Do not mistake France for being only a place of cheese. In fact, there is no other combination better than studying in one of the top art universities in France while enjoying the artistic environment of studenthood. France, as an attractive study destination offers some of the best European universities for overseas students, it engages them to many of its dynamic cities and accommodates them with a high quality of education.
Studying in France not only provides an excellent educational experience, but it also leads to strong international employment prospects following graduation. Being a world-class economic power, France attracts many international students through its rich cultural heritage, gastronomy, exceptional architecture, and affordable tuition fees of universities. All the roads of France are adventures in their own distinctive form, students can visit diverse museums, starting from archeological museums to medieval ones down to modern art.
Here are the top art universities in France:
Ecole Nationale Supérieure Beaux-Arts de Paris
Beaux-Arts de Paris is a public institution under the authority of the French Ministry of Culture. The Beaux-Arts de Paris is split into two locations. The major goal of the Beaux-Arts de Paris is to educate and teach students who want to pursue a career in high-level artistic production. The two-hectare Parisian institution, located in Saint-Germain-des-Prés, has numerous studios, three amphitheatres, a contemporary art library, and two exhibition venues—the Palais des Beaux-Arts and the Cabinet des dessins Jean Bonna, are among the facilities. Sculpture, mosaics, modeling, mold making, a foundry, composite materials techniques, and ceramics are all represented at the Beaux-Arts de Paris’ second location in Saint-Ouen.
International students can choose the ARP research program, which stands for Art, Research and Practice. The program’s goal is to support artists as they create and refine a research topic centered on their creative practice. Program activities include seminars, conferences and discussion sessions in which students can develop their full potential and engage more thoroughly with each other. The research program’s goal is to help artists improve their work by allowing them to delve deeper into one or more specific parts of it or to enhance it by studying a collection of relevant materials.
Beaux-Arts Atelier
The Beaux-Arts Atelier, a one-year intense program in architectural design based on the Ecole des Beaux-Arts approach, is a classical architecture and art institute. The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art (ICAA), the parent organization of the Beaux-Arts Atelier, was formed in 2002 as a merger of two independent non-profit organizations, the Institutes of Classical Architecture (1991) and Classical America (1968). The ICAA is now the foremost nonprofit organization committed to the advancement of the classical heritage in architecture, urbanism, and related disciplines. It accomplishes so via educating, publishing, and advocating. International students of art, planning, and architecture, as well as design professionals and the general public, benefit from the organization.
It is supported by an expanding network of regional and local chapters, which now number 15 in total. The centerpiece of the curriculum is the design studio. Those students are given a series of increasingly difficult design tasks throughout the year and are expected to come up with creative solutions that demonstrate mastery of both artistry and function. Future international students are going to receive in-depth instruction in an atelier setting while pursuing coursework in observational drawing, architectural drafting, systematic design methodology, classical orders, and many other courses.
Sorbonne Universite
Sorbonne Institution is a world-class, interdisciplinary, research-intensive university. It is devoted to the success of its students and to solving the scientific challenges of the twenty-first century. It is located in the center of Paris and is present throughout the region. The faculty of Arts and Humanities at the Sorbonne Universite attracts thousands of international students every academic year. For decades, it has been one of France’s most competitive institutions in the fields of arts, languages, letters, humanities, and social sciences. Its educational excellence is founded on the recognized quality of its research in order to provide the most comprehensive and creative instruction.
Classical and modern literature, languages, foreign literature and civilisations, linguistics, philosophy, sociology, history, geography, art history and archaeology, and musicology are among the fields covered by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities. The faculty also has two in-house schools: CELSA (Institut national supérieur du professorat et de l’éducation), which specializes in information and communication sciences, and INSPÉ (Institut national supérieur du professorat et de l’éducation), which specializes in educational sciences and teacher training.
Aix-Marseille University
Aix-Marseille Institution (AMU), the biggest interdisciplinary French-speaking university, houses 80,000 students and over 8,000 personnel across five international-standard campuses. The inner functioning mechanism of Aix-Marseille University resonates with a wide range of degree programs and a strong interdisciplinary research environment. Students may discover interesting and challenging study experiences in a wide range of academic areas at Aix-Marseille University, which also prepare students for future employment by helping them develop transferable skills that open up a number of professional choices.
