Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris
Encyclopedia
The Institut d'études politiques de Paris (Paris Institute of Political Studies), simply referred to as Sciences Po (sijɑ̃s po), is a public research and higher education institution in Paris, France, specialised in the social sciences
. It has the status of grand établissement, which allows its admissions process to be highly selective. Established in 1872, Sciences Po has traditionally educated France's political and diplomatic elite.
Its name refers to the political sciences, in the plural. Accordingly, its academic scope includes political science, as well as economics, history, sociology, law, finance, business, communication, social and urban policy, management and journalism. It offers several dual master’s degrees, in partnership with such institutions as the London School of Economics
, the Free University of Berlin
, the Hertie School of Governance
in Berlin, the School of International and Public Affairs
at Columbia University
, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
at the National University of Singapore
, the University of Pennsylvania Law School
and ESADE
.
The campus is located near the Seine River, between Boulevard Saint Germain and Boulevard Raspail
; within walking distance of most major sights, such as Notre Dame de Paris
, the Grand Palais
, the Panthéon
, and the Assemblée Nationale. It is housed primarily in 17th and 18th century mansions located on the left bank
, on and around Rue Saint-Guillaume, Rue des Saints Pères and Rue de l'Université (in the 7th arondissement
).
by a group of French intellectuals, politicians and businessmen led by Émile Boutmy
, and including Hippolyte Taine
, Ernest Renan
, Albert Sorel
, Paul Leroy Beaulieu
, and François Guizot
. Following defeat in the 1870 war, the demise of Napoleon III, and the Paris Commune
, these men sought to reform the training of French politicians. Politically and economically, people feared France's international stature was waning due to inadequate teaching of its political and diplomatic corps. ELSP was meant to serve as “the breeding ground where nearly all the major, non-technical state commissioners were trained.”
The school developed a humanistic and pragmatic teaching program: instructors included academics as well as ministers, high civil servants, and businessmen. New discipines such as International Relations
, International Law
, Political Economy
and Comparative Government were introduced. In August 1894, the British Association for the Advancement of Science
spoke out for the need to advance the study of politics along the lines of ELSP. Sidney and Beatrice Webb
used the purpose and curriculum of Sciences Po as part of their inspiration for creating the London School of Economics
in 1895.
on 9 October 1945, two entities were created from ELSP: Fondation nationale des sciences politiques
(National Foundation of Political Science) or FNSP and Paris Institute of Political Studies or IEP Paris. Both entities were tasked by the French government to ensure “the progress and the diffusion, both within and outside France, of political science, economics, and sociology”
The epithet Sciences Po was applied to both entities, which inherited the reputation previously vested in ELSP. France's Legislature entrusted FNSP with managing IEP Paris, its library, and budget, and an administrative council assured the development of these activities. The curriculum and methodology of the ELSP were also the template for creating an entire system of institutes of political studies (French: Institut d'études politiques
) across France, namely in Strasbourg, Lyon, Aix, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Toulouse, and then in Rennes and Lille. They are not to be confounded with Sciences Po's satellite campuses.
FNSP further strengthened its role as a scientific publication center with significant donations from the Rockefeller Foundation
. FNSP periodicals such as la Revue française de science politique, le Bulletin analytique de documentation, la Chronologie politique africaine, and the Cahiers de la Fondation as well as its seven research centres and main publishing house, Presses de Sciences Po, contribute to the reputation attained by Sciences Po research.
, Director of Sciences Po (1997–present). Sciences Po has introduced a compulsory year abroad component to its undergraduate degree, and now offers a multilingual curriculum in French, English, and other languages. New educational sites have been set up in Nancy, Dijon
, Poitiers
, Menton
, Le Havre
and Reims
. Sciences Po also set the length of its undergraduate program to three years and its graduate program to two years in line with the Bologna Process
.
Sciences Po also implemented reforms in its admissions process. Previously, Sciences Po recruited its students almost exclusively from elite schools (mostly state-funded) in France, but in March 2001, the school's governing council widened its admissions policy. From September 2002, Sciences Po began accepting a small batch of students from certain schools located in economically depressed suburbs of Paris on the basis of their school record and a 45-minute interview, rather than the name-blind examination all other students must pass to be admitted. The reform is intended to broaden the socio-economic characteristics of Sciences Po student-body, and gained national and international media attention for being the first affirmative action
experience in France, despite the initial controversy it brought up it is now broadly accepted by the French and considered a relative success. Moreover, Sciences Po introduced an alternative recruitment method -the so-called procédure internationale- for foreign students or students with an international background, as they are not well prepared for the French written examination. Sciences Po also accepts a large contingent of graduate students from abroad without written exams.
. In 2008 Sciences Po ranked 11th, below Oxford and just above Yale, and in 2009 it ranked 15th. The ranking by the École des Mines asks CEOs of the 500 biggest multinational companies where they did their studies.
In the Times Higher Education Ranking 2006 and in the QS World University Rankings 2010 in Social Sciences, Sciences Po was rated 52nd of the best universities worldwide. In the same ranking in 2011, it was rated 35th worldwide and 1st in France in Politics and International studies.
Since 2002, the number of applicants has steadily increased. In 2002, there were 200 applicants for the international program. By contrast there were 800 applicants in 2008: an increase of 300% in 5 years. For the examination, the number of applicants has doubled in five years. There was an increase of 500% of the number of applicants with a Summa cum laude mention.
Sciences Po is located in the center of Paris, in the 6th and 7th districts (arrondissements) :
There are more than 70 clubs and organizations, such as Paris International Model United Nations and Sciences Po Finance (Finance society).
, particularly public policy
, International Relations
, economics and political economy
, management studies, finance, geography
, constitutional and administrative law, philosophy
, and sociology
. Students generally spend their third year of the premier cycle abroad, at one of Sciences Po's nearly 300 partner schools around the world. Students are, however, also given the option of spending the year interning for an institution related to their field of study. In addition to academics, Sciences Pos curriculum incorporates more practice-oriented skills like teamwork, effective oral communication and presentation skills, and nurturing leadership potential. Sciences Po's student-body is active, with more than seventy student clubs, councils, and organizations.
As of 2010, almost half of the student body was foreign. In recent years, Sciences Po has adopted a multi-lingual education policy: students are expected to be proficient in at least two foreign languages. More than one-third of classes are provided in languages others than French, including English, Spanish, German, and Italian. Currently, however, fluency in French is required for admission to most Sciences Po degrees.
As the satellite campuses are part of Sciences Po Paris, their official designations always include the word "Paris" in order to distinguish them from the so-called "IEP de province". For instance, Sciences Po Paris' Dijon campus is officially named Sciences Po Paris in Dijon:
These are 6 regional campuses:
The French-German Undergraduate Program is located in Nancy, which is at the centre of the Lorraine region of France, and maintains close ties to the German-speaking world given its proximity to the German border. Strasbourg and the European Parliament are also located nearby. This premier cycle focuses on the history of Franco-German relations, and its relevance for the future integration of the European continent. The main languages of instruction on campus are English, German, and French, and the student body is primarily made up of students from France and German-speaking countries.
The European Undergraduate Program is located in Dijon, which is the capital of the Burgundy region of France. The area is renowned for its winemaking and gastronomic heritage. A real Europe in miniature, the European Campus of Sciences Po welcomes students of more than twenty nationalities for the bachelor with a specific focus on the European Union and on the East Central European studies. This premier cycle initiates students into the challenges of the widened European Union, and Central European politics and history. Courses are taught in English and French, but students may also study at least one Central-European language (either Czech, Hungarian, Polish), italian (with an initiation of romanian) or russian.
The Ibero-American Undergraduate Program is located in Poitiers, a small city in western France. This premier cycle specializes in the politics and history of Iberia and Latin America. Courses are taught in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The majority of students come from Spain, Portugal, and Latin America.
The Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Undergraduate Program is located in Menton, a town on the French Riviera minutes from Monaco and the Italian border. This premier cycle gathers students from North Africa, the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Israel, and all European nations. In particular, it focuses on the study of relationships between the northern and southern sides of the Mediterranean, as well as the analysis of the links between Europe and the Middle East. Courses are taught in French, English, and Arabic.
The Euro-Asian Undergraduate Program is located in Le Havre, a city in Haute Normandy in northern France. The biggest port city of France, Le Havre, is UNESCO world heritage city. French/European students can learn Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, and Korean, in addition to English; while Asian students have to study French and one of the Asian languages, other than their mother-tongue. All courses during first year are in English, flavored with French in the background, to put the students at ease; but gradually moves towards French as the medium of instruction by the end second semester. It is therefore important to be able to speak, write, read and effectively communicate in French, else it can become quite challenging, especially when learning an Asian language is manadatory for all.
The Euro-American Undergraduate Program in Reims, housed in a former Jesuit College, has opened its doors in September 2010 and focuses on transatlantic relations. 45 minutes from Paris by train, Reims is famous for being the coronation site of the Kings of France and for its impressive Gallo-Roman heritage. Its rich past, its architecture ans its ancient Champagne producing tradition put this city of the Champagne-Ardennes region at the very heart of European and French history.
has decided in the reforms he engaged at Sciences Po that every student should spend his third year abroad. Thanks to 350 university partners, students at Sciences Po have multiple possibilities. Students can also do an internship in a company, a cultural association, an embassy, etc.
Students eyeing with an academic career can apply for admission into research-based programs with an additional focus on scientific methods. The requirement to gain work experience during the internship semester is replaced with a requirement to write a Master's thesis. The school has offered Master recherche programs in such fields as economic governance, theory of organisations, political theory, sociology, and history. However, as of early 2009, the school is overhauling all of its research-based programs.
(MPA) and a Master of Business Administration
(MBA).
, current WTO president Pascal Lamy
, former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin
, former French foreign minister Hubert Védrine
, Nobel Prize Laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz, former Lebanese Minister of Culture Ghassan Salame and former Economics minister as well as former Managing Director of IMF Dominique Strauss-Kahn
. These instructors are anchored by around 800 tenured professors
, the School of International and Public Affairs
at Columbia University
, the Hertie School of Governance
in Berlin, and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
at the National University of Singapore
. This collaboration has existed since the early 1990s, but was formalized in September 2005 with the official launch of the Global Public Policy Network in Beijing, China. The partnership is meant to foster greater academic collaboration between students, faculty, and research centers of four leading public policy schools in what could arguably be termed four world capital cities
. The network is further intended to facilitate collaboration on public policy research, student and faculty exchanges, and international conferences and fora with policymakers from the USA, Germany, UK, France and Singapore
. This alliance has produced five degree programs with LSE, including masters degrees in International Relations
, Negotiation
, International Political Economy
, Public Affairs
, the Practice of International Affairs, and Urban Policy, two degree programs with Columbia, specifically a Master in International Affairs
, dual Master of Public Policy
and Master of Public Administration
with the Hertie School of Governance
, and a Master in Public Affairs, and one degree program with LKS, a Master in Public Policy
.
The Research Master’s program offers:
Students in the Research Master’s program can choose from among six concentrations: History and Theory of Politics, International Relations, Politics and Society in Europe, Comparative Politics, Sociology of Action, Economic Governance.
The Sciences Po PhD Program counts roughly 600 doctoral candidates, a third of whom hail from abroad. About 40 defend their dissertations each year. The program has a long-standing tradition of multi-disciplinary scholarship.
The PhD Program covers 15 fields of study, which follow up on those offered in the Master’s program: Latin America, Sociological Analysis of Change, Asia, Economics of International Relations, United States, Europe, International Finance, Economic Governance, History, Muslim World, Political Thought, Russia/CIS, Political Science of International Relations, Sociology of Action, Political Sociology and Public Policy.
In addition to academic training, the PhD Program provides a number of student services, including financial aid for PhD studies as well as for research abroad, support and promotion for publications, and job placement guidance and assistance.
Habilitation is the crowning degree for university studies in France: it attests to the holder’s high level of scholarship, the originality of their approach, the ability to master a research strategy in a sufficiently broad field of inquiry and to supervise young scholars. It qualifies the holder, moreover, to join the corps of university professors.
research bodies in Europe. FNSP manages research centres, a doctoral school, a library and a publishing house. The FNSP manages eight research centres (five jointly with CNRS). The foundation of Sciences Po predates by a few decades the creation of political science
, as such the Institute focuses on all the social sciences that study the political field.
Euredocs is a network run by Sciences Po made up of doctoral students and recent PhD recipients (who have defended their dissertations within the past three years). The network addresses the Europeanization of higher education and research, including such issues as the structure of academic curricula, evaluation/accreditation procedures, changes in national education policies and university governance, academic career patterns, the production of knowledge, the impact of internationalization/globalization etc.
Funded under the European Commission’s 6th Framework Programme, the GARNET network gathers 42 leading research centres and universities in Europe and operates with a budget of 5,4 millions euros over 5 years (2005–2010). Sciences Po is represented in the network by CERI who runs a specific “dissemination of excellence” programme. A number of GARNET activities address doctoral students and finance their participation:
CONNEX is a network set up under the 6th Framework Programme for European Research and Technological Development (2002–2006) to analyze various facets of democratic governance in Europe.
and 4,500 journals and annual publications, although only approximately one fifteenth of these is available to students at any given time. The Bibliothèque is also the hub of the Documentary Service which maintains 18,000 press dossiers on a wide range of sub-topics, and which each years abstracts and indexes some 10,000 articles from 1,200 periodicals each year. In 1982, the National Ministry of Education made the Bibliothèque the Centre for Acquisition and Dissemination of Scientific and Technical Information in the field of political science
, and since 1994, it has been the antenna associated with Bibliothèque Nationale de France
. Bibliothèque de Sciences Po is also the main French partner in the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
, which is based at the London School of Economics
.
, and is the leading French publisher in the fields of public policy
, international relations
, political history
, French government, and economics. It publishes 6 French academic journals in the social sciences, and has 900 titles in its catalogue, with 30 new titles added annually.
and François Mitterrand
), thirteen past or present French prime ministers
, twelve past or present foreign heads of state or government, a former United Nations Secretary-General
, the former head of the International Monetary Fund
, the current head of the European Central Bank
and the former head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
.
of banking group Societe Generale
, Michel Bon
of Carrefour
, Jean-Cyril Spinetta
of Air France
, Serge Weinberg
of PPR, Gérard Mestrallet
of Suez
, Philippe Camus
of Alcatel-Lucent
), private bankers such as David René de Rothschild
, the CEO of Lazard Italy, the CFO of Morgan Stanley Europe
, the Director of Credit Suisse World
and the Chairman of Credit Suisse Europe
as well as the current head of the European Federation of Businesses, Industries and Employers and the current head of the French Businesses and Employers Union and many others.
Some French students further their studies at École nationale d'administration
(ENA), which is often viewed as the compulsory educational step before serving in French politics or diplomacy.
Social sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
. It has the status of grand établissement, which allows its admissions process to be highly selective. Established in 1872, Sciences Po has traditionally educated France's political and diplomatic elite.
