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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 ("cours RI") that focus on French history, culture, literature, and intensive language. Program participants’ cultural and linguistic immersion is further encouraged by life with local host families.
Deadlines:
Please note there are two deadlines.
Academic year: March 11 UPV online application (MoveOn registration): early April Fall semester: March 11 UPV online application (MoveOn registration): early April
Spring semester: September 1 UPV online application (MoveOn registration): October 1 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 (MoveOn registration). It is VERY important this is done as soon as requested. Important: you will need your passport to complete the application.
Program dates: Fall: Early September to late December. Spring: mid-January to mid-May. Classes end mid-May depending on individual exam schedules.
Pre-requisites:
3.0 GPA; mandatory attendance at pre-departure orientation; strong preference for French & Francophone Studies majors.
Language Requirements:
Must have completed at least FREN 314 or 315.
Courses:
There are two types of courses available to visiting students:
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. Some classes have two parts (CM and TD) which both require mandatory attendance. A CM is a lecture, and a TD is a seminar. If a course is composed of 2 or 3 parts (CM+TD; TD+TD; etc.), it is then mandatory to take every part of the course. In this case, you may have 2 or 3 classes but 1 code, and 1 grade on your transcript.
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 MoveOn registration. You will register for courses during orientation once you arrive in Montpellier.
Except for History, all courses must be pre- or post-approved. History courses will be automatically approved as HIST 299 once students submit a syllabus to the Global Education Office. Grades will not appear on transcripts or be included in GPA calculations. Credits will appear as transfer credits on W&M transcripts.
Costs: Sponsored semester fee:
Spring 2025: costs will be available in October 2024.
Includes tuition, housing, some meals, orientation and on-site support, study abroad insurance, excursions, and a study abroad fee. A $75 application fee is required of all students.
Students stay in homestays with French families; partial board includes breakfast every day and 4 dinners per week.
Tuition exchange students will pay their normal tuition and fees to W&M, along with a $75 application fee, and an on-site housing and support fee to W&M. This fee includes housing, some meals, orientation and support services, and study abroad insurance.
The on-site housing and support fee will be available in October 2024 for Spring 2025.
Students should also budget for the mandatory French health insurance (approximately €200+ for a semester).
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 on-site costs listed above.
The W&M faculty advisor for the Montpellier semester is Professor Michael Leruth.
The Global Education Advisor is Maria Jay.
Dates / Deadlines:
Dates / Deadlines:
Term
Year
App Deadline
Approximate Decision Date (Subject To Change)
Start Date
End Date
Fall
2025
03/14/2025
03/28/2025
TBA
TBA
NOTE: 1. Applications are first reviewed by the Reves Center, and students nominated for the exchange program are notified. Application materials are then sent to the school abroad (and the school abroad often requests additional materials at this time). When the school abroad completes their application review, students are then notified of the final acceptance decision. This timeline varies greatly from school to school. In rare cases a student nominated by the Reves Center will not be selected by the school abroad to attend their university; the Reves Center would then explore further options for the student. 2. Any start and end dates listed are to serve as a guide for general planning, but specific dates are subject to change and may not include mandatory orientation programs or exams. Contact your host university for the most accurate dates.
Academic Year
2025-2026
03/14/2025
03/28/2025
TBA
TBA
NOTE: 1. Applications are first reviewed by the Reves Center, and students nominated for the exchange program are notified. Application materials are then sent to the school abroad (and the school abroad often requests additional materials at this time). When the school abroad completes their application review, students are then notified of the final acceptance decision. This timeline varies greatly from school to school. In rare cases a student nominated by the Reves Center will not be selected by the school abroad to attend their university; the Reves Center would then explore further options for the student. 2. Any start and end dates listed are to serve as a guide for general planning, but specific dates are subject to change and may not include mandatory orientation programs or exams. Contact your host university for the most accurate dates.
