SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

Why Hire at SIPA?

SIPA students are enrolled in one of the traditional two-year Master of International Affairs (MIA) and Master of Public Administration (MPA) programs, in the Executive MPA Program at the Picker Center for Executive Education, in the innovative accelerated MPA programs in Economic Policy Management and Environmental Science and Policy, or in dual-degree programs with international schools, including the London School of Economics and Political Science and the Institut d’ Études Politiques de Paris (Sciences Po).

SIPA students have studied economics, statistics, history, political science, policy analysis, and management with a strong emphasis on practical training. Students advance their individual interests by specializing in functional or regional concentrations. Classroom experience is reinforced by summer and semester-long internships.

SIPA students are a select, sophisticated, and ambitious group. Their average age is 27 and more than 40 percent of the total are international students. SIPA students represent over 100 countries and a variety of professional backgrounds, and have an average of 3-5 years of work experience with employers in government, multilateral, nonprofit, media, financial, and consulting organizations. They are well prepared to assist you in fields such as public policy, law, economics, journalism, business, finance and nonprofit management. The majority of students are proficient in at least one foreign language, and many speak multiple languages.

Well over 2,000 companies and organizations recruit at SIPA every year, including: Associated Press, Catholic Relief Services, Central Intelligence Agency, Chemonics International Inc., Deloitte Consulting, Human Rights Watch, Moody's Investors Service, UBS Financial Services, US Department of State, US Government Accountability Office, the World Bank, and many others. For a sample of some of the many employers who have benefited from hiring SIPA students, please see our Employment Statistics.

Master of International Affairs

The Master of International Affairs (MIA) program has been specifically designed to develop international affairs experts, policy analysts, program managers, consultants and executives who are qualified to address the increasingly complex issues that transcend national boundaries.

This multidisciplinary program gives students a strong grounding in international politics, economics, policy analysis, regional issues, and foreign languages. Students augment their core curriculum with a particular functional or regional area of concentration. An extensive domestic and overseas internship program integrates practical experience during the academic year and over the summer.

For more information, please visit the MIA program website.

Master of Public Administration

The Master of Public Administration (MPA) program is committed to preparing its students for leadership roles in both government and non-governmental organizations. Graduates pursue careers in local, state and federal agencies dealing with critical policy issues. They also work as managers and staff analysts in nonprofit organizations, public affairs divisions of corporations, and consulting firms.

A primary goal of the MPA program is to provide students with intensive interaction with practitioners through case-studies, simulation exercises, internships and workshop projects. These techniques integrate academic learning with practical, hands-on experience.

In addition to the traditional two-year program, SIPA offers the following MPA programs: the Executive Master of Public Policy and Administration (EMPA), the Program in Economic Policy Management (PEPM), and the Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science and Policy (PESP). For more information, please visit the MPA program website.