Classroom
Though AUP studies often extend beyond the classroom, the in-class environment is nonetheless a vital part of AUP’s academic approach. It is here, through rigorous discussion-based teaching, that students develop the skill-set needed to prosper in cross-border work environments. This means developing the responsiveness and quick-thinking necessary to confront unexpected situations or gaps in their knowledge – of which there will always be many when working in complex, international careers – through self-guided research, critical analysis, collaboration and analytical reasoning.
Subject mastery, for AUP, means being able to navigate a subject in its full range of contexts. Our graduates bring immediate value to the companies and organizations in which they work, because they are able from day one to operate across borders, disciplines and cultures, deftly adapting to unprecedented challenges and appreciating multiple perspectives and conflicting ideas as part of their daily work. Not only is this a key professional aptitude; it fosters, above all, a confident, respectful personal approach through regular exposure to new experiences.
Dialectical Traditions
Paris has, since the 13th century, been a hub for university students and academic thinkers, known for the excellence of the intellectual debates and research that took place on the Seine’s left bank. Dialectical approaches – which have an appreciation of multiple parallel “truthful” perspectives, particularly in cross-cultural contexts – have been practiced for centuries, both in Parisian universities and on café terraces across the city.
AUP upholds this valuable learning tradition while incorporating the innovation, flexibility and exploration of the American higher-education approach to create something truly unique – a Euro-American hybrid approach to mastering one’s chosen subject. The AUP classroom is a space in which students confront the gray areas, unknowns and conflicting approaches that define collaboration in international spaces. Every student is given space to speak, allowing them to learn and practice the skills necessary for reasoned, respectful discussion, meaning they are well placed to carry the Parisian tradition of intellectual inquiry with them into their future international careers.
Rising Professionals in Discussion
In the AUP classroom, students are treated as rising professionals already able to offer their own perspectives on the debates covered in class, making them active participants in the classroom setting. That means that in-class discussions are held among equals, where students themselves sometimes contribute as much as faculty or guest speakers. Rather than passively absorbing information, students combine their varied perspectives through in-class discussion and hands-on projects, which serve both to develop employable traits and to expand students’ own career horizons. This active approach to learning is even more valuable given AUP’s emphasis on expert guest speakers; students engage in these rigorous discussions on a level-playing field with professionals at the top of their industries.
Alumni-Led Workshops
How Human Rights and Data Science students learn from industry professionals
Small Class Sizes Foster Support
Working at the international level requires the ability to reflect on one’s personal development and to navigate consistent exposure to new perspectives. At AUP, these approaches are fostered through intellectual discussion in small classes, meaning each student contributes to the debate. Students at the graduate level are expected to participate thoughtfully and meaningfully in class, furthering their own education while also enriching that of their peers. The tight-knit cohorts that characterize AUP’s graduate programs mean more opportunities for rich discussion and interaction with faculty and professionals inside and outside the classroom.