Its name refers to the political sciences, in the plural. Accordingly, its academic scope includes political science, as well as economics, history, sociology, law, finance, business, communication, social and urban policy, management and journalism. It offers several dual master’s degrees, in partnership with such institutions as the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
, the Hertie School of Governance
Hertie School of Governance
The Hertie School of Governance is a private university in Berlin, in the historic Quartier 110 of Friedrichstraße. The school is regarded as one of the leading policy institutes in Europe...
in Berlin, the School of International and Public Affairs
School of International and Public Affairs
The School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University is one of the most prestigious graduate schools of public policy in the world. Located on Columbia's Morningside Heights campus in the Borough of Manhattan, in New York City, the School has 15,000 graduates in more than 150...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy is a school of the National University of Singapore . It was established in 1992 as the Master of Public Policy Programme under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of National University of Singapore in collaboration with the Kennedy School of Government...
at the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
, the University of Pennsylvania Law School
University of Pennsylvania Law School
The University of Pennsylvania Law School, located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the law school of the University of Pennsylvania. A member of the Ivy League, it is among the oldest and most selective law schools in the nation. It is currently ranked 7th overall by U.S. News & World Report,...
and ESADE
ESADE
The Escuela Superior de Administración y Dirección de Empresas is a college associated with the Ramon Llull University located in Barcelona, Spain. ESADE is composed of three departments; the ESADE Business School, the ESADE Executive Language Center and the ESADE Law School...
.
The campus is located near the Seine River, between Boulevard Saint Germain and Boulevard Raspail
Boulevard Raspail
Boulevard Raspail is a boulevard of Paris, in France.Its orientation is north-south, and joins boulevard Saint-Germain with place Denfert-Rochereau whilst traversing 7th, 6th and 14th arrondissements...
; within walking distance of most major sights, such as Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris
Notre Dame de Paris , also known as Notre Dame Cathedral, is a Gothic, Roman Catholic cathedral on the eastern half of the Île de la Cité in the fourth arrondissement of Paris, France. It is the cathedral of the Catholic Archdiocese of Paris: that is, it is the church that contains the cathedra of...
, the Grand Palais
Grand Palais
This article contains material abridged and translated from the French and Spanish Wikipedia.The Grand Palais des Champs-Elysées, commonly known as the Grand Palais , is a large historic site, exhibition hall and museum complex located at the Champs-Élysées in the 8th arrondissement of Paris, France...
, the Panthéon
Pantheon
-Mythology:* Pantheon , the set of gods belonging to a particular mythology* Pantheon * Pantheon, Rome, now a Catholic church, once a temple to the gods of ancient Rome* Any temple dedicated to an entire pantheon-Other buildings:...
, and the Assemblée Nationale. It is housed primarily in 17th and 18th century mansions located on the left bank
Rive Gauche
La Rive Gauche is the southern bank of the river Seine in Paris. Here the river flows roughly westward, cutting the city in two: looking downstream, the southern bank is to the left, and the northern bank is to the right....
, on and around Rue Saint-Guillaume, Rue des Saints Pères and Rue de l'Université (in the 7th arondissement
VIIe arrondissement
The 7th arrondissement of Paris is one of the 20 arrondissements of the capital city of France. It includes some of Paris's major tourist attractions, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Hôtel des Invalides , and a concentration of such world famous museums as the Musée d'Orsay and the Musée du quai...
).
History
The name Sciences Po refers to three distinct, yet complementary institutions:- École Libre des Sciences PolitiquesÉcole Libre des Sciences PolitiquesÉcole Libre des Sciences Politiques , often referred to as the École des Sciences Politiques or simply Sciences Po was created in Paris in February 1872 by a group of European intellectuals, politicians and businessmen, which included Hippolyte Taine, Ernest Renan, Albert Sorel, Pierre Paul...
, which was replaced in 1945 by :- Fondation nationale des sciences politiquesFondation Nationale des Sciences PolitiquesFondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques , or FNSP, was created by ordinance of Charles de Gaulle in 1945 to manage the transition of École Libre des Sciences Politiques into Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris or IEP Paris The mission of the FNSP was then and is today the management of the...
(FNSP), a research foundation; and - Institut d'études politiques de ParisInstitut d'Etudes Politiques de ParisThe Institut d'études politiques de Paris , simply referred to as Sciences Po , is a public research and higher education institution in Paris, France, specialised in the social sciences. It has the status of grand établissement, which allows its admissions process to be highly selective...
(IEP de Paris), a teaching institution.
- Fondation nationale des sciences politiques
1872–1945
Sciences Po was established in February 1872 as the École Libre des Sciences PolitiquesÉcole Libre des Sciences Politiques
École Libre des Sciences Politiques , often referred to as the École des Sciences Politiques or simply Sciences Po was created in Paris in February 1872 by a group of European intellectuals, politicians and businessmen, which included Hippolyte Taine, Ernest Renan, Albert Sorel, Pierre Paul...
by a group of French intellectuals, politicians and businessmen led by Émile Boutmy
Émile Boutmy
Émile Boutmy was a French political scientist and sociologist who was a native of Paris.He studied law in Paris, and from 1867 to 1870 gave lectures on the history and culture of civilizations pertaining to architecture at the École Spéciale d'Architecture...
, and including Hippolyte Taine
Hippolyte Taine
Hippolyte Adolphe Taine was a French critic and historian. He was the chief theoretical influence of French naturalism, a major proponent of sociological positivism, and one of the first practitioners of historicist criticism. Literary historicism as a critical movement has been said to originate...
, Ernest Renan
Ernest Renan
Ernest Renan was a French expert of Middle East ancient languages and civilizations, philosopher and writer, devoted to his native province of Brittany...
, Albert Sorel
Albert Sorel
Albert Sorel , was a French historian. He was born at Honfleur and remained throughout his life a lover of his native Normandy. His father, a rich manufacturer, wanted him to take over the business but his literary vocation prevailed. He went to live in Paris, where he studied law and, after a...
, Paul Leroy Beaulieu
Pierre Paul Leroy-Beaulieu
Pierre Paul Leroy-Beaulieu was a French economist, brother of Henri Jean Baptiste Anatole Leroy-Beaulieu, born at Saumur, Maine-et-Loire on the 9th of December 1843, and educated in Paris at the Lycée Bonaparte and the École de Droit...
, and François Guizot
François Guizot
François Pierre Guillaume Guizot was a French historian, orator, and statesman. Guizot was a dominant figure in French politics prior to the Revolution of 1848, a conservative liberal who opposed the attempt by King Charles X to usurp legislative power, and worked to sustain a constitutional...
. Following defeat in the 1870 war, the demise of Napoleon III, and the Paris Commune
Paris Commune
The Paris Commune was a government that briefly ruled Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. It existed before the split between anarchists and Marxists had taken place, and it is hailed by both groups as the first assumption of power by the working class during the Industrial Revolution...
, these men sought to reform the training of French politicians. Politically and economically, people feared France's international stature was waning due to inadequate teaching of its political and diplomatic corps. ELSP was meant to serve as “the breeding ground where nearly all the major, non-technical state commissioners were trained.”
The school developed a humanistic and pragmatic teaching program: instructors included academics as well as ministers, high civil servants, and businessmen. New discipines such as International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, International Law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
, Political Economy
Political economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
and Comparative Government were introduced. In August 1894, the British Association for the Advancement of Science
British Association for the Advancement of Science
frame|right|"The BA" logoThe British Association for the Advancement of Science or the British Science Association, formerly known as the BA, is a learned society with the object of promoting science, directing general attention to scientific matters, and facilitating interaction between...
spoke out for the need to advance the study of politics along the lines of ELSP. Sidney and Beatrice Webb
Beatrice Webb
Martha Beatrice Webb, Lady Passfield was an English sociologist, economist, socialist and social reformer. Although her husband became Baron Passfield in 1929, she refused to be known as Lady Passfield...
used the purpose and curriculum of Sciences Po as part of their inspiration for creating the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
in 1895.
The situation since 1945
As per ordinance 45-2284, issued by Charles de GaulleCharles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
on 9 October 1945, two entities were created from ELSP: Fondation nationale des sciences politiques
Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques
Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques , or FNSP, was created by ordinance of Charles de Gaulle in 1945 to manage the transition of École Libre des Sciences Politiques into Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris or IEP Paris The mission of the FNSP was then and is today the management of the...
