Academics
Courses       Faculty

Courses

Syllabi are for course approval and reference only. Students will receive up-to-date syllabi when their courses begin.

Based on their needs, students are placed in one of two tracks:

Track I is designed for those who have completed through fourth-semester French. It includes two language courses (CAS FR 300 Advanced Language Practicum Syllabus and CAS FR 301 French Communication Skills Syllabus), one elective, and the internship course.

Track II is designed for more advanced students with six or more semesters of French language, and includes one language course (CAS FR 304 Travaux Pratiques Syllabus), two electives, and the internship course.

All courses are taught in French.

Elective Courses

Elective coursework is taught in French. Elective course offerings vary and may not be offered every semester. Track I students choose one of the following. Track II students choose two.

CAS AH 356 French Art and Architecture: Contemporary Art in Paris
This class is an occasion to better understand contemporary French society through a study of various cultural manifestations that have marked the Parisian art scene since the middle of the 19th Century. It allows visiting students to understand that Paris is not only a city with a brilliant and prolific artistic past, but is still today an important cultural place. The seminar offers the opportunity to experience contemporary visual art under its various expressions (painting, sculpture, photography, installation art, video art). It gives students the tools for investigating the various meanings of a work of art and ultimately prepares them to argue and defend their own perspective on the most recent cultural productions. 4 cr. Syllabus

CAS EC 361 Economic Development of Europe: From Economic to Political Union
Offers a broad understanding of the European Union, its history and its prospects of growth beyond the current member-states. The course covers the following areas: Europe in search of new structures; institutions of the Union; instruments and systems of organization; economic policies of the European Union; social dimensions of an integrated market; monetary policies; and relations with other free market nations. 4 cr. Syllabus

CAS LF 342 Paris Aujourd'hui: French Society and Civilization Through the Performing Arts (Track II only)
This course is conceived around current literary, theatrical, musical, and cinematic events that mark the cultural calendar in Paris during any semester. The selected titles are inevitably the object of media coverage, and students read the works themselves as well as critical reviews in the press. They also have the opportunity to meet authors, directors, and performers. 4 cr. Syllabus

CAS LF 343 La France à Paris: Paris in Literature and the Arts
Using the city of Paris as a unique text, students will read its monuments and buildings and interpret selected texts devoted to the city (fiction, history, politics). The course aims to teach students not only how to critically engage with and interpret textual material, but also how to read and analyze the physical space around them. Authors include Hugo, Baudelaire, Zola, and Modiano. Visits include the Palais Royal, Montmartre, and the Musée d’Orsay.  4 cr. Syllabus

CAS PO 450 Paris Politique: Institutions of the Fifth Republic and Current Events
Analysis of the political life of France beginning with an historical overview of the French political system. The course includes issues related to administrative organization and the civil service, issues of regionalism, and France’s role in the international community. 4 cr. Syllabus

Internship Courses

Students enroll in a four-credit internship placement. Course numbers depend on the field of specialization in which the student completes his or her internship. Placements are contingent upon the student’s past experience, language proficiency, and available opportunities in any given semester; flexibility is essential.

CAS AH 505 Internship in the Arts/Architecture/Arts Administration
CAS EC 497 Internship in Business/Economics/Finance
CAS IR/PO 455 Internship in International Organizations
CAS PO 451 Internship in Politics/International Relations
CAS PS 495 Internship in Health/Human Services
COM CM 471 Internship in Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
COM FT 493/494 Internship in Film/Radio/Television
COM JO 411 Internship in Journalism
SHA HF 390 Field Placement in Hospitality Administration

The internship comprises three major components:
a) Internship process (evaluated by the internship supervisor, the oral defense jury, and the faculty monitoring the two components of the report)
b) Technical report assessing the host institution, its place on the market, and the intern’s role
c) Analytical report analyzing a significant issue that emanates from the internship but is not a part of the daily tasks of the intern

Internship Areas

Please note the following are examples of past internship placements only. While BU International Programs guarantees an internship to program participants, specific placements vary from semester to semester and may not always be available. Likewise, internship placements may be available in
academic areas not listed. Certain placements may require fluency in the target language.

Advertising/Marketing/Public Relations
Work in marketing and product development, press relations, events management, or public relations.

Arts/Arts Administration
Work in museums, galleries, and related cultural institutions. Recent placements have included Sotheby's, Galerie Maeght, Atelier Lytfa Kujawski, Maison Victor Hugo, Musée Carnavalet, Théatre du Chatelet, Studio Daguerre, and Musée Rodin.

Business/Economics
Work in the accounting, marketing, or research departments of French or multinational corporations as well as smaller, specialized firms. Recent placements have included The International Chamber of Commerce, Grant Thornton, Franco-British Chamber of Commerce, Mediatic, Quartier Général, Maison Martin Margiella, and American Chamber of Commerce.

Film/Radio/Television
Work in research and broadcasting for radio and television stations, or film and production companies. Recent placements have included EICAR International Film School, Cinemarket Prod., Warner Brothers, and Cinématheque de France.

