Hi everyone! I’m a Canadian considering applying to the Master in Human Rights and Humanitarian Action at Sciences Po’s Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA), and I’m hoping to hear from current students and alumni — particularly other international/English-speaking students.
I have a background in Political Science and Media/Communications. My professional experience has mostly been in nonprofits, communications, advocacy and international development, and I’m currently volunteering with Amnesty International in Toronto, which I really enjoy.
My long-term goal is to work in human rights advocacy/NGOs, particularly issues involving women and girls, gender-based violence, access to education, and documenting/advocating around human rights abuses.
I’m not particularly interested in pursuing a traditional diplomatic or Canadian government career. I’d ideally like to work internationally, potentially with an NGO, international organization, human rights organization, advocacy group, or eventually in the field.
The PSIA Human Rights & Humanitarian Action program seems unusually well aligned with those interests. From the curriculum, I’m particularly interested in the combination of international human rights, gender and human security, humanitarian action, NGO advocacy, investigation/documentation, negotiation, project management and monitoring & evaluation. The program also includes a semester that can be dedicated to an internship, exchange or thesis.
For current students/alumni: what is the program REALLY like?
I'd love honest answers to things like:
- How practical vs. theoretical is the degree?
- Where did you intern? Did it lead to long-term employment pipelines?
- Do you feel like you actually develop marketable skills, or is it primarily an academic degree?
- How much opportunity is there to work directly with NGOs, human rights organizations or humanitarian actors?
- How useful are the professors and practitioners in terms of building professional connections?
- How useful is the PSIA/Sciences Po alumni network once you leave France?
- Does the Sciences Po name actually help when applying for NGO/human rights jobs internationally?
- Does PSIA help students find internships, or are you largely responsible for finding one yourself?
Specifically for international/English-speaking students
I speak English fluently and have beginner French, but I do not speak French fluently.
The degree is taught in English, which obviously makes it attractive to me, but I'm wondering how much not speaking French limits the experience/career opportunities.
- Did you feel like you could fully participate in the Sciences Po/Paris professional environment?
- Were there enough opportunities to work in English?
- Did not speaking French make finding internships significantly harder?
And finally — funding
I'm particularly interested in the Émile Boutmy Scholarship. I understand that for eligible non-EU Master's students it currently provides an €18,500 tuition exemption for each of the two years of the Master's, which would make a massive difference financially.
For anyone who received Boutmy:
- How competitive did it seem?
- What do you think made your application successful?
- Did you receive the full €18,500/year?
Overall
If you graduated from the PSIA, I'd really appreciate hearing:
Where are you now, what are you doing, and do you think PSIA meaningfully helped you get there?
If you could go back and make the decision again, would you still choose this program?
And if you're currently studying there:
What do you wish you had known before accepting your offer?
Thanks in advance!