Because of the brilliance of its research centers and its extensive variety of university and national degrees, some of which are unique in France, the Faculty has a strong international reputation. The Art department at the Faculty of Arts, Letters, Languages and Human Science includes 5 sectors: Plastic Arts and Art Sciences, Music and Musical Sciences, Cinema and Audiovisual, Theater, and the last one being Cultural Mediation. This department provides academic training for all five sectors, from license to doctorate, as well as training in the plastic arts and music, which is aimed at teaching contests.
The New School, Parsons Paris
Parsons Paris, known as the first American art and design school in Paris was founded in 1921 and since then it has thrived in creating the most convenient environment for the academic development of its students. The faculty of Parsons Paris represents the academic, art, design, and business realms on a global scale. International students are exposed to an integrative, hands-on education that is as fascinating and practical as it is boundary-breaking. In addition, the worldwide community of students benefits from the Parsons School of Design’s curriculum in New York City while immersing themselves in Paris’ legacy and forward-thinking business culture.
Parsons Paris’ Bachelor of Fine Arts program allows you to study the confluence of art, design, and technology. The Parsons Paris first-year curriculum, which is an interdisciplinary year-long course of study for all undergraduate programs at Parsons Paris, is the starting point for your BFA. Through creative work that is anchored in a social and political context, the courses in this program help you develop as a competitive design thinker and practitioner. This program is exclusively available on the Parsons Paris campus and includes access to distinctive cultural institutions and resources in Paris.
The American University of Paris
Just by the name of the university it can be understood that the educational style is based on the American one. As a higher educational institution, established in 1962, it offers academically-rigorous courses as well as useful learning experiences which will enable graduates to join the most in-demand jobs. The American University of Paris is more than just a university in Paris that offers an American-style education. Its worldwide liberal arts legacy moves in a way that provides an educational experience that encourages over 1,200 students from 110 different countries and 65 different languages to bridge cultural, national, ethnic, religious, and linguistic barriers in the AUP classroom and beyond.
The department of Fine History and Fine Arts offers many majors and minors which draw heavily on a large number of museums and monuments around Paris and Europe. Two of the most chosen majors by international students include: Art History and Fine Arts. Art History programs at AUP provide you a close look at the numerous trends and masterpieces that have left an indelible imprint on Western art. On the other hand, the Fine Arts program has a comfy environment in which students have the opportunity to explore their talents and develop a critical appreciation of the artistic creation.
L’École de design Nantes Atlantique
Located in Nantes, France, L’École de design is one of the most top-ranked institutions in terms of design programs. Founded in 1988, Partner of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nantes, L’École de design Nantes Atlantique is a private institution that focuses on teaching design through traineeships, design-driven innovations, as well as other paths which lead to high-quality education in the design area. Additionally, the innovation-focused research by design activity inside its design labs ensures the skills necessary for a master’s degree. The National Diploma in Fine Arts, Crafts, and Design has been the strongest program throughout many years and it still continues to be a preferred choice for international students.
The National Diploma in Fine Arts, Crafts, and Design (DN MADE) is a state-regulated degree that leads to the award of an Undergraduate Diploma following three years of study. L’École de design Nantes Atlantique offers three three-year DN MADE programs. Specifically, the DN MADE in Space Design, DN MADE in Digital Design, and the third one, DN MADE in Product Design. Because the first two years are taught fully in French, students with a high school diploma and a French level B2 may enroll in the first year.
National School of Decorative Arts
On the list of the top art universities in France, the National School of Decorative Arts is no exception. The National School of Decorative Arts belongs to the elite group of art, design, and fashion institutions because of its distinctive teaching approach, global reach, and world-class research center. For more than 250 years, this school has been a cause for intellectual curiosity, artistic development and an attractive hub institution for international students into art studies. Fields of specialization in this school include: art-space, graphic design, interior architecture, animation cinema, object design, textile and material design, photo/video, clothing design, printed imagery and scenography.
In the top ten sections of offered specializations, the art-space is highly appreciated. Students of this field are taught how to construct artistic pieces related to the contemporary era and implement them in real-life spaces. Space, volume, color, sculpture, and installation may all be understood in their conventional and future applications, though students of this specialization are encouraged to grasp the technological influence in art-space.
