About the Dual BA Program

Inaugurated in September 2010, the Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po builds upon a longstanding partnership between leading French educational institutions and Columbia University. The first transatlantic dual degree program at Columbia University, the Dual BA Program has served as a model for additional cooperative efforts between Columbia and international universities.

The Dual BA Program offers students an international educational experience with a program spanning two continents. The program allows students to enhance their global outlook and develop their language skills and communication abilities to a high level. Students spend the first two years studying at one of four campuses in France and the final two years in the heart of New York City.

Admissions and Enrollment

Note: The following statistics are based on enrollment for the 2023-2024 academic year.

  • 390 enrolled students
  • 64% women, 36% men
  • 56% international (non-U.S. citizen or permanent resident) students, representing 70 countries

Years One and Two

During their first two years at Sciences Po, students will study the social sciences and gain fluency in a foreign language alongside a minor focused on a specific region of the world (Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean, Mediterranean and the Middle East, or North America). Fifteen languages are taught between the four campuses.

Sciences Po undergraduate students must complete coursework in six disciplines:

  • Economics
  • History
  • Humanities
  • Law
  • Political Science (including international relations)
  • Sociology

In their first year, students take introductory courses in each foundational discipline, with specific attention paid to three core principles: academic rigor, internationalization, and civic engagement.

In their second year, students will narrow their focus and select a major from one of the following three options: 

  • Economy and Society
  • Political Humanities
  • Politics and Government


Students participate in Sciences Po’s Civic Learning Programme, an academic requirement that counts a minimum of 6 ECTS credits (or up to 9 ECTS credits) for the field experiences and 6 ECTS credits for the Capstone Project. Completion of the Civic Learning Programme is a preconditions for receiving a Bachelor’s Degree. By weaving together the theoretical knowledge students have acquired and the empirical data and information gathered during their field experiences, students are invited to build a personal project on a topic of their choice, in the areas of general welfare, the common good and the promotion of equality and solidarity. To learn more about the Civic Learning Programme, please visit the Sciences Po website

    Years Three and Four

    After successfully completing their second year at Sciences Po, Dual BA Program students matriculate at the Columbia University School of General Studies (GS), where they will further their study in one of Columbia’s liberal arts majors and participate in Columbia’s Core Curriculum in a variety of disciplines, including literature, art, music, science, and the humanities.

    By offering two distinct learning environments, the Dual BA Program seeks to present a variety of experiences that allow students to challenge themselves and develop a richly textured understanding of an increasingly globalized world. Students within the program will complete the undergraduate curricula of both Sciences Po and Columbia, alongside a uniquely diverse group of fellow students.