Sciences Po
speciality: Environmental Sciences

Sciences Po Paris does not have the grand campus facilities that many American universities boast, but it makes that up by having its buildings spread around the heart of Paris. The school provides a French immersion within a very international context in terms of students, teachers and subjects. Many professors are professionals who understand the field they teach, be it environmental economics, international relations or biology research. The Master’s degree allows for a lot of freedom in choices of class so you can build your own curriculum. Overall, it is exceptional in academic terms.
Some of the drawbacks are the lack of a campus spirit and the crowdedness of the facilites, but measures are currently being taken to fix this latter problem and campus life is not non-existant either.
This is a good choice if you are looking for an academic challenge and an international experience.

really great international teachers many with professional background from the US. Great career team that supports your internship/job search with numerous events and workshops. The university has a broad network with institutions that will give you exclusive/priority access to certain summer schools/internships with high-level institutions. Downsides are expensive and low-quality accommodations that students need to accept in Paris, plus the fact that the curriculum is extremely charged and the workload immense – working next to studies is only possible for people that don’t care much about sleep.

Sciences Po is a highly ranked university for international relations and politics. My experience so far has been very positive. Each semester, there are 6-7 obligatory courses. The workload is not small, and you are taught how to prioritize and manage your time and tasks. There are many group projects, so you develop your team working skills as well. As the students are from all around the world, you build your network and come in touch with diverse cultures and languages. The programs are multidisciplinary and you develop your general culture and knowledge simultaneously to your studies. There are many after-class activities such as sports (you get credits for it!) or student-organized clubs. The programs give you a lot of space to discover what you really want to work and study and find out your passion. Moreover, there are specific academic advisors that will guide you towards your career after university. The academic staff is very responsive and helpful. The professors are gathered from all around the world, and the quality of the courses is very high. As long as you can take the challenge of a dense semester full of demanding but also rewarding work, you will benefit a lot from everything else that Sciences Po has to offer, and it isn’t little. You get into Sciences Po with an interview and an exam, and the annual fee depends on the income of your parents.