Open to Hollins students only:
Argentina
Cuba
Ghana
Ireland
Italy & Greece
Japan
Mexico
Spain
School for Field Studies

Safety in Study Abroad

CONTACT:
Kirsten McKinney
Director of International Programs
Hollins University
Roanoke, VA 24020
1-800-511-6612
(540) 362-6307

Or visit the International Programs Office.



"Never has the phrase 'hands-on learning' been more appropriate. Studying the paintings and then seeing the originals in museums, studying the plays and then attending performances, studying the architecture in the actual buildings -- it was a learning experience I'll never forget."

Meredith Pierce Hunter
Hollins University

Hollins Abroad-Paris

Curriculum & Courses

Hollins Abroad-Paris offers courses in French language, literature, art, theatre, architecture, film, economics, politics, and international relations. All courses are taught in French by instructors who are experienced in teaching non-native speakers. Even students who are initially apprehensive about taking all of their coursework in French quickly find themselves at ease in the classroom, and assistance is available for those who need it.

Classes are small and designed to take advantage of the rich resources of Paris. For example, guided visits to the Musee d'Orsay and other museums are an important part of the course on Impressionism. Architecture students travel around the city to study buildings and monuments on site, and each term's syllabus for French theatre is built around the current productions so students can study plays and then see them performed at the city's renowned theatres.

All students enroll in a French language or literature class along with other courses that meet their academic needs and interests. Most courses are open to all students in the program, while selected courses are reserved for advanced students.

Each Hollins Abroad class meets for three hours per week, Monday through Thursday. Fridays are reserved for group trips, museum and other field outings, study, and private exploration of the city.

Special Topic Course for Paris beginning Fall 2008
INTL 250 France/Africa: Between History and Memory
Professor Boniface Mongo-Mboussa

From 1850 to 1960, the fates of France and Africa were closely linked. In some ways, France and Africa share a common history, demonstrated by centuries-old presence of the French in Africa and by the presence of Africans in the Hexagon - most notably during the two world wars - as well as by the presence of African deputies at the Bourbon Palace under the Fourth Republic, and most recently by immigration, etc. This relationship was strangely prolonged, even reinforced, after the decolonization of Africa, which has led certain political scientists to speak about neo-colonialism through the creation of a term that ironically translates this fusion: La Françafrique. The use of this term underscores just how much the relationship between France and Africa continues to determine French exterior policy; and, inversely, how much the evolution of French-speaking Sub-Saharan Africa is indissociable from the political and cultural life of France.

Course objectives
This course presents the major figures, themes, and debates that have contributed to the historical relationship between France and its former colonies, from the early days of colonialism to the present. Emphasis will be placed on a historical survey and an analysis of the founding discourses of this relationship.

Course description
The course will be organized around three large periods/themes. The first will highlight crucial events from the colonial period to the period of independence (colonization, colonial institutions, nationalism and territorial claims). The second period, which begins around 1960 (the symbolic date of independence) highlights the various representations of the relationship between France and the new African nations, as well as the diverse systems that it upholds (cooperation, French-speaking communities, military interventions). We will then take stock of the Franco-African collective memory (rupture/continuity). The third part will be reserved for immigration in which we will reflect on notions of assimilation, association and integration, universalism, communatarianism, secularism, etc.


Paris University Courses/Applied Arts/Internships
If your French is very advanced, you have the option of enrolling in a course at any of several Paris universities in your major field of study or another subject in which you have a strong academic background. Hollins Abroad provides a tutorial for readings and written assignments. Independent studies in conjunction with courses taken at Paris institutes can also be arranged for students majoring in applied or performing arts (voice, instruments, dance, studio art, photography, etc.).

If you are spending two terms in Paris, you can also apply for an internship related to your career interests. Our students have interned in international law firms, art galleries, cultural organizations, schools, and many others settings.


Course Descriptions:
The following courses are taught in French unless otherwise noted:

IMPRESSIONISM AND POST-IMPRESSIONISM
Art 320P (4 credits)
This course begins with a review of the evolution of French painting and artistic life during the second half of the 19th century. A study of the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist movements and their influence on succeeding generations of artists follows. Emphasis is on training of the eye and direct contact with works of art. Guided museum visits. Fall and Spring.

20TH CENTURY FRENCH ART
Art 340P (4 credits)
This course undertakes an analysis of the questions addressed by the artists of major French movements during the 20th century. Emphasis is on the Avant-Garde to 1914, Surrealism, various forms of abstraction, New Realism, Art/Attitude, and more recent hybrid genres. Guided or assigned visits to museums and temporary exhibits. Spring.

ARCHITECTURE OF PARIS
Art 360P (4 credits)
A thematic survey of Parisian architecture from the Roman era to the present. Individual monuments and their architectural idiosyncrasies are studied in their historical and sociological contexts, with emphasis on urban development. Guided visits to monuments and sites. Fall and Spring.

