About

The Illinois Programs in Paris (IPP), established in 1971, is sponsored by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and offers students an immersive experience in France's capital. Through intense on-site support by a resident director and team of experienced education abroad professionals, students partake in coursework in French language and literature, Business and Economics, political science, and more. All IPP students are required to take at least one French course (or for students with advanced levels of French profiency, courses in French at Parisian universities) and have the opportunity to take courses at renowned partner institutions such as Sciences Po, The Université de Paris, the École Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP), and the Paris School of Business. Find out more about the academic offerings available through the Illinois Program in Paris in this application brochure! 

Dr. Edward Costello, former resident director, recalls for us the founding of the Illinois center in Paris. 

"In the mid-eighties, the Department of French moved their study-abroad program from southern France to Paris and hired a resident director, me, Dr. Edward Costello. Dr. Alain Fresco, undergraduate advisor, recruited enthusiastically, and I assembled a small faculty of local professors to complement the French language instruction at the Institut de Langue et Civilisation Française.  The goal was to allow majors and minors to complete their degree requirements while taking courses unavailable on campus---to study art history with guided tours in the museums, French theatre with live performances, the history of immigration with walking tours of ethnic neighborhoods.  Eventually, with the hiring of Dr. Michel Bondurand, the program offered students experiential learning with the collaboration of junior high schools, non-profit organizations, including food banks and urban farming projects.  In the last years of my management, the program was expanded to appeal to dual majors and students with less French.  Upon my retirement in 2016, Dr. Bondurand became director.  He continues to assure that the program responds proactively to the ever-changing mission of higher education in the 21st century."

Paris, “City of Lights”, is the capital and the political, economic, and cultural center of France. It is also the international and European headquarters of institutions such as UNESCO or ESA.. 

Strolling through the streets of Paris is like walking through history, from the Roman Empire to the 21st century : you can see the ruins of the Roman baths while walking Boulevard Saint-Michel as well as admiring La Philharmonie, the latest creation of the architect Jean Nouvel, in the Parc de la Villette. The principal architecture in Paris is dated from the 19th century, when Baron Haussmann renovated most of the city with its gray and cream buildings that the Parisians call " haussmannien".  

The project called « The Grand Paris » is now on its way and its boarders are integrating into the suburbs spreading out the city. In addition to the expansion, this is also attractive for architects, urbanists, artists and intellectuals who have the opportunity to design and create a more sustainable urban life. As we know in our modern situation, it is more and more important to integrate ecology, sustainability and nature into our cities, and Paris is in the lead. 

With 206 museums, 1317 art galeries, 756 bookstores, 5738 restaurants, 360 events happening each night in average, Paris will always have a lot to offer…