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Sciences Po Paris (IEP)
Institut d'Etudes Politiques - Paris, 27, rue Saint-Guillaume, 75337 Paris, France
3.92 / 5 based on 324 reviews.
Description:
Sciences Po is one of Europe's most distinguished universities located right in the heart of Paris. With a long history of more than 125 years, Sciences Po educates the best young minds not only of France but also of Europe for leadership. Sciences Po prepares its graduates to pursue their future careers in various paths such as international business, public administration and service sector, multilateral organisations and many other fields of endeavour.
74% of students recommend
324 reviews
324 Language reviews of Sciences Po Paris
by Ronan, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland
Economics, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't. How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: At ease in most situations Personal comments:
Comparing my experience to friends who went to other universities in the Erasmus context, Sciences Po seems more difficult. They have an expectation of a high level of proficiency in the french language before you come over. It is not seen as somewhere that teaches the french language as such. You go there to learn the Sciences Po method of doing things, to open new fields of academic interest etc. Being relatively fluent in the language is almost taken for granted by the university and those that dont struggle a small bit, although this is only in the first months of "acclimitisation". This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by marqueena, Universität Wien, Vienna, Austria
Political Science, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
No, it wasn't. How much did you improve your French?
My level before: My level after: Personal comments:
It was really difficult in the beginning to follow lectures and take notes but it was a very gratifying experience when I was finally able to follow - and write it down! Further it was a little bit akward to speak French (especially with German as mother tongue), but it was nice to be "forced" into it and practice my language skills on a daily basis = it really helps a lot to feel comfortable with a language! This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by Kristi18, University of Washington, Seattle, Seattle, United States
Political Science, Independent
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.) My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) Personal comments:
This is the best way to learn the language. I took 3 years of college level French before I went and found that I really knew nothing. Immersion is the only way to learn a language, even if the first 2 months are extremely difficult. Also, try not to just socialize with international students, speaking french in everyday situations will be the largest factor in improvement. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by M, George Washington University, Washington DC, United States
Political Science, University Agreement
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.) My level after: At ease in most situations Personal comments:
The Sciences Po orientation...and you may be sensing a theme here...was quite useless as far as language-instruction goes. So are the French courses at Sciences Po. However, sitting in class for 15 hours a week greatly improved my ability to comprehend French and, while I'm definitely not fluent, I feel fairly confident about my academic capacity in the language. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by Alexandra, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, United States
Economics, University Agreement
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) Personal comments:
My French went from advanced to fluent during the course of my time in Paris. The French university classes I took (one at Sciences Po, the other at Paris VII) were excellent with regard to quality/interesting material. I began thinking in French early on in my stay there. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by Mandy, King's College - University of London, London, United Kingdom
Political Science, University Agreement
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) Personal comments:
Although my french was pretty good before going to sciences-po, undoubtedly this year in Paris was decisive for my fluency in French. There is no better way to excel in language but to go in the actual country and live there for a year. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by lynnx, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, Munich, Germany
Political Science, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: At ease in most situations Personal comments:
I had spent some time in France already, so I was more or less fluent in French. You learn the political science vocabulary quickly (if you are willing to) and everybody is very helpful and understanding, if you have language problems. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by hanshoman, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
Sociology, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) Personal comments:
I found out that there's a difference in understanding everything but at the same time not being able to express myselves in a way I would do in my native language. Details and expressions are the last step before I'm saying my french is fluent. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by Anjalika, New York University, New York City, United States
Political Science, University Agreement
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) Personal comments:
I knew French before I went, but wanted to take the opportunity to 'perfect' it. The three-week, non-graded language course for international students that was held before the semester began was really fantastic. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by magdabroseta, Universidad Cardenal Herrera-CEU, Valencia, Spain
Law, European Community/EU, MA
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: My level after: Personal comments:
A basic knowledge of French is necessary in order to study at Sciences Po. Unfortunately, international students who don't speek perfect French don't have the chance to meet local students or take regular classes at the University. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by dmatier, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Urbana-Champaign, United States
Political Science, Independent
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) Personal comments:
You must speak French to get along well in Paris; good special course for non-French speakers on writing style at Sciences-Po, necessary for helping you prepare essays and write exams in French and French-style This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by Nat, LSE, London, United Kingdom
International Relations, University Agreement
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: No problems in any areas (including slang) My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) Personal comments:
Speaking French was not a problem as I'm half Frenc. But for those who needed it there were classes provided. I also had oppportunity to take German and Russian classes. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by William, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
Political Science, Independent
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.) My level after: Personal comments:
To take part in class discussions, if the majority of students are french, you really need to know your stuff - slang, abbreviations, regional accents - you name it! This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by schiffem, Karl Franzens Universität Graz, Graz, Austria
Law, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.) My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) Personal comments:
I had a French girlfriend for this year. So I have learned French very well. Otherwise it is difficult to get into touch with French people at Sci-Po. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by elina2, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom
International Relations, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) Personal comments:
International students must follow (in most cases) a french class all through the year. Depending on the teacher, this can be alright -or an absolute waste of time. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by Raffaella, LUISS, Rome, Italy
Political Science, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) Personal comments:
The University requires a good knowledge of the language, i guess life in the city is not so difficult even if you do not know a very good french This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by Lucia, Ekonomická Univerzita V Bratislave, Bratislava, Slovakia
European Studies, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: English
Local language was: Different than language of instruction.
Was learning English a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my English Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your English?
My level before: No problems in any areas (including slang) My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) How much did you improve your French?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.) My level after: At ease in most situations Personal comments:
Though I studied in english, my stay in Paris helped me a lot to improve my french. THis is the main reason why I chose France. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by Rocio, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
International Relations, CIEP
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Local language was: Different than language of instruction.
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) How much did you improve your French?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.) My level after: At ease in most situations Personal comments:
As we have a lot of work we don't have much time to make friends. As a result we became much more fluent in the academic field. This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by Valentina, Universita degli Studi di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
International Relations, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Local language was: Different than language of instruction.
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: At ease in most situations My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) How much did you improve your French?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.) My level after: At ease in most situations Personal comments:
Actually the languages of instruction were both french and english... which is a bit confusing sometimes but very stimulating This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
by Oronzo, King's College - University of London, London, United Kingdom
International Relations, Erasmus
Language difficulties
Language of instruction: French
Local language was: Different than language of instruction.
Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French Was learning French a key decision factor?
Yes, I wanted to improve my French How much did you improve your French?
My level before: No problems in any areas (including slang) My level after: No problems in any areas (including slang) How much did you improve your French?
My level before: Everyday knowledge (shopping, directions, etc.) My level after: At ease in most situations Personal comments:
I was already proficient in French, in fact I was assigned to the niveau 4 group (niveau 5 is native level). This review is the opinion of an iAgora member, and not of iAgora itself
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About iAgora
iAgora provides university reviews and ratings by international graduates, Erasmus and exchange students. International rankings and admission details to graduate programmes like masters, MSc, MBAs and summer courses at Sciences Po Paris and other business schools and universities.
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iAgora Europa, S.L
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No problems.
I coped pretty well.
Sometimes it was difficult.
It was a constant struggle.
