Due to French visa requirements, France-bound student should NOT MAKE INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL PLANS the summer before study abroad.
Located in the historic Burgundy region, the city of Dijon sits within one of France's principal wine-making areas. Synonymous with superb wine and cuisine (and, yes, there is plenty of mustard to be had), Dijon boasts a high quality of life, thanks in part to its beautiful architecture ranging in style from Gothic to Art Deco., and its many galleries and museums, including the Musée des Beaux-Arts, housed in the Palace of the Dukes. Dijon is also home to the prestigious Université de Bourgogne (University of Burgundy, or UB). Holy Cross students who matriculate to UB will start their semester or year away with a 4-week language intensive program in Tours, France, during the month of August, then travel to Dijon, where they have the unique opportunity to take classes alongside French students at the University of Burgundy.
Tours arrival date: Sun, August 3, 2025
Tours class dates: Mon, Aug 4 - Fri, Aug 29
Travel day to Dijon: Sat, Aug 30, 2025
uBE Orientation: TBA in early September
uBE Exams begin: TBA (First semester exams could take place in January**)
**All study abroad students MUST plan to stay until the end of the exam period, which ends in January. Students cannot arrange to take exams at a time other than the one assigned for the class. See the Student Contract for the policy. There are no exceptions.
Official Move-Out: TBD
You will purchase a flight to Paris from your 'home airport.' Once you land in Paris, you will take the TGV train to Tours. You can then take a taxi to your homestay address, or arrange for your host family to pick you up. When your time in Tours comes to an end, you will take the train to Dijon, where our on-site director will meet you at the train station!
Dijon is a small, walkable, picturesque city of approximately 160,000 proud residents. It is considered one of the most beautiful, historical towns in France, with its remarkable architectural heritage shaped by close ties with the Dukes of Burgundy and the Parliament of Dijon. Dijon is well connected to the rest of France - and Europe - by train. In fact, the Dijon-Ville station is an important railway junction for lines from Paris to Lyon, Marseilles, and beyond. The University of Burgundy is itself home to over 25,000 students, making Dijon an extremely student-friendly place to live.
"Through [study abroad in Dijon, I learned to be more confident and independent. I quickly realized that the only way to get better at speaking French was to talk to people in French, and I soon became more confident in my ability to speak French and communicate with new people. I also became much more independent- more so then I had ever thought I would be. I had the freedom to choose my own adventures, whether that was deciding where to eat lunch or traveling alone to other countries. I had to make many decisions on my own, and I learned to decide what I want and how to do it. This newfound confidence and independence will stay with me for the rest of my life."
-Lindsay Yatsuhashi, Class of 2023