The Franco-Arab Summer

Entangled Worlds: Immersive summer and Franco-Arab studies across Paris and Rabat.

Overview Academics Support Housing Culture Dates & Fees Application

Academics

The APA Franco-Arab Summer Program is built around a comparative, interdisciplinary approach to studying France and North Africa through both language and historical inquiry. The program unfolds over six immersive weeks across Paris and Rabat, allowing students to experience learning in two interconnected cultural contexts. Students spend five weeks in Paris, where core coursework and intensive French language instruction are based, before traveling to Rabat for a final week of seminar work, cultural immersion, and field-based learning. Students may also choose to extend their experience with two additional weeks in Paris, dedicated to independent research, academic projects, or guided study that builds on themes explored during the program.
The academic framework is designed to help students
- Examine the shared histories and contemporary connections between France and North Africa.
- Strengthen French language proficiency through structured instruction and daily use.
- Situate theory within lived experience through urban exploration, field-based learning, and travel.
- Develop critical skills in analysis, comparison, and intercultural understanding.

Course Overview

All students follow two four-credit courses:
Français dans la ville: French language (Beginner or Intermediate French)
Entangled Worlds: Two Centuries of Franco-Arab Encounters (Language of Instruction: English)


    Together, these courses offer a complementary lens that pairs intensive language study with an interdisciplinary seminar across the Francophone Mediterranean.

Français dans la ville: French Language

Through the theme Français dans la ville, students build French language skills at their level by engaging with everyday urban life in Paris and Rabat, exploring how shared histories and contemporary France–Maghreb connections shape language in context. All students follow a language course, according to their level:

  • Beginner French — Français dans la ville
    • Designed for students new to French, this course builds foundational speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills through everyday urban contexts in Paris and Rabat. Language learning is grounded in daily life, introducing students to the shared vocabulary, rhythms, and cultural references shaped by France–Maghreb connections.
  • Intermediate —Français dans la ville
    • This course strengthens fluency, accuracy, and confidence through analysis of contemporary urban life in Paris and Rabat. Students engage with authentic texts, conversations, and cultural practices that highlight the historical and lived ties between France and the Maghreb.

The class meets four times a week Monday through Thursday for two hours/day over 5 weeks.

+ 5 hours of individual language support (1hour/week)

Activities in Paris with Language assistant for an additional 15 hours.

Entangled Worlds: Two centuries of Franco-Arab Encounters

Explore the deep and complex ties that bind France and North Africa while studying French and living in the vibrant cities of Paris and Rabat.

Centered on the shared history of France and North Africa, this course will engage students critically with the legacies of French colonialism not only as a political system, but as a set of narratives, artistic expressions, and intellectual frameworks that have influenced how Europe and North Africa perceive one another. Through coursework, site visits, and direct immersion in Paris and Rabat, participants will trace the ways in which these entanglements continue to inform contemporary debates about migration, identity, religion, and belonging today.

Studying the works of writers and thinkers who crossed linguistic and cultural borders, students will explore the political world and the imaginative landscapes of the Francophone Mediterranean.

Course taught in English

View Course Catalogs

At the end of the term, APA will send the following to the student’s home institution:

  • APA Transcript (includes credit hours, grades and their American equivalents) *
  • Professor’s evaluation (includes detailed report of the grades earned – when available)
  • Course descriptions and bibliographies
  • Student’s academic schedule

*Students may request a e-transcript provided by APA’s School of Record for a nominal fee.

Extend Your Stay

Students may choose to use the summer to explore an early research or independent study idea alongside their experiences in Paris and Rabat. Those interested can return to Paris for an optional two-week extension to continue independent work or research.

This experience may support future academic goals, including a junior paper, senior thesis, or competitive scholarships such as the Fulbright Program, Chateaubriand Fellowship, Boren Awards, or Gilman Scholarship. Students interested in extending their stay are encouraged to plan ahead and inquire about available options prior to departure.

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