Design the blueprint for an inspirational summer...
It couldn’t be easier to cherry-pick a programme of study to match your unique interests and learning goals. If you are studying French, La Catho also offers a selection of electives targeted at French speakers. Designed to improve your linguistic skills, you will gain practical experience to become more confident when communicating in different situations.
Courses are offered over two sessions: ESP 1 and ESP 2.
*Please note: some courses are offered in English, French and some in both languages
Pick ONE morning class elective from the list below:
All class-times are the same: 9:00am – 12:00 noon and are offered either ESP 1 or ESP 2
Liberal Arts Courses
Project Management for Everyone
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1 & 2
Class time: 9.00 am – 12.00 noon | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
It couldn’t be easier to cherry-pick a programme of study to match your unique interests and learning goals. If you are studying French, La Catho also offers a selection of electives targeted at French speakers. Designed to improve your linguistic skills, you will gain practical experience to become more confident when communicating in different situations.
An interactive course to develop the methodology and practical tools needed to manage projects in fields ranging from engineering and science to management and communication.
Understanding Challenges of Climate Change*
Contact Hours: 39 | French and English | ESP 1
Class time: 9.00 am – 12.00 noon | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
Gain a better understanding of the causes and consequences of climate change while considering adaptation and mitigation strategies focusing on French and European examples.
*This course will include 18 hours of French language instruction and 21 hours concerning climate change.
Courses Taught in French Only
3. French Language & Culture*
Contact Hours: 42 | French | ESP 1 & 2
Class time: 9.00 am – 12.00 noon | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
This course covers reading and listening, comprehension, written and oral expression, and vocabulary and grammar at varied levels, through practical written and oral work, discussions, presentations and debates, role-play, and writing short essays and summaries.
*An initial placement activity will sort students from beginner to advanced levels.
Note: All ESP students will take mandatory modules of Intercultural Communication or Survival French Language, depending on their selected morning course. These modules count towards the students’ overall programme attendance/participation.
Pick ONE afternoon class elective from the list below:
All class-times are the same: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Liberal Arts Courses
1. World Class Museums
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1 & 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
An introduction to art and art history through an overview of the cultural heritage and museums of the Lille region in the heart of Europe. Many class sessions will take place within the museums themselves.
2. Introduction to Art and Cinema
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm| Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
An overview of French art and cinema and the study of visual cultures. Discuss how to interpret art forms (whether a painting, a photograph, or a film) from different periods of French history. Educational visits are included.
3. Introduction to French & Francophone Women Writers
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
An introduction to literary representation of gendered experiences in a range of leading contemporary female French-speaking writers.
4. European Humanism: Light and Shadow of a Common History
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
This course offers an immersive experience around Europe. It leads students to question the idea of a European common history and highlights its light and shadow. It will give students keys to understanding current European issues through the interweaving of European political, social, and cultural history, from Antiquity to contemporary European construction.
5. The Contentious Relationship Between Science and Religion: Historical, Theological, Methodological and Ethical Perspectives
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
This course shall explore the relationship between science and religion in the West, including the mutual implications, the places where developments in one may benefit the other, and the possibility that the two can be harmonized. We will explore the relationship between scientific and theological methods and modes of knowledge, and considers some of the central topics of Christian theology in the light of modern scientific evidence and theories.
6. Techniques of Illustration and Colour Studies
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
A practical and theoretical introduction
to illustration for comics. This course will provide drawing lessons (anatomy, live model, charadesign), concept design, colours studies, narrative illustration and some basics in digital animation. A small comics or fanzine will be produced at the end.
Business & Communication Courses
1. Corporate Culture, Human Resources & Innovation
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1 & 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
Investigate the role of Human Resources as a strategic and innovative business partner. Explore the influence of Corporate Culture on an organisation’s agility and the promotion of innovation, diversity, and well-being.
2. International Teamwork & Communication (CLARIFE)
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1 & 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
A theoretical and practical introduction to the issues that inform teamwork and communication within an international and intercultural environment.
3. From Idea to Cash: Generative AI for Entrepreneurial Innovation
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1 & 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
This course will provide students with an overview of relevant topics and exercises, including:
- Introduction to Machine Learning and AI
- Introduction to AI in Entrepreneurship
- Ideation and AI-Driven Innovation
- AI-Assisted Business Planning
- Ethical and Legal Considerations in AI Entrepreneurship
- AI-driven entrepreneurship in Lille
- AI-Induced Market Disruption
- Launching and Marketing AI-driven startups in Lille
- Reflection and Future Direction of AI and its Impact in Lille and Europe
Political Science & Law Courses
1. European Union Policy Making
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1 & 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
An introduction to the European Union, its policies, interactions with Member States, and the varied economic, social, and environmental problems it faces. This course includes a visit to the interactive Parlamentarium in Brussels.
2. Introduction to European Studies: History, Politics, and Society
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
A broad overview of current and classical themes of European integration concerning current challenges faced by the EU, Member States, and their interactions with the rest of the world. This course includes a visit to the interactive Parlamentarium in Brussels.
3. European Security Architecture and Conflicts in Europe
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
The main objective of the course is to familiarize the students with the philosophical and diplomatic disagreements on European security and the main reasons of the conflicts in Europe, with a view of wider European security architecture. The course will also discuss the role of international organizations (OSCE, EU, UN) and actors (EU, USA, Russia) in tackling European security dilemmas and conflict resolution processes.
Health Studies Courses
1. Health: A Common Good
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
Examine how health needs are understood and addressed in our societies in relation to various disciplines, including sociology, anthropology, and economics.
Sustainability & The Sciences Courses
Environmental Science
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
Introduces the dynamics of natural environments from geological, biological, and chemical perspectives. Examines environmental issues through case studies, lab work, directed research, and discussion. Includes a specialised module, Lille: Quarries, Coal, and Coastlines, exploring unique environmental sites around Lille (e.g. Roman mines, biodiversity on waste piles, and GeoHeritage preservation on France’s northern coast).
Energy Transition and Renewable Energies
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1 & 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
This course will provide students with fundamentals of energy and an overview of renewable energies and their applications.
Topics to be covered will normally include:
Fundamentals of Energy
Energy transition and Renewable Energy Sources
Photovoltaic installation
Solar Thermal Energy Systems
Wind Energy Systems
Biomass and other sources
LCC and LCA of renewable energy sources
Courses Taught in French Only
1. Communication Française (minimum A2+)
Contact Hours: 39 | French | ESP 1 & 2
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
This course aims to advance student skills and knowledge in relation to the French language of gesture, idioms, expressions of opinion, judgement, and agreement/disagreement, in a variety of cultural and social situations.
2. Le Nord et la Belgique au Cinéma (minimum B2+)
Contact Hours: 39 | French | ESP 1
Class time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm | Number of credits: 6 ECTS/3 US credits
An overview of French and Belgian film, cultures, film vocabulary, formal film analysis, and film theory, across period and genre, and through a variety of critical lenses.
*All courses are subject to availability.
Electives
Stay tuned! Dates and times for 2026 will be announced soon
Sustainable Cities
Contact Hours: 39 | English | ESP 1
