SMCM-AIFS in Cannes, France

Pre-Requisites

Minimum GPA: 2.5
Foreign Language: 2 semesters of French with a “B” average
Approval of SMCM French Language Faculty
Judicial Check
Academic Conduct Check

Dates

Fall 2025 Estimated Program Dates: Late August – Mid December
- SMCM Application Deadline: March 1st for Scholarship Consideration, March 15th Final Deadline on Via TRM
- AIFS Application Deadline: Also apply to AIFS by our deadline for admission on their website!

Highlights

Experience life on the French Riviera
Live and learn with international students
Attend the Cannes Film Festival during the Spring Semester

Course List

View Course Database

Study Abroad Budget

View Estimated Semester Budget (Organized Geographically)

Financing Studying Abroad

Office of International Education Scholarships (Need-Based, Merit-Based, Region Specific, Language Study)

AIFS Scholarships (DEI, Need-Based, Merit-Based, Social Justice, Pell Grant Recipient)

External Scholarships

Speak with the Office of Student Financial Assistance for Options

We recommend that all students interested in French programs consult with a French professor before selecting a program to discuss which programs best meet your needs.

About the Program

Founded in 1931, the Collége International de Cannes is a private institution of higher learning that draws students from around the world. The Collége was founded on the principles of international harmony and tolerance, with the express purpose of introducing foreign students to the French language and culture.

SMCM students will live and learn with other international students from around the world studying French language and culture. Students also have the opportunity to take courses in French cinema, political science, sociology, and art history and travel to places that inspired artists like Monet, Renoir, Van Gogh, and Picasso.

Location

The Collége International de Cannes is situated on the southern coast of France, along the French Riviera. Cannes’ sunny climate is ideal for outdoor activities such as swimming and sailing. The Mediterranean is at your doorstep as you look across the courtyard from your residence hall room to the beach and campus is within walking distance of the Vieux Port de Cannes and city center.

You are also within easy reach of the resort towns of Nice, Monaco, St. Tropez or San Remo, Italy as well as the medieval fortified towns of Saint-Paul-de-Vence and Eze.

Academics

SMCM students are required to have completed two semesters of French language prior to studying in Cannes. All applicants must also receive approval of the SMCM French language faculty in order to submit an application.

All students are required to take one French language course while in Cannes. Upon arrival, all students will take a placement test to determine the most appropriate course level. The language course carries a recommended 9 semester credits and meets for 15 hours per week. There are 225 contact hours for this course in the fall and 240 contact hours in the spring as the fall course is 15 weeks long and the spring course is 16 weeks long.

You will also choose three seminars to take in addition to your language course. Seminar courses, taught in English or French, meet for 3.5 hours per week are are worth 3-credits each. Students wishing to take seminars taught in French must place into Upper Intermediate French or higher.

Housing and Meals

As part of the SMCM-AIFS in Cannes program, students may choose to live on campus in the student residence hall or in a homestay. Daily breakfast and lunch is included in your program fee.

Student Residence Hall

The Collége residence is situated on campus and houses both French and other international students. Many of the rooms have views overlooking the courtyard to the Mediterranean Sea. Residence students receive breakfast and lunch every day in the caféteria.

Homestay

Living with a French homestay is a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in the language and culture of France. Host families live in apartments and houses. Each family is different and with its own merits and may not reflect a traditional family unit. Some are single parent families or a retired couple whose children have grown and left home. All families are carefully selected and have met strict requirements and standards. Homestay students stay in a double room that they typically share with another AIFS student or international student. Single rooms can be requested for an additional fee. Students opting to live with a homestay will receive breakfast every day in their homestay and a daily lunch at the caféteria. The family will also provide a laundry wash and change of bed linen once per week.

Student Life

The campus has 22 classrooms, a small library, a theater, recreational room, volleyball court, sun terrace, and a magnificent courtyard. AIFS as well as the Collége also arrange for a number of day trips and excursions throughout the semester. These include both typical and lesser known tourist sites and attractions.

You can also participate in a number of student organizations and sports teams. There are wine tasting and cooking classes, the Échange langue club to meet local French people and practice your French, basketball, soccer, and volleyball all available on campus.

Spring semester students’ study abroad experience coincides with the world famous Cannes Film Festival which runs for 2 weeks in May. Students receive a ‘Cannes cinephile’ pass which entitles them to see all the films presented at the Film Festival in different movie theaters throughout the city. Students also have the opportunity to work as unpaid volunteers for the duration of the Festival.

Important Links

Faculty Liaison

Dr. Laine Doggett – ledoggett@smcm.edu

Transfer Credit Policy

See the following for how grades and credits are translated back to SMCM. Note: grade equivalencies between U.S. and international institutions are subject to change without notice. the equivalencies provided here are understand to be accurate and up to date as of September 2024.

AIFS Cannes, France
Grading System
Grade	SMCM Grade
A+	A+
A+	A+
A-	A-
B+	B+
B	B
B-	B-
C+	C+
C	C
C-	C-
D+	D+
D	D
F	F

Credit Conversion
One credit for AIFS Cannes will equate to one SMCM credit for center-based courses or on Chapman University’s school of record transcript. If courses appear as ECTS credits from a direct institution in France, 2 ECTS credits will be issued as 1 SMCM credit.