AUP’s 3 week summer courses—each an intensive, four-credit course—give students a unique opportunity to focus on a single subject in the heart of Paris. Courses are offered in a range of subjects, and they are each designed to immerse students in the city of Paris. SAI offers two 3 week intensive summer sessions at AUP, each with different start dates and course options: Summer I and Summer II.
Application open until: March 15, 2025
Apps accepted on a rolling basis, and after closing as space permits
Application Requirements
Complete online application
Personal statement (300-500 words)
Official transcript
Passport scan (photo page)
Digital photo (passport style)
EU privacy consent form
Highlights
- Complete one 3 week intensive subject course taught in English
- Courses take learning beyond the classroom and into the streets of Paris
Program Dates
June 26, 2025 – July 24, 2025
Eligibility Requirements
Age: 18+
Academic Year: Freshman (1st year) or above
*contact SAI if you don’t meet requirements
Cumulative GPA:* 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale)
English Language:* Non-native English language speakers must submit TOEFL: 88+ or IELTS: 6.5+, or proof of attending school in English for 3+ years.
Communication
Communications
Comparative Literature and English | Creative Writing Summer
Comparative Literature and English | Writing
Fine Arts | Painting & Drawing
History | Law & Society
Language | French Language
This class requires payment of a 25 € course fee.
Uses the unsurpassed richness of the art museums of Paris as the principal teaching resource. The history of Western Art is studied through the close examination of a limited selection of major works in a variety of media. The works chosen illuminate the political, social and religious contexts of Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque and Rococo periods, and the modern epoch.THE COURSE WILL TAKE PLACE 4 TIMES A WEEK DEPENDING ON THE MUSEUM SCHEDULES, TO BE ANNOUNCED AT THE START OF THE SUMMER
Step into the heart of one of the largest capitals of fashion with Inside Paris Fashion Industry, an immersive course exploring the dynamic world of contemporary French fashion. The French fashion industry significantly impacts the national economy, generating approximately €154 billion in direct turnover annually and contributing 3.1% to the national GDP. This sector also supports about one million jobs across various domains, including design, manufacturing, and retail. This impact highlights the fashion sector as not only a cultural asset but a substantial economic pillar for the country.
This course offers students a unique perspective on the diverse careers shaping French fashion today, through the experiential exploration of the professional field of fashion, moving beyond the simple myth. Each session combines theoretical classes with practical experiences, including visits to fashion museums, designer foundations, exclusive boutiques, artisan workshops, and vibrant fashion markets.
Through films and documentaries, readings, guided tours, lectures and curated discussions, students will gain insight into the ecosystem of Parisian fashion, from haute couture and luxury retail to emerging trends in sustainable and ethical fashion. How is French fashion organized, designed, made, mediated and consumed, where and by whom? The curriculum is enriched by guest lectures and interviews with industry insiders—designers, produce developers, fashion marketers, stylists, textile experts, and brand managers—providing students with firsthand perspectives on various career paths. Students will also engage in critical discussions on how tradition meets innovation within the Paris fashion scene and the ways in which French fashion continues to influence global markets.
By the end of this course, students will have developed a nuanced understanding of contemporary fashion roles and networks, equipping them with the knowledge to navigate and identify potential career opportunities.
This course examines how LGBTQ+ sexualities are represented in various media texts (e.g. movies, television), used to court users and audiences on different media platforms (e.g. mobile apps, social media networks), and consumed by those users and audiences across disparate sites of reception (e.g. the U.S., internationally, etc.). Over the course of the term, students examine the political, economic, and social factors that inform the conflicted, contradictory relationships between media, sex, and sexuality. Activities include readings, screenings, discussions, and written work as well as in-class assignments that require presentations, small group simulations, and other varieties of creative work.
This workshop gives students the opportunity to explore through reading, research and writing assignments an array of creative nonfiction forms, including memoir, travel writing, food and nature writing, and social essays. Assignments help students strengthen their ability to create the self as character, a first-person narrator who leads the reader into the world of personal experiences and research. The course explores narrative structure, description, characterization, dialogue, and tension, all key elements in making writing spirited and appealing. The workshop also includes guest speakers and field exercises in Paris.
