Université de Tours

Presentation

The Université de Tours (formerly Université François-Rabelais) is a public multidisciplinary university in Centre-Val de Loire. Its artistic programs primarily fall within the field of humanities and social sciences, with a department of art history and archaeology.

Programs and approach

The curriculum begins with a licence in art history and archaeology, which combines the study of classical periods (Antiquity, Middle Ages, the modern era, 19th-21st centuries) with an introduction to the methods of archaeology, work analysis, and documentary research. Master's tracks then lead toward research, heritage, museum work, archaeology, and cultural mediation.

This is a theoretical and methodological academic education: students study art, its history, and its context, rather than studio-based artistic practice. Students seeking a creative training program should instead turn to an art school.

Strengths

Tours is home to the Centre d'études supérieures de la Renaissance (CESR), a renowned research unit affiliated with the CNRS, specializing in the arts, music, literature, and knowledge of the Renaissance — a rare scientific environment in France.

The university also benefits from the exceptional heritage setting of Touraine and the Loire Valley: the historic center of Tours, châteaux, archaeological sites, and museum institutions, which offer nearby fields of study and internship opportunities.