Housing is not included in the cost of this program however, Experiential Learning International will help you set something up in either a home stay or foyer:

Home Stay: The family housing used by ELI and IFE for its students are generally not of the type where there are young children, a family meal every evening, and a busy family life requiring participation.  Some offer meals, some do not, but we discourages a commitment to more than a couple of evening meals per week, in view of work and other demands on a student-interns time.  Family housing is more like renting a room in a home, sometimes with separate entrance, kitchen access in all cases, and full freedom to come and go. Restrictions concerning guests exist for certain family situations. Approximate prices for the entire semester for family housing without meals: 2300 €

Foyers: The foyer (rhymes with loyer) is a common form of housing for young people beginning either their studies or professional life in Paris and whose home is not in the Paris area.  All foyers have certain things in common- there is a permanent presence at the reception desk in addition to  a certain number of restrictions concerning hours and sex of visitors and possibly other restrictions with variations by foyer. There are common rooms for socializing, common kitchens by suite or floor, Internet access, and various scheduled activities are proposed. Towels are not provided, but bed linen may be rented at a very modest rate. 

Some foyers offer a hot meal in the evening, some do not. Those that do generally require that students purchase 20 evening meal tickets during the first month of their stay and 10 per month thereafter (minimum). There is a good deal of flexibility in this requirement, especially since the price of the meals and accommodations together is very reasonable. Students may still use the kitchen instead of taking the evening meal and for student interns 10 meals per month is about the right level of commitment.  In addition meals are served in a common dining room which provides students a chance to socialize. Foyers also differ according to whether they accommodate both sexes or only women. Mixed foyers are usually separate by floor or by wing.

Approximate prices for the entire semester (4.5 months) for housing in a foyer are:

• -Without meals (kitchen access): 2200-2600 €
• -With meals (20 meals first month, 10 meals/month thereafter): 2500 €- 2900 €

We can also help students set up housing in a studio apartment or furnished apartment.

• -With meals (20 meals first month, 10 meals/month thereafter): 2300 €

Here is a current conversion tool.

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.

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.

Although, this program focuses heavily on the internship and work experience it is also takes the academic approach to education. The first five weeks of this program students are in an intensive training sessions intended to prepare student-interns for entry into French professional life. Lecture/seminar in the morning, followed by workshop in the afternoon which serves to reinforce lecture material through oral presentations, debates, press reviews and structured discussion, complemented by site visits, films and documentaries...

In order to take advantage of an internship, students need to arrive at their placements already well-grounded in French social realities, politics, recent history and other elements of contemporary life indispensable for functioning in a professional environment. The curriculum's integrated approach to understanding contemporary French issues and their sources. In addition, students complete a research project, working with a faculty advisor on a subject of intellectual interest and/or professional appeal, related to the work of their host organization. In total, students can expect during the 18-week semester to spend 110-120 hours in class, and well over 400 hours engaged in professional activity and research. Upon completion of the program students will get a transcript from Franklin and Marshall a private school located in Lancaster, PA.

The Curriculum is composed of three principal elements:

• Two required lecture courses before the internship begins
• Wednesday late-afternoon seminar on European Affairs, which meets during the Internship period
• 30 page Mémoire de Stage.  Past fieldwork topics include:  "National educational policy and its implementation in the classroom," "Comparative Structural analysis of two bridges designed byt he same architect Marc Mimram," "Comparing French and US promotion and legislation for ecological residential and office construction," "France's position in the effort to reduce agricultural pollution."

"Pro-democracy work is fascinating and never boring, and I liked the theoretical as well as the concrete side of the program." Janaki

"...My goal was to gain confidence and improve my French.  Thanks to my internship I have been able to do both.  I have made some great friends at work.  The museum staff has been very welcoming and willing to help me in all areas.  In addition, I have I have had the opportunity to learn about the functioning of a museum. Working in a museum has helped me to realize that I would like to pursue work in the cultural sector when I return to the US." Barbara

After five weeks in the classroom, the internship portion of the program begins.  Participants work closely with an internship advisor to secure an internship in their field of study. Paris is the cultural, political and economic capital of France. Your internship will show you another side of this great city.

ELI participants are regularly placed with:

• Art History and Cultural Affairs - Culture Ministry, Sotheby's, Louvre, The Fondation Center, Cervantes Institute
• Business and Economics - Trade Bureau of Overseas Military, Finance Ministry, Observatory of Macroeconimic Trends and Forecasting, Atos Origin (consulting firm)
• Human Rights and Development - Human Rights League, Médecins du Monde, Paris City Hall, UNICEF, FIDH
• Social Issues - Public Housing Office, Social Affairs Ministry, SOS Racisme, Association of Turkish Wokers
• Environmental, Ecological and Urban Studies - Les Verts (French Green Party), Paris City Workshop for Urban Studies, Federated Regional Public Transportation Authority, European Parliament, National federation of Regional Natural Parks
• Performing Arts - National Dance Center, Diapason Magazine, The Paris Opera, Comédie Francaise, Théâtre Ouvert
• Education - ONISEP, French National Council, Federation of Associations of Support for Immigrant Workers, Foundation for Political Innovations (think tank), and neighborhood Parisien schools
• Engineering and Science - Center for Biomedical Research, CRIPS (AIDS prevention), National Personalized Medical File Projecys, Ministry of Health, various architectural firms
• International and European Affairs - National Assemply, Overseas Ministry, Center for the Study of Politics - Sciences Po Paris, European Policy and Research Center, Robert Schuman Foundation, Notre Europe (think tank), Forum Alternative Européennes

"I had a wonderful experience interning at Confrontations Europe and am very pleased to have been actually able to apply what I'm learning in class, and to meet some of the people who work to make Europe a better, more informed and more democratic community." Milen

"I have met my expectaions totally. I never thought that working in the National Assembly could be so interesting. I got to work with some of the most important political figures of the party. It was a truly amazing experience!" Javier

Bienvenue à Paris!

Earn credit and gain international work experience at the same time.

For centuries, France has inspired the imagination of those who value learning, culture and enlightenment. No single city represents this more than Paris, the "city of light." It has drawn countless seekers from abroad, Madame Curie, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Chopin, Samuel Beckett, Hemingway, to name a few. The rich intellectual and artistic history of Paris touches the visitor at every step. To have lived in Paris, even for a semester, is to have in some small way been a part of its great legacy to Western civilization.

ELI's program in Paris is a unique combination of international work experience and rigorous academics. Students spend the first five weeks of this program in a classroom setting and then begin working in the field of their choice and preparing a final research project.

The Study and Internship Program in Paris is:

• Semester program of study abroad
• Opportunity for field study for well-motivated undergraduate and graduate students
• Academic internship program
• Recognized for academic credit by a number of leading American colleges and universities

ELI and our partners in France customize internships to suit the needs of the host business or organization as well as the student. To participate in this program students need to have at least four semesters of college level French language or equivalent. See our application requirements pages for details.