Bucknell in Paris

Bucknell in Paris (BiP) provides an exceptional opportunity for all Bucknell students, regardless of their major, to enrich their Bucknell education by studying in France for a year or by studying for a semester in the French capital. BiP students can make progress toward their Bucknell major(s), minor(s) and core curricular requirements while deepening their intercultural awareness, boosting their self-confidence, and developing transferable and marketable skills valued by future employers: self-awareness, open-mindedness, risk-taking, adaptability, curiosity and cultural intelligence.

The academic calendar of Bucknell in Paris is similar to Bucknell University’s, with adjustments for the French academic year. The first semester begins in late August and ends in mid-December. The spring semester runs from early January until mid-May.

Bucknell in Paris (BiP) is led by a Bucknell faculty member and offers expansive educational opportunities in the context of a linguistically and culturally-immersive program. Students remain officially enrolled at Bucknell University and at the same time are registered as international students through our collaborator, IES-Paris. Students receive Bucknell University grades and credit. Student schedules are tailored to match their curricular needs, interests and level of French proficiency. Courses approved by a student’s academic adviser and department chair or program director count toward the major or minor. Students also have the opportunity to participate in a part-time internship. 

Freeman College of Management students who are also interested in language and culture are encouraged to enroll in Bucknell’s Language and Cultural Immersion Scholars Program. This program requires students to complete a study abroad and/or internship experience, both of which are offered by Bucknell in Paris’s IES program.

Some highlights of the Bucknell in Paris program include guided integration into a French university system with on-site academic support; individualized language assessment throughout the semester/year; preparation for the internationally recognized DELF exam (Diplôme d’études de langue française); and excursions to various regions in France (e.g., overnight trip to Normandy or the Loire Valley, in addition to several shorter day trips: Giverny, Champagne, Reims). IES organizes several activities such as French cooking workshops, dance classes, theatre performances, athletic events, concerts and film screenings. 

Students have the option of living independently in a single studio apartment or being placed with a host family so they can experience life more fully in French society. Students in host families have a private room and typically have daily breakfast and three evening meals per week with their host family. They eat lunch on their own in town, in one of the student restaurants or at local cafes or bakeries. 

For additional information, please contact the Office of Global & Off-campus Education at globaled@bucknell.edu.