Study Abroad - Aix Extracurricular Activities

IAU offers its students in Aix-en-Provence, France, dozens of opportunities to explore and maximize their time abroad. From cultural and linguistic immersion opportunities to athletic sports, lecture series, and opportunities to mix with with students from local French universities, IAU has something to meet the needs and interests of its diverse student body.

            
Students on a January weekend ski trip to Vars in the Hautes-Alpes. (Left) Emily Murphy, Shakhnoza Nasriddinova, Madison Ryan, and Elayne Deelen take in the mountain air after a gondola ride; (Center) Liam Maguire, Emily Scott, Lauren Butler, and Nate Goldman snap one last photo after eating lunch on top of the mountain; (Right) Emily Scott takes a moment to enjoy the view at the top of slopes. Photos courtesy of Liam Maguire.

Please contact IAU's Office of Student Life for inquiries regarding the below opportunities. 

Dialogue with French students

Meet French students at local student gathering places and through organizations that create opportunities for language and culture exchange. 

Explore Provence

• Visit a winery and participate in a wine tasting at Château La Coste.

• Olive picking in the Fall: Check out photos from a trip to the olive gardens! 

• Visit lavender fields in the summer: Visitors from all over the world come to Provence in June and July just to walk through acres of lavender fields, all 5 senses enlightened by this wonderful flower. You will be learning about the distillation process and the many uses of lavender essential oil.

• Join a local church/synagogue/mosque while studying in Aix and meet French and foreign students from all over the world.
  
  

• Cooking workshops at various locations

    

Traveling in Provence

Decouverte de la Provence: IAU partners with Decouverte de la Provence, an organization that helps students travel safely in the region. Students also book their own travel around the region, France, Europe, and North Africa.

Physical Activities

• Hike to the summit of the jewel of Provence, Mount Saint Victoire, Paul Cezanne's favorite motif. A 2-hour easy climb to a chapel-marked top, offering an outstanding 360° panorama. 

• Learn to play the traditional pétanque. A perfect way to spend your afternoons in local parks!

• Go Alpine skiing or snowboarding for a weekend in the Spring.

• Spend an afternoon at Indian Forest Sud Aix rope park.

• Mountain bike around Mount Saint Victoire with Aixprit.

• Rockclimb, hike and Nordic walk with Evana.

• Take dance classes – ballet, modern dance, Zumba, and MORE with Aix City Ballet. Additional resources include: Dance in Aix, Festival d’Aix and Dance Studios in Aix.

• Attend free rehearsals at Pavillon Noir, Aix Contemporary Dance National School.

• Attend pilates classes.

• Sports and Fitness - Around 50 different individual or collective sports are available for IAU students. IAU has a special agreement with Aix-Marseille University sport organization allowing IAU students to attend all sport activities and join French University teams. Sport categories: soccer, American football, basketball, handball, swimming, waterpolo, martial arts, tennis, running, athletics, fencing, horseriding, squash, badminton, hockey, Frisbee, golf, and gymnastics. To inquire and to enroll for activities contact the Student Activities Coordinator.

• Swimming - Students interested in swimming while abroad can locate a pool using the Aix-en-Provence Office of Tourism Swimming website. 

Working while Abroad

• Job Opportunities with French Families - Students can work as tutors, babysitters and English teachers for families in Aix, which will help them meet French people and make money on the side. Job placement cannot be guaranteed by IAU. Part-time jobs in Aix-en-Provence can be hard to find and require students to complete the OFII Form during the long stay student visa application.
  

Student Conferences

• Political Sciences University Conference Series - Open to all IAU students all year long, this elite and reputable university is located across the street from the IAU building.
  

IAU Students Attending a Local Festival