When applying to NYU in Paris, students will apply to either Program I or Program II.
Program I
Program I is designed for students with little or no knowledge of French. Students usually take four courses per semester. All courses, with the exception of language courses, are conducted in English. All students are required to take an appropriate French language course to complement their course work in English. Program I students who are enrolled in Conversation & Composition (the most advanced level French course within Program I) may take a course taught in French from Program II after a consulation in Paris with an advisor.
In addition, Program I students may take up to two courses taught in English in the Departments of Anglo-American Studies at the Universities of Paris III, VII and X.
NYU in Paris courses in Program I include such offerings as The French Art World in the 19th and 20th Centuries, French Culture-French Cinema, France and the European Union, France and Islam, and French and Expatriate Literature.
Program II
Program II is designed for students with one or more courses beyond intermediate French. All Program II courses and assignments, including oral and written reports, examinations, and research papers, are in French.
In addition to content courses, all students in Program II are required to take an appropriate level French course. Only under special circumstances and with approval from an academic advisor in Paris may a student in Program II take a Program I course.
In addition to courses at the NYU center, advanced students in Program II have the option of enrolling in one or more courses offered in the French university system (Paris I, III, VII, X) and other specialized schools (Institut d'Études Politiques, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales and Institut Catholique). Students enrolled in the French university system attend alsses with native speakers of French. Advanced students in Program II typically take one course in the French university system and the rest of their courses at the NYU center. All students enrolled in the French university system also participate in tutorials with instructors from NYU in Paris.
The University of Paris
Founded in 1257 by the theologian and chaplain of Saint Louis, Robert de Sorbon, the Collège de la Sorbonne became the center of theological studies. The Sorbonne was closed in 1790, and its buildings became part of the University of Paris in 1808. During the 19th and 20th centuries, the University of Paris expanded both academically (beyond the study of theology) and physically (beyond its original location in the Latin Quarter). In 1968, the University of Paris was divided into three independent entities located in and around Paris.
Since that division, the system has grown to include 13 different universities, and the Sorbonne has become a complex of buildings serving the needs of these universities.
NYU in Paris has a formal student exchange arrangement with the University of Paris VII (Denis Diderot). The arrangement permits NYU in Paris students to obtain university student cards and to have a large choice of courses. Students may also take courses at other Universities (Paris I, III, X) or specialized institutions such as the Institut d'Études Politiques, Ecole Normale Supérieur, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales and Institut Catholique.