• One special characteristic of the CUPA program is the direct contact made with students’ professors, ensuring that the quantity and quality of assigned work will justify the credits recommended for transfer.
• A fiche de liaison pédagogique or "academic contract" is agreed upon and signed by both the student and the professor for each course. It establishes in detail the workload for the course, at the start of the semester.
• Since French university professors expect their students to be quite autonomous, this academic contract, along with the student’s Study Project (a self-designed syllabus detailing research and coursework to be done over the semester) provides the student with the necessary amount of structure for each course.
Methodology and Tutoring
• Through direct matriculation, students experience an entirely different way of learning, which is strongly research-oriented. Completing coursework is contingent upon the student’s mastery of the French Methodology. This “academic culture shock” can be extremely rewarding to students, providing them with a new perspective and allowing them to discover another, more independent way of studying, that will be especially valuable to those who wish to undertake Graduate studies.
• A key part of the Orientation program is an initial approach to the «methodology» of writing in the form and style required by the French university system. On-going support is furnished throughout the semester or year. Individualized support is provided for students whenever necessary.
