Created in 1991, the Rennes Institut d’Etudes Politques (IEP) belongs to the Sciences Po group of nine higher education establishments in France. Although the Rennes IEP is officially attached to the Universite de Rennes 1, it is administratively and pedagogically independent. Fine professors as well as guest lecturers, top civil servants, and heads of industry teach the carefully selected group of 1,100 IEP students. The IEP takes a pluri-disciplinary approach to the academic program to provide a solid grounding in general culture, allowing students to choose from a wide range of professions upon graduation. Study abroad and internships are also integral elements of the program.
Students studying in France must be independent, self-reliant, organized, and able to handle ambiguity in order to successfully immerse into the highly structured and often times bureaucratic French university system.
This program would be suitable for students that are ready to be abroad, but would still like some of the academic services that a U.S. college provides. It is a good choice for someone that is a world traveler OR has never left their hometown.
Learn more about the Rennes Institut d’Etudes Politques here! Read the ISEP Country Handbook to learn more about visa requirements, educational system, and culture.
| Eligibility | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
To be eligible to participate in this program, students must meet the following requirements:
Students applying to ISEP must apply for an Exchange option (in any country) as a first choice but may apply to a Direct option as a back-up. Direct options may have an additional cost (see a financial section for more information). |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Location | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Rennes, the capital of Brittany, is a lively city with 300,000 inhabitants (including the main suburbs). The architecture shows various aspects in connection with the history of the city: medieval, 18th century, and modern style. Rennes also has a thriving automobile industry and is a center for computing and telecommunications research and development. It is also a cultural capital and the city has an opera, concert halls, and theaters. In addition, it hosts an annual film festival and internationally known rock festival. The student population of the city is around 60,000. To learn more about the visa process for this country, please visit the ISEP Country Handbook for France. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Academics | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
ISEP students are eligible for the Certificat d’Etudes Politiques after completing the course requirements during the exchange period (semester or year). Conference de methode in the second and final years are not available to ISEP participants. Though it is likely that professors will be more formal, these programs were designed with US students in mind. Therefore, there will be more options for assessment beyond an end-of-term exam, and attendance/participation is often factored into the grade. France operates on the ECTS credit System. ECTS credits take into account the total student workload per class or degree program. 30 ECTS credits is equivalent to a full semester for French students. ISEP students may not be expected to take as many credits. In programs that utilize only ECTS credits: Students must take 27 ECTS credits to earn 4 Lake Forest credits, or 20.5 ECTS credits to earn 3 Lake Forest credits. Some programs in France use contact hours instead of (or in addition to) ECTS credits. In these cases, it is recommended to use the system that most benefits the students. One formula to determine number of Lake Forest credits is: (Weekly Hours in Class X Weeks in Term)/42 To earn 4 Lake Forest credits, students must take 168 total contact hours.
To Earn 3 Lake Forest credits, students must take 126 total contact hours. FRENCH PROGRAM - COMPLETE IMMERSION The Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Rennes is a prestigious university offering courses along side French students in Economics, Finance, History, International Relations, Languages, Law, Management, Political Science, and Public Administration. French language support courses are available. Students with French language ability can study alongside host country students. Courses are available in a variety of liberal arts backgrounds. More information on the courses can be found here. HINTS FOR RESEARCHING COURSES IEP Rennes Course Descriptions Please review the ISEP country handbook for more information on the education system. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Student Life | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
ORIENTATION
The first day of orientation at IEP-Rennes is dedicated to general information (introduction breakfast, registering, etc). The following two weeks, students will have intensive French classes in the morning. The afternoons are free in order to complete the various administrative tasks with the help of the student society ZEPHYR. ZEPHYR also organizes nights out or weekends around Brittany. The Institute is also a place where students enjoy a lively and productive social life. A host of extracurricular associations are open to students and contribute greatly towards life here at the IEP.
At the heart of student life here at the IEP is the coffee foyer (complete with piano!) which is used to relax in by staff and students alike. There is the annual ‘inter-IEP’ sports competition, the annual ball organized by the Students Association and the numerous soirees and parties. There is however much more to student life in Rennes. The essence of student life here is to live in a town whose motto is “Live with intelligence” which gives some idea of the importance placed on culture, and efforts to live harmoniously. Rennes is regularly voted the pleasantest French city for students to live in. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Housing and Meals | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
ISEP students live in residence halls in single-occupancy rooms with a private bathroom and receive a monthly meal stipend. |
||||||||||||||||||||||
| Financial Information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|
For all approved programs for guaranteed financial aid transferability, students pay their Lake Forest College tuition plus a program fee. The program fee for a semester with the ISEP Exchange to IEP includes orientation, on-site director, college fees, housing, and the equivalent of 19/meals per week. Here is an estimated budget for the Fall 2019/Spring 2020 programs:
Tuition rates and program fees are subject to change each year, but this information was up-to-date as of March 2019. We will notify applicants, and update this page if the program fee or other estimates change. You can discuss with Financial Aid your specific aid package and your expected family contribution. Deposits to other programs, if required, are paid by the student to the host program, and will appear as a credit on your study abroad term bill from the College. Keep in mind that you may spend more or less in certain areas like personal expenses, travel, meals, or airfare, depending on exchange rates and your own spending habits. Classroom or lab fees are not included in this estimate and will depend on your course registration choices. Don’t forget to apply for scholarships! A great listing can be found here.
|