The Undergraduate College: Study for a Bachelor's Degree

A Bachelor’s degree grounded in the humanities and social sciences

Open to students who have completed a Baccalaureate diploma (or its foreign equivalent), the Sciences Po Undergraduate College is a three-year programme taught on one of the institution’s seven campuses (four-year in case of a dual degree). Students graduate with the Sciences Po Bachelor of Arts degree (Bac +3).

Founded in the study of humanities and social sciences, the education spans across six main disciplines - law, economics, humanities, history, political science and sociology - supplemented by artistic and scientific disciplines.

Two years in France and one year abroad

• The first year is devoted to studying the core disciplines, with courses in law, economics, history, humanities, political science and sociology.
• In the second year, students continue these core courses and choose one of three multidisciplinary majors: “Economy and Society”, “Political Humanities” or “Politics and Government”.
• The third year is spent abroad on academic exchange at one of Sciences Po’s 480 partner universities, possibly supplemented by a semester of internship.

In addition to teaching, field experience is encouraged within the framework of the Civic Learning Programme, study trips, internships, simulations, association and union activities.

The Undergraduate College's programmes

A core curriculum complemented by a geographical minor

The Undergraduate College is comprised of seven campuses, where all students study the same core courses in the humanities and social sciences. In addition, each campus offers a specific geographical minor: Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East-Mediterranean, and North America.

Educating enlightened citizens

Courses offered at the Undergraduate College give students a comprehensive understanding of shifts within contemporary societies, and equip them with the tools to think critically and act ethically. The goal is to educate inventive and enlightened citizens committed to advancing the public interest.

An unprecedented “Ecological Culture” course

Environmental transformation is at the very heart of Sciences Po’s educational and research project. Reflecting the institution’s deep commitment to these issues, a compulsory 24-hour course on “Ecological Culture” was introduced for Sciences Po’s 1,700 first-year students at the start of the 2022–23 academic year. Designed by Pierre Charbonnier, philosopher and CNRS research fellow at Sciences Po (Centre for European Studies and Comparative Politics), and drawing on political science, law, environmental history, economics, and sociology, the course benefits from the interdisciplinary richness of Sciences Po’s curriculum.

The Civic Learning Programme: Exercising citizenship

The Civic Learning Programme allows students to establish links between the citizenship issues their course addresses through active involvement in them. This involvement can take the form of activities carried out at Sciences Po or externally, in the public, private and non-profit sectors in France and abroad.

Dual degrees with leading universities around the world

Sciences Po offers dual Bachelor’s degrees with nine of the world’s leading universities, allowing students to study as fully-integrated members of two distinct academic cultures. Students are recruited from all over the world and benefit from a unique international experience combining the strengths and academic specialties of both institutions.

Six double degrees designed in collaboration with French universities are also offered, in order to provide a unique course at the crossroads of social sciences, sciences and humanities.

A perennial dialogue with the sciences

In addition to the humanities and social sciences, science courses are integrated into the curriculum. In the first year, students take statistics applied to the social sciences, and in the second year follow fundamental courses focusing on digital issues and sociology.

For students who wish to deepen their knowledge in these disciplines, the Bachelor of Arts and Sciences, offers programmes that combine the study of liberal arts and hard sciences.

A degree that creates opportunities

Following their three years of study, students earn their Bachelor of Arts degree. They can then choose to begin their professional lives or to continue their studies at the master's level at Sciences Po or in any other university in France or abroad.

The Undergraduate College in video