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Introduction to Poitiers

Experience life in an ancient city where twenty centuries of Western civilization are still evident in buildings graced by Roman, Medieval, and Renaissance architecture. Today, Poitiers is a center for education, agriculture, industry and communications. A university town, it boasts a population of 120,000 and offers students a chance to live in a manageably sized city while still being close to the larger metropolitan centers in France.

The Poitiers program facilitates student exchange between the University of Poitiers and students from any of the Oregon University System universities. The program allows students to enroll in either French language courses (at many different levels) or in regular university courses, in many fields of study, taught entirely in French. The program is suitable for all students of all majors who have completed second-year college-level French or the equivalent.

Highlights:

• The University of Poitiers offers a broad array of academic disciplines and courses in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and business
• The medieval studies center at Poitiers is one of the largest and best in France
• Poitiers participants who are studying art or music may be placed into one or two studio/performance courses at the School of Fine Arts of Poitiers, on a case-by-case basis
• Students of theater arts and film will benefit from Poitiers' wonderful program in "arts de spectacle," including all aspects of stage and film production
• Still nestled into its medieval walls, Poitiers is one of the most intact medieval cities of Europe, with its church from the 900's proudly standing in the center of the walled area

Poitiers is in the storied western region of France, in close proximity to the Loire Valley and its chateaux, the Atlantic coast, Basque country, and Normandy, with Paris about two hours by train.

The Oregon University System International Programs are cooperative programs to which all students in public universities in Oregon and select private partner universities have access. The programs are predominately reciprocal exchanges that not only send students abroad, but also bring students to Oregon campuses. It is through these direct relationships that students and faculty connect with partner institutions abroad and bring diversity to Oregon universities.