Whether a story is an imaginative transformation of life experience or an invention, the writing must be well crafted and convincing, driven not only by plot and theme but also through characterization, conflict, point of view, and sensitivity to language. Students produce and critique short stories and novel chapters while studying fiction techniques and style through examples.
This course focuses on the basic elements of fiction while also taking inspiration from the city of Paris—exploring its streets to spur imagination and reading its varied writers.
Note: this class requires payment of a 25 € course fee.
Through writing poetry and analyzing examples, students become familiar with poetic forms and techniques. This workshop, led by a publishing writer, includes weekly peer critique of poems written for the course. Students explore what makes a poem moving, evocative, and imbued with a sense of music, no matter what the approach: lyric, narrative, surreal, or experimental.
The course is designed to demystify poetic composition, enabling students to apply elements of craft to shape the imagination more powerfully, producing new, original work.
Note: this class requires payment of a 62 € course fee.
The sketchbook is approached, through this course, in all its aspects and as the support of the most varied techniques. The emphasis is on observational drawing throughout Paris. A variety of graphic techniques are covered in this course: drawing with pencil, felt-tip pen, pen, wash, watercolor, colored pencils… that students must apply to concrete reporting projects. A large part of these courses will therefore take place outside the university throughout Paris, in museums and parks.
As in the US, European governance is modeled on capitalism, rights, and democracy. European nations and the European Union, however, approach these topics distinctly. This course, with a focus on the European Union and France in comparative perspective to the US, explores contemporary challenges across three foundational policy fields: governance and citizenship; the environment; and business. Faculty experts and guest lecturers work closely with students to understand the contradictory mechanisms at work in these three policy spheres, querying which political strategies are best adapted for the successful future consolidation of Europe. The aim of the course is to provide students with a sophisticated understanding of European policy modeling and contemporary challenges to the European Union.
This class requires payment of a 230 € course fee.
This introductory language and culture course allows students to acquire the basic elements of spoken and written French. It aims at the A1 level in the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, while allowing a first-hand introduction to French culture both in and outside the classroom. The French immersion program includes daily coffee and croissant breaks, offering opportunities for casual conversation, and two Friday afternoon faculty-led tours of towns near Paris, including dinner.
Pre-requisites: FR1000I OR FR1100 OR FR1200CCF OR equivalent. This class requires payment of a 230 € course fee.
This elementary language and culture course consolidates students’ knowledge of basic French grammar and broadens their vocabulary. It aims at the A2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, while allowing a first-hand introduction to French culture both in and outside the classroom. The French immersion program includes daily coffee and croissant breaks, offering opportunities for casual conversation, and two Friday afternoon faculty-led tours of towns near Paris, including dinner.
Pre-requisites: FR1005I OR FR1200CCF OR FR1300CCI OR equivalent. This class requires payment of a 230 € course fee.
This intermediate course reinforces and expands students’ ability to express themselves, defend an opinion, and debate with others. Special attention is paid to increasing students’ ability to form complex sentences, to express attitudes, wishes, necessity, doubt, emotions, to link ideas and to speculate. It aims at the B1 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, while allowing a first-hand introduction to French culture both in and outside the classroom. The French immersion program includes daily coffee and croissant breaks, offering opportunities for casual conversation, and two Friday afternoon faculty-led tours of towns near Paris, including dinner.
Pre-requisites: FR2005I OR FR2100CCI OR FR2200CCI OR FR2101 OR FR2102 OR equivalent. This class requires payment of a 230 € course fee.
This advanced course reinforces and expands students’ ability to give clear descriptions, express viewpoints on most general topics, without much searching for words, using some complex sentence forms. It aims at the B2 level on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, while allowing a first-hand introduction to French culture both in and outside the classroom. The French immersion program includes daily coffee and croissant breaks, offering opportunities for casual conversation, and two Friday afternoon faculty-led tours of towns near Paris, including dinner.
Courses & Schedule
Summer courses are intensive and courses run Monday – Friday, meeting 4 days per week for 3 – 4 hours per day. SAI students are free to enroll in any available course, but prerequisites must be demonstrated through students’ transcripts.
