FRANÇOIS RABELAIS UNIVERSITÉ
FRU, located in the city of Tours, enrolls approximately 22,000 students and offers courses in the humanities, business, social sciences, medicine, natural sciences, and engineering. The University’s facilities feature electronic resources as well as an extensive library collection. As an urban university, FRU houses its offices and classrooms throughout the city. Perhaps your classroom will overlook the Loire, be close to a café, or be around the corner from a bookstore. The diversity of FRU’s offerings will certainly include a gem for you. You can also learn on the streets – Tours dates back to Greco-Roman times and is made up of layers of history, styles, influences, and traditions. Tours’ university offers a substantial research library, as well as numerous electronic resources. Most of the university’s facilities are modern, while the library houses medieval manuscripts and rare Renaissance materials. You might find yourself in a classroom with rows of desks and chalkboards in modern buildings that still overlook the beautiful Loire. Offices and departments are located in various buildings all over the city, so you’ll become a walker – but don’t worry; most European students are used to hiking from class to class. The University sponsors a number of student clubs that organize outings in the region, and the Center for International Relations also organizes an outing once a month for international students.
THE CLASSES
As a student, you will enroll in the Unité de Formation et de Recherche des Lettres (UFR), which includes programs in Language, Literature, and Civilization, as well as the Center for Renaissance Studies and the many language programs. Six hours a week, you’ll take advantage of strategic training in the CUEFFE, Tours’ center for French as a foreign language. In addition to these language and culture courses, you can take any classes that earn credit toward your major, your LADRs, or your curiosity. Unlike other European universities, Tours offers smaller classes that allow for interactive learning and discussion. However, different pedagogies are part of the learning experience. Professors will present you with intense and informative lectures. It is the student’s responsibility to stay on top of the readings and classwork, because tests, essays, and exams are less frequent at UFR than at Hanover. You will determine the course of your own studies and are required to be self-reliant and independent.
THE CITY
Tours is the provincial capital of Touraine, where French royalty set up court during the Renaissance. Nobles and courtiers built sumptuous palaces along the Loire and Cher Rivers. Their beautiful chateaux are still surrounded by woods and forests, rich in game. Under the influence of Charlemagne during the eighth and ninth centuries, Tours was one of the great intellectual cities of Europe. During the Middle Ages, Tours was recognized as an important center for the teaching of medicine – its school of surgery was founded by a guild of barbers in 1408. The purity of the French spoken in Tours is another legacy of the Court. In addition to Tours itself, Hanover students will have easy access to visit the chateaux of the Loire valley, the Atlantic coast, and a variety of national parks in south-central France. Tour is located just one hour from Paris by the fast train (the TGV).
APPLICATION PROCESS AND DEADLINES
The application process is initiated through the French Department. The application procedure is necessarily lengthy, due to the requirements of international study and the need to maintain satisfactory progress toward graduation from Hanover. The application deadlines are strictly enforced. Students are urged to contact the Study Abroad Office for an Application for Off-Campus Study. Consult your academic advisors or the study abroad advisor early in your career, so that you can plan ahead. Studying off-campus for a term requires careful planning to ensure timely completion of the Liberal Arts Degree Requirements and major course requirements.
SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS
- Obtain a passport and visa. See the Study Abroad Office for information on obtaining these documents.
- Purchase an International Student Identity Card (ISIC). The holder is eligible for basic medical, accident, and illness insurance, and gains a variety of discounts.
- You must be nominated to participate in this exchange program by the faculty in the Department of Modern Languages from among declared French majors and minors, after an interview conducted by the Hanover French faculty – see Dr. Kirkland for expected competence in French. It is also recommended that students complete either FRE 237 or FRE 238 (French Culture and Civilization I or II) prior to studying in France.
ON-CAMPUS EXPERTS
Professor Appelt will be delighted to talk with you about Hanover’s partner program in Tours.
Visit UFR at http://www.univ-tours.fr
