Coursework
All French coursework will be taught at the Institut de Touraine, a private language school that specializes in French language and culture courses. The Institut, located in the city of Tours, is not far from the famed Place Plumereau. There is easy access to public transportation and students will find themselves in the middle of a vibrant area of cafés, cinemas, restaurants, and shops.
For the 4-week program:
This program is designed for those who wish to advance more quickly in French toward completing their language requirement, or for French majors or minors who would like to complete 6 units of French credit over the summer.
Students will take a four-week intensive French course that meets five days a week in the mornings, and several afternoons. You will be asked to take a placement test before you leave for Tours so that you can be placed in the correct level upon arrival. You will be taking classes with other international students from all over the world. You may plan to travel before the session begins or after it ends, but there will be little to time travel during the session. In addition to classes, there will be excursions to local historical sites planned.
For the 8-week program:
This program has two target audiences:
- For French majors and minors who would like to rapidly progress toward graduation by completing 9 French credits in one summer while being immersed in the language and culture.
- For students interested in taking an IAH course while also earning 6 credits in French. This option is open to all students, regardless of level of French.
In the 8 week program, the summer courses are divided into two sessions. All students in the 8 week program will take a four-week intensive French course. Following this course, there will be a week break where students may travel throughout France and/or Europe. Upon their return, students will take either a three-week course on French civilization taught by Institut faculty specifically to MSU students or a 4 credit IAH course taught by the program director.
In April, students will take a placement test to determine their proficiency level for course placement (unless taking FRN 103 and 104). Students will be placed according to the Common European Framework guidelines.
Students will not be required to purchase any additional materials, save for normal school supplies (pens, notebooks, etc.). Textbooks and other course materials will be provided by the Institut.
Credits and Costs
Students will be required to enroll in 6 credits (for the 4-week program) or 9 credits (for the 8-week program). Note that students on the 8 week program who opt for the IAH course will need to enroll in 10 credits (6 for FRN and 4 for IAH). Please see the section on Academics for more information.
The cost of the trip is broken into three categories: program fees, flights and incidentals, and MSU tuition.
- Program fees include student housing, meals (breakfasts and dinners), excursions and on-site transportation, international health insurance, and administrative fees. The program fees this year will be approximately $4,200 for the eight-week session and approximately $2,200 for the 4 week session. [Once the budget is finalized, we will post the exact dollar amounts for the fees.]
- Flights and incidentals (e.g. passport fees, spending money, bus/tram passes, additional meals, etc.) are estimated at about $3,000.
- MSU tuition for nine credits varies based on your residency status. Please note that scholarships are available. For an in-state student enrolling in the 8 week program, tuition from the previous Summer (2025) was approximately $5,000. This number varies based on residency, year in school, and length of program. Please see the Student Accounts page for MSU’s current tuition charges.
Scholarships
- If you are a student in the College of Arts and Letters (CAL), please click here for scholarship information.
- For students with majors in colleges other than CAL, please click here for scholarship information.
- More information about financing study abroad can be found on the MSU Office for Education Abroad’s website.
Housing
Student will be placed with French host families during their stay. Families are experienced in hosting students and are able to provide a safe environment in which students will be immersed in French. Additionally, all families are background-checked by the Institut. There will be a housing preference sheet (allergies, dietary restrictions, etc.) that students will fill out to ensure a proper match. Nevertheless, if problems arise with the host family during the stay, all reasonable efforts will be made to resolve the issue(s) or students will have to opportunity to switch families.
Housing includes:
- 2 meals/day (breakfast & dinner)
- laundry once/week
- free wifi in the home
- a complete and total immersion of language and culture
Excursions
| As part of your learning experience, there will be excursions provided for both the 4- and 8-week sessions. Among them will be trips to several châteaux in the Loire valley. Other planned activities may include a cooking lesson, a visit to the famed Vouvray cave (along with wine tasting), a day trip to Paris or another French city, and a trip to the Mont St. Michel, among others. The exact excursions will be finalized as we get closer to the departure date. |  |