French Graduate Admissions: Tips for the Interview

You applied for a Master’s programme at Sciences Po via the French procedure and have been pre-selected? Congratulations! Next step: the interview. This final stage of the admissions procedure will take place remotely from 16 to 30 April 2026.

If you're wondering what kind of profile we are looking for and how to defend your career goal while highlighting your determination, check out the following guidelines to help you succeed in this final stretch.

1. Start by rereading your application form

The purpose of the interview is determine how well your goals align with the Master’s programme you have chosen at Sciences Po, while assessing your motivation to join one of our graduate schools.

Carefully reread your cover letter, CV, and any other elements included in your application. You should be able to provide an overview of prior experience and your professional plans going forward: your academic career, internships, as well as any other extracurricular experience, such as volunteering. The interview panel will want to hear about any element that may distinguish you from other candidates.

2. Get to know the course structure and professional prospects of your future Master

In choosing your Master’s programme you should be making a considered and realistic decision about your future career plans. Interviewees must be able to show that they know what direction they wish to head in and to present their reasons concretely and with conviction. That’s why you must get to grips with the structure of your course and the content you will be studying if you are accepted. This programme should hold no surprises for you!

3. Take an interest in current affairs within your chosen domain

Students at Sciences Po must have a keen interest in the contemporary world and its major issues. The members of the interview panel will be looking out for your knowledge and curiosity for current affairs in the professional universe that you wish to enter, be that law, journalism, public affairs and so on.

Some more practical advice

All interviews take place remotely, via video conference in front of a two-member panel, and will last 20 minutes.

You will be able to access the interview dates and times a few days before the interview period. It is up to you to register for the time slot that suits you best among those proposed for the chosen Master's programme. The earlier you register, the more likely you are to get the slot you want.

The interview may be conducted in French and/or English (depending on the language of the chosen master’s programme).

On the day of the interview, please keep in mind to log in 10 minutes beforehand to make sure that everything is working properly, to dive into the interview as peacefully as possible.

Find out more about the Graduate Admissions via the French procedure (Fr).