ENS Program

For nearly twenty years, Colby’s French Department had an exchange with the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon (the exchange has been terminated),  but students can still apply. Colby seniors can spend a year at one of France’s foremost institutions for graduate-level study and research.  Detailed information can be found below. Previous Colby graduates who have participated in the ENS program are also listed below, with contact information, for current Colby students wishing to learn more about their experiences.

There are two main possibilities offered by the ENS de Lyon to Colby seniors.

The simplest way for a Colby senior to come to the ENS in the year following graduation is to apply to be an international exchange student.  International exchange students may follow classes from across the ENS’s programmes, as appropriate to their area of study and within the limit of available places.  They receive ECTS credits for classes that are successfully completed.  Tuition fees are waived.

Interested students should consult the university’s website and pay attention to application deadlines. Applications are generally accepted in April for admission in September of the same year.

A Colby senior or recent graduate with an exceptional research project can compete for one of the ENS de Lyon’s Bourses d’excellence Ampère, designed to support enrollment in one or both years of a two-year Masters program. Seniors should apply at M1 (first-year Masters) level. Students who have already completed a year of graduate study in a relevant field should apply at M2 (second-year Masters) level.  The award consists in a tuition fee waiver and a living allowance of 1000 euros per month, paid over 12 months. For students entering at M1 level, the award is renewable for a second year upon successful enrollment at M2 level.  

Accommodation is available for international students at the ENS de Lyon; it is not free, but it is subsidized to below market cost.  A comfortable room within a shared apartment on campus costs around 350 euros per month (2018 rates).  There is also a subsidized campus restaurant, and, students gain access to all sporting, cultural, IT and other resources at the École.  In addition, students may be eligible to apply for APL (Aide personnalisé au logement) which, depending on the student’s income, can cover up to around 100 euros of the monthly rent.

• Benjamin PIPERNOS – Class of 2018
• Alexander BOUTIN – Class of 2010
• Ena LUPINE – Class of 2009
• Nathalie CHIAVAROLI – Class of 2008
• Charlotte MORSE-FORTIER – Class of 2008
• Diane CARR – Class of 2000
• Amanda IRVINE – Class of 2000
• Carrie HAIGHT – Class of 1998
• Maria THOMPSON – Class of 1998