informational meeting with our office to learn more about the programs we offer and find one that works best for you!

Study Abroad Waitlist Schedule Info Meeting

Unsure where to begin? Visit our Application Process page to learn more!

Course Leader

Elizabeth Zwanziger, Associate Professor

Department: Languages and Literatures
Phone: 319-273-2858
E-mail: elizabeth.zwanziger@uni.edu
Campus Address: BAR 2001

Elizabeth teaches French at UNI and has traveled to France over 40 times. More than 20 of her trips to France have been with students, and she looks forward to sharing her appreciation for French culture and cuisine with students each summer.

Academics

LANG 2020-6A/FREN 2020: Constructing Cross-Cultural Bridges (3 credit hours)

France is globally known for its art, history, architecture, literature, science, philosophy, fashion, and cuisine. It holds the title of the world’s leading tourist destination and a cultural history rich in diversity. Students traveling to Paris and Nîmes will learn not only about French culture, but also about its intersection with Roman civilization. The interdisciplinary nature of the course incorporates a variety of learning experiences, including but not limited to: cultural readings, lectures, presentations, class discussions, and tours of iconic cultural and historical sites. These experiences will allow students to examine culture’s role in an individual identity and reality formation. Students will explore France through many lenses with the objective of reaching a greater understanding of its cultural, historic, and linguistic diversity, culminating in a cultural comparison between France and the U.S.

Participation in this program requires five class meetings throughout the spring semester, on per month (January through May), prior to departure. The specific dates of these meetings will be scheduled through a meeting scheduling application sent out to the entire group once the entire group has been established. The actual travel is scheduled for the summer. If you are a summer graduate, you must notify the course leader in order for coursework completion and grading to be adjusted in a timely manner for your graduation. Not doing so could result in delayed graduation, since final grades are assigned either in June or August for this program. Please contact the program's course leader for more information on coursework requirements due dates.

No prerequisites. All majors welcome. Participation in this program requires several class meetings during the Spring semester, although the course is scheduled as a Summer session course. The Study Abroad Center will enroll participants in the course. Please contact the program's course leader for more information on academic requirements.

This course can be taken as a UNIFI requirement or elective or as a French course. If taken as FREN 2020, it may satisfy a requirement for the French 2+2 major, credits toward a French Language Teaching Endorsement, or an elective for the Interdisciplinary French Minor or Certificate in French Language Studies.

Talk to your academic advisor about how this course would work for you!

NOTES:

Students planning to participate in the spring commencement ceremony in May can enroll in this summer term program, however, their degree will not be conferred until the end of the summer term and is contingent on the successful completion of the program and all required coursework.
Students attending colleges and universities other than UNI are welcome to participate in this program. If you are not currently a UNI student, but would like to participate in this program, please contact the UNI Study Abroad Center prior to starting your program application.

Itinerary

Tentative Program Dates: Tuesday, May 20 - Sunday, June 1, 2025. (Dates do not include travel to/from destination)

Sample itinerary is subject to change.

Day 1: Depart from the U.S. the day prior on your international flight. Arrive in Paris in the morning or early afternoon. Make your way to the hotel on your own or in small groups via Paris' public transportation system. In the evening, enjoy your first taste of authentic French cuisine with a multi-course French dinner at a restaurant with the whole group. Bon appétit!

Day 2: Get acquainted with Paris, and especially the Eiffel Tower. We will stroll past the tower in the morning to board our Seine River Cruise in the late morning, which will take us past many of the famous sites of the city and give us the lay of the land. Some highlights include the Louvre Museum, the Musée d'Orsay, the Palais Bourbon, and Notre Dame Cathedral. The rest of the day will be spent in the Eiffel Tower neighborhood. Students who desire may purchase tickets to ascend to the very top, and others may choose to picnic on the lawn and admire her beauty.

Day 3: Enjoy a free morning in Paris, then travel to Nîmes in the south of France on the high speed train, which travels at speeds up to 320 km (200 miles) per hour. Once reaching Nîmes, enjoy exploring our new hometown, which feels very small compared to Paris. Find a quaint café to have dinner.

Day 4: Take a guided walking tour of Nîmes to see the Roman amphitheatre, temple, and charming town center. Following the tour, savor a two-course group lunch at a local French restaurant. Bon appétit! Enjoy a free afternoon in Nîmes as you like, now that you know the city a bit better. Choose between its museum offerings and artisan boutiques, winding streets, or peaceful parks to spend your time.

Day 5: Travel by train for a day trip to the charming city of Avignon. Take a guided tour of the majestic medieval palace where nine popes lived before the papacy returned to Rome. Then do the traditional dance on the Saint-Bénézet bridge over the Rhône River. Enjoy some strolling and café time in this lovely walled city before getting on the train back to Nîmes.

Day 6: Enjoy a road trip in the countryside in an air conditioned minibus on the way to the nearby Pont du Gard Aqueduct. After visiting the welcome center and museum to learn about the amazing history of this breathtaking structure, this 2000 year-old Roman architectural masterpiece will serve as the backdrop for a lunchtime picnic and light hike (for volunteers only). If time allows, the minibus may make a stop for a cultural shopping experience in the region. Group dinner together in Avignon - bon appétit!

