The full name of Lyon 2 is indeed the Université Lumière Lyon 2, named in honor of the Lumière brothers, Auguste and Louis, who invented the "cinematographe" and are considered (in France at least!) to have created modern cinema. Lyon, therefore, is known as the birthplace of cinema and boasts France's first department of cinema studies. The Université Lumière Lyon 2 is a center of academic excellence in France. Its strongest departments include French, History, Media Studies, Political Sciences, Economics, Art History, Arabic, Sociology and Anthropology.

 

France's second largest city, Lyon is immersed in a rich historical and cultural tradition all its own. With approximately 1 million inhabitants, Lyon has the liveliness and energy of an urban setting yet avoids some of the pitfalls of the Paris metropolis.

Housing is more affordable; the pace of life is a bit slower; cultural life is abundant; and the cuisine is every bit as good, if not better! Lyon has the reputation of being the gastronomic capital of France. In Lyon, the university is just one part of a diverse, lively city and, as a result, American students will not hear English spoken at every café terrace as might occur in some other common destinations for study abroad in France.

The exchange program allows qualified UVA students to participate in regular Lyon 2 university classes alongside other French students. This is a university-wide exchange program, meaning that UVA students from all majors are invited to apply and consequently, they may enroll in classes in any department at Lyon 2, as well as Sciences Po Lyon.

The Fall semester does not conclude until Mid-January at Lyon 2, which may overlap with the start of UVA's Spring semester.  When choosing their courses, students can inform teachers about their situation and check if it is possible to find an anticipated date for the exam. If it’s impossible, teachers are also allowed to do remote exams after students have gone back home. It is the students' responsibility to make sure their Lyon 2 exam schedule does not overlap with UVA's Spring Semester.

Course Information
Students are encouraged to have completed FREN 3032 (The Reading and Writing of Texts), or the equivalent, prior to participating in this program.

Courses
While in France each student will take a full load of courses. As part of the application, students will be asked to pre-select a range of courses prior to departure with the understanding that certain modifications may have to be made once in Lyon. 

Host University Courses Université Lumière Lyon 2

• Click through the links on this page to see courses specifically for international students (Start with Cours spécifiques pour étudiant.es internationaux/ales. These courses are specially designed for exchange students)
• Click on Consultez notre offer de formation if you would like to see courses offered within specific departments at Lyon 2
• If you have questions or would like to find a specific course, ask your Education Abroad Advisor for help

Host University Courses – Sciences Po Lyon

• Click on La 1ère année to see first-year classes offered or La 2ème année for second-year classes
• As an exchange student, you can take classes from either year

Terms
Fall Term: early September- mid January
Spring Term: beginning January - mid May

Courses in Advanced French
For an additional fee of 1500 Euros, students have the option of enrolling in an entire semester of 3000-level advanced coursework in French during the regular academic year. These courses are offered under the auspices of the Université Lumière Lyon 2's highly reputed International Center for the Study of French (CIEF - Centre international d'etudes francaises).

All students have the option of taking a not-for-credit advanced French language class at the CIEF. This class meets for two hours each week throughout the semester and is free of charge.

UVA students will pay their regular tuition rate and fees to UVA for the term they are on a UVA Exchange Program. 

Students will be responsible for paying for the Responsabilité civile insurance, the French social security insurance upon arrival in France. 

Students are also responsible for room and board, transportation, and personal expenses. 
Students are responsible for booking and paying for their own international airfare as well as researching and obtaining the necessary visa.
CISI Insurance: UVA students are required to have CISI emergency medical and accident insurance and will need to self enroll as with other exchange programs.

Tuition and Fees: Students will pay their regular tuition rate and fees to UVA for the term they are on a UVA Exchange Program. Tuition and fees will be billed to each student’s SIS account and can be paid as normal. 

Housing and Meals: Students are responsible for independently arranging and paying for housing accommodations and any required or preferred meal plan. Students will pay their landlord directly while in Lyon. 

Travel and Travel Documents: Students are responsible for booking and paying for their own international airfare as well as researching and obtaining the necessary visa. Students should also budget for in-country transportation costs.

Insurance: UVA students are required to have CISI emergency medical and accident insurance. More information can be found on the insurance web page.  Students will also need to pay the cost of French social security insurance upon arrival in France. 

Additional Expenses: Students should be prepared to purchase required books and supplies. Students should also budget for additional personal expenses; examples include laundry, phone costs, personal travel, meals out, etc.

If you are not able to find accommodation costs or application, cost of living, or other information you need in order to prepare for your study abroad program, please contact your Education Abroad Advisor.

Financial Aid
You can find detailed information regarding financial aid and study abroad on the following websites:

• Education Abroad Financial Aid
• Financial Aid Availability by Term
• Student Financial Services (SFS)

Interested in other scholarship opportunities? Check out educationabroad.virginia.edu/scholarships.

Please contact your Education Abroad Advisor with any questions.

The University of Virginia believes in providing reasonable accommodations for students with documented disabilities on an individual and flexible basis. If you believe that you would require adjustments in order to fully participate in this program, please contact the Student Disability Access Center at 434-243-5180 as early as possible in order to begin this dialogue.

All participants will need a valid passport in order to participate in the program. Students must ensure that their passport is valid at least six months past the program return date. US passport holders will need a visa to participate in this program. The ISO will assist with the visa application process by providing the required enrollment letters and guidance on the visa application process, however the responsibility of applying for a student visa falls on the student. Please visit the Campus France website to review the expectations and requirements for a student visa. International students should meet with their International Student Advisor and Education Abroad Advisor in the International Studies Office as part of the application process.

All students considering Education Abroad should consult the Students Abroad section of the U.S. Department of State’s web-based travel resources and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Traveler’s Health web resources to research health, safety, and security conditions; visa requirements; immunization requirements; and recommendations on staying healthy and safe in their target destination(s). Students should also carefully review the UVA Education Abroad Health & Safety Abroad web page. Parents and guardians are strongly advised to review all of these resources, as well. UVA students and visiting students enrolled in UVA Education Abroad programs are subject to the University of Virginia’s Policy on Student International Travel.