Welcome to AUP and your first year experience in Paris! As a first-year student at AUP you are at the start of an exciting academic and personal journey. Your first year will set you on your path by exposing you to liberal arts study and the opportunity to pursue learning across academic disciplines, with the global cultural center of Paris at your doorstep and the histories and cultures of Europe a short trip away.
In this context you will also focus on meeting AUP’s General Education requirements. Once you have read this entire section that describes your first semester and first year options, be sure to click on the acknowledgement button at the end of the section. This will permit you to move on to register for classes using the AUP online Checklist.
Understanding your first year course requirements
AUP has a unique approach to interdisciplinary learning that you are introduced to in your first semester, called FirstBridge. In addition you will enroll in the right level required English and French courses during your first semester, using placement tests both online and during Orientation week. Depending upon your placement test results you may be able to choose an elective course to take during your first semester or consider a Mathematics class.
The information that follows will explain your first year program further and help you do as much of your placement tests and first semester course selection online as possible in advance of arrival.
FirstBridge is discovery!
FirstBridge is a dynamic, innovative learning experience that is the hallmark of a student’s first year at AUP. Each Firstbridge course focuses on a different subject of inquiry and gathers together different disciplines. FirstBridge is led by a team of AUP professors who are experts in their fields, and is a great way to get to know and work closely with different faculty members. You may be arriving at AUP with a strong sense of your intellectual interests and desired educational and career path, or you may not. FirstBridge is designed to help you confirm your interests and explore new ones, to go outside your comfort zone and take risks.
FirstBridge is intellectually vigorous. Its interdisciplinary approach demonstrates how different disciplines reflect on knowledge and apply their own methods to problems. It provides a solid foundation for future academic work at AUP and allows you to gain new knowledge and skills that you will use outside the university and beyond in your professional life.
We describe Firstbridge courses as ‘learning communities’ in which students explore a range of interdisciplinary issues and questions, complete individual and team projects, and enjoy occasional field trips in Paris, France, or other European countries, while improving vital skills in writing, public speaking, and information literacy. FirstBridge meets several times a week so the course is a good place to form lasting relationships within the AUP community. It is a first semester requirement and satisfies 8 credits.
This FirstBridge is designed to help you engage deeply with two disciplines and meet four AUP faculty members and a larger seminar of your peers; it combines the advantages of both the larger lecture class experience and time in a smaller learning community.
When you move to your next step to register online, you will be able to see the different FirstBridge course descriptions that you can choose from, generally about ten different courses. Please read them carefully and let them spark your curiosity. You can also view the Fall 2021 offering on our website.
Who is your academic advisor?
The first year of university life can be somewhat bewildering, especially for students who are not familiar with the American system of higher education. For this reason, first-year students are assigned to one of the faculty members who are teaching the FirstBridge course they select. This faculty advisor will be your advisor during your first year at AUP. Our experience is that this creates a special link for you with other first-year students and with faculty members teaching first-year classes.
During the second year of study, or before you have declared a major, you are assigned to an advisor in the AUP Advising Center. Once you have declared a major, you are assigned to a faculty member in that department who will review and monitor your academic progress until graduation.
Other course options for your first semester
In addition to Firstbridge, you will take two other classes in your first semester. One of those classes will be English. It is best to begin the English writing sequence in your first semester because you will be specializing in one discipline later in your degree (your ‘Major’). The level of English at which you begin will be assigned once you complete the English placement test during Orientation week. It is also possible to place out of the English writing sequence, in which case you will have the opportunity to choose an elective class with the guidance of your academic advisor during orientation week.
Depending upon your placement test results, you may have to complete additional English courses before you can be admitted to College Writing (EN 1010). Exceptionally, you may place directly into Writing and Criticism (EN 2020), or even above. Your first day of class is important as a brief diagnostic test will be given you to confirm that you have been placed in the correct level English class.
English classes at AUP are comparative and theme-based. EN 1010 is taught through thematically-linked works of literature from the Ancient world to the present day. This course stresses expository writing, accurate expression, and logical and logical organization of ideas in academic writing. Recent themes include: Childhood, Friendship from Aristotle to Derrida, Social Organization and Alienation, Monstrosity, and Music Literature.
