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The Department of French and Italian believes that study abroad is an essential part of a student's preparation as a language major. Students who major in French are required to spend at least a semester in a French-speaking country; students who minor in Italian are highly encouraged to take at least a semester of study in Italy.

The French department encourages students to spend an entire academic year of study abroad. The department maintains a close relationship with Hamilton College's Junior Year in France program, which is located in Paris, and which allows students to take courses at a variety of institutions.

Colby has its own program in France, Colby in Dijon. This program of intensive language study is offered every year during the fall semester, and is open to incoming first-year students who wish to accelerate their progress in French, sometimes, but not always, with a view to becoming a French major.

The department also encourages study in a variety of French-speaking countries on continents other than Europe. Students may choose to study in neighboring Quebec, or on the African continent, where French majors have spent semesters in Senegal, Madagascar, and Cameroon. Prospective French majors should consult early with their advisors to prepare their study abroad plans for their junior year. JanPlan programs have been offered in Morocco and Guadeloupe. The Colby African Studies Program also offers information on study abroad programs in francophone African countries.

Students who minor in Italian should consult with the director of the Italian program to find the most appropriate program for study. Colby maintains a close relationship with a number of programs in Italy, in particular those in Rome, Padua, Bologna, Ferrara and Florence.

student observations

"I experienced tremendous growth (personally and linguistically) while studying abroad in Paris my junior year. One of the greatest aspects of my experience is the fact that I decided to go abroad for an entire year, as opposed to only one semester. This factor really enabled me to become more independent, not to mention to speak more French."

Suzanne Stonehouse

"The Hamilton abroad program in Paris was very challenging and offered a diverse selection of courses to take. I would recommend the program to other French majors"

Carrie Haight

"My time in France was wonderful and rich, fun and exciting. I was able to study in Dijon and Paris and quickly learned that France does not begin and end in Paris, but is most vivid in its provinces. My advice to anyone who travels to this wonderful country is to explore all of its delightful corners."

Nancy Joachim

"I was unsure about spending an entire year in France, away from Colby, but in the end it was the best decision I could have made. The time which I invested in getting to know the language, the culture, and the people was paid back in full, as I reaped the benefits of personal growth and of a deepened and enriched academic experience during my senior year."

Karl Dahlfred