Sports & Culture in France
Long known as one of France’s most sporty cities, Montpellier is an ideal place to learn about French sports culture. This course will cover such topics as sports tourism, sports psychology, and sports pedagogy.
Program Details
Location
Montpellier, France
Term
May Session
Housing
Apartment
Credit Type
Resident Credit
Sponsor
Learning Abroad Center
Program Eligibility
GPA
2.5
Student Type
UofM Students
Non UofM Students
Student Year
Freshmen
Sophomores
Juniors
Seniors
Language Prerequisite
No Language Prerequisite
Photos
Videos
Sports & Culture in France: La vie sportive
Program Map
3.88
43.61
11
Program Locations
Association Student Services
Program office. Houses program staff members, some classroom space, and space for students to hang out. There are also computers for student use, as well as wireless internet access.
Latitude
43.613400
Longitude
3.883600
Place de la Comédie
Main square in town, common meeting place for students.
Latitude
43.608200
Longitude
3.879300
Polygone
Located in the heart of Montpellier, this shopping center offers stores such as andré, Galeries Lafayette, L\'Occitan, fnac, Camaïeu, Etam, Naf Naf, and Monoprix. There are also several pâtisseries and cafés in the shopping center.
Latitude
43.608500
Longitude
3.884600
Aéroport Montpellier–Méditerranée
Coordinated flight arrives and departs from this airport. Airport also houses budget airlines EasyJet and Ryan Air, and serves many locations such as Brussels, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, Fez, London, Paris, and Rome.
Latitude
43.577100
Longitude
3.959200
Gare Montpellier-Saint-Roch (Train Station)
Located just off the Place de la Comédie, the train station is within walking distance of the arrival hotel.
Latitude
43.603400
Longitude
3.880700
Piscine Olympique d'Antigone (Pool)
Latitude
43.607100
Longitude
3.892900
Odysseum
Easily accessible by tram, the Odysseum complex contains an aquarium, a planetarium, a shopping center, restaurants, and a skating rink.
Latitude
43.603500
Longitude
3.920600
Parc Zoologique
Latitude
43.643200
Longitude
3.879800
Jardin des Plantes
Latitude
43.614400
Longitude
3.873000
Palavas-les-Flots
Closest beach to Montpellier, easily accessible by tram or bicycle
Latitude
43.529200
Longitude
3.931800
Nîmes
About 30 minutes by train from Montpellier, Nîmes makes a great day trip. It is home to several remnants of the Roman Empire, such as the amphitheatre, where bull fights are still held, the Tour Magne, and the Maison Carrée.
Latitude
43.836000
Longitude
4.356100
Sète
About 20 minutes from Montpellier by train, Sète makes a great day trip. It is a port town with a strong maritime and fishing culture, and home les joutes nautiques (water jousting) during the St-Louis Festival in August.
Latitude
43.407500
Longitude
3.699700
Carcassonne
A short train ride from Montpellier, Carcassonne is famous for the Cité de Carcassonne, a medieval fortress and UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Latitude
43.407500
Longitude
3.699700
Pont du Gard
Typical program excursion
Latitude
43.947600
Longitude
4.535000
Avignon
Typical program excursion
Latitude
43.948800
Longitude
4.804200
Les Baux de Provence
Typical program excursion
Latitude
43.743800
Longitude
4.794900
St-Guilhem-le-Désert
Typical program excursion
Latitude
43.734000
Longitude
3.548500
Aigues Mortes
Typical program excursion
Latitude
43.567100
Longitude
4.192000
Camargue
Typical program excursion
Latitude
43.499700
Longitude
4.499900
About
Live and study in Montpellier, one of France’s fastest growing cities and an emerging cultural and educational center. Within easy reach of both mountains and the Mediterranean, and home to 100,000 university students, it is a young, vibrant city with a centuries-old history of intellectual advances and social tolerance. Montpellier is the ideal place to experience French culture as a study abroad student.
Long known as one of France’s most sporty cities, Montpellier is a great place to learn about French sports culture. This program will cover topics including sports tourism, sports psychology, and sports pedagogy. You will also learn about several European sports, such as pétanque and team handball, and visit several sports-related sites in and around Montpellier.
Housing & Meals
You will live in an extended stay hotel with other program participants. You are responsible for your own meals.
Excursions
The program includes excursions to several local sports and recreational facilities. Students will participate in local visits, such as hiking in the national park of Cévennes, observing a training session of the Montpellier handball club, and attending a professional handball game.
Flight
The Learning Abroad Center works with Village Travel, a local travel agency, to arrange a coordinated flight for program participants. The flight is optional, and is arranged for those who want to fly with other program participants. Group flight information is typically available by the program application deadline, if not before.
Learning Outcomes
- Deepen cross-cultural understanding through interaction with faculty and community members
- Gain French, European, and international perspectives on sport
- Increase independence and self-reliance by learning to navigate French society
- Acquire practical knowledge in sports-related professions such as coaching, sport management and kinesiology
Faculty & Staff
Françoise Defrecheux-Chaton
Françoise has been the On-Site Director of the program in Montpellier since 1990. With her staff, she oversees student services, excursions, housing arrangements, and academic coursework. She is also a professor in Business English at the Université de Montpellier and is well-connected in the local university community in Montpellier.
She holds a Bachelor's degree in Germanic Languages from the Université de Liège and a Master's from the University of Minnesota in French Literature. She has also taught at the University of Minnesota and Carleton College in Minnesota.
