International Engineering Program

Preparing for Your Year Abroad: French IEP

Preparing for the year abroad in a stress-free way takes months of planning before you depart. Most students leave for the year abroad at the end of July and return a full twelve months later. Students studying at the Université de Technologie de Compiègne (UTC) participate in the four-week immersion French class in Compiègne during August, then the Fall semester from mid-September to mid-January, then the internship from February through July.

The preparation process includes individual and group meetings and orientations to discuss a range of topics such as the application process, academics, internships, accommodation, course selection,  registration with the university, culture and cultural differences, visa advising and health, safety and security abroad to offer the maximum support to our students. We will also connect you to fifth year students who just returned from their year abroad, to exchange students from our partner universities whenever possible and to other helpful resources. 

Follow the timeline below and also check out the French IEP Study Abroad Student Guide, created by French IEP Student Ambassadors to help prepare you for the year abroad.

FIEP Student Guide

French IEP Abroad Timeline

October – December

  1. Attend First Informational Session: October, exact date TBA
  2. Budget: View the Program Budget Sheet in URI Abroad for estimated program expenses.
  3. Passport Application or Renewal: If you have a passport, make sure it will be valid 6 months past the date of your anticipated return. If you do not have a passport, or if you need to renew your passport, go to your nearest post office (which for URI is in Wakefield); you MUST schedule an appointment.
  4. Obtaining a Visa: While URI offers students guidance on how to apply for a visa, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to apply for and obtain the appropriate visa needed to support their studies. US citizens who are studying in France need to apply for a long-term student visa before entering France (see the French Consulate Website for instructions). You are eligible to apply for a visa as soon as you receive your acceptance letter from the French university in early May, and a letter from URI addressed to the French consulate.
    Important: Non-US citizens need to check whether they are on the list of countries whose citizens need to apply for a visa on the consulate’s website. Please make an appointment with Jamie Loredo, Education Abroad Advisor, jamie.loredo@uri.edu, if you need any additional guidance on obtaining a visa.
  5. Financial Aid: Each year, Dr. Berka will send a list of IEP students who are planning to study abroad for the year to Enrollment Services so they know that this year is a required part of the IEP. Students receiving a merit-based scholarship will roll over this scholarship at a prorated rate for the fall semester. The merit scholarship will pause during the spring/summer when you’ll be in your internship and not pay URI instate tuition (as you do for the fall). If you return to URI for your 5th and final year, your merit scholarship will resume. Please address any other questions with a financial aid advisor in Green Hall.
  6. Meet with Advisors to Discuss Academic Plan for Fifth Year: Make sure to work on a graduation worksheet with your advisors, so that you know which classes you have to take for graduation. Since you will have to register for Fall courses from abroad, let us know immediately if there is a conflict between a French course and courses required for engineering in your 5th year. Review your IEP program curriculum sheet.
  7. Research: If you would like to earn 3 credits of MCE, CHE, ELE etc. 491 professional elective credits, talk to your French IEP director about possible research opportunities.
  8. Scholarships: Start working on scholarship applications for scholarship opportunities with December or January deadlines, such as the Beatrice Demers Scholarship and the Gilman scholarship.  For additional grants and deadlines, check out IEP Scholarship & Fellowships. 
    Note: The URI Academic Works scholarship portal opens on April 1 and the deadline for URI scholarships is June 30th (some scholarships do have different application cycle dates). Please register for it on April 1st to be matched as a candidate for URI internal scholarships you are eligible for! Pay special attention to the Flynn scholarship for which you can apply when going abroad.

January

  1. URI Office of International Education – Attend an optional information session on how to apply to study abroad in the URI Abroad Application System – TBA
    • All students who plan to study abroad are required to obtain permission from URI and therefore must complete the URI Abroad Application. In general, IEP students should apply using the Fall Semester application for their program – not the Academic Year.
  2.  Contact Jamie Loredo, Education Abroad Advisor, jamie.loredo@uri.edu if you have any questions about the URI Abroad Application or about the study abroad process.
  3. UTC Application Due to French IEP Director by January 31. Submit the application to your director, who will send it on to UTC for you. Make sure you include transcripts, a photo, and a CV (resume).

February

  1. Attend Career/International Cultural Preparation Meeting.
  2. URI Office of International Education – Step 1: Complete Phase 1: Pre-Decision of your URI Application for IEP Study Abroad. Deadline: March 1st
  3. Attend French IEP Preparation Meeting: TBA

March

  1. Attend French IEP Cultural Preparation Meeting: TBA
  2. URI Office of International Education – Step 2: Complete Phase 2: Post-Decision of your URI Application for IEP Study Abroad. This includes your Pre-Approval Form. Deadline: May 1st
  3.  Internship Documents and Placement: Set up an appointment with the French IEP director to discuss company choices. With their help, you will gain access to our internship portal where you can learn more about the different French companies that have internships and view projects from past French IEP program participants to help you determine the company you would like to intern for.
  4. Prior Approval Forms: Make an advising appointment with the French IEP director to discuss course equivalencies between URI and UTC. Complete the prior approval form so you can transfer credits back to URI. The French IEP director will sign off on French and Gen Ed outcomes courses, but you need to get a signature from your engineering departmental chair for your desired engineering courses. Once you obtain those signatures, submit the form to coe-forms-group@uri.edu since it requires the final signature from Assistant Dean Kathleen Maher. Remember to add in a couple (2-3) more classes than desired, in case of class unavailability or of any changes while taking courses in France. Students will then need to upload the finalized Prior Approval Form to URI Abroad in the post-decision phase of URI Abroad application.