Health/Human Services
Observe and assist in hospital, rehabilitation, therapy, or educational programs. Serve in health center administration, social service departments, community care centers, or social activist organizations. Recent placements have included Robin des Bois (environmental protection agency), Eurochips (parent-child relations), Agir Ici (lobbying group), CRIPS (AIDS and substance abuse prevention), Bureau International Catholique de l’Enfance (children’s rights), CEREP (clinic for emotionally disturbed teens).

Hospitality Administration
Work in the hospitality industry in such fields as hotel or event management. Recent placements have included Hotel Saint-James, Holiday Inn, Groupe Accor.

Journalism
Work in writing, research, design, and production for magazines, newspapers, or publishing houses. Recent placements have included The International Herald Tribune, Associated Press, and Association Mondiale des Journaux.

Politics/International Relations
Work in NGOs, press offices, think tanks, or political parties. Recent placements have included Fondation Jean Jaures, Les Verts (Green Party), LICRA (International League Against Racism and Anti-Semitism), Canadian Embassy, AERI (teaching and learning about the Resistance), Institut des Relations Internationales et Stratégiques, Plan International France, FO and CFDT (labor unions), Action Internationale Contre la Faim.

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Faculty

All French faculty hold adjunct positions with Boston University.

Emmanuelle Farhi
Emmanuelle Farhi holds the degree of DEA (Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies, equivalent of the ABD in the United States) from the Université de Paris IV Sorbonne  in American literature, as well as an MA from the same institution.  She is a staff technical translator for a number of publishing houses, notably Robert Lafon.  She has taught at Simmons College, Susquehanna University as well as Boston University in Boston.  She has been with the program since its inception. She teaches CAS FR 300 Advanced Grammar Practicum, CAS FR 301 French Communication Skills, and is our faculty-student facilitator.

Cecile Godefroy
Cecile Godefroy received her PhD at the Sorbonne in September 2006, focusing on Sonia Delaunay’s pictorial and applied art. She has a significant record of teaching and research in France and among American students in Paris, and is intimately familiar with Paris as a pre-eminent centre of museums and galleries. She brings a thorough knowledge of many artistic traditions and movements and a special insight into Paris as a converging locus of twentieth-century avant-gardes. Cecile is preparing the catalogue for the 2007 exhibition entitled “Sonia Delaunay and Fashion Photography.” Very shortly, Larousse will publish Histoire de l’Art du XXe Siècle, a much-awaited history directed by her mentor, art historian Serge Lemoine, which contains her contribution; She teaches CAS AH 356 French Contemporary Art and Architecture.

Elisabeth Montfort-Siewert
Elisabeth Montfort-Siewert holds a DESS (Diplôme d’études supérieures spécialisées; the equivalent of the ABD in the United States) from the Université de Paris III Sorbonne  in “la formation des formateurs en FLE”, which gives her the status of teacher trainer.  She also holds a MA in French as a Foreign language from the Université de Paris X Nanterre and a licence de Lettres Modernes  (the equivalent of a BA in Modern Literature) from the same university.  She has extensive teaching experience including assignments at the Sorbonne, Ott-Friedrich-Universitat Bamberg (Germany),  Central College in Iowa, and the University of Chicago’s summer program.  She teaches CAS FR 304 Travaux Pratiques & CAS LF 342 Paris Aujourd’hui (theater section).

Jeanne Riva
Jeanne Riva holds the degree of DEA (Diplôme d’Etudes Approfondies, equivalent of the ABD in the United States) from the Université de Paris VIII Institut d’Etudes Européennes in European law and economics. She is founder and editor of the magazine Europe comparée. She has taught about the European Union at varying levels, be it highschool, junior college or university. She teaches CAS EC 361 Economic Development of Europe.

Olivier Rozenberg
Olivier Rozenberg received his PhD at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris, specializing in political sociology. He is a member with CEVIPOF, a pre-eminent think tank in Paris. He has taught a range of courses for first-year students at Sciences Po and for the University of Paris XIII. Olivier Rozenberg has a number of articles to his credit and focuses his research on public opinion polling and its impact on European elections. He conducts advanced investigation on the shifting roles of national parliaments in the wake of the growing influence of the European Parliament. He is intimately acquainted with Parisian government institutions, both at the national level and at the local level and regularly escorts BU PIP students on site visits and interaction with political operatives. He teaches CAS PO 450 Paris Politique.

Lionel Ruffel, Director of Studies
Lionel Ruffel earned his PhD in literature from the Université de Toulouse-Le Mirail. He is maître de conférences in general & comparative literature at the Université de Paris VIII, Saint-Denis. He has taught a variety of literature courses for a number of American Programs in Paris. He also is creator of an Internet literary review, at: www.chaoid.com. He teaches CAS LF 343 La France à Paris.

Hanadi Sobh
Hanadi Sobh holds a Master's in French as a Foreign Language, a special teaching degree earned at the University of Paris X Nanterre and a licence de Lettres Modernes mention FLE. She teaches French and Arabic in a number of Paris-based institutions.  Her work for Boston University Paris spans all of the course offerings with special emphasis on training students to prepare oral exposés, a key component of all PIP classes.  She teaches CAS FR 301 French Communication Skills and CAS LF 342 Paris Aujourd’hui (film & music section).

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