Toulouse, France

TOULOUSE, FRANCE

The Dickinson in France program gives students the opportunity to live and study in Toulouse, known as one of France's most youthful cities because of its vibrant student population. In addition to taking courses at the Dickinson Center that focus on the development of intercultural competence, students may study in their chosen discipline at one of five local universities. While in the Toulouse program, participants live with home-stay families, enjoy academic excursions to sites of regional and national interest, complete a service-learning project, and may undertake internships in various environments thanks to our established professional network. 

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Dickinson’s long presence in the student-friendly city of Toulouse gives students unparalleled access to the local community and universities. 


Toulouse, France

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • Interdisciplinary curriculum through Dickinson courses taught by Dickinson faculty Core courses taught in French at Dickinson Center and direct enrollment at one of the five Toulouse partner universities in courses for most majors
  • Internship and service-learning opportunities
  • Homestays


ACADEMICS AND INTERNSHIPS 

A strong homestay network, mandatory service learning and optional internships are the keystones of the program, which provide excellent opportunities for cultural integration and language improvement. Students from a variety of disciplines will find academically challenging courses at one of our many partner universities. 

Dickinson’s Toulouse program is language intensive and designed for students with an advanced level of French. Participants have the chance to study at one of the program’s partner institutions: Université de Toulouse 1-Capitole; Institut d’Etudes Politiques; Université de Toulouse 2 (Jean-Jaurès); and Institut Catholique. In addition to enrolling in the local universities, students take the Toulouse Colloquium and French Methodology courses to enhance their understanding of French culture and language at the Dickinson Center. Qualified academic year and spring students have myriad credit- or noncredit- bearing internship opportunities. Students who have taken FR 230 who are interested in deepening their understanding of the French language are eligible to enroll in the French Intensive Language Track. In addition to the Dickinson courses taught at the Dickinson center, students on this track enroll in courses through the Département Études du français langue étrangère at  Université de Toulouse 2 (Jean-Jaurès). 

Toulouse’s universities are highly respected institutions, some of which date back to the 13th century. Today, Toulouse is both the fourth-largest university center in France behind Paris, Lyon and Lille with approximately 114,000 students and the fourth-largest city in France but with a total population of 1,330,950. 

Toulouse is noted for its many pink brick buildings, earning it the nickname “la ville rose.” The city is in the heart of southwestern France, a region rich in history, culture and geographic diversity. It is located on the Garonne River just north of the Pyrenees Mountains, which span France’s southern border from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. n a 2019 L'Etudiant study, Toulouse was ranked France's #1 student city, based on the quality of higher education, student life, standard of living, student housing, and employment opportunities.

ACADEMIC EXCURSIONS 

As part of the Toulouse Colloquium course, the program organizes academic excursions and monthly cultural events to engage students outside of the classroom, from a local, national and even global perspective. The programs privileged relations with the cultural venues in Toulouse give students an inside look at the arts. Recent academic excursions have explored the themes of sustainability, immigration, gastronomy, and history through an overnight excursion in the Occitanie region, a four-day trip to Paris, a visit to the new Musée Soulages (Rodez), wine and cheese tasting and an excursion to a mountain village in the Pyrénées. 

HOUSING AND MEALS 

Toulouse program participants choose between two housing options: a homestay or a studio in a residence.  Each student is encouraged to consider their priorities and objectives to choose the option that best fits them; program staff are available to help students make that choice.  All housing options are close to public transportation.

STAFF 

Julia Carnine, academic director, leads the academic program, advises, supports and teaches students. Administrative Director Laura Raynaud ’01, a Dickinson and Toulouse program alumna, manages program operations. The on-campus coordinator is Associate Professor of French Adeline Soldin.

GO GLOBAL 

TERM DATES 

Academic Year, Fall, Spring 

Academic Year: Early September to late May. Applications are due by February 15.

Fall: Late September to mid-January. Applications are due by February 15.

Spring: Early January to late May. Applications are due by September 15. 

EXPECTATIONS 

3.0 GPA 

FR 202 and enrollment in a French course in the semester immediately preceding study in Toulouse. 

FACULTY DIRECTOR 

Julia Carnine  
Academic Director
carninej@dickinson.edu

more

Laura Raynaud ’01   
Administrative Director

Adeline Soldin
Associate Professor of French
On-campus coordinator
soldina@dickinson.edu

more


“I loved every second of my time in Toulouse, especially because I made meaningful relationships with my hosts and classmates which propelled my French language skills enormously. I learned a lot about myself and the ways I have lived my entire life in the United States by living and speaking in a completely different way from what I had become accustomed to.”

—Emma Moore ’20 (English)

Dickinson Majors that are a good fit for Dickinson in France
  • Africana Studies 
  • American Studies 
  • Anthropology 
  • Archaeology 
  • Art & Art History 
  • Biology 
  • Chemistry 
  • Computer Science 
  • Economics 
  • Education 
  • English 
  • Environmental Science 
  • Environmental Studies 
  • Food Studies 
  • French 
  • History 
  • International Business and Management 
  • International Studies 
  • Law and Policy 
  • Mathematics 
  • Medieval and Early Modern Studies 
  • Middle East Studies 
  • Music 
  • Philosophy 
  • Policy Studies 
  • Political Science 
  • Psychology 
  • Religion 
  • Security Studies 
  • Sociology 
  • Theatre 
  • Women’s and Gender Studies 

Don’t see your major? Connect with us. This program could still be a good fit for you.

Non-Dickinson Student Information

This program is open for non-Dickinson students. Marissa Mitchell (mitchmar@dickinson.edu), in the Center for Global Study and Engagement, with any questions about this program. More information on programs available to non-Dickinson students can be found here.


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