Perpignan, France
University of Perpignan

ACADEMIC MATTERS
Perpignan conducts orientation for Erasmus students one week prior to the start of the fall semester.  Southern Miss students will enroll in classes at Perpignan during the orientation; students choose from courses in French, Humanities, and Social Sciences.  Perpignan program advisors will assist students with course selection and registration.

ACADEMIC CALENDAR
For administrative purposes, Perpignan's academic calendar is divided into two semesters which comprise the academic year. Perpignan’s fall termbegins in September and ends in late January; the spring termbegins in late January and ends in June.

Exchange candidates may apply to study at Perpignan from September-June (one academic year) or from January-June (spring semester only). There is a break of approximately 3 weeks between the first and second terms at Perpignan.

COURSES AT PERPIGNAN
Perpignan is a comprehensive university offering a wide range of course selections in business, sciences, humanities, social sciences, and some limited language instruction.  Most courses are taught in French.  For specific course information, contact the International Programs office and visit Perpignan’s website at: www.univ-perp.fr

Of course, it's important that you take courses that will help satisfy your Southern Miss requirements.  We highly recommend, however, that you also take some classes not available at Southern Miss (after all, this is one of the reasons exchange programs were designed in the first place!) and substitute these as for general elective credit.  You can be sure that you'll be gaining unique cultural insights, as well as incorporating a new element into your scholastic curriculum.  It's usually a good idea to enroll in a class that is specific to the host region/country.  For example, Perpignan offers courses in Catalan language and culture which would be difficult to find anywhere else.  Note:  These courses may presume some basic understanding of the language; check with Perpignan advisors before signing up for them.

ACADEMIC CREDIT
Academic credit will be awarded for all successfully completed coursework abroad.  Typically, Southern Miss exchange students at Perpignan receive between 24-36 credit hours for the academic year.  Students must maintain full-time student status during their exchange program.  Southern Miss considers 12 credit hours per semester a full-time course load for undergraduates; thus, you should plan to take a minimum of 12 credit hours (or the Perpigan equivalent) each term.

Applicants should contact their major professor/academic advisor (or major department chair) to discuss their credit-abroad program, possible course selections at the host university, and how these courses will fit into their Southern Miss curriculum.  Ask if they have any specific instructions regarding your credit substitution and notify the International Programs office about these.  All exchange participants are required to retain materials related to their coursework abroad (including any syllabi, reading lists, texts/workbooks, course notes, handouts, and/or marked essays/exams) for purposes of credit substitution.

Your host university will issue a transcript of coursework completed, recommending credit hours and grades. Upon your return, you will meet with the Coordinator of International Programs and your academic advisor to begin the credit substitution process.  Southern Miss retains the final authority for granting credit, assigning course designates, and awarding grades. 

COURSE STRUCTURE (NUMBER OF MEETINGS, SIZE/KINDS OF CLASSES)
At Perpignan, the number of courses that students take varies according to the level (first-year, second-year, etc.) and the nature of the course timetable (compressed or extended, e.g.).  Students typically earn between 12-16 credit hours for the semester and 24-32 hours for the academic year. 

Generally, universities in the European tradition (such as Perpignan) expect a fair amount of self-motivated study outside the classroom, and you will probably find yourself doing more independent research than you do at home.  You may discover that you have fewer assignments than you normally do in a given semester at your home university but that they are expected to be more detailed, more analytical, and longer than the papers you are used to preparing.  Additionally, some classes will incorporate or entail some form of tutorial, laboratory, fieldwork, or other out-of-the-classroom work.  Since you'll be writing and researching in a different language, you can expect that, especially during the beginning weeks of your program, you'll need more time than normal to complete each assignment.

Class size varies according to the nature of the class, as well as to the classification (first year, third year, etc.).   

COURSE ASSESSMENT
Like Southern Miss, class work assessment depends on the kinds of courses you take.  Some instructors will require attendance in their classes; some (especially the language instruction classes) will count class participation as a factor in awarding your grade. Many tests in your other courses will be essay-style rather than forced-choice responses. 

In non-language instruction classes, there is little continuous assessment in the U.S. sense of weekly class tests or assignments from which students can judge their progress.  Most courses will instead assign a major paper or project, with an exam at the end of the course.

OTHER
Many of your assignments will have to be typed.  Computer labs are available in various buildings on campus. 

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