Quick Facts

Application Deadlines

• Fall semester: April 15
• Spring semester: October 15

Program Dates

Language of Instruction

Recommended college-level French

• 4 semesters for semester and year programs
• 5 semesters for the BCA-IFE internship track

Host University: University of Strasbourg:

• IIEF: Institut International d’Études Françaises.

Courses improve students’ language skills through study of French civilization. All students (except EM) take the pre-semester Stage at IIEF, which provides intensive language training.

• Institut d’Études Politiques: A very prestigious “grande école” for political science, economics and history.

• École de Management: (formerly IECS, now EM) Another grande école which specializes in business and economics.

• Faculté des Lettres (formerly Marc Bloch University)

• Faculté des Sciences (formerly Louis Pasteur University)

Housing

Host families, university housing or student boarding houses

Orientation

The BCA program begins with a three-day orientation, during which students learn about the university, meet with BCA advisors and move into their housing. Fall and spring semester students take "French Social Problems."

Resident Director

Full-time, on-site Resident Director, Alex Neff has been the director of BCA France since 2002.  Alex is a native of Pennsylvania. During his undergraduate studies at Messiah College, he studied abroad through BCA in Nancy. He holds an M.A. in international affairs from George Washington University and a Master in history from Robert Schuman University, Strasbourg. Before joining BCA, Alex worked at the Academy for Educational Development in Washington, D.C. and taught English at a private school in Taejon, South Korea. In 2006, Alex published “Une Clarté Bien Franche”, a biography of French Mennonite pastor and peace activist Pierre Widmer.  Alex lives with his wife and four children in Strasbourg. 

Academic Calendar

BCA Strasbourg operates on a semester system. Students can apply for fall semester, spring semester or the full year. Strasbourg's five universities operate on slightly different academic calendars, so please check dates carefully.

Extra Educational Opportunities

• Tour Verdun battlefields, the Alsace wine route and the Chateau de Haut-Koenigsbourg and Art Nouveau museum in Nancy
• Participate in excursions that may include professional football games, a bike trip along the canal de la Bruche, a hike to the prehistoric site at Le Donon, or a tour of the Medieval library of the Grand Seminaire
• Attend BCA’s International Student Conference on U.S.-European Relations (spring semester only)