{"id":5580,"date":"2021-06-18T09:31:33","date_gmt":"2021-06-18T08:31:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/expatstudent.flowragency.be\/?p=5580"},"modified":"2026-09-07T10:39:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T09:39:13","slug":"politics-bachelors-degree-abroad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/expatstudent.fr\/en\/sciences-politiques-bachelor-a-letranger\/","title":{"rendered":"An International Relations Bachelor's degree abroad: a genuinely good alternative to Sciences Po?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>Get into Sciences Po Paris<\/strong>, it's for many high school students passionate about politics,<\/span><b> the Grail,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <strong>yet once again this year, many are disappointed<\/strong> who, despite excellent applications and thorough preparation, have not received an offer. Same goes for the regional Institutes of Political Studies (IEPs).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With the <strong>abolition of the written competitive examination<\/strong> and the entry procedure which now goes through <strong>Parcoursup<\/strong>, the number of applications has soared this year and the selection method has left a bitter taste in the mouth of many unfortunate \u201cvery good\u201d candidates who weren't even called for an interview.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Faced with the complexity of gaining admission to this ultra-selective course, <strong>more and more sixth-formers are choosing to apply through parallel pathways<\/strong> to comparable training courses <strong>at internationally renowned universities<\/strong> ouch <strong>United Kingdom,<\/strong> English (UK) <strong>Europe<\/strong> or to<strong> Canada<\/strong>, which allows them to await the Sciences Po admission results with greater peace of mind.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why choose to study Political Science abroad? What are the advantages of these Bachelors abroad?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Their strong multicultural dimension\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Studying political science in a multicultural environment with teachers and students of diverse nationalities and cultures is obviously very enriching, particularly if one <strong>Prepare for an international career.<\/strong> This is also the opportunity to start building a wide professional network.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mastery of one of the most widely spoken languages in the world<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All courses being taught in <strong>English,<\/strong> at the end of their Bachelor's degree, the student will be,<strong> perfectly bilingual<\/strong> in writing as well as in speech, and he will know how to juggle the subtleties of the language.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A strong impact on his personal development\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By going abroad for training, the student <strong>steps out of his comfort zone<\/strong>, develops its capacity for adaptation and acquires a <strong>fluency in conversation<\/strong> with students from different cultures that will undeniably serve them in their future professional career.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The choice of bespoke training<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many universities, <strong>especially in the UK<\/strong>, offer a <strong>wide selection of training courses<\/strong> in Politics and International Relations with various perspectives and orientations. Everyone can therefore find the training <strong>that matches one's own expectations and aspirations<\/strong>. Furthermore, with the interplay of options, the student <strong>refine her course of study<\/strong> and <strong>can test domains<\/strong> that interest her before perhaps specialising in a Master's degree: sustainable development, international security, law, business, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">And why not follow up with a second degree to boost your profile?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">After their Bachelor's degree, the student can top up their studies with a <strong>Specialised Master's degree abroad or in France,<\/strong> and why not, if he still wishes to, apply for a <strong>Master's at Sciences Po.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With their Bachelor's degree obtained abroad, the student will also be able to apply for a <strong>Grande \u00c9cole Programme<\/strong> en passant <strong>via the international admissions track<\/strong> and thus complete his studies before entering the business world.<\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, among all the possible destinations, how do you make your choice? What are the criteria to take into account?<\/span><\/h1>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The international reputation of the training course<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The Prestige<\/strong> of the university, his <strong>league table<\/strong> in the various rankings are particularly important criteria if the student subsequently wishes to aim for a Master's degree in a Grande \u00c9cole (HEC, ESSEC, ESCP, etc.) or at a highly recognised university in France or abroad.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The relevance of the training in relation to the student's aspirations<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The comparison of contents<\/strong> courses offered by the various universities <strong>is essential<\/strong> to determine which ones best match their aspirations: a three-year or four-year programme with a placement year or at a partner university abroad, the choice of optional modules, examination methods, etc.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h4><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cost of studying and living<\/span><\/h4>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before embarking on the process, it is important to appreciate the overall cost of these studies and the <strong>value for money<\/strong> resulting from it. