International Finance and Economic Policy (IFEP)

International Finance and Economic Policy Curriculum

The International Finance and Economic Policy (IFEP) concentration within the MIA and MPA programs at SIPA offers a robust framework for examining and interpreting economic and financial events in the global economy. The IFEP curriculum combines tools from economics, finance, and statistics to understand the intricate relationships between the real economy, financial markets, and policymaking in both developed and emerging economies.

Core Curriculum and Focus Areas: The concentration comprises three distinct focus areas:

  1. International Finance: This focus area combines analytical instruments of finance and applied financial modeling with a deep understanding of contemporary financial and capital markets in both developed and emerging countries.

  2. International Economic Policy: This focus area applies the tools of international economics, political economy, and econometrics to understand the impact of economic policies on the global economy.

  3. Central Banking: The Central Banking focus area provides the building blocks for state-of-the-art central bank intervention by studying the goals, tools, and governance structure for both conventional and unconventional monetary policy and financial regulation.

Required Courses: All IFEP students must enroll in:

  • The advanced, year-long economics sequence of SIPA U6400 Microeconomic Analysis for International and Public Affairs and SIPA U6401 Macroeconomic Analysis for International and Public Affairs.

  • INAF U6018 International Finance & Monetary Theory.

Additionally, students in the International Finance focus area are strongly recommended to complete SIPA U6200 Accounting for International and Public Affairs.

The IFEP concentration equips students with the necessary analytical skills and knowledge to understand and influence economic and financial policies on a global scale, preparing them for careers in international finance, economic policy, and central banking.

Contact Us

Alan Taylor, Professor
Concentration Co-Director
amt2314@columbia.edu

Andrea Bubula, Senior Lecturer in Discipline
Concentration Co-Director
ab510@columbia.edu

Ariel Yelen
Concentration Manager
ay2465@columbia.edu