USC: Fall Semester

Congratulations on your admission to the University of Southern California beginning January 2024. Prior to the start of your USC career in January, you are invited to participate in the Fall Semester in Paris program at The American University of Paris (AUP).  The two universities have worked together closely since 2014 and more than 300 USC students have enjoyed their Fall semester in Paris.

As a USC Fall Semester Student at AUP, you will:

• Spend the fall semester in the heart of Paris, France
• Study at an international American liberal arts university with classes taught in English
• Experience French cultural and language immersion 
• Explore the liberal arts in an international context
• Live in a Parisian neighborhood
• Earn 16 semester credits which will transfer directly to USC in 2024
• Receive advising and guidance support to design your curriculum to keep you on track at USC

To get started, indicate your interest. Remember this is an indication of your interest and not a binding confirmation of participation in the USC Fall Semester Program.

There are several ways to learn more about the Fall Semester in Paris program.

• Watch the recording of an Online Information Session introducing you to the USC Fall Semester Program and AUP below.
• Attend an Informational Program Briefing with AUP’s VP of Enrollment, Tim Rogers (you will receive your invitation once you have indicated your interest)
• Attend the USC Admitted Student Day (Sunday, April 10 – 1pm – 3.30pm Pacific Time) on the USC campus
• Attend the Virtual Spring Admission Information Session and Panel (Wednesday, April 20 – 5pm).  Details to follow
• Contact an admissions representative with your questions:
  • For questions related to AUP contact admissionsaup.edu (Amanda Carroll)
  • For questions related to USC and the terms of your spring admission offer, contact freyjusc.edu (Jessica Frey, Director of Student Development Programs, USC)
• Return to this website on a regular basis for updates. There will be regular updates on specific topics, including transfer requirements, orientation and housing

INFORMATION ABOUT AUP

USC works with The American University of Paris in the Fall Semester in Paris program. Established in 1962, AUP is a US-accredited (Middle States) liberal arts university located in the heart of Paris, France, which offers courses taught in English. AUP’s range of disciplines – largely in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and pre-professional programs – is a good match for future USC students. AUP’s student body of approximately 1,200 is globally diverse, representing nearly 110 nationalities.  Its outstanding professorial faculty also draws from around the world.  Class sizes are small, and the perspectives shared between classmates from so many cultures and backgrounds shape conversations in ways that would never occur in a homogenous classroom setting.

A CHALLENGING PROGRAM

The Fall semester program offers you the chance to spend the fall semester abroad at AUP, earning credits that will transfer directly to USC. You gain both international experience and the chance to get a jump-start on your path to USC.  Entering its eighth year, this program has seen more than 300 students spend their fall semester abroad at AUP and successfully transfer back to USC.

The Fall Semester in Paris is designed to be a challenging program. The Paris context is a wonderful opportunity to grow intellectually, personally and in a way that will enhance both your future studies at USC and the rest of your life. But it comes with a challenge: you will find yourself in a different country and cultural context and in a different learning environment, where expectations in and around the classroom call for quick thinking and flexibility. This might not suit some students and requires a degree of maturity, confidence and independent thinking.

Studying abroad has many advantages and more and more universities recognize the benefits of an international experience early on. Studying in a different culture broadens your perspective, can help frame your interests, and expands your network of contacts.  The benefits of study abroad can have a lasting and positive impact on the remainder of your university career and beyond.

STUDYING IN PARIS

Spending a year at AUP also means living in Paris. The AUP campus is located centrally in Paris’ historic and cultural 7th arrondissement, home to the Eiffel Tower and Napoleon’s tomb at l'Hôtel des Invalides. Paris plays a central role in many courses you can choose such as courses in art history, political science, or business. The Fall Semester in Paris program provides a unique opportunity to learn or perfect French language skills in a full immersion setting in the heart of France, yet it allows you to rely on English in the classroom, since AUP courses are taught entirely in English.  Moreover, while in Europe you will want to take advantage of AUP’s many study-travel opportunities through its Cultural Programs Office. Excursions throughout Europe with AUP faculty members on weekends and during university breaks provide additional opportunities for experiential learning in a global context.

