SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

Academic Advising

The Office of Student Affairs (OSA) advises students on their academic program thoughout their time at SIPA, from answering questions on degree requirements to approving advanced standing and language proficiency.  This site will guide students through many of these academic facets. 

If your questions are not answered here, you may always request to see a Dean at OSA to assist you.  Our goal is to ensure your SIPA experience be as satisfying and rewarding as possible.

For questions on course registration, please see Registration.

The Core requirements for both the MIA and MPA degrees are listed below, as are the Concentration and Specialization overviews. 

Core Requirements at a Glance:

•     MIA
  
  
•     MPA

Concentrations: All students choose one concentration consisting of 5 courses:

•     Economic and Political Development (EPD)
  
  
•     Energy and  Environment (EE)
  
  
•     Human Rights (HR)
  
  
•     International Finance and Economic Policy (IFEP)
  
  
•     International Security Policy (ISP)
  
  
•     Urban and Social Policy (USP)
  
  

Specializations: All students also choose one specialization, a skill or area of specialized knowledge to pair with their policy concentration, consisting of 3 courses:

• Regional Specialization: Africa, East Asia, East Central Europe, Europe, Latin America, The Middle East, Russia, South Asia, United States
  
  
• Advanced Policy and Economic Analysis (APEA)
  
  
• Applied Science (AS)
  
  
• International Conflict Resolution (ICRS)
  
  
• International Media, Advocacy and Communications (IMAC)
  
  
• International Organization (IO)
  
  
• Management
  

Overview Presentations:

• MIA Core
  
  
• MPA Core

• Concentrations/Specializations