Academics

Your academic experience abroad is going to be very different from home. Working under the policies and processes of the local institution, you may find a lot less structure, or a lot more.

Course Selection and Enrollment

  • To find information on specific courses, follow Sciences Po's information for incoming exchange students: https://www.sciencespo.fr/college/en/academics/exchange/paris.html
  • Students take all of their courses at Sciences Po, registering for at least one "Cours Magistral" or lecture course with an accompanying section.  Non-native speakers will continue to take French and may take a French civilization course among other seminar electives.  
  • Final course selection is made electronically in advance of arriving in Paris. There is no add-drop once you arrive in Paris.
  • Returned students advise that courses on France and Europe will be strong but will attract a large number of visiting international students. 
  •  For assistance in selecting courses, see your faculty or college advisor. (Note: You may earn elective, distributional, minor, or major credit depending on your major and college.)
  • To discuss program fit, such as program type, expectations, level of structure/independence, or to compare options, get advice from Global Learning advisors and returned students.
  • Complete the Study Abroad Participation and Course Approval form that is part of the Global Learning application for a record of how your courses will count for credit at Cornell.

Course Load & Credits

  • Students should register for the equivalent of 30 European credits (ECTS) for 15 Cornell credits.
  • Unless you are at the C2 level, you should take a language class.
  • Decisions on the final allocation of credit are made upon successful completion of the course (must earn grade equivalent of a “C” or higher—all courses must award a letter grade).
  • For more information on courses and credits from abroad, including policies regarding start/end dates, refer to the Academic Policies page on the Education Abroad website. 

Transcript & Grades

  • Grades will appear on the Cornell transcript in the same format as they are recorded on the original transcript generated by the host institution. Grades are not factored into the Cornell GPA.
  • For information on how grades appear on the transcript and frequently asked questions, including transcript dates for graduating seniors, please refer to the Transcripts and Credits page on the Education Abroad website.
  • Your program will send your transcript to the Education Abroad Office.