Academic Excursions in Paris

During Paris Semester, students participate in numerous excursions that are included in the cost of the semester. Towards the beginning of the semester, students take a guided group trip to Chartres, France where they visit Chartres Cathedral. This cathedral is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is famous for its 12th and 13th century stained glass windows. Chartres is also known for its prayer labyrinth. This overnight trip allows a look at a more provincial side of France and an escape from the rigors of Paris. Students spend another weekend in a farmhouse in the countryside to recharge from the bustle of the city and to consider rural France — “la France profonde”— characterized by village life and agricultural culture.

Within specific courses, Intercultural Studies 330 incorporates lecture excursions to sites in Paris related to church history — one tour investigating the Church through the Middle Ages, and the other the Reformation and persecution. A third lecture walk looks at the urban, multicultural population of Paris, considering the role of the Church in contemporary, varied context. Art History 252 makes use of museum and gallery tours in Paris, focusing on the impact of social, religious, political and economic forces on art over the past 500 years. Students learn to distinguish various movements in art and architecture as demonstrated through museum, gallery tours, and walks in Paris.