(National Foundation of Political Science) or FNSP and Paris Institute of Political Studies or IEP Paris. Both entities were tasked by the French government to ensure “the progress and the diffusion, both within and outside France, of political science, economics, and sociology”
The epithet Sciences Po was applied to both entities, which inherited the reputation previously vested in ELSP. France's Legislature entrusted FNSP with managing IEP Paris, its library, and budget, and an administrative council assured the development of these activities. The curriculum and methodology of the ELSP were also the template for creating an entire system of institutes of political studies (French: Institut d'études politiques
Institut d'études politiques
Instituts d'études politiques , or IEPs, are nine publicly owned institutions of higher learning in France. They are located in Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lille, Lyon, Paris, Rennes, Strasbourg and Toulouse , and their vocation is the study and research of contemporary political science...
) across France, namely in Strasbourg, Lyon, Aix, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Toulouse, and then in Rennes and Lille. They are not to be confounded with Sciences Po's satellite campuses.
FNSP further strengthened its role as a scientific publication center with significant donations from the Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
. FNSP periodicals such as la Revue française de science politique, le Bulletin analytique de documentation, la Chronologie politique africaine, and the Cahiers de la Fondation as well as its seven research centres and main publishing house, Presses de Sciences Po, contribute to the reputation attained by Sciences Po research.
Recent reforms
Sciences Po has undergone myriad reforms under Richard DescoingsRichard Descoings
Richard Descoings is a French civil servant. He is currently serving as the Director of the Paris Institute of Political Studies , and as such as the Chief Administrator of the National Foundation of Political Science...
, Director of Sciences Po (1997–present). Sciences Po has introduced a compulsory year abroad component to its undergraduate degree, and now offers a multilingual curriculum in French, English, and other languages. New educational sites have been set up in Nancy, Dijon
Dijon
Dijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
, Poitiers
Poitiers
Poitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
, Menton
Menton
Menton is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Situated on the French Riviera, along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ....
, Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
and Reims
Reims
Reims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
. Sciences Po also set the length of its undergraduate program to three years and its graduate program to two years in line with the Bologna Process
Bologna process
The purpose of the Bologna Process is the creation of the European Higher Education Area by making academic degree standards and quality assurance standards more comparable and compatible throughout Europe, in particular under the Lisbon Recognition Convention...
.
Sciences Po also implemented reforms in its admissions process. Previously, Sciences Po recruited its students almost exclusively from elite schools (mostly state-funded) in France, but in March 2001, the school's governing council widened its admissions policy. From September 2002, Sciences Po began accepting a small batch of students from certain schools located in economically depressed suburbs of Paris on the basis of their school record and a 45-minute interview, rather than the name-blind examination all other students must pass to be admitted. The reform is intended to broaden the socio-economic characteristics of Sciences Po student-body, and gained national and international media attention for being the first affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
experience in France, despite the initial controversy it brought up it is now broadly accepted by the French and considered a relative success. Moreover, Sciences Po introduced an alternative recruitment method -the so-called procédure internationale- for foreign students or students with an international background, as they are not well prepared for the French written examination. Sciences Po also accepts a large contingent of graduate students from abroad without written exams.
Rankings
In September 2007, Sciences Po was rated the 8th best university in the world by the annual higher education survey conducted by the École des Mines de Paris thus placing it above both Oxford and YaleYale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. In 2008 Sciences Po ranked 11th, below Oxford and just above Yale, and in 2009 it ranked 15th. The ranking by the École des Mines asks CEOs of the 500 biggest multinational companies where they did their studies.
In the Times Higher Education Ranking 2006 and in the QS World University Rankings 2010 in Social Sciences, Sciences Po was rated 52nd of the best universities worldwide. In the same ranking in 2011, it was rated 35th worldwide and 1st in France in Politics and International studies.
Admissions
There are different admission procedures at Sciences Po (figures of 2010):- Undergraduate programs : acceptance rate 7-10%
- For holders of the French baccalauréat:
- Admission based on the "concours" examination at Bac+0 level: 280 successful candidates.
- Admission based on the student file and an interview for students from disenfranchised neighbourhoods.
- Admission based on the student file for summa cum laude baccalauréat holders.
- For holders of foreign secondary school diplomas:
- Admission based on the student file and an interview.
- For holders of the French baccalauréat:
- Graduate programs (except double degrees and post-experience programs): acceptance rate 15%
- Examination for the students who have validated 180 ECTS
- Admission by the International cycle of political studies(CIEP)
- Admission for the persons who have worked during 5 years.
Since 2002, the number of applicants has steadily increased. In 2002, there were 200 applicants for the international program. By contrast there were 800 applicants in 2008: an increase of 300% in 5 years. For the examination, the number of applicants has doubled in five years. There was an increase of 500% of the number of applicants with a Summa cum laude mention.
Campuses
- 27 rue Saint-Guillaume houses the head office since 1879. There are the biggest meeting rooms of Sciences Po are Amphitheatres Émile Boutmy and Jacques Chapsal.
- 9, rue de la Chaise: administrative offices.
- 56, rue des Saints-Pères: languages courses, language laboratory, audiovisual service and a cartography workshop.
- 117, boulevard Saint-Germain: Master of Public Affairs, office of the School of Journalism
- 174, boulevard Saint-Germain: MBA offices and classrooms
- 199, boulevard Saint-Germain: offices of Graduate Program staff.
- 224, boulevard Saint-Germain: classrooms
- 56, rue Jacob: Research Centers in History (Centre d'histoire de Sciences Po) and in international relations (Centre d'études et de recherches internationales)
- 13, rue de l'Université / The René Rémond building: classrooms and amphitheater
- 8, rue Jean-Sébastien-Bach: Urban Studies Graduate Program
- rue d'Assas and rue de la Cassette in the Institut Catholique
Student union and clubs
- The entire political spectrum is represented in the Student Union: UNEF (left), InterZaid-Fac Verte, Nouvelle Donne, UNI (right) and Sud Etudiant (far left). Delegates are elected each January by the students.
- There are five permanent associations at Sciences Po:
- Bureau des élèves (BDE) is the studentbody organization.
- Association sportive (AS) offers participation in individual and team sports and organizes sportive or recreative events.
- Bureau des arts (BDA) offers courses in theater, painting, writing scenario etc.
- Junior Consulting
- Sciences Po Environnement
There are more than 70 clubs and organizations, such as Paris International Model United Nations and Sciences Po Finance (Finance society).
Description
In 2000, Sciences Po set the length of its undergraduate program to three years and the length of its graduate program to two years in line with the Bologna Process. The first three years of study are referred to as the premiers cycles, which focuses on the full-range of the social sciencesSocial sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
, particularly public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
, International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, economics and political economy
Political economy
Political economy originally was the term for studying production, buying, and selling, and their relations with law, custom, and government, as well as with the distribution of national income and wealth, including through the budget process. Political economy originated in moral philosophy...
, management studies, finance, geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, constitutional and administrative law, philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
, and sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
. Students generally spend their third year of the premier cycle abroad, at one of Sciences Po's nearly 300 partner schools around the world. Students are, however, also given the option of spending the year interning for an institution related to their field of study. In addition to academics, Sciences Pos curriculum incorporates more practice-oriented skills like teamwork, effective oral communication and presentation skills, and nurturing leadership potential. Sciences Po's student-body is active, with more than seventy student clubs, councils, and organizations.
As of 2010, almost half of the student body was foreign. In recent years, Sciences Po has adopted a multi-lingual education policy: students are expected to be proficient in at least two foreign languages. More than one-third of classes are provided in languages others than French, including English, Spanish, German, and Italian. Currently, however, fluency in French is required for admission to most Sciences Po degrees.