Corinne Dumas
Corinne has been the Assistant Director of the University of Minnesota Program in Montpellier since 2006. She currently teaches the course on Leadership and Experiential Learning for the program.
She received a MA in English from the University of Orléans in France and a MA in French and ESL from West Virginia University. Corinne studied for five years at the University of North Carolina where she was also a teaching assistant in the French department. She completed her course work and passed her PhD exams in Comparative Literature.
Paul Rogers
Paul is the Academic Adviser for the Montpellier programs. He has been teaching university courses for over twenty years, and currently teaches in his specialty for the University of Minnesota program and at the Université Paul-Valéry in the Lettres Modernes department.
Paul holds a PhD in medieval French literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He is originally from southern Rhode Island.
Program Structure
Program Level
3000 level courses
Courseload
One 3-credit course
Coursework
Sports & Culture in France — MONT 3701
May Session, 3 Credits
Spend your morning examining sports, sports psychology and the nature of professional sports in France and the USA and then engage in a variety of sport activities in the afternoon. Classes are taught by University of Montpellier experts in the field.
Syllabus for Sports & Culture in France (PDF)
Sports Management B.S. major focus elective and minor elective; Kinesiology B.S. focus elective; Recreation, Park and Leisure Studies B.S. focus elective.
Approved for Global Perspectives Theme
Program Dates
Submit the online application and complete the assigned application checklist according to the appropriate deadline:
Orientation Dates & Locations
Orientation will be conducted in 2 parts: an online orientation, which is mandatory for all students, and an in-person, program-specific session. You will receive more information about the online orientation via email. Failure to complete the online orientation will impact your ability to go abroad.
See below for tentative dates and times for your in-person session. You will be notified of the official date and time via email. Participants will receive applicable orientation materials via email approximately 1 week prior to the in-person session.
May Session 2022
Application Open Date: August 1, 2021
Application Deadline: March 1, 2022
| Schedule | Date |
|---|---|
| Depart U.S. | mid-May |
| Arrive Montpellier (program start date) | mid-May |
| Orientation | TBD |
| First day of class | TBD |
| Last day of class and housing | early June |
| Depart Montpellier (program end date) | early June |
Fees
University of Minnesota participants pay the program fee instead of on-campus tuition and fees for the term they are abroad.
If you do not see a budget estimate for the term you intend to go abroad, the fee has not yet been finalized. We strive to post fees for this program at least 30 days prior to the application deadline. The Learning Abroad Center will delay the posting of some fees until enrollments, inflation and exchange rates are determined. Note the average increase in fees will be 3–10%. Program fees are based on estimates and may change depending on international economic factors.
Fees or tuition from home institutions may be added to or differ from the University of Minnesota Learning Abroad Center fees listed on this page.
Billing & Payments
Visit Billing for information about the billing process for application fees, deposits, and program fees.
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Visit Financial Information for information on using financial aid and scholarships for study abroad.
Bridging Loan
Bridging Loan, a no-interest/no-fees loan that funds the upfront deposit and flights costs, is available for this program for eligible students.
Cancellation Policy
Before you apply to or confirm your participation on this program, review the Learning Abroad Center's Cancellation Policy to inform yourself of the timeline and financial obligations for canceling.
May 2021
Prepare
Complete pre-application advising.
Apply
You will be charged a $50 application fee for each application you submit.
Complete
After you submit your application, you will receive an email notification confirming that your application was received. Submitted applications are assigned an application checklist, which will include the following items:
- Application Essay
- Transcript (Non-UofM students only)
- Home Institution Nomination (Non-UofM students only)
Detailed descriptions and instructions for submitting each checklist item are included on the application checklist assigned to you.
If you do not meet the GPA requirement for this program, you will be required to submit two additional application items: the Low GPA Essay and Special Circumstances Recommendation. Both items will be added to your checklist after your start your application, and you will be notified when they have been added.
Application Review Process
After your application checklist is complete, your application is reviewed by our program team. You will be notified of an acceptance decision by email. If accepted, you will be assigned a confirmation checklist, which you will complete to confirm your participation in the program. If you decide not to continue with the application process, log into the online application system and submit a Cancel Request.
Visa
Student Visa in France (Short-stay)
Students traveling with a US passport do not need a student visa in order to study in France for less than 90 days. You will need a valid passport.
If you are applying for a passport for the first time, visit the US Department of State website for information on the steps you will need to take. It can take up to 10 weeks to receive a new passport during busy processing times, so apply as soon as possible. Consider expedited service if necessary. If you already have a passport, make sure that it is valid for 6 months after your program end date and has at least 2 blank pages available.
If you are a dual citizen: holding a US passport and a passport from another country; determine which passport you will use for your travel to and from France. Complete the “Do you need a visa?” questionnaire on the France-Visas website.
Visa Process for students who do not hold a US passport
If you do not hold a US passport, permission from US authorities to exit and re-enter the US may be required. Consult with the international student office on your campus for assistance with this documentation.
In order to determine what the entry regulations are for France, a good starting point is to complete the “Do you need a visa?” questionnaire on the France-Visas website. Depending on the type of visa required of you for studying in France, you may need additional documentation for entry. Please contact the Montpellier team at the Learning Abroad Center to consult.
If you are an international student, please note that processing times for international passports can take up to 2 months. During the processing period, you cannot leave the US, because you will not have a valid passport in your possession.
Program Contact
For further information or questions about this program, send an email to
Maria Mantey
or call at
612.626.7535
Contact Program Alumn
Jake O., MIS and Business Analytics major, May 2019