Program highlights for Pau, France

• Live and study in a charming, small city set against a stunning backdrop of the Pyrenees.
• Accelerate your French language skills with an intensive language learning approach, plus choose from a variety of exciting electives in French and European Studies.
• Soak up all that the surrounding region has to offer through field trips and tours to places like Paris, Béarn, the Basque Country, and more.
• Enjoy a deeper cultural experience and true French life in a less-visited city.
• Adjust to life abroad easily with the full-time on-site USAC Resident Director and staff.

Why study in Pau?

Pau is perfect for those looking to immerse themselves in traditional French culture in one of the most beautiful regions in France. The city is small enough to have everything within walking or biking distance yet large enough to offer modern amenities like theatres, shops, festivals, concerts, and outdoor cafés. There’s plenty of traditional activities in Pau as well: markets, lovely parks, museums, quaint shops, and the historical quarters built around the castle of Henri IV which date back to Medieval and Renaissance times. Pau is conveniently located with stunning destinations like the Pyrenees Mountains, the beaches of Biarritz, and Lourdes easily accessible.

You can study for one or two summer sessions, a semester, or year. All programs offer an intensive language approach that allows you to accelerate your French language skills, completing up to one and a half years of university language coursework in a semester or one year’s worth in the combined summer sessions. Additionally, you can choose from interesting electives in French and European Studies such as Food and Culture or Theatre in French.

Field trips and tours may include destinations like Béarn, the Basque Country, or Spain. Semester students will also begin their program with the “Discovering Paris” tour where they will spend four days in Paris studying the history, art, and architecture of the city.