Sciences Po Is Launching a Dual Bachelor’s Degree With Luiss in Rome

VS: This programme was created with the aim of strengthening a longstanding and close partnership between Sciences Po and Luiss. Luiss is already, for example, one of the few universities in the world with which Sciences Po exchanges more than 50 students each year, especially in the context of the compulsory third year abroad. Like all our dual degree programmes, this development demonstrates Sciences Po’s European and international standing, as well as a high degree of strategic cooperation and deep mutual confidence with Luiss.

This new programme with Luiss is the tenth international dual degree programme that Sciences Po has established with a major partner. It will be the second dual degree offered as part of our European Union Programme on Nancy Campus (the first is with the Freie Universität, with whom we are celebrating 40 years of cooperation this year), and the third in Europe, alongside University College London.

The link we are building here between Rome and Paris, and between Italy and France, will add great value to Sciences Po’s programme offering, attracting the top students from around the world to this unique programme between two of the most renowned social sciences universities in Europe.

JL: This is a four-year undergraduate programme offered jointly by two universities, with each institution responsible for two years of teaching. Students spend the first two years on one of Sciences Po’s seven undergraduate campuses (in Dijon, Poitiers, Nancy, Menton, Le Havre, Reims or Paris) followed by two years at Luiss, in Rome.

At the end of their studies, students will be awarded two diplomas: a Bachelor of Arts from Sciences Po, and either a Bachelor in Politics, Philosophy and Economics or a Bachelor in Political Science from Luiss.

JL: Students on this programme will have the choice of a wide range of existing module options, and can also personalise their studies based on their individual preferences. When they apply, students select a campus or a geographical minor, which corresponds to the region of the world they wish to specialise in.

All of our campuses teach core courses in the principal humanities and social science disciplines: history, political science, economics, law, sociology, political humanities. Students can then deepen their knowledge of two social science disciplines in their second year, by choosing one of three possible majors to specialise in.

In parallel, from their first year, students participate in the Civic Learning Programme, a series of courses and placements designed to foster active citizenship and enable them to fully shoulder their social and civic responsibilities. 

Multidisciplinarity is a feature of the curriculum at both institutions. At Luiss, students can choose between two academic streams. The Politics, Philosophy and Economics programme is taught in English, and offers specialist courses in the final year in Artificial Intelligence, Sustainable Development and Protection of Fundamental Rights. The Bachelor of Political Science is taught in Italian, and develops the tools and expertise needed to understand the major political issues of our time.

VS: It provides an opportunity for us to join forces with one of Europe’s leading institutions in its field, by way of a highly selective programme doubling the prestige of our respective courses. We can be sure that our students will leave better equipped to face the world, thanks to the combination of two innovative and highly demanding courses, a unique comparative approach, and a cross-cultural understanding that is second to none. By the end of the course, students will be awarded degrees from both Sciences Po and Luiss, opening up a wide range of opportunities across several job markets.

Offering these dual degree programmes is also a way for Sciences Po to address a growing demand from present and future generations for a multicultural learning environment, with a strong emphasis on the power of European-specific programmes to meet global challenges.

Students will also improve their language skills, through courses taught in Italian, French and English. Many areas of expertise that embody Sciences Po priorities are also shared by Luiss: the role of the social sciences in understanding and engaging with the world, Europe’s particular role in the world today, and the importance of civic engagement and the impact that our students can and should have, however young they may be.

JL: Students of the dual degree graduate with a Bachelor of Arts from Sciences Po, and either the Bachelor in Social Science or the Bachelor in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Luiss. Depending on students’ individual choices, a whole range of pathways are open to them.

The programmes aim to develop a firm grounding in humanities and social sciences, as well as advanced methodological skills, enabling access to the most prestigious Master’s programmes in the world. Like any Sciences Po student, graduates will be allowed to apply to any Sciences Po Master’s programme of their choice, in accordance with the relevant selection criteria.

VS: We are confident that future graduates of such a multidisciplinary, multilingual and multicultural programme, rooted in the European context, will stand out to recruiters - who will no doubt also recognise the trailblazing spirit of the first students to enrol in the programme. For trailblazers and even founders they certainly will be, at a time where European universities need to join forces more than ever.