After PPLE

"I took a gap year after graduating from PPLE, in which I travelled through China for two months and worked as a social worker the rest of the year. I’m very happy to have taken this time, as that year gave me the time to figure out exactly which master I wanted to do. I am now enrolled in the Master's Public Policy, at Sciences Po in Paris, with a specialisation in Social Policy & Social Innovation. In my programme, I focus mainly on the increasing social equity concerns in the field of education, employment and well-being."   

Response towards your PPLE degree

"My current university, Sciences Po, has quite a broad and multidisciplinary bachelor program itself. On top of that my Master's programme is also very interdisciplinary. As a result, Sciences Po really seemed to appreciate this side of PPLE. An additional advantage was that PPLE’s official language of instruction is English. Thanks to this, Sciences Po didn’t have any additional language requirements for me to meet, which made the application process a bit less stressful."

Advice on finding what to do next

"For me it took time to figure out what exactly I wanted to do after PPLE. Taking a gap year and going abroad helped me realise that the topics that interest me the most were already very present in my daily life. As it worked for me, I’d advise new students to start by evaluating all the options you have. Would you like to study abroad? Research or practice-oriented? Multidisciplinary or specialised? You can already start answering these questions without knowing the exact area you want to go into. Then once you figure that last bit out, you’ll be ready to go."

I would also advise to start applying early. Applications to foreign universities can take a lot of time, especially if you need recommendations from professors or need to take any extra exams. You can save yourself and the people around you a lot of stress by getting that application done as soon as possible.

Specifically for Science Po, it’s important to note that most of its programmes are very practice-oriented. This focus shows in their selection criteria. For people graduating from Dutch universities, Sciences Po sets a grade minimum of 7.5, which is relatively low compared to other prestigious universities. Sciences Po highly values extra-curricular activities and work experience, however, so be sure to show them your interests and experience. What matters most for Sciences Po is that you are a student who gets things done.

 Looking back at PPLE

"From the position I’m in now, I’d say that  PPLE has provided me with a strong background in multiple disciplines and in interdisciplinary research. PPLE has been an amazing help in getting me to where I am today. Not only the PPLE curriculum but also the PPLE teaching staff has played a great role in this. PPLE’s teaching staff is excellent, happy to help, and together they have a great deal of experience on master’s and the like. If I could give one last piece of advice to current PPLE students, it would be to make full use of this experience!"