Academic Resources | French

Conversion Scale

Students will be graded on the French grading system of 0-20 in all classes (Reid Hall, local university, directed research). The Columbia in Paris program uses the following conversion scale between French and American systems:

19-20 A+

16-18 A

14-15 A-

13 B+

11-12 B

10 B-

9 C+

7-8 C

5-6 C-

3-4 D

0-2 F

Pass/Fail

Students have the option to take a course as Pass/Fail. In order to do so, students must submit a written request to the Program Coordinator before the deadline indicated in the academic calendar. They must also contact their home school advisor for written approval of your request. This approval must also be forwarded to the Program Coordinator.

Important points:

• Students can only Pass/Fail ONE course per semester.
• Students cannot Pass/Fail a Directed Research project.
• Students cannot Pass/Fail language courses (including Academic Writing & Practicum).

Deadlines may vary for UPENN students. Please contact the Program Coordinator for more information.

Directed Research allows motivated students delve further into a specific topic while acquiring methodological and analytical skills essential to research. Students define their area of interest, then work under the direction of a Research Director, appointed by the Program Director.

Timeline

1. Prior to program start: submit your research proposal (1 page) to the Program Director, Séverine Martin ([email protected]).
2. First appointment with the research director to discuss the research topic and the possibility of working under his/her direction.
3. At the end of this appointment, the student will confirm his/her project. One-hour weekly interviews with the research director; the student submits the chapters of the research paper in consultation with him/her.
4. Writing the research paper: papers are usually written in French, but depending on the topic or the home department with whom you would like to share your research, the project may be written in English, in consultation with the Program Director.
5. For a 4-point directed research, the submission must consist of 6200 words, approximately 20-25 pages, and must be typed in accordance with the guidelines provided by the program and the "MLA style sheet." (A copy of the MLA handbook can be borrowed from the program).

Grading

1. Submit 2 copies of the final draft (one for the Research Director, another for your second reader) at least 3 days prior to your oral defense. Copies may be submitted electronically if accepted by your Research Director.
2. Oral defense – end of semester (in the presence of your peers, and other Research Directors). The student must present, in fifteen minutes, the main lines of the research paper. This presentation will be followed by a ten minute question and answer and discussion session to assess the content of the brief. This defense accounts for 25% of the final grade.
3. At the end of the defense, the student must submit a final version, which will take into account the suggestions made during the defense. The dissertation is then validated and graded by the Research Director.

Methodological Tutoring

Methodological tutoring is reserved for French university courses. Students can meet with tutors according to need. The methodological tutors are specialists in their own fields: literature, history, economics, art history, cinema, sociology and political science. Their role is to provide guidance with regards to the methodology of French university assignments. They can help create a study plan for the semester, explain course bibliographies, and target relevant books and articles to read before writing papers. In addition, tutors help students analyze and understand the topic of a paper in order to formulate a precise problématique and organize their ideas following a well-structured outline.

Linguistic Tutoring

Every student receives linguistic support for all courses according to individual need (Reid Hall and French university combined), with the exception of Academic Writing and French Language Practicum. The language tutors’ role is to help students become more independent writers by providing the critical feedback necessary for students to improve their language skills. Tutors track each student’s progress from session to session through individual mentoring, identifying frequent errors, and helping students understand their mistakes. The students are expected to actively participate in these meetings, ask questions, take notes, write down new vocabulary, etc.

Working with your language tutor:

• Recognize spelling and grammar errors
• Identify recurring faults
• Ask questions about language - the goal is to improve your writing style

Important reminders

• Tutoring sessions last approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Sessions generally take place in person at Reid Hall. In exceptional cases, Zoom sessions can be arranged.
• If you need to cancel a session, please inform your tutor at least 24 hours in advance.
• In order to prepare your assignments properly, you should contact the tutor at least one week before an assignment deadline.
• Students should bring all relevant course materials to their first meeting with a tutor, including syllabi and readings.

Public Libraries
The city of Paris has 57 public libraries that you can visit to check out books or consult documents. To obtain a library card visit the public library nearest you and preset the necessary documents (library form, ID,and proof of housing). You do not need to live in Paris to request a library card.
Click here for more information.

French Universities (Paris I & Sciences Po)
Each of our partner French universities has a library on its campus that you can visit and use by presenting your student ID card.  Be sure to activate your student card prior to your visit.

Directed Research
If you are doing a directed research project, it may be possible for you to gain access to the Bibliothèque Nationale de France (BnF). Consult with your research director and your academic advisor to see if this option is possible for you.