School of International and Public Affairs

The SIPA Bulletin is the School of International and Public Affairs’ official catalog of courses, degrees, degree requirements, and policies. 

Use the bulletin navigation on the left to navigate through the bulletin, or use the navigation at the top of the page to access other areas of the SIPA website. 

The curricula of SIPA’s eight degree programs all combine training in analytical methods and practical management skills to ensure that graduates are prepared to understand problems and implement solutions. Students combine these core skills with a focus on a policy area of their choice, and they typically engage in a practice-oriented capstone or workshop experience toward the end of their studies. The School draws its strengths from the resources of New York City and Columbia University, and yet has a global reach, with a student body that is 50 percent international; 23,000 graduates in more than 150 countries; and educational partners in global cities such as London, Paris, Berlin, Singapore, Beijing, Mexico City, and São Paulo.

SIPA’s mission is to empower people to serve the global public interest. We do this by educating students to serve and lead and by producing and sharing new knowledge on the key public policy challenges facing the global community. 

SIPA aspires to raise its standing within the top tier of public policy schools as measured by our ability to recruit and retain top faculty, attract outstanding students from around the world, and contribute to public debate on global issues. 

Degree Programs