SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

Applying to the Program

Please note that instructions on this page are meant for applicants to our two-year full-time MIA, MPA and MPA in Development Practice programs. For details on our other degree programs, please click here.

Applicants interested in our two-year programs can apply for fall or spring admission. The deadline to apply for fall admission is January 5th.  The deadline to apply for spring admission is October 15th. 

The details below cover the basic requirements but you will benefit greatly from subscribing to the SIPA Admissions Blog. The blog is focused on providing up-to-date information and advice about the admissions process. You can subscribe to the blog by entering your email address in the Feedburner box in the right hand menu of the blog:

Click Here to Visit the SIPA Admissions Blog

Admission to the School of International and Public Affairs is competitive, based in large part on academic excellence and professional focus. The applicant must have a bachelor's degree or evidence of equivalent preparation, as determined by the Director of Admissions.

The core curriculum at SIPA includes required coursework in economics, statistics and financial management.  The Admissions Committee is therefore quite interested in the quantitative aptitude of applicants to our program.  This most typically includes coursework and/or professional experience related to mathematics, statistics and economics. 

Also of note  can be quantitative experience as it pertains to areas such as science or engineering. While there are no specific course requirements to apply, most successful candidates have a record of success in courses such as:

• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• Math courses such as Linear Algebra, Pre-Calculus or Calculus
• Statistics

For the Master of International Affairs (MIA), MPA in Development Practice and for MPA students that choose Economic and Political Development, as a concentration, proficiency in a second language is a graduation requirement. Applicants to these programs should therefore have at least an elementary understanding of a second language when applying. Proficiency is defined as being able to achieve a grade of "B" or better in an intermediate level II language course.

The average age of incoming students is approximately 27, with most applicants having had several years of relevant professional experience before deciding to return to school. A small percentage of students—those who have significant fieldwork or internship experience—apply directly from undergraduate institutions and represent about 8-10% of each year's incoming class. Applicants are encouraged to gain applicable work or internship experience, even if it means delaying graduate study for one year or more.

We strongly encourage all applicants to submit all of the required documents through the SIPA application Web site. 100% of the application process can be completed on line. All documents, including transcripts and test scores can be uploaded to the application Web site for admission consideration. We will use unofficial copies of transcripts and test scores for admission consideration. Candidates offered admission will later be required to supply official transcripts and test scores prior to enrollment. The following deadlines for our two-year, full-time programs apply:

• FALL admission: January 5th
• SPRING admission: October 15th
• Note there is no spring admission for the MPA in Development Practice program

Application deadlines for our other programs vary. Please use the following links for deadline information for our other programs:

• Program in Economic Policy Management (PEPM)
• Program in Environmental Science Policy (PESP)
• Executive MPA Program (EMPA)
• PhD in Sustainable Development

SIPA utilizes an online application system that helps expedite the receipt and tracking of information.  Applicants are able to track the receipt of letters of recommendation once the names of these individuals have been entered into the application system. We therefore recommend that applicants start an application and enter the names of these three individuals as soon as possible.

Please do note that the Admissions Committee only accepts documents that are specifically asked for in our instructions. As much as we would like to be able to read writing samples and other information you might wish to submit, our tight timeline and desire to treat every applicant fairly means that we will only put required documents in the file - all other documents will be discarded.

Sending hardcopy materials can delay the evaluation of your application and we recommend that you submit as many materials via the online application site as possible.  Our online site allows applicants to submit all of the required documents on line. To apply all of the following must be submitted:

• Application form (biographical information filled in on the application site)

• Personal Statement - NOTE: questions are subject to change each year. The following questions are for those applying for 2012 admission.
  • Responses to the three topics below are required to apply to the two-year, full-time MIA, MPA, and MPA-DP programs, the one-year Program in Economic Policy Management Program (PEPM), and the Executive MPA program (EMPA).

    Only one program will not follow the three topic format. 