Satellite Campuses
While all of Sciences Po's graduate programs are taught in Paris, the school has six additional undergraduate campuses in France. Each of the six campuses has its own distinct cultural identity and academic focus. They are designed to widen the academic concentration of the wider Sciences Po community, and allow students enrolled in the three-year Sciences Po undergraduate program, the collège universitaire, to specialize in a given region. Students who wish to study at either of the six satellite campuses usually need to apply through the Sciences Po admission services. Upon completing their undergraduate studies by spending a year abroad, all students usually move to Paris for their graduate studies (Master).As the satellite campuses are part of Sciences Po Paris, their official designations always include the word "Paris" in order to distinguish them from the so-called "IEP de province". For instance, Sciences Po Paris' Dijon campus is officially named Sciences Po Paris in Dijon:
These are 6 regional campuses:
- French-German Undergraduate Program / Nancy (created in 2000) :
The French-German Undergraduate Program is located in Nancy, which is at the centre of the Lorraine region of France, and maintains close ties to the German-speaking world given its proximity to the German border. Strasbourg and the European Parliament are also located nearby. This premier cycle focuses on the history of Franco-German relations, and its relevance for the future integration of the European continent. The main languages of instruction on campus are English, German, and French, and the student body is primarily made up of students from France and German-speaking countries.
- European Undergraduate Program / DijonDijonDijon is a city in eastern France, the capital of the Côte-d'Or département and of the Burgundy region.Dijon is the historical capital of the region of Burgundy. Population : 151,576 within the city limits; 250,516 for the greater Dijon area....
(created 2001) :
The European Undergraduate Program is located in Dijon, which is the capital of the Burgundy region of France. The area is renowned for its winemaking and gastronomic heritage. A real Europe in miniature, the European Campus of Sciences Po welcomes students of more than twenty nationalities for the bachelor with a specific focus on the European Union and on the East Central European studies. This premier cycle initiates students into the challenges of the widened European Union, and Central European politics and history. Courses are taught in English and French, but students may also study at least one Central-European language (either Czech, Hungarian, Polish), italian (with an initiation of romanian) or russian.
- Euro-Latin American Undergraduate Program / PoitiersPoitiersPoitiers is a city on the Clain river in west central France. It is a commune and the capital of the Vienne department and of the Poitou-Charentes region. The centre is picturesque and its streets are interesting for predominant remains of historical architecture, especially from the Romanesque...
(created 2001) :
The Ibero-American Undergraduate Program is located in Poitiers, a small city in western France. This premier cycle specializes in the politics and history of Iberia and Latin America. Courses are taught in French, Spanish, Portuguese, and English. The majority of students come from Spain, Portugal, and Latin America.
- Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Undergraduate Program / MentonMentonMenton is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Situated on the French Riviera, along the Franco-Italian border, it is nicknamed la perle de la France ....
(created 2005):
The Middle Eastern and Mediterranean Undergraduate Program is located in Menton, a town on the French Riviera minutes from Monaco and the Italian border. This premier cycle gathers students from North Africa, the Middle East, the Persian Gulf, Israel, and all European nations. In particular, it focuses on the study of relationships between the northern and southern sides of the Mediterranean, as well as the analysis of the links between Europe and the Middle East. Courses are taught in French, English, and Arabic.
- Euro-Asian Undergraduate Program / Le HavreLe HavreLe Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
(created 2007) :
The Euro-Asian Undergraduate Program is located in Le Havre, a city in Haute Normandy in northern France. The biggest port city of France, Le Havre, is UNESCO world heritage city. French/European students can learn Chinese, Japanese, Hindi, and Korean, in addition to English; while Asian students have to study French and one of the Asian languages, other than their mother-tongue. All courses during first year are in English, flavored with French in the background, to put the students at ease; but gradually moves towards French as the medium of instruction by the end second semester. It is therefore important to be able to speak, write, read and effectively communicate in French, else it can become quite challenging, especially when learning an Asian language is manadatory for all.
- Euro-American Undergraduate Program / ReimsReimsReims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
(created 2009) :
The Euro-American Undergraduate Program in Reims, housed in a former Jesuit College, has opened its doors in September 2010 and focuses on transatlantic relations. 45 minutes from Paris by train, Reims is famous for being the coronation site of the Kings of France and for its impressive Gallo-Roman heritage. Its rich past, its architecture ans its ancient Champagne producing tradition put this city of the Champagne-Ardennes region at the very heart of European and French history.
Third Year abroad
Richard DescoingsRichard Descoings
Richard Descoings is a French civil servant. He is currently serving as the Director of the Paris Institute of Political Studies , and as such as the Chief Administrator of the National Foundation of Political Science...
has decided in the reforms he engaged at Sciences Po that every student should spend his third year abroad. Thanks to 350 university partners, students at Sciences Po have multiple possibilities. Students can also do an internship in a company, a cultural association, an embassy, etc.
Description
Upon completion of the third year of undergraduate studies, students return to Paris for a two-year graduate program of their choosing leading to a Master's degree. Students from the school's undergraduate programs make up about half of the graduate programs' student population, the remainder having completed undergraduate studies elsewhere in France or abroad. Most programs are taught in more than one language though English-only programs are also available. Students can choose from a wide array of programs designed either by Sciences Po alone or in conjunction with other universities.Single Master's degrees
The school's traditional "single" Master's degrees are suited for those seeking to develop professional skills in a specific area without losing the benefits of a generalist education. The curriculum generally comprises a set of generalist courses known as the "tronc commun," specific courses related to the chosen field of study, and an internship semester.- International AffairsInternational relationsInternational relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
- European Affairs
- Public Affairs (with a focus on France)
- Urban Planning and Regional Studies
- Law SchoolLaw schoolA law school is an institution specializing in legal education.- Law degrees :- Canada :...
- Human Resource ManagementHuman resource managementHuman Resource Management is the management of an organization's employees. While human resource management is sometimes referred to as a "soft" management skill, effective practice within an organization requires a strategic focus to ensure that people resources can facilitate the achievement of...
- Finance and Strategy
- Marketing
- Journalism SchoolJournalism schoolA journalism school is a school or department, usually part of an established university, where journalists are trained. An increasingly used term for a journalism department, school or college is 'J-School'...
- School of Communication
- Economics and Public Policy in association with the Polytechnique and the ENSAE (School of Statistics) with support of Nobel Prize laureates such as Edmund Phelps, Joseph Stiglitz and Amartya Sen.
Students eyeing with an academic career can apply for admission into research-based programs with an additional focus on scientific methods. The requirement to gain work experience during the internship semester is replaced with a requirement to write a Master's thesis. The school has offered Master recherche programs in such fields as economic governance, theory of organisations, political theory, sociology, and history. However, as of early 2009, the school is overhauling all of its research-based programs.
Dual Master's degrees
Alternatively, students can apply for admission into one of the school's double degree programs designed in conjunction with partner universities in France and abroad. Students are awarded two degrees upon studying one year at each university. As the writing of a Master's thesis is often part of the graduation requirements at partner universities, dual programs can also be suited for those interested in an academic career.- With universities in France:
- HEC Paris (part of ParisTechParisTechParisTech the Paris Institute of Technology is one of the collegiate universities in France. It gathers 11 of the best French engineering schools, covering nearly the whole spectrum of engineering science, and 1 business school, aiming to be of comparable status to the most famous universities of...
): Dual degree in Corporate and Public Management. - Pierre and Marie Curie UniversityPierre and Marie Curie UniversityThe Paris VI University , or the Pierre and Marie Curie University , is a university located on the Jussieu Campus in the Latin Quarter of the 5th arrondissement of Paris, France....
: Dual degree in Environmental Sciences and Politics. - University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne: Dual degree in Global Business Law.
- University of Strasbourg, Robert SchumanRobert Schuman UniversityThe Université Robert Schuman, also known as Strasbourg III or URS, was a university in Strasbourg, Alsace, France. In 2007, there were nearly 10,000 students enrolled at the university, including more than 1,500 foreign students. The university tended to teach and research in fields such as law,...
: Dual degree in European Economic Law.
- HEC Paris (part of ParisTech
- With universities in the European Union:
- London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE):
- Dual degree in European Affairs.
- Dual degree in International Affairs.
- Dual degree in Public Administration (MPA) in Public and Economic Policy, Public Policy and Management, International Development, European Public and Economic Policy.
