FAQ - Master

If you have taken part in an exchange programme in Sciences Po, either as an undergraduate student or in a Master's, you must apply for a Master's through the international admission procedure.

No, it is not possible : applying to the one-year master’s programme is exclusive to all other admission procedures. Candidates must therefore choose to apply either for a regular Master program (and/or dual degree) or a one-year master's programme.

No, the one year master programmes are full time study programmes (except for the Master in Arts and Politics).

If you cannot pay by credit card, you may ask us for the required information to pay by bank transfer. You must send us a proof of payment in the form of an official bank confirmation. Once the payment has been registered it will be updated in the online application, you will receive a confirmation of such in order for you to continue completing the form allowing you to submit it for review.

Beware: Just because you have paid this fee does not mean that the application has automatically been submitted. You must manually submit your application by clicking "submit application".

No, the application fees are not refundable.

Test results are valid for two years (on the deadline of the programme), except Cambridge proficiency certificates, DELF and DALF which have an unlimited validity.

We will review all the elements of your submitted application. If you have not provided results to English tests, but have attached other proofs of English such as a degree from an institution where English is the language of instruction (at least two years of study), proof of 2 years of professional experience in an English speaking country and/or in an exclusively English speaking working environment, and if the material submitted is not deemed sufficient by the selection committee to prove your English proficiency, an English test may be requested.

You may submit your application without your language test results and send them afterwards, as long as we receive them by the deadline of the programme you are applying to.

Warning! We will not process any scholarship or dual degree applications if we have not received language test results by the deadline for the scholarship or dual degree programme requested.

Professional references

The One-Year Master’s Programmes require:

• Two professional references (mandatory) for the Master in Public Affairs et le Master in Advanced Global Studies.
  
• One professional reference (one mandatory, two recommended) for the masters of the School of Management and Innovation. 

Academic references

You also have the opportunity to send academic references.

Your referee may be a teacher, academic advisor, or hierarchical superior with whom you have worked closely with and who will be able to assess your achievements and potential. Never a personal acquaintance. Choose with the utmost care as references play a vital role in the evaluation process.

Things to know about academic/professional references

The references supplied in the application form are very important documents for us; you should therefore take the utmost care when choosing your referee. Do not choose someone only because of their title or position. What matters most is that you choose someone who knows you well and who can evaluate your skills and personal qualities.

The chosen referees must have assessed you academically (written work in particular) and must be able to evaluate you in an impartial and precise manner. Please note that referees must be teachers or hierarchical superiors and not personal acquaintances.

If your referees are teachers, choose those who have taught the main disciplines you have studied or disciplines that are taught at Sciences Po. Do not choose language teachers, as indications of your language level are provided elsewhere in your application. If you have been enrolled in several institutions in the last two years, it is recommended to choose referees from each one of them.

Make sure that the person you have chosen is prompt to give a positive reference. Take the time to meet them in order to explain the reasons and motivation behind your choice. Take this time to remind them of the strong elements of your personality, interpersonal skills, leadership qualities and/or of your experience that you would like them to highlight.

Yes, you may send up to three professional references. The academic references are not mandatory but appreciated.

Once you have filled in (and saved) your referees' contact information on the online application, an e-mail will be sent automatically by the system inviting them to complete an online recommandation form. You should check that they have received this e-mail.

No, applicants are not allowed to read references. They are strictly confidential and will only be read by those people responsible for assessing your application.

Master programmes: you must write your resume in French or English, according to the language of the programme you are applying for. 

One year programmes: you must write your resume in English (except for SPEAP, resume to be attached in French). 

Dual degree programmes: you must write your resume in English.

In the Academic background section, you are required to indicate your exact cumulative/final grade average for each university degree (Bachelor and Master level if adequate) in the dedicated box. 

If you have not yet finished your degree, please write your average obtained to this date.

No conversion is required. You must write your average as it is, using the grading scale of your university. In the comment of the attachment, please specify the position of your average on the transcript.

The academic year at Sciences Po begins between end of August and mid-September, depending on the programmes. Only exchange students may begin in January (second semester). Please consult the information on our Welcome programmes and be aware that certain orientation programmes may be compulsory.

No, deferrals are not granted for dual degree programmes.

Yes, insofar as you fulfill the criteria set for applying through a different procedure. However you will not be able to apply through a different procedure the same year.