Academics

Fields of Study: Humanities, Social Sciences

Add a European perspective to your major in one of the most fascinating cities in the world. Learning alongside UC students from across California, you can take courses taught in English in a variety of topics in the social sciences and humanities. Explore French politics, food, media, fashion, and art; learn about the many histories of Paris; discover France's pursuit of happiness; and get an immersive introduction to French culture.

Unique study opportunities

  • Go on site visits in every course and experience the city of Paris as an extension of the classroom.
  • Benefit from personalized instruction, cultural activities, and field trips.
  • Attend small, seminar-style classes with around 15 other students.
  • Take classes taught by Parisian scholars from institutions throughout the city.

Language

Language of Instruction: English

French Language Study: Optional

Explore Paris's rich culture and learn the basics of French language through the optional Exploring Paris: City and Language course. The city section of the course examines Paris through a series of on-site lectures. The language section gives you the tools and skills to navigate the city and complete tasks in real-life situations and specific contexts.
 

Courses and Credit

Requirements While Abroad

To successfully complete this program:

  • Take two courses for a total of 9 quarter/6 semester UC units
  • You may take one course for pass/no pass

To successfully complete this program:

  • Take a full-time course of study: Four courses for a total of 20 quarter/13.2 semester UC units
  • You may take one course for pass/no pass

Current Program Courses

You’ll visit the sites, taste the foods, hear the music, and see the art of Paris with every class.

Exact offerings may vary depending on enrollment and instructor availability. Final course offerings are announced before the start of the program. Recent courses include:

  • Exploring Paris: City and Language (lower division, 4.5 quarter/3 semester UC units)
    Discover French history, culture, and language with Paris as your classroom. Learn practical French language for daily life and explore social justice in theory and practice on the streets of Paris. 
    Subject Areas: French, History, Urban Studies
  • Food and Dining in French Art (upper division, 4.5 quarter/3 semester UC units) 
    Explore representations of food as a means to survey the evolution of French art within a global context, and as significant markers of social, ethnic, and cultural identity. 
    Subject Areas: Art History, History, Anthropology
  • Paris as Palimpsest (upper division, 4.5 quarter/3 semester UC units) 
    Examine the many layers that make up French history and how this history shaped the physical city of Paris itself. 
    Subject Areas: History, Sociology, Political Science
  • Luxury Brand Management (upper division, 4.5 quarter/3 semester UC units) 
    Uncover the cultural and technical advancements that have kept French luxury at the industry’s forefront, while examining how it continues to adapt to changing consumer demands. 
    Subject Areas: Business Administration, Communication
  • Paris Reflections (upper division, 4.5 quarter/3 semester UC units)  
    Study the ways in which cinematic representations and literary texts shape collective memory and offer their particular historical and political representation of France. 
    Subject Areas: History, Film & Media Studies, Comparative Literature
  • Food in Contemporary France (upper division, 4.5 quarter/3 semester UC units) 
    Explore the intersection between food cultures and food politics and consider how food serves as a medium for studying urban transformations, global interactions, and the evolution of national identity. 
    Subject Areas: Anthropology, Sociology
  • Fashion Media and Editorial Creation (upper division, 4.5 quarter/3 semester UC units) 
    Through multimedia and practical exercises, travel across the history of fashion editorials through the lenses of photography and film and discover the art of storytelling through any media format. 
    Subject Areas: Communication, Film & Media Studies, Art Studio

Research, internships, and independent study are typically not available on this program.

You’ll visit the sites, taste the foods, hear the music, and see the art of Paris with every class.

Exact offerings may vary depending on enrollment and instructor availability. Final course offerings are announced before the start of the program. Recent courses include:

  • Exploring Paris: City and Language (lower division, 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units) 
    Discover French history, culture, and language with Paris as your classroom. Learn practical French language for daily life and explore social justice in theory and practice on the streets of Paris. 
    Subject Areas: French, History, Urban Studies
  • Food and Dining in French Art (upper division, 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units) 
    Explore representations of food as a means to survey the evolution of French art within a global context, and as significant markers of social, ethnic, and cultural identity. 
    Subject Areas: Art History, History, Anthropology
  • Faces of French Cinema (upper division, 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units)
    Study avant-garde and popular French films from the birth of cinema in 1895 to the present. 
    Subject Areas: Film & Media Studies, History, Women’s & Gender Studies
  • French Youth Culture (upper division, 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units)
    Examine how representations of French youth in literature, cinema, and societal structures have evolved and shaped the coming-of-age journey, exploring themes of identity, rebellion, sexuality, and societal expectations. 
    Subject Areas: Comparative Literature, Film & Media Studies, Sociology
  • Introduction to Sustainable Fashion (upper division, 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units)
    Study fashion through the perspective of the circular economy to evaluate different definitions and practices of sustainability in the field. 
    Subject Areas: Business Administration, Environmental Studies
  • Media, Politics, and Society (upper division, 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units)
    Explore and critically analyze major institutions, actors, and trends in contemporary French and European media in the contexts of unifying Europe and the globalized world media scene. 
    Subject Areas: Communication, Political Science, Film & Media Studies
  • Cultural Economics of French Cuisine (upper division, 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units)
    Delve into the cultural, historical, and economic significance of France’s most iconic culinary staples and consider contemporary challenges to French food traditions. 
    Subject Areas: Economics, Anthropology, History
  • Luxury Brand Management (upper division, 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units)
    Uncover the cultural and technical advancements that have kept French luxury at the industry’s forefront, while examining how it continues to adapt to changing consumer demands. 
    Subject Areas: Business Administration, Communication
  • Histories of Paris (upper division, 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units)
    Examine how the history of political ideology and social conflict in France since the Middle Ages has been embodied in the urban landscape of Paris. 
    Subject Areas: History, Sociology, Urban Studies
  • An Anthropology of Parisian Fashion (upper division, 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units)
    Through lectures, site visits, and urban walks through the streets of Paris, discover the creativity of Parisians who have mobilized fashion as forms of political and aesthetic expression during some of the most important events of the city’s history. 
    Subject Areas: Anthropology, Sociology, History
  • Paris & Graphic Design (lower division, 5 quarter/3.3 semester UC units) 
    This introductory graphic design course provides a foundational understanding of key principles and essential tools in visual design, drawing inspiration from the city of Paris. 
    Subject Areas: Art Studio

Research and independent study are typically not available on this program.

Catalogs and Resources

  • UCEAP Course Catalog: See a list of courses students have taken on this program. 
  • Campus Credit Abroad: Learn the types of credit (major, minor, general education, elective) students from your campus received at this location. Search by Partner Institution - UC Center, Paris.

Academic Culture

You’ll be on this program with other UC students in relatively small classes. Since courses are designed for UC students, regular papers, reports, exams, and projects are all part of the curriculum. Professors are local Parisians with experience teaching UC students. They will bring some of the French style to the classroom, including vibrant discussions, expectations of student professionalism, and a fondness for student independence.

Courses are demanding, but action-packed. You will be in the classroom or on course site visits and excursions Monday through Thursday. There will be occasional events and excursions in the afternoons and evenings, and on some Fridays. All field exercises and excursions, which are integral components of the courses, are required.

You are required to attend class, arrive punctually, and participate actively in all of your courses. Attendance is taken at every course meeting.

Grades

You will earn direct UC credit and grades for all coursework.

Grades for the summer program are usually available in late September. Grades for the fall program are usually available in February.

Tip: If you intend to put yourself on your campus degree list for graduation while on UCEAP, consult your campus advisors before departure about possible delays in the degree verification process.