- Dual degree in Urban Policy.
- Freie Universität Berlin: Dual degree in European and International Affairs.
- Humboldt Universität / Freie Universität Berlin and Potsdam Universität: Dual degree in International Relations.
- Hertie School of GovernanceHertie School of GovernanceThe Hertie School of Governance is a private university in Berlin, in the historic Quartier 110 of Friedrichstraße. The school is regarded as one of the leading policy institutes in Europe...
(Berlin): Dual degree in Public Policy. - Bocconi UniversityBocconi UniversityBocconi University is a private university located in central Milan, beside Parco Ravizza. Bocconi provides undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate education, in addition to a range of double degree programs, in the fields of economics, management, finance and law. According to many university...
(Milan): Dual degree in Management of International and Public Affairs - Warsaw School of EconomicsWarsaw School of EconomicsWarsaw School of Economics is the oldest economic university in Poland.The Warsaw School of Economics was founded in 1906 as a private school under the name August Zieliński Private Trade Courses for Men. On 30 July 1919 it became a separate legal entity and was granted the status of an...
(SGH). - University of BathUniversity of BathThe University of Bath is a campus university located in Bath, United Kingdom. It received its Royal Charter in 1966....
/ Freie Universität Berlin / Humboldt Universität / University of WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
/ University of SienaUniversity of SienaThe University of Siena in Siena, Tuscany is one of the oldest and first publicly funded universities in Italy. Originally called Studium Senese, the University of Siena was founded in 1240. The University has around 20,000 students, nearly half of Siena's total population of around 54,000...
/ Carlos IIIUniversidad Carlos III de MadridThe Universidad Carlos III de Madrid is a private university in Madrid, Spain. Its 27 campuses are located in the municipalities of Leganés, Colmenarejo and Getafe. It is a mediocre institution well-known for the quality of its teaching and academic research, its international orientation and its...
(Madrid) and Charles University (Prague): Joint Master of Arts (EuromastersEuromastersEuromasters is a Gabber Act from Holland. Different producers have contributed to this project, although the performances were always done by Rob Christensen and Fabian Kruizinga.- Members :- Releases :- Appearances :...
) and Trans-Atlantic Studies Masters.
- London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE):
- With universities in the United States:
- School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University(SIPA): Dual degree in International Affairs.
- Georgetown Law School: Dual Degree in International Affairs and Law.
- With universities in other regions:
- University of St. GallenUniversity of St. GallenThe University of St. Gallen is a public research university located in St. Gallen, Switzerland. It is specialized in the fields of business administration, economics, law, and international affairs. The University of St. Gallen is also known as HSG, which is an abbreviation of its former German...
(HSG): Dual degree in International Affairs and Governance. - MGIMO University (Moscow).
- Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de MéxicoInstituto Tecnológico Autónomo de MéxicoThe Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México , commonly known as ITAM, is a private Ph.D.-granting research university located in Mexico City, Mexico...
(Mexico City): Dual degree in International Relations. - Fundacao Getulio Vargas – Escola de Administração de Empresas de São Paulo.
- Fudan UniversityFudan UniversityFudan University , located in Shanghai, is one of the oldest and most selective universities in China, and is a member of the C9 League. Its institutional predecessor was founded in 1905, shortly before the end of China's imperial Qing dynasty...
(Shanghai, China): Dual Masters degree : Europe and Asia in global affairs. - Peking UniversityPeking UniversityPeking University , colloquially known in Chinese as Beida , is a major research university located in Beijing, China, and a member of the C9 League. It is the first established modern national university of China. It was founded as Imperial University of Peking in 1898 as a replacement of the...
(China): Dual Masters Degree : Sustainable development in international relations. - Keio UniversityKeio University,abbreviated as Keio or Keidai , is a Japanese university located in Minato, Tokyo. It is known as the oldest institute of higher education in Japan. Founder Fukuzawa Yukichi originally established it as a school for Western studies in 1858 in Edo . It has eleven campuses in Tokyo and Kanagawa...
(Japan): Double Masters Degree in Economics.
- University of St. Gallen
Post-experience Master's degrees
In addition to its pre-experience graduate programs, Sciences Po is offering a Master of Public AffairsMaster of Public Affairs
The Master of Public Affairs , one of several public affairs degrees, historically has been a master level professional degree offered in public policy schools that provides training in public policy and the operation of government. Courses required for this degree educate students in public and...
(MPA) and a Master of Business Administration
Master of Business Administration
The Master of Business Administration is a :master's degree in business administration, which attracts people from a wide range of academic disciplines. The MBA designation originated in the United States, emerging from the late 19th century as the country industrialized and companies sought out...
(MBA).
Instructors
Instruction is provided by a staff of around 1,400 teachers, a majority of whom are practitioners in their respective fields. Most recently, instructors included or still include former French Prime Minister Dominique de VillepinDominique de Villepin
Dominique Marie François René Galouzeau de Villepin is a French politician who served as the Prime Minister of France from 31 May 2005 to 17 May 2007....
, current WTO president Pascal Lamy
Pascal Lamy
Pascal Lamy is the Director-General of the World Trade Organization, a French political advisor, a businessman, and a former European Commissioner for Trade...
, former French Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin
Jean-Pierre Raffarin is a French conservative politician and senator for Vienne.Jean-Pierre Raffarin served as the Prime Minister of France from 6 May 2002 to 31 May 2005, resigning after France's rejection of the referendum on the European Union draft constitution. However, after Raffarin...
, former French foreign minister Hubert Védrine
Hubert Védrine
Hubert Védrine is a French Socialist politician.Diplomatic adviser of President Mitterrand, he served as secretary-general of the presidency from 1991 to 1995, then as Foreign Minister in the government of Lionel Jospin from 1997 to 2002.After the reelection of Jacques Chirac in May 2002, Védrine...
, Nobel Prize Laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz, former Lebanese Minister of Culture Ghassan Salame and former Economics minister as well as former Managing Director of IMF Dominique Strauss-Kahn
Dominique Strauss-Kahn
Dominique Gaston André Strauss-Kahn , often referred to in the media, and by himself, as DSK, is a French economist, lawyer, politician, and member of the French Socialist Party...
. These instructors are anchored by around 800 tenured professors
Global Public Policy Network
Sciences Po offers dual master’s degrees with the London School of EconomicsLondon School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
, the School of International and Public Affairs
School of International and Public Affairs
The School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University is one of the most prestigious graduate schools of public policy in the world. Located on Columbia's Morningside Heights campus in the Borough of Manhattan, in New York City, the School has 15,000 graduates in more than 150...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, the Hertie School of Governance
Hertie School of Governance
The Hertie School of Governance is a private university in Berlin, in the historic Quartier 110 of Friedrichstraße. The school is regarded as one of the leading policy institutes in Europe...
in Berlin, and the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
The Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy is a school of the National University of Singapore . It was established in 1992 as the Master of Public Policy Programme under the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of National University of Singapore in collaboration with the Kennedy School of Government...
at the National University of Singapore
National University of Singapore
The National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered....
. This collaboration has existed since the early 1990s, but was formalized in September 2005 with the official launch of the Global Public Policy Network in Beijing, China. The partnership is meant to foster greater academic collaboration between students, faculty, and research centers of four leading public policy schools in what could arguably be termed four world capital cities
Global city
A global city is a city that is deemed to be an important node in the global economic system...
. The network is further intended to facilitate collaboration on public policy research, student and faculty exchanges, and international conferences and fora with policymakers from the USA, Germany, UK, France and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. This alliance has produced five degree programs with LSE, including masters degrees in International Relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, Negotiation
Negotiation
Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties, intended to reach an understanding, resolve point of difference, or gain advantage in outcome of dialogue, to produce an agreement upon courses of action, to bargain for individual or collective advantage, to craft outcomes to satisfy...
, International Political Economy
International political economy
International political economy , also known as global political economy, is an academic discipline within the social sciences that analyzes international relations in combination with political economy. As an interdisciplinary field it draws on many distinct academic schools, most notably ...