Course Registration
When applying, students are asked to make a preliminary course selection through SAI’s website. These pre-selections are for informational purposes only and do not indicate a student’s confirmed registration. Once accepted into the program, students are issued an AUP student NetID, which will permit them to formally register for courses directly through the university’s system. Once confirmed, students can view their schedules through the online AUP student account portal. After receiving course registration confirmation, no changes can be made to course registration until students arrive in Paris.
| Pre-Departure Calendar | |
|---|---|
| March 15 2025 |
Application Closes Applications accepted after closing as space permits. |
| Within 1 week of acceptance |
SAI Deposits Due $500 Enrollment Deposit (applied toward program fee) $300 Security Deposit (refundable) |
| March 15 2025 |
SAI Scholarship Application Deadline Students wishing to apply for an SAI scholarship must have all application items submitted by 11:59pm Pacific Time on this date. |
| March 28 2025 |
50% of Total Program Fee Due Students who are accepted and submit SAI deposits after this date will have an amended pay schedule. 50% of the Program Fee will be due within 5 business days, based on the deposit payment date. |
| March 28 2025 |
Financial Aid Agreement & Financial Aid Program Deposit Deadline Students wishing to utilize SAI financial aid payment deferment must complete the Financial Aid Agreement form and submit the Financial Aid Program Deposit by this date. Students whose deposit payment date is on or after this date will have a deadline of 5 days after the deposit. |
| March 29 2025 |
Enrollment Closes Students must complete their enrollment, including paying deposits, by this date. |
| April 11 2025 |
SAI Financial Aid Verification Deadline Students wishing to defer payment until financial aid disbursement must submit the financial aid verification form to SAI by this date. |
| April 27 2025 |
Balance of Total Program Fee Due (For students utilizing SAI financial aid payment deferment, any balance not covered by aid is due) |
| On-Site Calendar | |
|---|---|
| June 26 2025 |
Arrival & Housing Check-in Students arrive at Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport. SAI airport pickup is provided between 9:00am and 12:00 noon, and students are transferred to SAI housing. |
| June 27 2025 |
SAI Orientation Mandatory SAI orientation is held at the SAI Paris office and introduces students to their city while covering safety, policies, housing, and culture. |
| June 30 2025 |
AUP Academic Orientation AUP orientation covers academic policies, and provides opportunities for students to meet one another. |
| July 2 2025 |
Classes Begin |
| July 23 2025 |
Classes End |
| July 24 2025 |
Program End & Housing Check-out Students must move out of SAI housing by 10:00am to return home or pursue independent travel. |
| SAI Program Fees* | USD |
|---|---|
| Application Fee | $120 |
| Security Deposit Refundable at the end of the term. |
$300 |
| Program Fee Includes tuition, standard housing and SAI 360° Services (see What’s Included). |
$8,800 |
| Optional / Additional Fees: | |
| Optional Private Room Housing Supplement Private room in a shared apartment, with a shared bathroom. |
$740 |
| Optional Homestay Housing Supplement Homestay housing in a private room. Includes daily breakfast and 3 or 5 dinners/week. |
3 dinners – TBA 5 dinners – TBA |
| International Mailing Supplement When applicable, students are charged an international mailing supplement to ensure visa paperwork arrives in a timely manner. |
$90 |
*prices are subject to change
Please see SAI Policies for SAI cancellation & withdrawal deadlines.
Note: certain SAI-affiliated US universities require specific payment arrangements. These may require that some fees are paid by the student directly to SAI, and other fees are paid to SAI by the affiliated university on behalf of the student. If you attend a SAI-affiliated university please contact your study abroad office or speak with your SAI Admissions Counselor for details.
| Budget | Low Est. | High Est. |
|---|---|---|
| Airfare to/from Paris |
$900 | $1,200 |
| Books, Supplies & Course Fees Course fees are sometimes imposed to cover field trips. |
$75 / course | $200 / course |
| Meals Includes groceries and eating out. |
$400 / month | $800 / month |
| Personal Expenses | $350 / month | $450 / month |
| Transportation within Paris Public transportation with some taxi rides. |
$125 / month | $150 / month |
| Weekend Travel Cost varies greatly by student. |
$300 / month | $1,000 / month |
This is a SAI 360° Services Program; it includes our full services!
