Sciences Po and Columbia University Launch a Strategic Dual Degree in Ecological Transition and Climate Risks

Sciences Po and Columbia University are strengthening their historic partnership with the launch of a new dual master’s programme dedicated to climate action leading to a Master of Arts in Ecological Transition, Risks, and Governance from the Paris Climate School of Sciences Po and a Master of Science in Climate from the Columbia Climate School.

Bringing together two world-leading institutions with complementary strengths, the programme combines the first dedicated climate science degrees offered in Europe and the United States to equip the next generation of climate leaders with the interdisciplinary expertise to tackle one of the defining challenges of our time.

The programme will welcome its first cohort in Fall 2027, with admissions opening in September 2026.

An academic alliance at the forefront of the global climate agenda

Building on decades of academic cooperation, this partnership reflects a shared commitment to advancing climate education across continents, connecting Paris and New York, two cities at the forefront of the global climate agenda.

Alexis Abramson, Dean of the Columbia Climate School: “Climate change requires solutions that span disciplines, borders, and systems. This dual degree partnership with Sciences Po reflects exactly the kind of collaborative and interdisciplinary education that Climate School was built for. Students will earn two world-class degrees, join two global networks, and develop the necessary skills to understand climate risks, evaluate solutions and help turn climate knowledge into action at both local and global scales. We look forward to welcoming the first cohort in 2027.”

A two-year curriculum on climate science and governance

The interdisciplinary programme spans earth sciences, climate risks and impacts, ecological transition, policy, finance, and governance.

Designed as a one-way dual degree beginning in Paris and concluding in New York, the program offers a unique academic combination: students will graduate with both a Master of Arts and a Master of Science, bringing together two distinct fields of academic excellence.

• Year 1 at Sciences Po in Paris: students develop a deep understanding of the geopolitical, economic, legal, and governance dimensions of ecological transition, gaining the analytical frameworks to understand how climate decisions are shaped and implemented;
• Year 2 at the Columbia Climate School in New York: students strengthen their expertise in climate systems science, adaptation and mitigation pathways, quantitative methods, justice frameworks, and applied problem-solving, acquiring the technical tools to design and evaluate climate solutions.

Through this rigorous transatlantic track, students will develop a crucial fluency across both policy and science, learning to approach complex problems from multiple vantage points.

Key benefits for students

• Two degrees in two years: earn two master’s degrees from two world-renowned universities within the timeframe of a single degree;
• Two influential academic and professional networks: one anchored in Paris, Europe's regulatory and diplomatic hub, and the other in New York, the global financial capital and home to multilateral institutions;
• Experiential learning on both sides of the Atlantic: a practice-based curriculum featuring a Transformation Lab and practitioner seminars at Sciences Po, alongside applied climate seminars, integrated case-based learning, and required capstone project at Columbia;
• Unmatched career versatility: graduates will be equipped to accelerate a just transition to a net-zero carbon economy while strengthening climate adaptation and resilience. They will be well positioned to pursue careers across international organisations, governments and regulatory bodies, multilateral development banks, think tanks, consulting and strategy firms, NGOs, research institutions, and companies driving the transition to a low-carbon, resilient economy.