The beautiful, vibrant city of Montpellier, located in the south of France, was founded at the end of the 11th century and is now one of the fastest-growing cities in France. W&M’s exchange program at Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier III (UPV) allows students to fully immerse themselves in French language and culture. UPV is one of the three specialized universities formed from the original University of Montpellier, one of the oldest universities in the world with origins dating to the late 13th century. W&M students in Montpellier may take courses from the full curriculum of UPV which focuses on the arts, social sciences, and languages. In addition, they may choose from a number of support classes offered specifically for international students and focusing on French history, culture, literature, and intensive language. Program participants’ cultural and linguistic immersion is further encouraged by life with local host families.
The W&M faculty advisor for the Montpellier semester is Professor Deborah Lee-Ferrand in the Department of Modern Languages and Literature.
The Global Education Advisor is Debi DeBacco (dvdeba@wm.edu).
Host Institution:
Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier III
Deadlines - Please note there are two deadlines:
Spring semester: September 4 UPV online application: October 1
Fall semester: March 15 UPV online application: April 15
Academic year: March 15 UPV online application: April 15
If the application deadline falls on a weekend, applications are due on the following Monday.
Shortly after being nominated by W&M, students must meet with with the W&M faculty liaison to choose provisional courses in order of preference and complete an online application. It is VERY important this is done as soon as requested. Important: you will need your passport to complete the application.
Program dates:
Fall: August 15 - late December, 2018 There is a required 3 week pre-session orientation in August before start of classes on September 6.
Spring: early January to mid May. There is a 1 day orientation before classes begin. Arrive January 3, 2018 Classes begin January 8 and end in May depending on exam schedule.
Semester cost:
Sponsored semester fee: Fall 2018: $14,600
Includes tuition, housing, partial board, orientation and on-site support, study abroad insurance, and off-campus fee; A $75 application fee is required of all students. Housing is a french home stay and partial board includes breakfast and 2 meals per week. Students can choose to pay their home stay families for more meals at 3 EURO for a dish or 5 EURO for a complete meal.
Tuition exchange students will pay their normal tuition and fees to William & Mary, along with a $75 application fee, and an on-site housing and support fee to William & Mary, which includes housing, partial board, orientation and support services, and study abroad insurance. The on-site housing and support fee will be $3,868 for fall 2018.
Please note: exchange placements to Montpellier are limited; any qualified applicant for whom the tuition exchange is not available will automatically be enrolled in the sponsored semester program. The sponsored semester is identical in all respects except that the program fee is comprehensive and covers tuition and the above-listed on-site costs.
Deposit ($1,000) due: November 15 (spring semester) and May 1 ( fall semester)
Balance due if selected for sponsored option: December 15 (spring semester) and June 1 (fall semester)
Please note: You may not use the tuition payment plan for the sponsored semester option. However, financial aid and VA pre-paid 529 can be used.
Pre-requisites:
Mandatory attendance at pre-departure orientation
Language Requirements:
Must have completed at least FREN 314 or 315
Courses: There are two types of courses available to visiting students. Some classes have two parts (CM and TD) which both require mandatory attendance.
Integrated classes: These are regular courses within UPV taken with French degree-seeking students. Wide range disciplines from French Literature to History to Economics. These courses may only have one final exam which accounts for the entire grade.
Cours RI: These are support courses organized by the International Relations Office and are designed for American students, but taught in French. These are courses in French Grammar, Phonetics, French History and Culture, Cinema, art, Etc. These courses are taught more American style with assessments throughout the semester.
You submit courses of interest with the Moveonline application. However, you register for courses once you arrive in Montpellier, during orientation.