- Program tuition and U.S. academic credit
- Accommodation in carefully selected student housing
- Airport pickup on arrival day
- Welcome reception and events
- Orientation to the host city and school
- On-site staff who foster a welcoming community for you and provide assistance when needed
- SAI Viva Experience: cultural engagement, excursions & wellness activities
- Student health insurance providing full coverage and medical emergency evacuation
- 24-hour on-site emergency support
- Farewell event
Pre-departure and Re-entry services
- Knowledgeable Admissions Counselor dedicated to you, providing friendly assistance
- Helpful pre-departure tools and resources
- Parent & family resources
- Online student groups to acquaint you with other SAI students
- Student visa advising
- Assistance with financial aid processing
- Need-based SAI scholarships
- Alumni Ambassador Program, with paid internship opportunities
- SAI alumni network
SAI offers all students the Viva Experience: frequent cultural activities, at no extra cost, for participants to get to know their community, city and country. Following is a sample of the activities included in this program. Please note that actual activities may differ.
Welcome Lunch & Walking Tour
Students are welcomed to their new city with a delicious lunch and walking tour of the many Parisian sites, including the Eiffel Tower and the Champs de Mars.
Le Marais Walking Tour & Dinner
Students take a guided stroll through one of the most fashionable neighborhoods in Paris: Le Marais! The district is known for much more than its colorful vintage shops and food, but also for its rich history and culture.
Bateaux Mouches
On this activity, SAI students explore the heart of Paris by boat! Students enjoy a cruise on one of the city’s iconic Bateaux Mouches and take in Paris’ beautiful architecture from the water.
Visit to the St. Chappelle & the Conciergerie
Students visit two incredible feats of Parisian architecture. The St. Chappelle was the chapel to the kings of France and is known for its remarkable stained glass, which remains some of the most intricate in Europe. Just a few steps away from St. Chapelle students also visit the Conciergerie, which once imprisoned Marie Antoinette.
Day Trip to Deauville
Students take a 2 hour train ride to the beautiful coastal city of Deauville. Founded in the 19th century by the Duke of Morny, Deauville was meant to be the “elegant kingdom” close to Paris, and is known for its architecture and beautiful beaches.
Open Market Tour with Tastings
Le marché, or outdoor market, is a tradition at the heart of Parisian life, providing the city with a focal point for social interaction and culinary inspiration. Students take a tour of the celebrated market, and learn about its neighborhood and history. Students also receive tips on how to select the best fruits and vegetables, according to the season.
Farewell Evening Picnic
Students celebrate the end of a successful summer abroad and say their goodbyes over a typical French picnic along the Seine.
Standard Housing: Student apartment
SAI student apartments are convenient and well equipped, and include a shared occupancy bedroom in a shared student apartment (option to upgrade to private bedroom, if available). Typical residences house 2 – 8 students and contain a combination of kitchen, bathroom(s) and living areas. Furnishings, a washing machine, basic kitchen supplies, bed linens and towels are provided. All apartments are equipped with wireless Internet. Housing configurations are designated as female, male, and in some locations, gender-inclusive. SAI on-site staff is available to respond to any maintenance needs that may arise.
Optional Housing: Family homestay (additional fee applies)
Students choosing the homestay option will be placed with a local family, which could be an older couple or a family with children. SAI homestay families are thoroughly screened and are accustomed to welcoming visiting students into their homes. Homestays provide a private bedroom in the family home with basic furnishings. Wifi is included, as is access to laundry facilities. Students opting for this more immersive housing get breakfast included as well as the option of a certain number of dinners per week (cost varies).
Passports
Passports should be valid for 3 months after planned return from France.
Student Visas
In accordance with French law, U.S. students studying in France for 90 days or less are not required to obtain a student visa. Therefore all U.S. students do not require a student visa for this program. Non-US nationals should consult their local Consulate for information on student visa requirements.