First Official Dual BA Program Class Celebrated at Class Day

Twenty-seven graduates of the Dual BA Program Between Columbia University and Sciences Po were among those honored at the 2015 GS Class Day ceremony on Monday, May 18, 2015.

This year’s graduates represent the first official graduating class of the Dual BA Program, which launched its pilot program in 2011. Students begin their studies by spending two years at one of three Sciences Po campuses in Le Havre, Menton, or Reims, where they complete an interdisciplinary social sciences curriculum focusing on a particular region of interest. The final two years of study are completed at Columbia University School of General Studies, where students complete a major of their choice. Upon completion of the program, graduates are awarded two bachelor’s degrees—one from Sciences Po and one from Columbia University, and are guaranteed admission to a master's program at Sciences Po Paris.

“By bringing together students from around the globe and having them study full time for two years at a world-class European university before bringing them to a world-class American one, participants are exposed to a wide range of languages, cultures, and experiences. And the ensuing cross-fertilization of attitudes and perspectives makes an immense contribution to the student experience and intellectual conversation in the Columbia classroom,” Dean Peter J. Awn said.

This year’s graduates originated from several different countries including the US, Canada, France, South Korea, the UK, Taiwan, and Poland, and completed a range majors at Columbia including economics, political science, urban studies, history, sustainable development, creative writing, and earth sciences. Seven graduates were members of the GS Honor Society, and three were inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa honor society.

The Dual BA Program offers an elite international undergraduate experience, building on a twelve-year partnership between Columbia University and Sciences Po through the Alliance Program, a joint venture that aims to develop new initiatives in the fields of education cooperation, research collaboration, and policy outreach.