Sciences Po-HEC dual degree celebrates its 15th anniversary

On 20 April, 2024, the 15th anniversary of the dual degree between HEC and Sciences Po was celebrated in the cloister of Sciences Po's new 1 Saint-Thomas campus.

Initiated by the dual degree association, the event brought together alumni from every year of the dual degree since its creation, HEC CEO Eloïc Peyrache, Laurence Bertrand Dorléac, President of the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, Anne-Célia Feutrie, Executive Director of the School of Public Affairs, Éric Mengus, Scientific Advisor for the dual degree, and Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister Delegate for Europe and alumnus of both schools.

It was an opportunity for all the former students to meet up, share memories of their university years and discuss the diversity of their career paths. The aim of the event, as stated by the President of the association Théo Courtines, was to ‘continue to cultivate the links between the graduating classes’, which should be ‘a strength for the future’, and to highlight the community of this dual degree. ‘I really feel part of this programme, more than just HEC or Sciences Po, I feel part of this dual degree,’ says Alice, who will graduate in 2025.

The richness of the dual degree was highlighted by many, in terms of the offer of courses, the profiles of the students and the career opportunities offered to graduates. 

‘I would say that there is a good complementarity of courses, with very heterogeneous profiles, so it's interesting to talk to people with quite varied interests [...] It's a real asset ! Also, the diversity of career paths after graduation, it is fascinating to see the opportunities we have !’ says Edouard, a student from the class of 2024.

Lilou and Emma, final year students, add that the complementary nature of the curriculum is a very important asset from a personal point of view and is also valued on the job market: ‘after the year at HEC and the first internship, we really saw and felt what we were missing, so we were happy to come to Sciences Po to complete our training. And the private/HEC part is valuable at Sciences Po. Recruiters often tell us that our career path is ‘incredible’. They also tell us that [we have] the broad and diverse knowledge and skills that they are looking for. We are taught to work fast, to present a variety of subjects, to do research, to be meticulous and to be curious, which is important in professional life.'

Despite this diversity, it is above all the link between the public and private sectors that everyone particularly remembers. Quentin, who graduated in 2018, says that what he found most rewarding ‘was the critical distance on both the public and private sectors’ that the double degree gave him. Minister Jean-Noël Barrot spoke of the ‘ability of these students to make all these worlds interact’, which makes the strength of the graduates.

The dual degree between HEC and Sciences Po has been designed to train both public sector managers who are fully acquainted with the techniques of the private sector and managers for companies who have a perfect mastery of public debates and issues and who are aware of the public dimension of the actions of these companies. It prepares students for careers in business as well as in public administrations and regulatory authorities, at national, European and international level. The three-year programme alternates semesters on the HEC Paris and Sciences Po campuses with periods of work experience in the public and private sectors. At the end of the programme, students graduate with a Master's degree in management from HEC and a Master's degree in public policy from Sciences Po.

Many thanks to the Dual Degree Association for their commitment and to everyone who took part in this event !

Interviews by Lili Moronvalle

Learn more

• The Sciences Po-HEC dual degree “Corporate and Public Management”