Study + Internship in Aix-en-Provence
Summer 2024 June/July 8-Week

About the Program

Put your French skills to use and immerse into local culture while gaining the hands-on experience that employers value!  The Study + Internship program in Aix-en-Provence allows you to make steady progress toward your academic degree while developing practical skills in fields such art, art history, business, communication, education, journalism, history, museum studies, sustainability, tourism, and more. The program incorporates a professional internship placement as part of your studies abroad. Courses are taught in English and French.

Program Structure

You'll enroll in an internship program that includes an academic course and an internship placement. Your internship course meets for 45 hours and you'll spend 15-20 hours per week at your 6-week internship placement. Together, your course and internship placement are worth 3 credits/165 contact hours. You'll also enroll in one additional 6-week course worth 3 credits/ 45 contact hours. You may earn up to a total of 6 credits (210 contact hours)

Your internship placement hours may take place Monday-Friday; the exact time of day and days of the week will be determined after you arrive. Elective courses meet Monday-Friday and class times vary.

We strongly recommend that you apply as soon as possible. Internship positions are both limited in availability and competitive; employers give priority to those who submit early!

The majority of internships require a video or in-person interview with the employer before placement is confirmed. All placements will be confirmed upon arrival and will each have their own set of internship guidelines for the position. We'll do our best, but we can't guarantee placement at a particular site.

Before you leave for Aix, you'll submit an IAU course selection form and an IAU language questionnaire that estimates your language knowledge. An IAU advisor will evaluate your language questionnaire and transcript and either enroll you in courses or, if you plan to study French language, schedule a language placement exam that you'll take before your program starts. After you arrive on-site, French faculty will determine if you're the in correct language level; you'll have two weeks to add/drop if necessary.

It is in your best interest to have multiple alternative courses approved by your home university prior to your departure due to course availabilities. To ensure that you receive credit for the language level you place into, have your home university pre-approve courses at several levels before you leave for France. Please consult with your academic advisor at your home university on credit pre-approval guidelines.

Excursions

Get out and explore! Excursions are offered for most semester, year, and summer programs*. Semester students are typically offered between two to three excursions and summer study students are typically offered between one to two excursions. You'll receive a calendar of excursions during orientation; here are a few day and overnight excursions we've offered in the past.

Avignon and the Pont du Gard

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Visit the Papal Palace in Avignon, one of Europe's largest, most important medieval Gothic buildings. Once a fortress and palace, the papal residence was the seat of Western Christianity during the 14th century. Next, explore the Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the 1st century. The Pont du Gard is the highest of all Roman aqueduct bridges and among the best-preserved.

Les Baux de Provence

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First stop: Baux de Provence, a medieval fortified town with breath-taking views, to tour a hilltop chateau and learn about medieval Provence. Next, experience a mind-blowing audiovisual art show projected on limestone quarry walls at Les Carriéres. Enjoy a group lunch at Mas de la Pyramide, a quarry dating from Roman times that's now an agricultural museum featuring three centuries of farm life and trades.

Arles

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A key headquarters for Roman military campaigns and center of the Christianization of Gaul, Arles offers windows to a colorful past. The Roman Empire's influence can still be seen in Arles; architecture, baths, aqueduct, mills, amphitheater, and more. Walking between the remnants of pillars and arches, it's easy to forget you're visiting an ancient part of Provence, especially when the ferias and other bull festivals charge the air with excitement.

The Luberon

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The Luberon is a lush, green national park where mountain ranges surround a sweeping valley dotted with castles and unbelievable fairy-tale villages thought to be among the most beautiful in France. Stroll along the Sorgue River, which flows from an unknown source deep under Fountaine-de-Vaucluse; hike the red/orange/yellow ochre hills of Roussillon; and explore Gordes, a local commune. Can you discover the café where Russell Crowe filmed his scenes with Marion Cotillard for the movie A Good Year?