Bachelor of Arts - North America Minor

A specialisation focused on contemporary North American dynamics

The North America minor within the Bachelor’s programme at Sciences Po is part of the multidisciplinary education in the humanities and social sciences shared across the Undergraduate College, while offering an in-depth focus on the study of the United States and, more broadly, on North American dynamics within their global context. Taught in English, this programme provides a comparative approach to political institutions, legal systems, historical trajectories, economic models and social dynamics specific to the region, while also enabling students to analyse transatlantic relations and interactions between North America and the rest of the world in a context shaped by contemporary geopolitical transformations.

As a central space of globalisation, North America offers a privileged laboratory for the study of major transformations, including shifts in capitalism, environmental challenges, debates surrounding civil liberties, migration dynamics, social and racial inequalities, and the role of North American powers in global governance. Courses combine the analysis of historical legacies, including state formation, territorial expansion and civil rights movements, with the study of contemporary issues such as political polarisation, the place of minority groups, economic and technological innovation, and diplomacy.

Several international dual degree programmes are available to students enrolled in this minor, in partnership with leading universities:

• Columbia University;
• University of California Berkeley;
• University of British Columbia (UBC); 
• National University of Singapore (NUS);
• University of Hong Kong;
• University of Sydney;
• Luiss, Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali Guido Carli.

The North America Minor explained in video

Courses and subjects at the heart of North American issues

The North America minor is a fully English-taught programme, designed for students who wish to develop within an international academic environment and achieve a high level of proficiency in academic English. Specialised courses explore major North American issues through a multidisciplinary approach, drawing on political science, history, law, economics, sociology and the humanities.

Examples of courses include:

• Political Economy of Europe and the United States;
• Foreign Policy of the United States;
• Dilemmas of a Nuclear-Armed World.

Languages taught within the minor

Language learning is an integral part of the Bachelor’s curriculum. Within the North America minor, students may further develop their proficiency in English or begin learning other languages offered at the University College, including Spanish, German, Italian or Arabic.

French as a Foreign Language courses are also available to students whose level is below B1 to support their gradual integration into the programme.

Proficiency in several languages is a key asset for working in international and intercultural professional environments.

Find out more about language teaching.

Skills developed through the minor

The North America minor provides the core foundations in the humanities and social sciences shared by all students at the University College, enhanced by an in-depth regional specialisation. Students develop the ability to analyse North American political systems, a detailed understanding of legal and constitutional issues, and a critical perspective on contemporary economic and social dynamics.

They also acquire analytical tools for examining public policies, international relations and intellectual debates specific to the region, supported by strong methodological skills, including quantitative and qualitative analysis, rigour in argumentation, critical thinking and the ability to synthesise complex information.

This programme opens up a wide range of career paths, including diplomacy, international organisations, public institutions, consulting, the private sector, international journalism and academic research.

A third year to deepen international immersion

The third year of the Bachelor’s programme at Sciences Po takes place entirely abroad, at one of the institution’s 445 partner universities. 

 For students enrolled in the North America minor, it is particularly recommended to undertake this mobility at a university located in the United States or Canada, or one offering specialised courses on the region, in order to deepen their understanding of the societies studied and to strengthen their command of English.

However, mobility in North America is not compulsory. Students remain free to choose a destination anywhere in the world, provided that they undertake coursework related to North American issues or to the region’s international relations.

Studying the North America minor on the Reims campus

The North America minor is offered at the Reims campus, which also hosts a minor dedicated to the African continent and welcomes many exchange students from Sciences Po’s partner universities. The campus provides a distinctly international academic environment, characterised by a high level of student diversity and an openness to major contemporary issues, making it particularly well suited to the study of North American dynamics.

Find out more about the Reims campus and its student community.