Paris is home to a variety of academic institutions, including French universities, foreign universities, and numerous language schools. Therefore, you can find study abroad programs in Paris for practically any major in both English and French. The most popular areas of study in Paris are fashion, art, art history, history, international relations, architecture, women's studies, literature, political science, and French language studies.

Everything about the French university experience is different from the American one, especially when it comes to courses. The majority of French courses are divided into two sections or séances; each one meets about one to three hours a week. These séancess are the cours magistral (CM) and the travaux dirigés (TD), and range from three to five credits. At the beginning of the semester, your “prof” (what French students call professors) will give you the syllabus called the programme or calendrier des séances. This will outline when you will have your assignments, which are usually devoir sur table, an essay written in class using your texts for reference and support.

Expect one to three redactions, or term papers, per class. There is usually one term paper per semester, per class. Depending upon the class, you may have to complete weekly lesson summaries as homework or complete an oral presentation. These assignments make up 15 percent of your grade typically. The other 85 percent will be reserved for a huge test that local students have to take at the end of the semester. If you decide to study in Paris without directly enrolling in a French university, you may be exempt from taking this test, in which case, your program will count the initial 15 percent as 100 percent to determine your final grade.

Insider tip: Did you know that your university might have a study abroad office? If so, this is a great place to start asking about study abroad in Paris.