The WFU study abroad program in Dijon, France is an exceptional opportunity for any student who has completed the basic requirement course in French (FRH 212 or equivalent) to spend the fall semester immersed in French language and culture. Special features of the program include travel around France with the group as part of the course in history and culture, homestays with carefully selected Dijon host families, classes in French language with other international students, courses on contemporary France and art designed especially for our students, and the opportunity to get to know a lively medium-sized French city. In Dijon, WFU students enjoy attending matches of the city’s professional basketball and soccer teams, joining a club or playing intramural sports with other University of Burgundy students, taking advantage of the city’s vibrant cultural life (music, dance, theater), visiting the market or spending time on the terraces of cafés. Dijon’s central location also offers easy access to Paris and other parts of France and Europe.
 
Students earn 15 credits in French, all counting towards the French Studies minor or major. Those pursuing many different majors – business, psychology, health and exercise science, politics and international affairs, to name just a few, or who are on the pre-med track – participate in the Dijon program and are also easily able to complete a minor or major in French Studies!
 
A WFU French Studies professor serves as resident faculty, coordinating all aspects of the program and teaching the course in French history and culture. Language classes are held at the Centre International d’Etudes Françaises (CIEF), which is affiliated with the University of Burgundy and specializes in French studies for international students.

Situated in the heart of Burgundy, Dijon is home to a major university and is a gateway to other regions of France and Europe. Adjacent to the vineyards of the Côte d’Or and famous for being the mustard capital of the world, Dijon has elegant Medieval and Renaissance buildings and hosts numerous festivals and cultural events each year. The city’s historic center is very pedestrian-friendly and filled with restaurants, cafés and bars, and shops. Dijon has a convenient transportation network of trams and buses.
 
A quick hour-and-a-half train ride from Paris, Dijon is well located to facilitate weekend travel in France and to other parts of Europe. Nice, Bordeaux, Marseilles, and Strasbourg are a few of the cities that students typically enjoy visiting.
 
The Wake Forest program is based at the Centre International d’Etudes Françaises (CIEF) at the University of Burgundy. The CIEF has an excellent academic reputation for teaching courses in French language, literature, and culture.

A faculty member from the Department of French Studies serves as the on-site director and oversees all aspects of the program for its entire duration. Students take courses taught by the faculty director as well as by professors at the University of Burgundy’s Centre International d’Etudes Françaises. Courses focus on French language and culture. All courses count toward the major and minor in French Studies. Classes are generally scheduled to allow students a three-day weekend to explore other parts of France or Europe.

The following courses will be offered during your semester abroad:

Courses:

FRH 350: Studies in French Language and Culture (Taught by the Resident Director) [6 credits]
The “program course” includes a classroom component plus group excursions (late August through early October) as well as program activities throughout the fall, including group outings, activities, and participation in French family life through the homestay.  As an integral part of this course, we will make a number of excursions around France beginning in late August and continuing through September.  Destinations will include Burgundy, Provence, Normandy, the châteaux of the Loire Valley, and Paris.  During these visits to museums and monuments of historical, artistic and architectural interest, the events you’ve been studying will seem to come alive before your eyes. Satisfies French 315 requirement for major or minor.

FRH 351: Advanced Oral and Written French (Taught by professors of the Centre International d’Etudes Françaises [CIEF]) [4 credits]
Early October – early December
Study of grammar, composition, pronunciation, and phonetics, with extensive practice in oral and written French.

FRH 352: Contemporary France (Taught by Professor Brigitte Sabard) [3 credits]
Late September – early December
A study of present-day France, including aspects of geography and consideration of social, political, and educational factors in French life today.

FRH 353: Studies in French Art (Taught by Professor Sebastiano Tomarchio) [2 credits]
Late September – early December
Lectures and field trips in French painting, sculpture, and architecture, concentrating on the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

It is the student’s responsibility to speak to their major and minor advisor(s) regarding their abroad coursework and how (or if) it will count towards their degree plan.

Faculty Director:

Fall 2024: Kendall Tarte (tartekb@wfu.edu)
Fall 2025: Elizabeth Anthony (anthonye@wfu.edu)

Students live with French families who are carefully selected by the program. The homestay gives students the opportunity to participate in French family life, practice their French and develop their intercultural skills. Except in very unusual circumstances, only one student is hosted per family. Students will have a private bedroom, but they may share a bathroom.

NOTE: Accommodations you may have on campus do not automatically transfer to abroad and certain housing accommodations (private bathrooms, for example) may not be available.

In the first month of the semester as part of the French history and culture course (FRH 350), students travel together with the Wake Forest faculty director on a variety of excursions. Destinations include Paris, Provence, the Loire Valley, Burgundy, and Normandy. On these trips, ranging from three to ten days, students will explore the sites of cultural and historical interest that they’ve been studying. They will visit châteaux, Roman ruins, famous cathedrals, and world-class museums such as the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay. In Provence, students will see many monuments that recall the Roman conquest of Gaul while also experiencing the energy of contemporary life in the south of France. On the excursion to Normandy, students will tour the Benedictine abbey of Mont-Saint-Michel, the cathedral of Rouen, and the American cemetery at Omaha Beach.

• Students must be in good academic standing and have completed French 212/213/214 or the equivalent.
• Students are encouraged but not required to take one more course above that level.
• Majors in all disciplines are eligible.

Students pay the current Wake Forest tuition and room and board fees. This total amount includes tuition and fees, laundry, room and board, books, local bus fares, all group activities (including excursions), and a travel scholarship. Students are responsible for personal travel and expenses.

Students may apply for scholarships through the Center for Global Programs and Studies.

Passport Information
Students need to check their passport’s expiration date and ensure that it will be valid for at least 6 months after the program’s end date.

Students going on a fall program need to make sure their passport is valid through at least mid-June of the following year. Students going on a spring program need to make sure their passport is valid through at least mid-November of the same year.

US passport holders who need to renew their passport should visit the U.S. Department of State’s passport website for information on this process.

Non-US passport holders who need to renew their passport should refer to their home country’s passport office.

Visa Information
All students participating on the WFU/Dijon program are required to obtain a visa prior to the program’s start date. Until you have received your visa, students are advised to refrain from making international travel plans in the months preceding their study abroad semester.

To help students and families understand the Dijon visa process, the Center for Global Programs and Studies has created a useful website.

Dijon Program Administrator:

Director for Global Abroad:

The following website has emergency numbers for students on the Dijon program:
https://villeweb-prod.dijon.fr/Dijon-au-quotidien/Sante/Numeros-d-urgence-et-contacts-utiles