
Student Snapshot: Tony Trandafir ’24
“Studying abroad expanded my worldview in ways I did not think were possible.” Meet Tony Trandafir ’24, a Posse Scholar and student leader who studied in Italy.
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.
TOULOUSE, FRANCE
Dickinson’s long presence in the student-friendly city of Toulouse gives students unparalleled access to the local community and universities.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
3.0 GPA
FR 202 and enrollment in a French course in the semester immediately preceding study in Toulouse.
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)
Don’t see your major? Connect with us. This program could still be a good fit for you.
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.
See community photos of the global Dickinson program cities, as well as professional photography of the surrounding regions.
GLOBAL PHOTO GALLERY
“Studying abroad expanded my worldview in ways I did not think were possible.” Meet Tony Trandafir ’24, a Posse Scholar and student leader who studied in Italy.
“Studying overseas was always a dream of mine. I am grateful to Dickinson and to all who support the Nilsson Scholarship for showing confidence in the Dickinson students who study in Bologna.”