Exchange Agreement

Cergy-Pontoise, Paris, France

Who?

You must be at least a sophomore, and must have completed French 204 (fourth-semester French).
You must be approved by the French section (this does not mean that you must be a French major or minor!). Students with almost all majors can participate in this program and graduate in four years.
You must be accepted by the International Studies Office.
You must have a 3.0 overall GPA.

What?

Spring semester of study at l'université de Cergy-Pontoise, just northwest of Paris. All courses are conducted in French.
VU students work with Professor Marie-Pierre Arrizabalaga at Cergy to choose appropriate courses, mostly in the social sciences, literature, and of course French as a second language.
Students take a French placement exam upon arrival to determine the appropriate level of coursework. The academic environment in France is quite formal, but Professor Arrizabalaga works with students to make any adjustments needed academically.
Normally, students will take 9 credits of French as a foreign language, and two other courses in the regular Cergy curriculum, with French students.
All courses are considered to be VU courses and will count toward the French major or minor, toward General Education, or as elective credit.
Each fall, students from Cergy are here at Valparaiso, so you will get to know them before leaving. When you are in Cergy, those students are responsible for helping you with whatever you need and helping you feel at home.

Where?

Cergy is a university of 12,000 students, founded in 1991. It is a 40-minute ride on the suburban metro, the RER, from central Paris. The Cergy campus is close to an RER station, to shops and a post office, and has a restaurant universitaire available to students. Students are housed in one of several residence halls, in private rooms with shared kitchen facilities. Residence halls are close to campus.

How?

Consult with your French professor to find out if the Cergy program is right for you. You can't start planning too soon-as early as your freshman year, so speak with your academic advisor as soon as possible, too.
Fill out the application form available in the International Studies Office or from your French professor. There is an extra step in the Cergy application process, so be sure to allow yourself enough time.

How Much?

Tuition and General Fee: Students pay the same tuition and fees they would pay in Valparaiso. All VU study-abroad programs are considered "in residence," so all financial aid (except work-study and some 'on-campus' aid) applies.

Room and Board: You pay the room fee charged by the CROUS at Cergy; depending on exchange rates, this is about $300 per month. You may cook in your residence hall or eat in the restaurant universitaire. Costs will typically be lower than at VU since the French government subsidizes student cafeterias.

Study Abroad Fee: Each student who studies in Cergy pays an additional study abroad fee, which is used to cover administrative costs.

Spending Money: Count on spending at least as much as you do in Valpo for miscellaneous items; then add on for any travel you might plan. Expenses such as these are difficult to estimate because they will be different for each student. You may want to purchase a monthly RER/metro pass for Paris.

Contacts:

Prof. Duvick Associate Professor of French Meier 113 x5169
Prof. Tomasik Assistant Professor of French Meier 122 x5263
Dr. McGuigan Director, International Studies Meier 137 x5333
Holly Singh Associate Director, International Studies Meier 137 x5333

VU International Studies Office: studyabroad@valpo.edu

L'université de Cergy-Pontoise

website: http://www.u-cergy.fr/index.php

Apply now!

Download an application in Adobe PDF or Microsoft Word format. Fill out and return to the International Studies Office. It's that simple!