Undergraduate International Admissions: dispensation procedure

You are eligible to apply for the undergraduate programmes through the international pathway if you are a first time applicant and currently preparing for a foreign diploma of secondary education (first session).

The dispensation procedure applies to:

• candidates who have obtained their non-French secondary school diploma between October 2023 (for Southern Hemisphere school systems) and September 2024; 
• candidates subjected to mandatory military or civilian service; 
• candidates who were prevented from applying earlier due to health reasons.

In order to be granted, your dispensation request must meet all of the following criteria:

• you have not been enrolled in another institution of higher education since graduating from secondary school (high school). This includes institutions offering preparatory classes for Sciences Po admission procedure; 
• in case of a gap year, you will need to be able to justify your activities during the year, such as an internship, job, military or civilian/civic service (e.g. Zivildienst), humanitarian missions, etc.; 
• you must provide proof of your activities during the full academic year, for example a job or internship certificate, a certificate of volunteer activities, etc. For each element, the number of hours per week must be specified. 

Please note that any dispensation request without supporting documents will not be considered. 

How to request a dispensation

• The deadline to request a dispensation for the 2025 admissions procedure (fall 2025 intake) is 16th April 2025. Past this deadline, we will not accept any dispensation requests.
• Please ensure you meet all the eligibility criteria listed above; 
• Fill out the dispensation request form and enclose all supporting documentation. Requests by email are not taken into account. Be careful to submit a dispensation request with all the required supporting documents, including translations; otherwise, your request will be rejected.
• Supporting documents must be provided with a translation in French or English. 
• If your request is approved you may submit an application file through Sciences Po platform and upload the confirmation email in PDF format within the “Academic background” tab of your application. Please note the evaluation of your application will only start once you have enclosed this document. 

Please note