EN 2020 is a series of topic-centered courses refining the skills of academic essay writing, studying a wide range of ideas as expressed in diverse literary genres and periods. This course introduces the analysis of literary texts and gives training in the writing of critical essays and research papers. Recent topics include: Utopia and Anti-Utopia, City as Metaphor, Portraits of Women, Culture Conflict, and Labyrinths. The topics are available on the course offering so please make sure to look at the course descriptions.
Students placed below EN 1010 must take English beginning from their first semester at the University. Once students have started the sequence, continuous registration in English courses is required until the University requirement has been fulfilled.
The selection of the other class depends on your French placement results and a number of options are available to you:
1. You were assigned a French level
One of the best parts about attending AUP is the opportunity to immerse yourself in the French language and culture. If you were assigned a French level it is best to do the recommended French class in your first semester. The sooner you complete your General Education requirements the greater your French proficiency will be and the longer you will have to practice your French every day while living in Paris.
2. You placed out of French and wish to take an elective
If you placed out of French, you can choose one free elective class. This may be a higher-level course in French or in another discipline of your choice. Please refer to our course offerings. We also have prepared a listing of “first-year friendly” courses that may help you.
If you feel that you need to speak to an advisor to pick out your elective course, please contact the AUP Advising Center. All first-year students will meet with their FirstBridge professors and will have dedicated time with your advisor Orientation week. Your advisor will be able to help answer any questions you may have and to help you adjust your courses, if necessary.
3. You want to fulfill your Math requirement
If you placed out of French, you can also choose to do a Math class during the first semester. Students at AUP take mathematics courses as part of fulfilling their General Education requirements or as part of some majors. Depending upon your needs and interests you can choose from a range of course options first year from Algebra and Mathematics for Life to Applied Finite Math, Calculus and Applied Statistics.
Math will require a placement test to determine which course you should take, The placement test will be available online in the coming weeks or during Orientation week. Students are advised to review before taking the Mathematics Placement test. The material examined in the placement test is standard material from Intermediate and College Algebra courses and Pre-Calculus courses. There are many online resources for review of this material.
Understanding your advanced standing credits
Depending on your high school or secondary school curriculum, you may qualify for semester credits to be counted toward the 128 credits required for AUP graduation. Students who have passed any of the secondary school leaving exams with certain scores may qualify for Advanced Standing Credit.
Advanced standing credit is granted for the following diplomas:
- International Baccalaureate Diploma/Certificate: 32 semester credits for diploma results of 30 or above; 8 semester credits for diploma results between 24 and 29 for each HL score of 4 or above; 8 semester credits for each IB HL Certificate with a score of 4 or above. Students receiving an IB score of 33 or above are also eligible for the AUP IB Diploma Scholarship.
- Advanced Placement “AP” Tests (College Board) 8 semester credits for each AP test passed with a grade of 4 or above, not to exceed 24 credits. AUP's CEEB code is 0866.
- GCE 'A' Level Examinations: 32 semester credits for at least three subjects in which an A, B, or C was achieved; 11 semester credits for each individual subject in which an A, B, or C was achieved.
- Austrian Matura with a minimum overall grade of bestanden ("passed")
- Bulgarian Diploma za Sredno Obrazovanie: 32 credits with a minimum average grade of 4.
- Danish Studentereksamen: 32 credits with a minimum average grade of 9.
- Dutch VWO (Voorbereidend Wetenschappelijk Onderwijs): 32 semester credits a minimum average of 6.
- Finnish Ylioppilastutkinto/Studentexamensbetyg: 32 credits with a minimum average grade of 9.
- French Baccalauréat: 32 semester credits.
- German Abitur: 32 semester credits with a minimum grade of 3.
- Italian Maturita: 32 semester credits with a minimum average grade of 60.
- Lebanese Baccalauréat: 32 semester credits.
- Norwegian Vitnemål–Videregående Opplæring: 32 semester credits with a minimum average grade of 4
- Romanian Diploma de Bacalaureat: 32 semester credits with a minimum average grade of 4
- Swedish Fullständigt Slutbetyg från Gymnasieskolan: 32 credits with a minimum average grade of VG (15)
- Swiss Matura: 32 semester credits with a minimum grade of 4 (depending on grading scale)
Advanced standing credit may never exceed 32 credits, even in the event of an accumulation of multiple secondary school examinations. The University does not currently recognize any other secondary school examinations for advanced standing.