INSA Summer: Engineering & French Society

Highlights:

• Spend four weeks living and studying in Rennes, France, while experiencing daily French university life.
• Continue your engineering studies with an Engineering Economy course taught by an RIT faculty member.
• Study French language and culture and experience France through guided cultural excursions, sightseeing, and activities.
• Explore the French coast and historic cities while gaining a deeper appreciation for French history, culture, and traditions.
• Take classes that could count towards a French immersion.

This four-week summer program combines engineering coursework with an immersive experience in French language and culture, while living and studying on the campus of The Institut National des Sciences Appliquées (INSA). An RIT faculty member will teach a 3-credit Engineering Economy course, while local INSA faculty will teach an additional 6 credits in French language and culture. Together, these courses allow you to continue your engineering studies while gaining the personal and cultural benefits of living and learning abroad.

Based in the city of Rennes, located in the stunning Brittany region of France, you will explore French language, history, and culture through classes, guided excursions, and visits to cultural and historical sites. Activities organized by INSA will introduce you to the region’s architecture, traditions, and everyday life, with opportunities to explore Brittany and other destinations throughout France. Living on campus and connecting with French and international students will help you build independence, cross-cultural communication skills, and a broader global perspective.

Course Term: Summer
Travel Dates: May 31-June 28, 2027 (estimated)
Credits: 9 total (3 RIT credits, 6 transfer credits)

Course Details:

• ISEE-345: Engineering Economy (3 credits) (taught by RIT faculty)
• French Language (3 transfer credits)
• French Culture (3 transfer credits)

No course prerequisites. Students must have previous French language experience: College Beginning French I or four years of high school French or equivalent.

Open to all undergraduate majors, all year levels, 2.5 cumulative GPA or above.

Application Deadline: Sunday, October 18th, 2026

Program Cost & Financial Aid

Program Cost: A student budget worksheet outlining all program costs will be available soon.

Financial Aid:
Financial aid may cover some program costs. As you review the budget worksheet, please remember that it does not include your RIT financial aid or scholarships, which may cover some of the program costs. The purpose of the budget worksheet is to show all the costs associated with your study abroad program, which will help your RIT Financial Aid Assistant Director determine how your aid and scholarships may be applied. 

To understand how your financial aid and scholarships may apply to your program costs:

• Make an appointment with your financial aid assistant director (call Financial Aid at 585-475-2186) and mention that you are calling for a study abroad appointment
• Upload a copy of your budget worksheet(s) via the Financial Aid upload portal at https://join.rit.edu/register/FA_upload (at least 48 hours prior to your scheduled meeting so they have time to prepare) 
  • Please rename the file name of your budget worksheet before uploading it to the Financial Aid portal based on the instructions provided in the portal (adding your name and student ID)

To find out the name of your financial aid assistant director for your degree program visit: https://www.rit.edu/admissions/aid/contact#counseling-team

We recommend you meet with Financial Aid before the application deadline so you understand how your aid will apply. The RIT financial aid office is located in Bausch and Lomb Center (Bldg. 77), 2nd floor, 2125.

Scholarships:

• RIT Education Abroad Travel Grants ($500-$1,000)
  All students with pending applications in the RIT Study Abroad Compass for this program will be automatically considered for an RIT Education Abroad Travel Grant. You will be informed of your scholarship status shortly after the application deadline. Scholarships are awarded based on financial need, as determined by financial aid and your FAFSA on file.

• Additional Scholarships
  RIT scholarships and national scholarships for study abroad are good options to explore for scholarship funding. Make sure you check scholarship eligibility requirements and note scholarship deadlines. 

To Apply

1) Start an application in the Compass (RIT's study abroad application system)
Once you login to the Compass you will need to complete some profile/registration questions, then use the “Search Programs” tab to search for “Engineering French Society” to complete an application.

2) Watch this video, which goes over all important application steps for RIT Faculty-Led Programs

Contact

Matt Marshall
Associate Dean
Kate Gleason College of Engineering
mmmeie@rit.edu
585-475-7142