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Apprenticeship
The opportunity to complete the second year of the master's program with an apprenticeship is open to all the School of Public Affairs students under the age of 30 and with a sufficient proficiency in French (B2 level at least), whichever their master’s degree and policy stream is.
In 2023/2024, 236 students have chosen this option for their second year of the Master's program. A look back at the highlights of the 2022 start of the school year.
ADVANTAGES OF THE SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME
The apprenticeship offers several advantages:
- it allows students to acquire solid professional experience and to apply without any delay their theoretical knowledge as well as the professional skills they developed during their studies, while benefiting from the support of a "maître d'apprentissage" (mentor within the host structure) and a "tuteur pédagogique" (who creates a link between Sciences Po and the host structure). For students who plan to prepare for the administrative competitive examinations, the experience acquired enables them to have a deep understanding of how the administration system works, its strengths as well as its constraints, which students can put to good use during the competitive examinations.
- it enables concrete financial benefit: tuition fees are paid by the host structure and the student receives a salary.
Once they have graduated, trainees enter the job market very quickly.
THE COURSE OF THE APPRENTICESHIP YEAR
The student spends 3 days in the workplace (Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday) followed by 2 days of classes at Sciences Po (Thursday-Friday), with a total of 35 hours per week, for a full year. The student does not benefit from university breaks, during which he/she is in his/her hosting structure, but the trainee status gives him/her 2.5 days of paid vacations per month (or even more, depending on the collective agreement) and 5 revision days per year. An apprenticeship contract can start between July 1 and mid-September and ends at the end of August of the following year.
What courses does the apprentice take every week?
Apprenticeship students benefit from a curriculum which is adapted to their particular program and schedule:
Autumn semester: Policy stream courses (one 48-hour course in Public Administration and two 24-hour courses from other policy streams) + Computer tools workshop (24h) + 1 elective course (24h)
Spring semester: 1 professional and management workshop (24h) + 3 elective courses (72h) + the Grand Oral based on the professional experience acquired during the apprenticeship.
Finding an apprenticeship contract
The student is in charge of his/her apprenticeship search, but has many resources at his/her disposal. Offers are regularly posted on the School of Public Affairs’ "Infos Carrières" newsletter, on the Sciences Po Careers website and on dedicated platforms. The job offer does not necessarily have to be related to the student's policy stream, as long as the missions are in line with his or her professional project.
Host structures
The host structures are both public and private. Here are some examples:
Public Administration: Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères, Sénat, Agence nationale du sport, Icomos, Banque de France, conseils départementaux, ADIT, CAF, BPI France, Mutualité française, Engie, Yce Partners, Natixis, Mc Kinsey & Company, Nestle, etc.
Cultural Policy and Management: Ministère de la Culture, Mairie de Paris, Château de Versailles, Musée Picasso, Centre Pompidou, Musée d’Orsay, Institut du monde arabe, Cité internationale des arts, Le Centquatre-Paris, Arte, Canal +, Sony Music, Flammarion, etc.
Digital, New technology and Public Policy: Ministère des Solidarités et de la Santé, IBM, Microsoft, Aéroports de Paris, Maison Hermès, APCO Worldwide, Possible Future-French Bureau, Ipso Santé, etc.
Economics and Public Policy: Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères, DG Trésor, Sénat, SNCF, Société Générale, Groupe Transdev, L’Oréal, Fédération française de l’assurance, Deeple, BNP Paribas, Euronext, etc.
Energy, Environment and Sustainability: Ministère de la transition écologique, ADEME, Sénat, ENEDIS, Enercoop, Michelin, EDF, RTE, GRDF, Total, Suez Group, Communauté des ports de Paris, etc.
Europe in the world: Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères, Ministère des Outre-mer, Union nationale des entreprises du paysage, EDF, L’Oréal, Suez Group, etc.
Management and Public Affairs: Direction interministérielle du numérique, Ministère des Armées, Mairie de Paris, L’Oréal, Sanofi, TotalEnergies, Tilder, SNCF, Engie, Sénat, Air France, etc.
Politics and Public Policy: Ministère de l’Europe et des Affaires étrangères, DICOM des Ministères sociaux, Etalab, Banque de France, EDF, L’Oréal, BWC, Bosch, Studio Canal, etc.
Global Health: Ministère des solidarités et de la santé, Mairie de Paris, Conseils généraux, Santé publique France, APHP, Sanofi, Nabla, Impact Healthcare, L’Oréal, Alcimed, Kanta Health, Eurogroup consulting France, etc.
Security and Defence: Ministère de l’Intérieur, Ministère des Armées, Ministère de l’Economie, SGDSN, Assemblée nationale, Sénat, Aéroports de Paris, Directions sûreté de grands groupes (Danone, Véolia, Carrefour, EDF, etc.), Arianespace, Sopra Steria, Thalès, Naval Group
Social Policy and Social Innovation: Ministère des solidarités et de la santé, Ministère des Outre-mer, Conseils départementaux, CAF, Banque de France, Fonds social européen, SNCF, Paris Université Club, Association Espero, Association 1001 mots, Tilder, etc.
Testimonials from graduates
See the portraits of Pauline Engelsen, Nassim Larfa, Ester Davanzo, Axelle Dubois, Marie Trelat, Wissem Saïle, Jad Gaouad, Camille Frasca, Alexandre Fongaro, Tony Brando, Pierre Benassaya, Clara Langlois-Gey, Arthur Binois (in French), Benoît Mortgat (in French).
More information
You will find useful information on the status of the apprentice on the website of Formasup Paris, tab « Apprenants » and on the website of the Ministère du Travail.
All first-year Master’s students are invited to a presentation meeting at the beginning of semester 2.
Contact
- Administrative Head for the apprenticeship option: apprentissage.eap@sciencespo.fr
- Academic Advisor for the apprenticeship option: Anelise Nicolier