Day 7: Take the train to the second largest city in France, Marseille, which was founded by the Greeks in 600 BC. Walk from the train station to France's largest and oldest port, and find a café to enjoy lunch in small groups. Then hop aboard a two-hour cruise of the breathtakingly blue Mediterranean coast and its "calanques", gigantic rocky coves, after which we will board the train back to Nîmes.

Day 8: Enjoy a free morning, which may include resting, visiting a park, going to a museum, the market, or specialty boutiques. Be sure to eat lunch. Meet at noon to check out of the hotel to get on the high speed train back to Paris, where we will check in to our second hotel in our new neighborhood. The evening will be one of exploration of the new surroundings.

Day 9: Take the metro to the Arc de Triomphe and climb the 284 steps to the best view that Paris has to offer. Enjoy lunch and some window shopping on the Champs-Élysées, one of the most beautiful and well-known streets in the world. Then take the metro to the Latin Quarter to visit the stunning Sainte-Chapelle, a Gothic style royal chapel. Next, visit la Conciergerie, a beautiful palace that became Marie-Antoinette's prison before her execution. Finally, see the gem of all gems: Notre Dame Cathedral. After this mammoth day, a multi-course group meal is most welcomed. Bon appétit!

Day 10: Take the metro to visit the iconic Louvre Museum, where you will see the Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Winged Victory, and have your choice of paths to take in this former palace of the French royalty. After lunch in groups, we will meet on the other side of the Tuileries Gardens at the Orangerie Museum to see Monet's eight spectacular Water Lilies paintings. Remember that your museum pass is valid, so a visit to the Centre Pompidou Modern Art Museum is possible in the evening.

Day 11: Student Free Day in Paris.

Day 12: Take the metro way up to the Montmartre neighborhood. Visit the Sacré-Cœur Basilica and browse the artists' work in the Place du Tertre square. If you so desire, have your caricature drawn, your silhouette cut, or your portrait painted. This final afternoon can be used for last wishes, final souvenir gathering, strolling, or resting. One last hurrah at our last group dinner, and we shall eat well. Bon appétit!

Day 13: Make your way to the airport on their own via public transportation. Safe travels! Bon retour!

What an experience! Fantastique!

Participant Info

Meet your Advisor:

Stephanie is a full time study abroad advisor who will help you throughout the application process to France, including documentation, finances, scholarships, and more. From your first steps meeting until you take off for your new adventure, Stephanie will help you every step of the way.

Important information to review:

Study abroad is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be challenged by new experiences in new environments and cultures. UNI study abroad programs are designed to prioritize educational opportunities for students. Students are encouraged to embrace the adventure of exploring how housing, meals, and daily routines differ abroad.

Entry and Exit Requirements

Review and follow the travel recommendations of the U.S. State Department for travel to France

Housing & Meals

Students will stay in hotel rooms arranged by the Study Abroad Center and paid for before departure. All breakfasts abroad are eaten at the hotels as a group and included in the program cost, as well as 4 lunches/dinners. They include fresh croissants and other pastries, cheeses, yogurt, fruits, fresh-pressed fruit juices, and Italian-style coffees. As a large group, students will be treated to approximately six French-style, multi-course meals in French restaurants throughout the program. For the remaining lunches and dinners, students are encouraged to try the local foods of the country in the café settings that the culture offers or by visiting open-air markets or supermarkets and picnicking in cultural settings of their own choosing.

Program Costs

Estimated Program Cost: $6,943*

*estimated total cost of participation, actual amount depends on type of housing accommodation selected, actual airfare purchase price, personal spending habits, and other factors

Estimated Total Program Cost	$6,943
Estimated U-bill Charges	$4,681
Estimated Out-of-Pocket Costs	$2,262

France Summer 2025 Cost Estimate (PDF)

Cost of Studying On Campus at UNI*

*per semester, estimated, will vary per person

Tuition & Fees	$4,864
Room & Board	$4,824
Books	$400
Personal Expenses	$878
Transportation	$320
Total	$11,325

Source: https://admissions.uni.edu/cost-aid

‌Eligibility Requirements to Study Abroad

The Study Abroad Center reserves the right to determine participants' eligibility to study abroad. Students must have a completed study abroad application, including supportive recommendation form(s). Additionally, students must meet all of the following in order to be eligible to study abroad:

Have a cumulative 2.5 GPA or higher at the time of application and maintain this cumulative GPA prior to departure and throughout the study abroad process
If your cumulative GPA is lower than 2.5, submit the following to the Study Abroad Center (103 East Bartlett):
- Letters of reference from two academic contacts (e.g. academic advisor and former or current professor) supporting your pursuit of study abroad. If you are attending a faculty-led study abroad program, one of the letters must be from a course leader. However, if the program has two course leaders, only one of the letters can be from one of the course leaders.

Must be over the age of 18 years old
Must meet the course prerequisites (participation in the program is dependent upon meeting these)
Must be in good standing with the university
UNI's partner institutions may require additional eligibility requirements to be met, these vary from institution to institution. Please consult with the Study Abroad Center staff to discuss these additional requirements, if applicable.
Applicants traveling to a region of a country or a country with an overall Travel Advisory Level 3 (Reconsider Travel) or 4 (Do Not Travel) will not be eligible.