, Public Affairs
Public administration
Public Administration houses the implementation of government policy and an academic discipline that studies this implementation and that prepares civil servants for this work. As a "field of inquiry with a diverse scope" its "fundamental goal.....
, the Practice of International Affairs, and Urban Policy, two degree programs with Columbia, specifically a Master in International Affairs
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, dual Master of Public Policy
Master of Public Policy
The Master of Public Policy , one of several public policy degrees, is a master's level professional degree that provides training in policy analysis and program evaluation at public policy schools. The MPP program places a focus on the systematic analysis of issues related to public policy and the...
and Master of Public Administration
Master of Public Administration
The Master of Public Administration is a professional post-graduate degree in Public Administration. The MPA program prepares individuals to serve as managers in the executive arm of local, state/provincial, and federal/national government, and increasingly in nongovernmental organization and...
with the Hertie School of Governance
Hertie School of Governance
The Hertie School of Governance is a private university in Berlin, in the historic Quartier 110 of Friedrichstraße. The school is regarded as one of the leading policy institutes in Europe...
, and a Master in Public Affairs, and one degree program with LKS, a Master in Public Policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
.
Doctoral School
The Doctoral School is currently directed by Hervé Crès and includes 175 faculty members and 600 doctoral students. It was created in 1988 and welcomes students for their Master and PhD studies.Research Master's
The Research Master’s program entails two years of interdisciplinary instruction in four basic social sciences: political science, history, sociology and economics. This interdisciplinary approach is designed to reinforce and round out graduate-level training. The Research Master’s program prepares students for doctoral studies and subsequent careers in research and higher education. But it also opens out into a wider range of career options (work in consulting, expertise, public opinion polling, publishing etc.) thanks to the links between the Sciences Po Master’s degree and Research Master’s programs in the form of joint courses and degrees.The Research Master’s program offers:
- an outstanding academic framework
- close administrative support all the way through to entry into professional life
- openness and close links to outside academic and professional domains at national and international levels.
Students in the Research Master’s program can choose from among six concentrations: History and Theory of Politics, International Relations, Politics and Society in Europe, Comparative Politics, Sociology of Action, Economic Governance.
- History and Theory of Politics, with two specialities:
- History
- Political philosophy
- Comparative Politics with four specialities:
- Asia
- Latin America
- Muslim world
- Russia and CIS
- International relations with three specialities:
- Political science of international relations
- History of the international relations
- Economy of the international relations
- Economic Governance
- Politics and Society in Europe proposes four specialities:
- Sociological analysis of change
- Europe
- Public policy
- Political sociology
- Sociology of Action
PhD Program
Sciences Po is accredited to confer PhD degrees in economics, history, political science and sociology.The Sciences Po PhD Program counts roughly 600 doctoral candidates, a third of whom hail from abroad. About 40 defend their dissertations each year. The program has a long-standing tradition of multi-disciplinary scholarship.
The PhD Program covers 15 fields of study, which follow up on those offered in the Master’s program: Latin America, Sociological Analysis of Change, Asia, Economics of International Relations, United States, Europe, International Finance, Economic Governance, History, Muslim World, Political Thought, Russia/CIS, Political Science of International Relations, Sociology of Action, Political Sociology and Public Policy.
In addition to academic training, the PhD Program provides a number of student services, including financial aid for PhD studies as well as for research abroad, support and promotion for publications, and job placement guidance and assistance.
Habilitation
Sciences Po awards a French postdoctoral degree called Habilitation qualifying the holder to supervise doctoral research in economics, history, political science and sociology.Habilitation is the crowning degree for university studies in France: it attests to the holder’s high level of scholarship, the originality of their approach, the ability to master a research strategy in a sufficiently broad field of inquiry and to supervise young scholars. It qualifies the holder, moreover, to join the corps of university professors.
Research centres
FNSP manages the research faculty and facilities of Sciences Po, and is one of the largest social sciencesSocial sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
research bodies in Europe. FNSP manages research centres, a doctoral school, a library and a publishing house. The FNSP manages eight research centres (five jointly with CNRS). The foundation of Sciences Po predates by a few decades the creation of political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, as such the Institute focuses on all the social sciences that study the political field.
- HistoryHistoryHistory is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
- CHSP (Centre d’histoire de Sciences Po) directed by Jean-François Sirinelli
- SociologySociologySociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
- OSC (Observatoire sociologique du changement) directed by Alain Chenu
- CSO (Centre de Sociologie des organisations) directed by Christine Musselin
- EconomicsEconomicsEconomics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
. The Department of Economics at Sciences Po is directed by Philippe MartinPhilippe Martin (economist)Philippe Martin is a French Professor of Economics at Sciences Po in Paris. He is the head of the Department of Economics at Sciences Po and a research fellow at the CEPR based in London, England. He was a teacher at the University of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne and the Paris School of Economics...
. It is constituted of two research centers:- GEM (Groupe d'économie mondiale) directed by Patrick Messerlin
- OFCE (Observatoire français des conjonctures économiques) directed by Philippe Weil
- International RelationsInternational relationsInternational relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
- CERI (Centre d’études et de recherches internationales) directed by Christian Lequesne
- CEE (Centre d’études européennes de Sciences Po) directed by Renaud Dehousse
- Political SciencePolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
in France and Europe- CEVIPOF (Centre d’étude de la vie politique française) directed by Pascal Perrineau
- CDSP (Centre de données sociopolitiques de Sciences Po) directed by Alain Chenu
Research networks
- EUREDOCS : European Research & Higher Education Doctoral Studies network:
Euredocs is a network run by Sciences Po made up of doctoral students and recent PhD recipients (who have defended their dissertations within the past three years). The network addresses the Europeanization of higher education and research, including such issues as the structure of academic curricula, evaluation/accreditation procedures, changes in national education policies and university governance, academic career patterns, the production of knowledge, the impact of internationalization/globalization etc.
- GARNET Network of Excellence : “Global Governance, Regionalisation and Regulation: The Role of the EU”
Funded under the European Commission’s 6th Framework Programme, the GARNET network gathers 42 leading research centres and universities in Europe and operates with a budget of 5,4 millions euros over 5 years (2005–2010). Sciences Po is represented in the network by CERI who runs a specific “dissemination of excellence” programme. A number of GARNET activities address doctoral students and finance their participation:
-
- PhD School Network develops interdisciplinary seminar programmes focusing on key theoretical and methodological issues on global governance and the role of the EU. These one-week seminars bring together professors and PhD students from all over Europe and the world;
- Research programmes are particularly welcoming participation of doctoral students, namely 18 Jointly Executed Research Projects, the “Capacity Building in Professional Training on Issues of Global Governance and Regulation” program and GARNET Annual Conferences;
- Mobility programme offers up to 1,500 Euros/ month allowance to doctoral students at the later stages of their dissertation wishing to participate in the research activities of GARNET partner institutions for short or long period.
- Connex Network of Excellence on Efficient and Democratic Governance in a Multi-level Europe:
CONNEX is a network set up under the 6th Framework Programme for European Research and Technological Development (2002–2006) to analyze various facets of democratic governance in Europe.
Library (Bibliothèque de Sciences Po)
Founded in 1871, the nucleus of the school’s research is Bibliothèque de Sciences Po, which "houses" 650,000 books about social sciencesSocial sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
and 4,500 journals and annual publications, although only approximately one fifteenth of these is available to students at any given time. The Bibliothèque is also the hub of the Documentary Service which maintains 18,000 press dossiers on a wide range of sub-topics, and which each years abstracts and indexes some 10,000 articles from 1,200 periodicals each year. In 1982, the National Ministry of Education made the Bibliothèque the Centre for Acquisition and Dissemination of Scientific and Technical Information in the field of political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, and since 1994, it has been the antenna associated with Bibliothèque Nationale de France
Bibliothèque nationale de France
The is the National Library of France, located in Paris. It is intended to be the repository of all that is published in France. The current president of the library is Bruno Racine.-History:...