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>L<\/strong>the United Kingdom, which remains one of the best destinations alongside the United States in terms of the quality of its education and international reputation, has applied the international fee to French students since Brexit, which can be a deterrent for some. Thus, you need to budget upwards of \u00a330,000 for a degree course in<em>\u00a0International Relations<\/em>\u00a0in the universities of\u00a0<strong>UCL<\/strong>,\u00a0<strong>King\u2019s College London<\/strong>\u00a0or\u00a0<strong>Bristol<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong>The Netherlands<\/strong> for their part, which were already attracting many French people, have been going from strength to strength since Brexit as they also offer <strong>very good training courses<\/strong> like The Bachelor <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">International Relations and Organisation<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><strong> in Leiden<\/strong> for an attractive annual tuition fee for Europeans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One final point. Watch out for <strong>check carefully<\/strong> in advance <strong>the requirements<\/strong> of each training course that may differ from those required for training courses in France <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/expatstudent.flowragency.be\/bac-specialites-etudes-superieures-a-letranger\/re%20article%20sur%20le%20choix%20des%20sp%C3%A9cialit%C3%A9s%20pour%20le%20Baccalaur%C3%A9at\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">(See our article on choosing subjects for the Baccalaur\u00e9at)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Thus, for example<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to apply in <\/span><b>International Relations and Organisations <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00e0 <\/span><b>Leiden <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">in the Netherlands, it is recommended to have studied up to Terminale <strong>Maths<\/strong>, either with the specialism or with the Further Maths option.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the decision has been made, how do you get started?<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is important to <strong>understand beforehand how each procedure works<\/strong> of the target universities. Indeed, these differ depending on the country and the university:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">going through an admissions platform like in the UK or the Netherlands, or applying directly to the university as in Canada<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">consideration of Year 12 and Year 13 transcripts or predicted A-level grades provided by the school\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">provision of letters of recommendation,\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">writing a cover letter\/personal statement, or essays...<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It is advisable to <strong>thinking from the end of the Year 12 (Lower Sixth)<\/strong> with the choice of universities and courses in order to refine the selection before starting Year 13. During the summer, the pupil will also be able to complete any work experience or other extracurricular activities that can help to confirm their choice of studies and potentially to <strong>strengthen one's application<\/strong>. Additionally, he will be able to drop by <strong>the language tests<\/strong> required by universities in order to be released from them so as to start one's final year of high school with greater peace of mind.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Expat Student helps you apply<i> stress-free<\/i><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> at prestigious universities in the UK, Europe and Canada on courses as diverse as <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">International Business, Management, Engineering, English Literature, History, International Relations and Politics, International Law, Medicine, Veterinary Studies.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We support you in all your international study projects by offering you a <strong>tailored one-to-one support<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enjoy a <strong>free consultation<\/strong> remotely by contacting us\u00a0 <\/span><a href=\"mailto:contact@expatstudent.fr\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">contact@expatstudent.fr<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \/ + 33 (1) 34 84 70 94<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">S<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Follow us on <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/expatstudent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Facebook <\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/expatstudent_sas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instagram<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Did you find this article interesting? Feel free to check out <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/expatstudent.flowragency.be\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">our site<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Acc\u00e9der \u00e0 Sciences Po Paris, c&rsquo;est pour beaucoup de lyc\u00e9ens passionn\u00e9s par les sciences politiques, le Graal, et pourtant cette ann\u00e9e encore, nombreux sont les d\u00e9\u00e7us qui malgr\u00e9 d\u2019excellents dossiers et une pr\u00e9paration s\u00e9rieuse n\u2019ont pas re\u00e7u d\u2019offre. Idem pour les IEP de province.\u00a0 Avec la suppression du concours \u00e9crit et la proc\u00e9dure d\u2019entr\u00e9e qui [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":5586,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5580","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-francais"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatstudent.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatstudent.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatstudent.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatstudent.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatstudent.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5580"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/expatstudent.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5580\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatstudent.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5586"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/expatstudent.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5580"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatstudent.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5580"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/expatstudent.fr\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5580"}],"curies":[{"name":"WP","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}