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Kelly Heindel, First-Year MIA Economic and Political Development
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Kelly Heindel, is a first-year MIA student concentrating in Economic and Political Development. She has a BBA degree in International Business, and has a varied work background, including service with AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps and work in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry.
What attracted you to SIPA?
“The main reasons I was attracted to SIPA are its location and the diversity of concentrations available. I have not been disappointed since coming here. The amount of course options is staggering and it is pretty easy to take courses through other schools at Columbia. I took an anthropology course at Teachers College last semester and it was an excellent supplement to the curriculum at SIPA. Plus, the credits counted towards requirements for the MIA degree.”
Can you comment specifically on some exciting things about your concentration?
“I am concentrating in economic and political development. The best thing about this concentration is the focus on practical applications of theories and methods - specifically the 2nd year dual course, Methods for Development Practice and the subsequent field-based workshop project. These courses make SIPA graduates incredibly competitive upon graduation.”
What most surprised you about SIPA after you arrived?
“One comment I had heard about SIPA before starting here was that it is very big and sometimes overwhelming. I have not found that to be a problem at all. Other than a few core courses, most of the classes are less than 20 people and discussion based, not just a professor lecturing. In addition, the diversity of students and their backgrounds makes discussions incredibly interesting and challenging.”
You entered SIPA during the spring semester. What was that like?
“Overall, I have been very happy with my experience as a January entrant or ‘J-termer.’ We have a smaller entering class, so we really got to know each other during orientation and make friends quickly. In addition, we are able to complete two summer internships during our time at SIPA which will be a great benefit when applying for jobs.
The main drawback to entering in the spring is that you cannot start taking your required core courses like economics and conceptual foundations until the fall, so you are somewhat out of sync with the rest of your class and/or concentration curriculum. That being said, it hasn’t been a major issue for me and I would still start again in the spring if given ano