INTRODUCTION TO EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Economics 210P (4 credits)
This course focuses on current European political and economic debates, reviews the history and ongoing evolution of the European Union, and analyzes the current challenges it faces. Can be taken for economics or political science credit; individual assignments will vary accordingly. Fall and Spring.

PARIS AS THE STAGE IN FILMS
Film 250P (4 credits)
This course provides an introduction to film criticism and analyzes the relationship between artistic creation and film technique. The common theme will be how the city of Paris is portrayed by French directors (Renoir, Carne, Godard, Truffaut, among others) and in representative Hollywood films. Fall and Spring.

FRENCH WRITTEN EXPRESSION
French 303P (4 credits)
Intensive training and review in French written expression. A review of the essential elements of grammar and practice of written expression. Must be taken in conjunction with FR 304P. Prerequisite: four terms of college-level French or the equivalent. Fall and Spring.

FRENCH ORAL EXPRESSION
French 304P (4 credits)
Intensive training and review in French oral expression. Acquisition of vocabulary, intensive review of phonetics, oral practice emphasizing the comprehension of daily language. Must be taken in conjunction with FR 303P. Prerequisite: four terms of college-level French or the equivalent. Fall and Spring.

ADVANCED WRITTEN AND ORAL EXPRESSION
French 311P (4 credits)
This course refines the student's ability to express him/herself in French, both in writing and orally. By the end of the course, the student should have mastered a variety of ways to express time, purpose, condition, consequence, and contradiction and should be able to discriminate without hesitation between the uses of tenses and moods. Prerequisite: five terms of college-level French or the equivalent. Fall and Spring.

ADVANCED FRENCH COMPOSITION
French 321P (4 credits)
This advanced course enables students to refine their skills in written French in a variety of ways, including in literary critiques, essays, and business French. Prerequisite: six semesters of college-level French or the equivalent and appropriate performance on the placement test. Spring.

FRENCH THEATRE
French 330P (4 credits)
This course introduces students to the Parisian stage in its variety and exposes them to six plays of the French repertory. As much as possible, the plays chosen are representative of a major period or trend in the history of French theater. The course can be taken for credit more than once as the plays studied depend on what is currently in production in Paris and are different each term. Fee for tickets. Open to students who place into FRENCH 311P or above. Fall and Spring.

PARIS IN 19TH AND 20TH CENTURY FRENCH LITERATURE
French 351P (4 credits)
A study of how French novelists and poets see and describe the great social and cultural changes that Paris underwent during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Study will focus on the city as protagonist in the literary works of the period. Weekly accompanied visits to monuments or sites described in the works studied. Open to students who place into FRENCH 311P or above. Spring.

NOVELISTS AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN THE 20TH CENTURY
French 353P (4 credits)
This course studies the relationship between life as it is remembered and its reshaping in writing, that is, the interaction between reality and literary creation. Authors are chosen based on their literary impact on 20th century writing. Open to students who place into FRENCH 311P or above. Fall.

CONTEMPORARY FRANCE
Political Science 210P/312P (4 credits)
This course introduces students to the particularities of French society and of the nation's political, social, and economic forces and institutions. Special emphasis is put on the French political system under the Vth Republic. France's role in Europe is also analyzed. Fall and Spring.

INTRODUCTION TO EUROPEAN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Political Science 240P/313P (4 credits)
See Economics 210P. Students taking this course for political science credit must do all their papers and projects on topics in political science. Fall and Spring.

INDEPENDENT STUDIES/FRENCH UNIVERSITY COURSES
XXX-390P (4 credits)
Students with very advanced French skills, appropriate performance on the placement test, and permission of the director, may enroll in an independent study in French or in their major field in conjunction with a course offered at the Sorbonne or other Paris university and a tutorial. Offerings vary by term. University audit fees may apply. Fall and Spring.

INDEPENDENT STUDIES/APPLIED ARTS
XXX-390P (2-4 credits)
Independent studies in studio art, photography, dance, and voice can be arranged on an individual basis at institutes in Paris for students majoring in those subjects. Fall and Spring.

INTERNSHIPS
French 399P (4 credits)
Internships in law firms, art galleries, businesses, and schools can be arranged for full-year students who have developed fluency in French and are in their second term in Paris. A research paper on a topic related to the internship will be required. Fall and Spring.

JANUARY TERM
(4 credits)
The four-week January Term is required of all Hollins University students and optional for all others who participate in Hollins Abroad-Paris for the full academic year. January Term course options include internships, supervised independent studies, intensive French language courses at the Institut de Touraine, and other learning experiences either in Paris, elsewhere in France, or occasionally, in other French-speaking countries. Each student's plan is arranged in consultation with the director and must have her approval.

Courses must have an enrollment of six or more students.

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