. Bibliothèque de Sciences Po is also the main French partner in the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
International Bibliography of the Social Sciences
The International Bibliography of the Social Sciences is a bibliography for social science and interdisciplinary research. The database focuses on the social science disciplines of anthropology, economics, politics and sociology, and related interdisciplinary subjects, such as development...
, which is based at the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
.
Publishing House / Presses de Sciences Po
Presses de Sciences-Po is the publishing house of Sciences Po. It publishes academic works related to the social sciencesSocial sciences
Social science is the field of study concerned with society. "Social science" is commonly used as an umbrella term to refer to a plurality of fields outside of the natural sciences usually exclusive of the administrative or managerial sciences...
, and is the leading French publisher in the fields of public policy
Public policy
Public policy as government action is generally the principled guide to action taken by the administrative or executive branches of the state with regard to a class of issues in a manner consistent with law and institutional customs. In general, the foundation is the pertinent national and...
, international relations
International relations
International relations is the study of relationships between countries, including the roles of states, inter-governmental organizations , international nongovernmental organizations , non-governmental organizations and multinational corporations...
, political history
Political history
Political history is the narrative and analysis of political events, ideas, movements, and leaders. It is distinct from, but related to, other fields of history such as Diplomatic history, social history, economic history, and military history, as well as constitutional history and public...
, French government, and economics. It publishes 6 French academic journals in the social sciences, and has 900 titles in its catalogue, with 30 new titles added annually.
Politics and Government
Sciences Po alumni and former staff include twenty-eight heads of state or government, specifically the two immediate past French presidents (Jacques ChiracJacques Chirac
Jacques René Chirac is a French politician who served as President of France from 1995 to 2007. He previously served as Prime Minister of France from 1974 to 1976 and from 1986 to 1988 , and as Mayor of Paris from 1977 to 1995.After completing his studies of the DEA's degree at the...
and François Mitterrand
François Mitterrand
François Maurice Adrien Marie Mitterrand was the 21st President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra, serving from 1981 until 1995. He is the longest-serving President of France and, as leader of the Socialist Party, the only figure from the left so far elected President...
), thirteen past or present French prime ministers
Prime Minister of France
The Prime Minister of France in the Fifth Republic is the head of government and of the Council of Ministers of France. The head of state is the President of the French Republic...
, twelve past or present foreign heads of state or government, a former United Nations Secretary-General
United Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
, the former head of the International Monetary Fund
International Monetary Fund
The International Monetary Fund is an organization of 187 countries, working to foster global monetary cooperation, secure financial stability, facilitate international trade, promote high employment and sustainable economic growth, and reduce poverty around the world...
, the current head of the European Central Bank
European Central Bank
The European Central Bank is the institution of the European Union that administers the monetary policy of the 17 EU Eurozone member states. It is thus one of the world's most important central banks. The bank was established by the Treaty of Amsterdam in 1998, and is headquartered in Frankfurt,...
and the former head of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Founded in 1991, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development uses the tools of investment to help build market economies and democracies in 30 countries from central Europe to central Asia. Its mission was to support the formerly communist countries in the process of establishing their...
.
Business
If nearly every French politician or diplomat has attended Sciences Po since its inception, the school is also well-known for educating top business managers, notably six current CEOs of France's forty largest companies (Frédéric OudéaFrederic Oudea
Frederic Oudéa is Chief Executive Officer to Société Générale.-Career:After his education at École nationale d'administration and Ecole Polytechnique in France, Oudea worked in the economic sector of the French civil service from 1987 until 1995...
of banking group Societe Generale
Société Générale
Société Générale S.A. is a large European Bank and a major Financial Services company that has a substantial global presence. Its registered office is on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, while its head office is in the Tours Société Générale in the business district of La...
, Michel Bon
Michel Bon
Michel Bon is a French businessman and politician born in 1943. He is a graduate of the ESSEC, of the Paris Institute of Political Studies, of the École nationale d'administration and of Stanford Business School....
of Carrefour
Carrefour
Carrefour S.A. is an international hypermarket chain headquartered in Levallois-Perret, France. It is one of the largest hypermarket chains in the world...
, Jean-Cyril Spinetta
Jean-Cyril Spinetta
Jean-Cyril Spinetta is a French businessman currently Chairman of the airline Air France and the holding company Air France-KLM Group and of the nuclear company AREVA.-Early life and formation:...
of Air France
Air France
Air France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
, Serge Weinberg
Serge Weinberg
Serge Weinberg is Chairman of Weinberg Capital Partners, an investment firm.He was the founder and chairman of Weinberg Capital Partners, an investment firm....
of PPR, Gérard Mestrallet
Gérard Mestrallet
Gérard Mestrallet is the Chairman of the Board and CEO of GDF Suez.-Biography:Gérard Mestrallet was born on 1 April 1949. He graduated from the Ecole Polytechnique of Paris and the Ecole Nationale d’Administration....
of Suez
Suez
Suez is a seaport city in north-eastern Egypt, located on the north coast of the Gulf of Suez , near the southern terminus of the Suez Canal, having the same boundaries as Suez governorate. It has three harbors, Adabya, Ain Sokhna and Port Tawfiq, and extensive port facilities...
, Philippe Camus
Philippe Camus (businessman)
Philippe Camus is the current non-executive Chairman of the Board of Alcatel-Lucent. He is a French national.-Biography:Philippe Camus was born in 1948. He is a graduate of the Institut d'Études Politiques de Paris and the École Normale Supérieure....
of Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent is a global telecommunications corporation, headquartered in the 7th arrondissement of Paris, France. It provides telecommunications solutions to service providers, enterprises, and governments around the world, enabling these customers to deliver voice, data, and video services...
), private bankers such as David René de Rothschild
David René de Rothschild
David René James de Rothschild is a banker and a member of the French branch of the Rothschild family. He is the chairman of Rothschilds Continuation Holdings, a Swiss holding company...
, the CEO of Lazard Italy, the CFO of Morgan Stanley Europe
Morgan Stanley
Morgan Stanley is a global financial services firm headquartered in New York City serving a diversified group of corporations, governments, financial institutions, and individuals. Morgan Stanley also operates in 36 countries around the world, with over 600 offices and a workforce of over 60,000....
, the Director of Credit Suisse World
Credit Suisse
The Credit Suisse Group AG is a Swiss multinational financial services company headquartered in Zurich, with more than 250 branches in Switzerland and operations in more than 50 countries.-History:...
and the Chairman of Credit Suisse Europe
Credit Suisse
The Credit Suisse Group AG is a Swiss multinational financial services company headquartered in Zurich, with more than 250 branches in Switzerland and operations in more than 50 countries.-History:...
as well as the current head of the European Federation of Businesses, Industries and Employers and the current head of the French Businesses and Employers Union and many others.
Alumni alliance
Graduates of Sciences Po are usually referred to as Sciences Po. "Rue Saint Guillaume" is the Sciences Po's alumni magazine. The vast majority of teachers and professors working in Sciences Po are alumni.Some French students further their studies at École nationale d'administration
École nationale d'administration
The École Nationale d'Administration , one of the most prestigious of French graduate schools , was created in 1945 by Charles de Gaulle to democratise access to the senior civil service. It is now entrusted with the selection and initial training of senior French officials...
(ENA), which is often viewed as the compulsory educational step before serving in French politics or diplomacy.
External links
- Sciences Po (FNSP and IEP Paris) official English-version website
- Sciences Po USA Alumni Association
- Sciences Po: A Brief History
- Sciences Po MBA
- Sciences Po MPA
- Sixtieth Anniversary of Sciences Po's Refoundation
- Histoire@Politique (journal published by the IEP-Paris)
- http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/05/world/europe/05iht-educLede05.html?_r=1&ref=glo (published by the New York Times)