L'Ecole Libre des Sciences Politiques was created in Paris during the wave of intellectual and moral reform following the War of 1870. For 70 years, the celebrated institution on Rue Saint-Guillaume raised generations of politicians, government officials, French (and foreign) business executives, diplomats, and economic advisers equipped with a solid base of cultural knowledge and introduced them to the central dilemmas of contemporary international life.

 On October 9, 1945, a new wave of reform led to the creation of two Instituts d'Etudes Politiques, (IEP) in Paris and Strasbourg. The new schools had two intentions: democratization to counteract the strict character of the "Ecole Libre" on Rue Saint-Guillaume, and decentralization from Paris to other regions of France. At first these were the only two IEPs but, since their creation, other IEPs have been founded in Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux, Grenoble, Lyon, Toulouse, Lille and Rennes.

 The original purpose of these institutions, collectively termed Sciences-Po, was to prepare students for the administrative examinations which are required for entrance into Public Service in France; of these "concours" the most prestigious is that of the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA).

 Their mission was also to develop multidisciplinary curriculum with a broader base than that of other university departments, which tend to concentrate only on their respective disciplines. To avoid this narrow approach, the IEP curriculum is taken largely from disciplines in the Arts and Sciences: Law, Economics, Management, Contemporary History, Political Science, Geography and Foreign Languages. The term Institut d'Etudes Politiques is therefore somewhat deceptive for foreigners because students at the IEP study more than just Political Science.

 These two original goals--to provide both preparation for administrative examinations and multidisciplinary curriculum--are still important at the IEP today. The second tends to be more emphasized, since many private sector organizations--banks, insurance companies, businesses, the media--favor the unique educational background of IEP students.

 In general, students profit from the "Esprit Sciences-Po" (Sciences-Po Spirit)--embodied in a clear understanding of the many dimensions of current dilemmas, a general knowledge of culture, and an ability to adapt and evolve--when they pursue advanced specialized studies after receiving their three-year University degree from the IEP.

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