Sciences Po

Sciences Po is in many ways similar to the London School of Economics and Political Science. It is a relatively small (14,000 students) research-led university that specialises in the fields of economics, history, international relations, law, political science and the humanities.

Sciences Po is spread across seven campuses: Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Paris, Poitiers and Reims. GO LSE exchange students have free reign in choosing which campus they would like to study on, with each possessing its own set of courses and research specialities. Each campus has a strong cultural identity, and students and faculty form a close-knit community. They also offer excellent living conditions and student support from the administrative and academic staff.

The seven campuses of the Undergraduate College host more than 1,000 exchange students each year. Around 20 LSE students can be nominated for the programme.

Undergraduate College courses are multidisciplinary and cover the fields of economics, history, international relations, law, political science and the humanities. There is no compulsory major or specific programme for exchange students. They can therefore enrol in any of the many courses offered by the College, in the discipline of their choice. 

For exchange students with focused interests, the Undergraduate College programme allows students to focus on a geographic region: Central and Eastern Europe (Dijon campus), Asia (Le Havre campus), the Middle East and Mediterranean (Menton campus) Europe & the Franco-German zone (Nancy campus), Latin America, Spain and Portugal (Poitiers campus), Africa or North America (Reims campus).

The curriculum can be completed in French, English, or both languages and includes a diverse range of courses; activities with student clubs and associations also form part of the programme. However, please note that some campuses have French language requirements.

If students apply to Sciences Po through the CIVICA Engage track, they will be expected to take an Engage course as part of their programme.

The GO LSE exchange is additional to the requirements of your LSE degree. Having completed the year at Sciences Po, you will then return to LSE to study the final year of your programme. Your year overseas will not count towards your final degree classification at LSE, but you will be issued with a separate Sciences Po transcript providing details of your results.

Please be advised that classes and exams at some institutions in France, including Sciences Po, may be scheduled during the weekend. Regular religious practices are not included in the exceptions that can be made for exams or classes.

Find out more about the exchange programme on the Sciences Po website.

Students are eligible to apply for a number of Sciences Po residences. Further information can be found on Sciences Po's Housing website.

The scheme is open to all second year LSE undergraduate students (or third year BSc Philosophy, Politics and Economics students). Generally we require applicants to have passed all of their first year exams (without resits) and to have achieved a 2:1 average across their courses.

Students can study abroad at Sciences Po as part of a regular GO LSE Exchange, or as a CIVICA Engage Track student. 

Tuition fees

GO LSE students are not required to pay any tuition fees to the host institution in order to participate in the exchange programme. Students will continue to pay tuition fees directly to LSE. For further information, please visit the fees and funding webpage.  

Living costs

The estimated cost of living in France is €1,235 (or around £1,050) per month. This will cover your housing, meals, books, and personal costs, but travel expenses are not accounted for. However, the actual amount can vary substantially depending upon which campus you are enrolled at.

Visit the Sciences Po budgeting webpage for more information.

Financial support

Please visit our fees and funding webpage for further information.

The decision to pursue a year abroad at Sciences Po proved to be one of the best, not only in my academic journey but in my life. Having finished my second year at the LSE, I was rather unsure of the direction I would like to follow after my undergraduate studies. However, during my exchange, I had complete freedom in choosing my modules, which allowed me to venture out of my area of focus at the LSE and get a taste of other disciplines.

Thanks to this year of unconstrained academic experimentation, I am now much more confident about my path ahead. My time at a French university has also exposed me to a significantly different academic tradition to the one I had known from my home university – a truly enriching experience which, I am sure, has rendered me much more open-minded, able to appreciate various perspectives and engage in a more nuanced way of thinking.

The benefits have not only been academic, though.Much like the LSE, Sciences Po is a highly diverse environment, where I had the opportunity to meet people from varied backgrounds. As the university lies not only at the very heart of Paris but also of the French political system, spending a year (and such a politically interesting one for France, at that) there allowed me to delve deeper into the country’s culture, social mosaic, and pressing issues, which enhanced my understanding of this fascinating society. Not to mention how crucial my time spent in the City of Lights was for developing my French! 

Having said all that, my year abroad was not always nice and easy. Moving to a different country (even though it has been the second time for me in the last three years) means dealing with all sorts of hurdles: from the language barrier through adapting to different cultural norms to navigating the administrative maze.

However, I strongly believe that such experiences are extremely important, not only because they foster skills and qualities such as independence and flexibility, valued by so many employers, but also, and perhaps more importantly, because they allow for more well-rounded personal development. All in all, I do not regret a minute spent on my year abroad at Sciences Po, and I feel much more ready and confident ahead of my final year at the LSE as well as whatever lies beyond, having gone through this truly transformative experience.

By Jan Mlynarczyk GO LSE student (2022/23)

Travel

GO LSE exchange students are expected to make their own travel arrangements. If you are eligible for Student Finance, you may be able to recoup part of the cost of up to three return journeys between your home and your host institution.

GO LSE exchange students will be covered under LSE's Travel Insurance policy, following completion of the necessary risk assessment document.

Visas

Non-EU students (including British citizens) will need to apply for a long-stay student visa to study in France. Citizens of European Union countries do not need a visa to study in France.