FALL SEMESTER COURSEWORK THAT TRANSFERS TO USC

During the fall semester at AUP you will choose courses across a wide range of subjects. Your AUP courses fulfill USC requirements and transfer when you continue at USC beginning in the spring. For example, taking four 4-credit courses at AUP you will earn 16 transferable semester credits that convey to USC.

AUP offers a large selection of courses that fulfill USC transfer recommendations. In the Fall Semester in Paris program, you may choose the unique opportunity to explore courses that incorporate Paris, France or Europe into the curriculum across a wide range of disciplines: history, political science, business, art history, and social sciences for example. And of course you may choose to build French language skills or choose among several other languages offered at AUP.

LIVING IN PARIS AND ATTENDING AUP

During your fall semester in Paris you will register as a full-time student at The American University of Paris, taking AUP courses approved by USC, earning AUP transferrable credits, and paying AUP tuition and fees. Once you confirm your participation in the Fall Semester in Paris program, you will begin to receive important pre-arrival information to help prepare for your arrival in France in early September; how to confirm your enrollment, obtain your study visa, find your housing, select your AUP tuition payment plan, etc. AUP is accustomed to working with students from around the world, and is responsive and supportive to your needs as you plan your semester in Paris. 

France is one of the most popular destinations in the world for study abroad. AUP will provide the documents and explain the process required to obtain your student visa. Citizens of the European Union do not require a visa to study in France at AUP.

Please know that federal regulations prohibit AUP from administering US federal loans (Subsidized/Unsubsidized or PLUS loans) for any student using this program during the time spent at AUP. This will NOT affect any loan eligibility in the future at USC, primarily because of its US location.  We have verified this with The Foreign Schools Team with the Department of Education. US citizens and permanent residents who qualify may still apply for a private Sallie Mae Smart Option Loan for all legitimate educational and living expenses.

PREPARING FOR USC WHILE IN PARIS

You will already begin cultivating your relationship with USC while studying in Paris in the fall.  During orientation in early September you will meet other future Trojans.  You will all be assigned the same AUP academic advisor who is familiar with USC requirements and can assist with your planning. Toward the end of fall semester you will receive guidance directly from USC advisors at USC Europe Orientation as you register for spring courses. Moreover, USC alumni in the Paris region will make contact during the semester to welcome you to the local Trojan community.

TRANSFERRING TO USC

You will enroll in four 4-credit courses during the fall semester at The American University of Paris, earning 16 semester credits.  USC endorses the AUP courses you will be offered, so you are assured that your AUP credits will transfer and fulfill equivalent coursework in the USC Core Curriculum (writing, math, and foreign language) and the General Education Curriculum (Humanistic Inquiry, Social Analysis, Quantitative Reasoning etc.).
USC Fall Semester in Paris program students will pre-register for courses online during the summer. Prior to your arrival, AUP will contact you about this process in May or June. During orientation at AUP, you will meet with an AUP advisor familiar with USC so that your first few days at AUP are as straightforward as possible.

 CONFIRMING ADMISSION TO THE USC TROJAN TRANSFER PLAN – FIRST YEAR IN PARIS PROGRAM 

If you are interested in spending the fall semester in Paris as an international bridge to USC in the spring, simply complete this brief online form. You do not need to submit a separate application to AUP.

AUP will validate your participation in the program based on your USC admission decision as soon as possible and according to the timetable below. Once validated, you will receive instructions for confirming your enrollment in the program, selecting your housing and payment plan, etc. You will also begin receiving helpful information about life in Paris and study at AUP, everything you need to prepare for your fall semester in France. 

AUP has 60 years of experience working with the families of students who are coming to live and study in Paris from the US and other countries and will do everything possible to make the process fast, efficient and as comfortable as possible.

The deadline to confirm your participation in the program is May 15.  Although space is limited in the Fall Semester Program, expressions of interest received after May 15 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.