Academics

Academic Calendar

Fall Semester:

  • Semester Begins: Early September (includes mandatory orientation)
  • Semester Ends: Mid-December (includes exams)

Spring Semester:

  • Orientation: Early January
  • Semester Begins: Mid-January
  • Semester Ends: Mid-June (includes exams). Students must take extra coursework to earn 12-15 credits.

For exact dates, reference the full academic calendar. 

Courses

ISA Lille's approach is rooted in learning-by-doing and project-based approaches. Therefore, Master's level modules include lectures, and group projects with different intersessions throughout the term. ISA Lille focuses its academics and research in four major areas, detailed below. Students select one area of main focus. The courses are taught in blocks so their is no overlapping classes; however, students may in some cases take one or two modules from another area to complement their studies:

  • Food Science: process, production and quality, unit operations, sensory evaluation, nutrition
  • Agricultural Science: livestock housing, smart farming, crop management, plant biotechnology, geopolitics of food, and special research emphasis on Animal Welfare
  • Environmental Science: focused on sustainable management of pollution, i.e. waste water treatment, soil quality, toxicology, GIS, pollutants behavior
  • Ag-Economics and Marketing: economic and financial themes, business development and innovation, communications and marketing

Students are required to take a French course which is offered throughout your program. Spring students must plan their courses carefully to earn at least 24-30 European credits (ECTS) to equal 12-15 Cornell credits.

Courses are offered block style and may start as early as 8am or end as late as 8pm with full or half days off. Courses are offered in blocks and do not last for the entire semester, so weekly schedules may vary greatly. While there is more time in class for practical instruction, there is less out-of-class time for assignments. 

A credit hour equivalency and grading scale conversion chart is available for reference.