What Do Undergraduates Study at Sciences Po?

The Sciences Po Bachelor’s program provides students with a solid foundation: a core of knowledge, methods, reasoning skills, and mastery of both English and French, upon which they can build the rest of their academic journey and professional life in any direction.

The first pillar of the Bachelor’s program is interdisciplinarity: Sciences Po is a world-class university in the humanities and social sciences. Its courses are rooted in a close connection between cutting-edge research and teaching.

The second pillar is internationalism: Through globally oriented coursework, language learning, distinct geographical minors across our network of seven campuses, and a third year abroad, we prepare future professionals to travel and engage far beyond France’s borders.

The third pillar is civic engagement: We aim to educate students who are active participants in public life.

In the first year, students are introduced to the five core disciplines that form the foundation of the program: Law, Economics, History, Political Science, and Sociology. They acquire the fundamental knowledge and theories of each field, along with their modes of reasoning and academic requirements.

In the second year, in addition to deepening the core curriculum, students will, starting in the 2026-2027 academic year, select two disciplinary majors: one from Economics, Political Science - Political Humanities, and Political Science - Comparative Politics; and another from Law, History, and Sociology. Each major consists of 120 hours of coursework, designed to provide in-depth expertise in the chosen disciplines.

Finally, during the third year abroad, students join one of Sciences Po’s international partner universities, thanks to nearly 500 exchange agreements spanning every continent and including some of the world’s most prestigious institutions.

The Civic Learning Programme invites students to explore citizenship and social responsibility through the development of a personal project in service of others. 

This track takes place during the first two years of the Bachelor’s program, while students are based on Sciences Po campuses. 

It includes two internships - one within a public or non-profit organization, and another involving direct engagement with beneficiaries - which lead to written assignments: internship reports and a final “Grand Oral”, a reflective piece grounded in the academic learning acquired over the two years of study. Throughout the Civic Learning Programme, students receive guidance and support from faculty members.

At the end of their three-year program, our graduates are thoroughly trained in the diverse demands of the social sciences. They know how to write, how to articulate their ideas orally, and how to understand reasoning in economics, history, and political science. More importantly, they are able to combine these different approaches to formulate questions in their own way. They are engaged with society and open to the world.

With this foundation, they are ready to pursue graduate studies. The vast majority continue within one of the 30 master’s programs or over 40 dual degrees offered by Sciences Po’s eight graduate schools on our Paris campus, covering a wide range of fields, professions, and sectors. Others choose prestigious master’s programs at French or international universities, while some enter the workforce directly.

We have given them the keys to succeed in any path they choose: intellectual rigor and curiosity.