PhD Exchange Program with Sciences Po

Apply to be nominated for academic-year exchange to conduct PhD research at Sciences Po in Paris:

February 1:  Deadline for PhD Students to email application materials to DGS

Each year GSAS exchanges one PhD student with Sciences Po in Paris (Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques et l'Institut d'Etudes Politiques – http://www.sciences-po.fr and http://ecoledoctorale.sciences-po.fr/   ) .  

History, Political Science, and Sociology Departments participate in the exchange.  

GSAS invites eligible PhD students from these three Departments to apply by February 1 to be nominated by their Department to spend the following academic year (October through June) at Sciences Po in Paris.

Students are eligible if they

• have completed all requirements for the MPhil
• have a dissertation topic that would benefit from a year of research in Paris
• have received departmental approval of the PhD dissertation proposal
• are not beyond year 6 in the program
• are a multi-year student who will be on a dissertation fellowship during the exchange year  
• have good written and oral French skills

Students must email the following documents to their DGS by the deadline to be considered for the nomination by the deadline:

1.     A Curriculum Vitae in French or English

2.     A statement of purpose in French or English explaining why the student wishes to pursue his/her PhD research at Sciences Po

3.     A summary of his/her research project in French or in English

4.     A letter of academic recommendation from his/her PhD Faculty Sponsor

The Director of Graduate Studies emails the nomination materials to GSAS Associate Dean Terrien bt3@columbia.edu by February 15.  GSAS chooses one applicant and forwards the nomination to Sciences Po.

Description of Exchange for GSAS Students

(1) One Columbia PhD student on a dissertation fellowship travels to Sciences Po in Paris for the academic year (October through January).   NOTE:  This award is substitutional for the dissertation year fellowship the GSAS exchange student to Sciences Po would receive if he/she remains in New York.

(2) Upon approval by GSAS and Sciences Po each spring, the Columbia PhD student is promised from Sciences Po free tuition and a stipend in EUROs comparable to the amount that Columbia would have awarded for the academic year 2007-08.  Columbia will pay health insurance so that the student is covered in the U.S. (in case the student travels to the U.S. during the year) and the student is required to carry approximately $200 French health insurance in Paris.

(3) In Paris, the GSAS exchange student is assigned a faculty adviser and invited to participate in a Sciences Po seminar designed specifically to socialize international students. In the seminar students share their doctoral research with faculty and students.  The student has access to all research services and other Sciences Po benefits and may be considered eligible to apply to teach a topic seminar on his or her dissertation topic in English for an adjunct salary in addition to the stipend.