  • IMPORTANT NOTE: Applicants to the one-year Program in Environmental Science and Policy (PESP) will be required to only address the first topic and will have 1,000 words to do so. PESP applicants should not address topics 2 or 3.

    First Topic (500 Word Maximum)

    What distinct impact do you hope to have on the world in the future? Please be as clear as possible about your future goals, the policy/public service issue(s) you are passionate about, and your personal motivation(s). Be sure to include details regarding the features of SIPA that you believe are integral to helping you in your pursuits and what skills you need to develop to achieve a lasting impact.

    Second Topic (300 Word Maximum)

    Please CHOOSE ONE of these options to write about – do not address both, pick one or the other.

    1. A competition is being conducted that will provide one million dollars as seed funding to start a new organization.  The competition requires a 300 word essay/statement.  Compose a 300 word essay/statement to submit in order to be considered for this seed funding.

    2. You have just read a news story that has deeply moved you.  Compose a 300 word response in the form of a letter to the editor.  The news story you are responding to can be real or fictional and does not need to be limited to the present time – it can be framed in the past, present, or future.

    Third Topic (200 Word Maximum)

    Please share any additional information about yourself that you believe would be of interest to the Admissions Committee. Please focus on information that is not already reflected in the other parts of your application or might not be clear in the information submitted

• Standard Résumé/CV
• Quantitative/Language Résumé/CV - click here for samples/instructions.
• Test Scores
• GRE or GMAT for all applicants (results must have been achieved within five years of applying)
  • GRE Code: 2161 (do not list a department code)
  • GMAT for MIA: QF8-64-56
  • GMAT for MPA: QF8-64-99
• TOEFL or IELTS exam for applicants that speak English as a second langauge (results must have been achieved within two years of applying). Columbia also offers a language test. For details, click here.
  • Our TOEFL code is 2161.
• Three letters of recommendation: The names of the individuals you chose can be submitted on the application Web site any time after beginning the application.
• Academic Transcripts - please see details below.
• Application fee - $95
• Special Note:
  • Candidates may choose to submit an essay to be considered for candidacy in the SIPA International Fellows Program. This is not a requirement, it is an optional part of the admission application. Information on the program can be found by clicking on the following link:
    • http://sipa.columbia.edu/ifp
  • If applicants wish to be considered, a 300 word essay will need to be uploaded as part of the admission application. This essay is separate from the personal statement topics above. Applicants interested in IFP consideration are asked to respond to the following:

    • In 300 words or less, please explain your interest in the International Fellows Program.

You are required to submit transcripts from all colleges, professional schools and universities attended (including Columbia). Our preferred method is that you upload unofficial copies of your transcripts to the application Web site. When scanning transcripts to upload, be sure to scan the reverse side of the transcripts if applicable or any additional pages that include comments on the grading system used. Transcripts not in English must be translated into English prior to uploading. We recommend using a high quality scanner for this process.

Remember that if you cannot read the transcripts, we will not be able to either. Thus after scanning your transcript you should print it to see if it is legible. Once you have determined that it is legible please upload the transcripts.

If you wish to have transcripts mailed to our office, the registrar should seal the transcript in an envelope, sign across the seal and return it to you. Do not open these envelopes or break the seals. Some universities may prefer to send transcripts directly to our office. If this is the case, please have official transcripts sent to:

Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
420 West 118th Street, 4th Floor
Mail Code 3325
408 International Affairs Building
New York, NY 10027

All documents, except foreign transcripts judged irreplaceable, become the property of Columbia and cannot be returned. All documents must be in English or accompanied by certified translations.

If a person writing a letter of recommendation for you wishes to do so in another language, please see to it that the letter is sent to an official translator. Letters submitted this way should be mailed to our office. The translator should include both the translated copy and the official copy of the letter in a sealed envelope, along with their contact information.

To start the application process, please click here. Please remember that if you are applying for fall 2013 you should not start the application until September 1st or after.