About

The University of Kent at Paris offers a unique opportunity to study French film, creative writing, literature, history and architecture sharing your year between Canterbury and Paris, acknowledged as the cultural capital of Europe. Expert, research-active, academics teach on the programmes, sharing their knowledge and guiding you on visits to museums, exhibitions and culturally important historic sites, bringing your studies to life.

Kent's specialist postgraduate centre in Paris has been designed to combine our specialist teaching and research with the facilities and beautiful surroundings of Reid Hall and the cultural and learning opportunities that the City offers. We are pleased to be able to offer dedicated funding opportunities for students studying on the Kent at Paris programmes.

Services

Kent's Paris centre is at Reid Hall, in the historic heart of Montparnasse where Picasso and Modigliani had their studios, and near cafés that were frequented by Gertrude Stein and Ernest Hemingway. We are only a five-minute walk from the Jardin du Luxembourg, which is an expansive, classically designed park, much frequented by students from the Sorbonne and other universities. Reid Hall occupies traditional buildings grouped around two quiet and leafy inner courtyards. It was founded as a porcelain factory in the 18th century and has served as a centre for teaching and research since 1834. Kent postgraduates use facilities at Reid Hall alongside students and staff from Columbia University, Barnard College, Dartmouth College and other similarly prestigious institutions.

Study facilities at Reid Hall include computer workstations, free wireless access and full audio-visual equipment in classrooms. There is also a state-of-the-art widescreen, multimedia room for viewing films. The picturesque courtyards act as convivial social spaces, while common rooms inside the Hall include a library with computers and reference books and a lecture hall which is also used for literary events, parties and celebrations. Our students may receive postal deliveries at the Hall and are welcome to receive guests. There is an ongoing programme of cultural and social events, and you may also participate in Reid Halls programme of cultural activities, which includes concerts, lectures and conferences.

While you are studying at the Canterbury campus, you may choose to live in University halls of residence and we offer advice on finding suitable accommodation for the duration of your studies in Paris.

Paris is known as the City of Light and has the reputation of being the most beautiful and romantic of all cities, full of historical architecture and home to fashion, culture and food. A large part of the city, including the River Seine, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Landmarks include the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Louvre Museum and the Moulin Rouge and it is home to many famous restaurants, hotels and shops.

English-language study centres available in Paris include the library of the Institut Charles V (part of University of Paris VII), with over 20,000 works in English, and the American Library, founded in 1920, with over 115,000 books, as well as 350 current periodicals, the latest newspapers and weekly cultural and social events. Our postgraduates have borrowing rights from both these institutions. The spectacular Bibliothèque nationale de France (National Library) and the Public Library at the Centre Pompidou also offer extensive, open-access English-language resources and excellent research facilities. Films may be viewed at the French National Cinémathèque and Cinema Museum, at the Paris Forum des Images and Vidéothèque, at the Centre Pompidou, and in commercial and art-house cinemas across the city.

The city is served by three main airports as well as the Eurostar services to Lille, London, Ebbsfleet and Ashford (near Canterbury) which all depart from the Gare du Nord station in the centre of Paris. The high-speed Thalys trains connect you to Brussels and other northern European cities. Within Paris city centre, the famous metro system and an excellent city bus network mean you will be able to discover the city easily and cheaply. Suburban train services (RER) connect you directly to the airports and other main train stations.

Student life

In Canterbury you will have full access to the extensive range of clubs and societies run by the Kent Union. In Paris students can enjoy the city's matchless range of museums, art exhibitions, cinemas and other cultural events. Paris, its region and the whole of France have excellent public transport systems, allowing excursions to sites near the capital city, such as Zolas house in Médan, Rodins house and studios in Meudon, Monets house and gardens in Giverny, Jean Dubuffets Villa Falbala at Périgny-sur-Yerres or, further afield, to the châteaux of the Loire, to Lyons, Marseilles and Aix-en-Provence, or the Picasso Museum in Antibes, on the Côte dAzur. Trips to Italy, Spain and other neighbouring countries are also easily organised. Museums Below are just a few of the large number of museums in Paris. Musée dOrsay Centre Pompidou Musée dArt Moderne de la Ville de Paris Palais de Tokyo Louvre Orangerie Musée Rodin Musée de Cluny Musée du Quai Branly The Musée Carnavalet Le Grand Palais Le Petit Palais Musée du Cinéma française Cité nationale de l'histoire et des cultures de l'immigration Musée de l'Armée, Art et Histoire Musée de l'Histoire de France (Musée des Archives Nationales)