April

  1. URI Office of International Education: Pre-Departure Meeting – TBA
  2. Health Insurance: In addition to URI Health Insurance or other private insurance, all URI Students are covered by CISI Insurance. Students confirmed to study abroad will automatically be registered and emailed proof of insurance, which they will need to obtain a visa.

May – June

  1. URI Office of International Education – Step 2: If you have not already done so, complete Phase 2: Post-Decision of your URI Application for IEP Study Abroad. This includes your Pre-Approval Form. Deadline: May 1st 
  2. Attend Pre-departure Meeting: TBA. This meeting will serve as a final overview of the plans for the year abroad.
  3. French IEP Internship Application: Complete your internship application (CV in French, cover letter in French, list of engineering courses taken with actual English course title and French equivalent) and submit to your French IEP director by May 15th.
  4. Receive Letter of Acceptance from UTC: In early May, UTC will send out the official letters of acceptance along with an information pack concerning housing, health insurance, and arrival information. Once you receive this, you need to begin immediately the visa application procedure.
  5. Obtaining a Visa: Register with CampusFrance (as soon as you get your acceptance letter). This is the first step in the application process for the visa. Once your registration is processed, you will receive a PIN, which you will use to make an appointment with the French consulate. Your appointment can be made at the Consulate closest to where you live or closest to where you study, which is the one in Boston. The French Consulate in Boston is preferred since we have close contact with them.
    • Step 1 (10-12 weeks prior to departure): Register with CampusFrance (as soon as you get your acceptance letter).
      • Read the Etudes en France Application Guide (You are under the Study Abroad & Dual Degree Pre-Consular Category)
      • Create account and submit application on the Études en France (EeF) platform
        • Passport, headshot (under 50kb), statement of motivation (max 1500words), acceptance letter*
        • All docs except headshot under 300kb -screenshots as jpegs ok
        • Pay the processing fee ($250 or $390 expedited) and submit documents (need your EEF Application # (USXX-XXXX) 
      • Note: It takes around 3 weeks/3 days, then you get your confirmation email. Print this out. 
    • Step 2 (7 weeks prior to departure): Online Visa Application & Schedule In-person Visa Appointment.
      • Log back into your Estudes en France portal and download the electronic acceptance letter (pdf). Refer to Student Visa Guidelines. Fill out the online visa application Partner of the Embassy of France’s website for U.S. citizens + others. You MUST obtain a type “D” long-stay student visa to enter France before going to France to stay over 90 days 
      • Make a visa appointment with VFS Global Center Boston (or other consulate near you).  Make your visa appointment as soon as your CampusFrance PIN arrives. The time slots fill up fast over the summer at the consulate. Do not delay! 
      • You need confirmation of your accommodations before your appointment. Try and schedule your appointment for at least 4 weeks prior to departure and no less than 15 days before departure.
  6. Housing at UTC: The information packet that comes from UTC with your official letter of acceptance has information on housing. Complete your arrangements for housing by May 31st to ensure best choice of accommodations.
  7. Travel Arrangements: Students are responsible for their own travel. Many students like to make arrangements together so that you travel with some URI friends, so plan early. Make sure you contact the university to ask when the best time is to arrive.
  8. Gather Paperwork for Visa Appointment: There is a lot of paperwork to bring so plan ahead. Bring copies of everything. Please note that in addition to UTC’s letter of acceptance you need a letter of acceptance to the program signed by the French IEP Director. You should also bring a letter from URI’s registrar certifying that you are an enrolled student at URI. Consult the consulate’s website for the most up-to-date requirements. 

While in France

August

  1. Arrival in Compiègne
  2. Coursework: Begin your 4-week immersion program at UTC.
    • In order to receive French credits for this course at URI, you must have UTC send OIE the certificate of completion through the mail or encrypted email.

October

  1. Begin Semester Program.
  2. Scholarship Aid/Financial Aid: Applies as usual

December – January

  1. Prepare for Internship:
    • Location/assignment to be worked out with the French IEP director.
    • Working papers required – International University Offices at UTC will help you.
    • Fill out the Required IEP Internship Application in URI Abroad by the Spring Course Registration Deadline (Jamie Loredo from OIE will email this to you). You must fill this out so that OIE can enroll you in the 12 credits you need to maintain your student status.
  2. Getting Courses Transferred and Intent to Graduate (if applicable):    
    • Upon completion of the exchange program, you will need to have your program’s institution send an official transcript to OIE so that your transfer credit can be evaluated. Please refer to OIE’s Transfer Credit policy for more information.
    • If you will be graduating in August (after your internship), you will need to fill out the College of Arts and Sciences Intent to Graduate Form for your French B.A. and submit it by the Feb. 1st deadline.
    • Fill out the College of Engineering Intent to Graduate form for your engineering B.S.
  3. Housing: Begin looking for housing for in the area of your internships. Use the Facebook pages of your target city or other platforms to find housing (you can find some ideas here and here).
  4. Winter Break: You can use some of this time for housing interviews or researching your internship company/location!

Late February – Late August

  1. Take Exams (if not already completed).
  2. Begin Internship: Usually starting in February – August.
  3. Courses: Work on online Spring Semester course work.
  4. Advising: Check-in with your advisor and get your advising hold and any other hold lifted so that you can register for Fall semester courses.
  5. Register for Fall Semester Courses.