Helping athletes build their future

A pioneering programme launched in 2007 to support high performance athletes in building their professional future alongside their sporting career.

• 172 high performance athletes supported
• 36 students admitted to Sciences Po Master’s programmes
• 1 in 2 students have their tuition fees fully covered
• More than 40 sports represented

An education tailored to the needs of high performance athletes

The Certificate for High Performance Athletes is a Bachelor’s-level programme that can be fully adapted to fit in with the training obligations and competition schedule of each student. The courses are delivered both face-to-face and remotely to strike a balance between academic flexibility and group cohesion.

The Certificate programme consists of multidisciplinary courses: lectures on current affairs, economic issues, methodology, history and public institutions, English, etc. Totalling a maximum of ten hours per week, these courses are designed to provide sporting students with the basic knowledge and methods necessary to build a future for themselves beyond the world of sport.

Personalised support for students

Throughout their time at Sciences Po, performance athletes benefit from several measures to help them succeed academically and prepare for their career transition.

• Goals interview: This initial interview is held immediately after admission to identify the athlete’s goals and build a personalised programme for them, taking into account their availability and short- and medium-term sporting commitments.
• Tutoring: In addition to their courses, the athletes are offered two forms of tutoring:
  • Methodology tutoring to reinforce their study skills and academic practices
  • Tutoring in one or more subjects by the programme’s teachers.
• Mentoring: Certificate students can take advantage of advice from a mentor from one of the programme’s partner companies. The mentor offers support on job seeking, building a network, understanding professions and organisations, but also on deciphering and mastering the codes of the professional world, developing self-esteem and overcoming self-censorship.
• Career planning assessment: Students are offered a career planning assessment at the end of the programme. The assessment takes place individually over several days. It aims to help the sportsperson define his or her plan for the future and identify the means to achieve it: further study with a Master’s degree at Sciences Po or in other higher education, setting up a company, entering the job market, etc.

An accessible education

While more than half of France’s high performance athletes live below the poverty line, Sciences Po wanted to ensure that no sportsperson would forego preparing for their career transition for financial reasons.

Thanks to the support of our loyal partners, Certificate students benefit from reduced tuition fees based on their income. Under this system, more than half of our student athletes have their full tuition fees covered.

Student and alumni profiles

Become a partner

Promote equal opportunity

• Enable high performance athletes to study at Sciences Po, regardless of their financial situation
• Take action on issues of social responsibility and help make sport a force for inclusion

Support talented young people with great potential

• Commit to athletic and academic excellence
• Involve your employees in Careers Meetings held at Sciences Po
• Invite students on a tour of your company
• Get special opportunities to meet certificate students: annual networking event, speaking at graduation ceremonies, etc.
• Give your employees the opportunity to mentor student athletes

Have your commitment recognised among a wide audience

• Be featured on all certificate and Sciences Po sponsorship communications materials
• Associate your company with certificate events

Contact Us

Sophie Salin
Head of Corporate partnerships
+33 (0)1 45 49 55 10
sophie.salin1@sciencespo.fr