<p>Why does the American University of Paris have a bad reputation? What about the quality of teaching at it?<br>
I am going to apply to Cambridge and the Courtauld for an undergraduate art history degree, and I was advised to consider American universities in Europe.
I was also wondering if it accepts mature students.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>It accepts mature students. Teaching is pretty good.
It’s not so much a bad reputation as it is a reputation for being a school for rich kids who aren’t all that into their studies but need a degree.</p>
<p>But it cannot make it a bad school, can it?</p>
<p>No, of course. It’s urban (no campus), international (lots of jetsetters’ kids who couldn’t get into other schools or dropped out due to too much homework/too much partying), multilingual, kids who want to be in Paris but want an American education.
What’s your objective by going there?</p>
<p>I am struggling to choose the best university for my degree. I am going to apply to Cambridge and the Courtauld. But… Italy France and Spain have always been the places to study arts/art history. Unfortunately, I don’t speak the languages of the countries I listed, so for me the best thing to do would be applying to English-speaking universities in Europe. I was worried by the negative comments about the AUP in the forum discussions. And I was wondering if it would be really better to apply to Cambridge and the Courtauld instead.
I also heard that the quality of teaching is not very good.</p>
<p>A good art history program offers coursework in a variety of subfields (Asian, European, African, ancient, etc.) and a solid grounding in the methodology of the field. Glancing over the offerings of AUP, it’s nothing special. The department has only four art history faculty members (5 if you count modern visual studies), all of whom study post-Medieval European art. The location is indeed pretty convenient, but I am not convinced that’s enough to offset its disadvantages. </p>
<p>I recommend finding a university strong in art history and then studying abroad for a year in one of the traditional locations (Paris, Florence, London, etc.). If you plan to attend a European university, investigate the Erasmus programme. </p>
<p>On a related note, you won’t make much progress in the field of art history unless you’re competent in French and German in addition to the languages of whichever area and time period you decide to study. If you’re serious about art history as a career (which usually requires a PhD), start learning them ASAP.</p>
<p>Thank you for your recommendations. I am trying to find it. I think the Courtauld is the strongest in art history in the UK. I am not sure, though. And thankfully many UK universities offer one term abroad:)</p>