The Study and Internship Program is:

• a semester program of study abroad
• a field study opportunity for well-motivated undergraduate and graduates students
• an academic internship program
• recognized for academic credit by a number of leading American colleges and universities

The program is a three-stage adventure, beginning with thorough training, continuing into the internship period when well-prepared students participate in a working team of French professionals in their chosen field, and culminating in a research project carried out with the help of an IFE research advisor.

As a student ...

You plunge into contemporary France alongside French professionals, discovering a lively European society moving in new directions, that are stimulating, contradictory, and creative!

Your daily participation in the workplace turns out to be the best way possible to observe and participate in contemporary French society.

You begin to piece together the European framework from work, conversation, research and debate.

You rub minds as well as elbows with French society in many guises:
  • Through intensive preparatory coursework
  • Through a seminar in European issues
  • Through your own research project in a chosen area of interest

In the end, you leave France, surprised at how far inside another culture you were able to go, surprised at how much you learned about France, and, most importantly, about yourself.

What you'll get from the experience:

Cross-cultural skills and knowledge

ELI is not a credit-granting institution, but a number of US colleges and universities grant academic credit directly for successful completion of the program.

Students wishing to petition their home institution for credit before enrolling in the program should contact us for information and references concerning credit models at other institutions. We encourage inquiries about academic credit.