Sciences Po University

Sciences Po stands out for combining approaches and confronting different worldviews. This tradition of diversity and multidisciplinary approach makes Sciences Po an active participant in public debate,  a forum where thought meets action.

Education to foster responsibility

Sciences Po's overarching mission is to educate future leaders in the public and private sectors. However, its ambition extends even further: to educate open-minded and enlightened citizens capable of changing the world and transforming society.

A university with an international outlook

Sciences Po's international dimension was established in  its founding documents.
Driven forward by this vocation for nearly 150 years, today Sciences Po stands out as a world-class university: internationally-recognised degrees and research, a multicultural community and a worldwide network of partners.

Fundamental education and professional focus

At Sciences Po, the finest researchers in the social sciences engage in continual dialogue with the greatest practitioners. With an academic community of more than 4,000 academics including 2,400 practitioners, the knowledge we transmit to students is nurtured by innovative research and rooted in reality.

A selective and diverse university

Sciences Po recruits its students on the basis of academic excellence. Nevertheless, it was one of the first institutions of higher learning to have fully assumed its social responsibilities by promoting intellectual, geographic and social diversity in its student body. Open to all talents, Sciences Po recruits students in nearly 150 countries and provides financial support to 27 % of its student body.

Research to understand the world

Sciences Po is a research university in the social sciences, internationally recognised for the quality of its scientific output. Developed with a strong focus on society, research conducted at Sciences Po enriches public debate.

An institution in motion and a driver of innovation

Since it was founded nearly 150 years ago, Sciences Po has never stopped reinventing itself. More than anything, Sciences Po today is a place where new ideas can be put forward and implemented. Educational methods, academic openness, inventive tools: this flair for innovation is one of our trademarks.

The École Libre des Sciences Politiques (ELSP) was founded in 1872 by Émile Boutmy in response to the political and moral crisis in France in the aftermath of the 1870 Franco-Prussian War. It was intended to educate the new elite and generate modern knowledge for a new France.

A French exception

Sciences Po possesses three unique qualities in French higher education. Thanks to its status as a private institution incorporated as a joint stock company, it had the freedom to choose its students, faculty members and programmes. 

Thanks to its innovative educational model, the university instituted an interactive form of pedagogy in the form of lectures bringing together small groups of students and instructors from the senior ranks of the French civil service and the business world, as well as academics. 

Thanks to its scientific ambition, it implemented a pluralistic approach to “political sciences” (law, history, sociology, geography, economics) and an original focus on contemporary and foreign societies, thereby linking research and practical teaching. 

Following its founding period, the École libre refocused its efforts on preparing students for competitive examinations providing access to leading public institutions, as well as for careers in business. 

A tradition: Innovation

In 1945, Sciences Po was partially nationalised and divided into the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques (FNSP) and the Institut d’Etudes Politiques (IEP) (lien vers la page gouvernance). Sciences Po nevertheless retained its independence. This autonomy, repeatedly confirmed by national authorities, has made Sciences Po a laboratory of innovative institutional, educational and scientific ideas.

Although it hosted foreign students as of the 1920s and 1930s, Sciences Po became a pioneer in international openness in 1999, instituting a five-year degree programme inspired by the Bachelor-Master-PhD model. Having included in its programme a requirement that students spend a year abroad, it forged partnerships with prestigious universities throughout the world. 

Also a pioneer in terms of equal opportunity initiatives, in 2001 Sciences Po introduced special procedures for entrance examinations: the Equal Opportunity and Diversity Programme. This programme contributed to increasing social diversity in the student body.

Finally, in the late 2000s Sciences Po proved its ability to reinvent its approach to education and research, investing in pioneering fields of political science, international relations, sociology of organisations and post-1945 history, as well as political arts, scientific humanities and digital studies.

Always true to its original mission of promoting dialogue among scientific and applied knowledge, Sciences Po has maintained its unique identity as a prestigious institution of higher learning for the elite and a world-class research university in the field of social sciences.

Sciences Po is France’s leading university in the social sciences and has been educating decision-makers in the public and private sectors for the past 140 years. Today, half of Sciences Po’s 13,000 students hail from 150 countries outside France. Why do so many international students choose Sciences Po? Here are 10 of the many reasons why students from all over the world choose a Sciences Po education.

1. Engage with a unique multicultural community of top international students

At Sciences Po, nearly half of the students come from outside France. Our international students represent more than 150 countries and many of the world’s leading institutions. This multicultural environment means students live and study in constant interaction with different cultures and viewpoints.

2. Gain an international academic experience

All courses at Sciences Po are taught from an international perspective, and Sciences Po’s network of 470 partner universities ensures students are spoilt for choice when it comes to studying abroad. All our students benefit from an international experience: undergraduate studentscomplete their third year abroad, graduate students can take advantage of a semester outside Sciences Po, and PhD students can participate in doctoral exchange programmes.
Sciences Po offers 42 dual degrees at the undergraduate and graduate levels and several programmes are taught entirely in English.

3. Learn from the best academics and professionals

Courses at Sciences Po are taught by distinguished professors and internationally-renowned practitioners. This blend of academic and practical instruction gives students a unique, well-rounded profile which is highly sought after by leading recruiters.

4. Develop a broad understanding of the social sciences and critical thinking skills

Education at Sciences Po fosters dialogue between the major disciplines of the social sciences – economics, history, political science, law and sociology. It gives students the tools they need to understand the contemporary world.
Students also develop critical thinking and public speaking skills through pedagogical methods that favour group projects, oral presentations and the confrontation of ideas. By providing a multidisciplinary approach and a range of electives, such as artistic workshops, Sciences Po encourages students to adopt different perspectives.

5. Take part in group projects and realise your potential by engaging in campus life

Sciences Po’s educational approach emphasises personal responsibility, teamwork, public expression, citizenship and humanism. Students cultivate these qualities through group projects and the 200 associations that make life on campus so exciting.

6. Boost your career with a degree from a world-renowned university

Sciences Po is ranked 4th internationally among research universities for Politics & International Studies. Our degrees fast-track graduates to key positions in both the public and private sectors. 80 percent of Sciences Po graduates find work within six months of graduation. They work in a wide range of sectors, with a concentration in consulting, banking and public administration

7. Meet world-renowned figures

Sciences Po is a place of debate where major figures in politics, economics, the arts and media come to exchange with students. Past speakers include Kofi Annan, Al Gore, Condoleeza Rice, Joseph Stiglitz, and Mario Draghi.

8. Live in an exceptional environment

Sciences Po’s seven multicultural campuses are located in cities with a rich historical and architectural heritage – Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Paris, Poitiers and Reims. The campuses are home to a tight-knit multicultural student community and feature a vibrant intellectual and extra-curricular student life.

9. Join Sciences Po’s international network of 65,000 alumni

Sciences Po has been educating decision-makers in the public and private sectors for the past 140 years. Notable Sciences Po alumni include heads of state, government and international organisations, and leading figures in business and finance, academia, journalism, and the arts.

10. Financial constraints are not an obstacle to studying

At Sciences Po, nearly one out of four students receives financial assistance. To make sure students can concentrate on their studies, Sciences Po grants tuition exemptions and financial assistance to those in need. Tuition fees are also calculated on a sliding scale based on the resources of each student.

• The Emile-Boutmy Scholarship