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Columbia in Paris

L'Amour ˆ Paris, courtesy of Veronica Fulton
L'Amour ˆ Paris, courtesy of Veronica Fulton

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  • Academic TermsFall, Full Academic Year, Spring
  • Academic CalendarSimilar to VU
  • Program TypeStudy Center/University Hybrid
  • Next TermFall 2026
  • Program DatesTo be determined
  • Application Deadline03/04/2026
  • Minimum GPA3
  • Language of InstructionFrench
  • Language PrerequisiteYes
  • Additional PrerequisitesYes, see program homepage
  • HousingDormitory, Homestay

Program Overview

While studying at Columbia in Paris, students take classes in Columbia University's study center, Reid Hall, which is conveniently located in the beautifully dynamic sixth district of Paris, the Montparnasse. The Center is near the Latin Quarter, and Luxembourg Gardens and is known as a cultural hub for students.

Students have the option to take at least one elective at a local university. Columbia University partners with Science Po, the University of Paris I (Pantheon Sorbonne), University of Paris IV (Sorbonne), University of Paris VII (Denis Diderot), Institute Pasteur, and Visual Arts at Paris I Pantheon-Sorbonne to provide students with diverse disciplines and academia. Each university has strengths in various disciplines and academia in Art and Architecture, Humanities, Social Sciences, and STEM. Furthermore, the Institute Pasteur gives students the opportunity to do work in research with a research team.

This is a French Immersion program, please see the requirements below: 

  • Must have completed at least four semesters of college-level French or the equivalent.
  • It is expected that you will be enrolled in a French language course in the term preceding your enrollment in Paris. Grammar, composition, or literature courses will better prepare you for a semester in Paris than conversation courses. Failure to continue French language training may affect acceptance to the program
  • Students looking to take local university courses should have studied at least 5 semesters of college-level French or the equivalent.
  • Minimum 3.0 average language GPA
  • Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students must also maintain a 3.0 GPA during the semester before going abroad.

Housing: 
FALL - Student Residence Only
Participants are housed together at a student residence, just a short metro ride to Reid Hall. Options include single rooms with private bathrooms, and shared kitchen facilities or a studio apartment in a student residence. There is no meal plan offered. 
SPRING - Homestay or Student Residence Options 
A highlight of this program is the opportunity to live with a francophone family, giving you the chance to live like a true Parisian, off the beaten tourist path. Homestays are located throughout Paris and the nearby suburbs and never more than a short train ride from Reid Hall. You will have your own room and share common spaces with your host family and may elect to share meals with them. Sharing meals in France is not only an excellent opportunity to practice your language skills but the chance to partake in an essential part of French culture. Living with a host family is a great way to experience firsthand the daily rhythm of French life, learn about Paris from an insider's perspective, and be immersed in a French-speaking environment.
 
 

VISA NOTICE: 

**For this program, students will need to apply for a French visa. This requires an in-person appointment at a TLScontact center (replaced VFS Global as of 04/18/25), so students should expect to travel to their visa appointment. This is included on the Budget Sheet for visa cost estimates. 

  • If apply for spring study abroad: Do not plan international travel during Thanksgiving or Christmas Break if you are applying for a French visa. 
  • Find a French visa guide here for more information. 
  • TLScontact application center locations: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington DC.

Please note: your passport will be submitted to the consulate as part of the visa application, this may impact travel plans if you need your passport to travel domestically or internationally.