Dual Master's Degree in Global Urban Development with Tata Institute of Social Sciences

The Urban School of Sciences Po (Paris) and the School of Habitat Studies of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS, Mumbai), two highly rated institutions in Urban Studies worldwide, are launching a new dual master’s degree program to begin September 2024. The dual master’s draws on synergies between the two universities in cutting-edge interdisciplinary training in urban governance and urban policy. It provides students with the enriching experience of professionalisation and on-the-ground training in two dynamic global cities: a first year in Paris and a second year in Mumbai.

The Urban School of Sciences Po is committed to training professionals who will imagine, lead, and manage the future transformation of cities. It is renowned for its emphasis on urban governance, comparative political economy, and urban policy analysis. At the Urban School, we are committed to an interdisciplinary social science approach (politics, sociology, economics, law, history, urban planning, and geography) to urban transformation in the climate crisis, smart cities, housing, public space, infrastructure, and mobility.

The School of Habitat Studies of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), of which four centres are involved in this dual degree (Urban Policy and Governance, Climate Change and Environmental Studies, Water Policy and Governance, Regulatory Policy and Governance), is a premier institution for the social sciences in India. It offers rigorous training in urban development, including social policy, sustainability, water, sanitation, mitigating inequality, and regional development. The TISS ethos is deeply committed to social and environmental justice, on-the-ground field training, and policy work.

Objectives and Skills

This is the only program that grants a dual degree in urban development with training in India and Europe in the time usually taken to achieve just one degree. It offers the extraordinary opportunity to be trained in two of the world’s most dynamic metropolitan areas, each a vast laboratory for urbanism, and sharing many of the key challenges of cities today. As Greater Paris and Greater Mumbai have radically different spatial forms, geographies, and histories, the cities provide an ideal site for students who want to acquire skills in global comparative urbanism and urban governance and understand how urban policy is implemented in different contexts.

Students in the program will acquire the fundamental knowledge, skills, and experience to:

• Understand the action logic and urban governance of the world's largest metropolitan areas, analyse different spatial forms, geographies, and histories, through a comparative approach while anchored in two dynamic metropolises (Greater Paris and Greater Mumbai) that have been real laboratories of territorial public policies.
• Design and implement innovative public policies at local, national, and international levels, capable of combining social justice and environmental justice.

Programme overview

Year 1 in Paris following the first year courses of the Master in Governing the Large Metropolis (GLM) at the Urban School, Sciences Po
Year 2 in Mumbai in TISS, following a program that draws from four centres at TISS.

See the Programme for details of the curriculum.

During their group projects and learning expedition (at Sciences Po) and fieldwork and policy practicum (at TISS), students will work, both individually and collectively, in real professional situations. This professional immersion will be in diverse sectors, including urban planning, urban services, transport, real estate, housing, sustainable development, and smart cities, among others.
Providing all course requirements have been met, students will graduate after two years with both master’s degrees, one granted by TISS and the other by Sciences Po. 

Download the programme structure

Careers

The Sciences Po – TISS Dual Degree provides access to stimulating career paths in India and France but also, thanks to strong professional training in a comparative and critical approach, in the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. The degree prepares graduates for jobs in the public sector, nonprofits and NGOs, utility firms, planning agencies, applied research agencies, consulting, and development firms.

Validation and Degree

Students are registered for two years at both universities and can access Sciences Po and TISS student services. Students must validate coursework under the requirements of the university at which they are studying each year.

• 60 ECTS credits during the year at Sciences Po
• The equivalent of 60 credits during the year at TISS

To earn the dual degree, students must validate the two years of study in both universities.

Admissions

This dual degree program is open to candidates worldwide. It is intended for aspiring urban professionals interested in public or private sector careers with a Bachelor’s degree in social science (economics, law, politics, social policy, anthropology, sociology, geography, history…), engineering, architecture, natural science, and more.

The deadline is February 2, 2025.

Candidates apply directly on the Sciences Po website.

Applicants are selected on the strength of their applications only. A jury with members from both universities makes the final admissions decision.

Tuition and Fees

Students pay their fees:

• To Sciences Po for Year 1 
• To TISS for Year 2

To find out about possible funding, consult the grants offered by Sciences Po and also:

France excellence Charpak Master Scholarship

R D Sethna Scholarship Fund

Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation Scholarships