The American University of Paris: A Global Education in the Heart of Europe
Nestled in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, just steps from the Seine River in Paris’s elegant 7th arrondissement, The American University of Paris (AUP) occupies a singular place in the landscape of higher education. Founded in 1962 by Dr. Lloyd DeLamater, a former U.S. State Department and NATO officer, AUP was established as the first American-style university in Europe—but from its very inception, it was never intended to be a purely “American” institution. Instead, DeLamater envisioned a university that would challenge nationalism and equip students to “bridge the gap of narrow nationalisms,” a mission that remains at the core of the institution over sixty years later.
What began as a series of rented rooms in the basement of the American Church of Paris with just 100 students has grown into a fully accredited, independent university with a campus spread across eight buildings in one of the world’s most iconic cities. AUP has been continuously accredited since 1973 by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE), one of the six prestigious regional accreditation bodies in the United States. This accreditation ensures that degrees earned at AUP carry the same weight and recognition as those from any respected American university, while the university’s location in Paris offers an experience no stateside campus can replicate. Buy fake USA diploma online.
AUP’s academic model is built on the American liberal arts tradition, emphasizing small, discussion-based classes with a student-to-faculty ratio of 15:1. The university offers 17 bachelor’s degrees and 9 master’s degrees across four academic divisions: Arts & Sciences; Global Communications & Film; International Politics, Economics & Public Policy; and International Business Administration. Undergraduate majors range from art history and comparative literature to global communications, international economics, and computer science. At the graduate level, programs include an MA in Diplomacy and International Law, an MSc in Human Rights and Data Science, and—launched in 2025—Europe’s only two-year interdisciplinary MFA in Creative Writing. The curriculum combines rigorous disciplinary study with interdisciplinary inquiry, preparing students to “master and to make, to reflect and to apply, to analyze and to act”.
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Perhaps what truly distinguishes AUP is its student body. With approximately 1,000 students representing nearly 100 nationalities, the university is a microcosm of the globalized world it prepares its graduates to navigate. This diversity is not incidental but foundational: AUP was founded on the belief that cultural fluency, multilingualism, and understanding difference are essential to building a more peaceful world. Students do not simply study international affairs—they live them, sharing classrooms, cafés, and city streets with peers from every continent. The university’s small class sizes, typically 15 to 25 students, foster close mentorship from faculty who are both scholars and practitioners, deeply engaged in their fields.
Life at AUP extends far beyond the classroom. Paris itself serves as an indispensable part of the educational experience, offering unparalleled access to world-class museums, archives, international organizations, and multinational corporations. The university actively facilitates internships, study abroad opportunities, and experiential learning that connect academic theory to real-world practice. Students are encouraged to explore the city, engage with French culture, and develop the adaptability and resilience that come from living in a foreign environment.
In an era of accelerating change and deepening global interconnection, AUP’s founding vision has proven remarkably prescient. The university does not merely teach its students about the world; it immerses them in it, challenging them to think critically, communicate across cultures, and act with responsibility and purpose. For the global explorer seeking an education that transcends borders, The American University of Paris offers nothing less than a transformative experience—one that begins in the heart of Paris and extends to every corner of the world.