The MIA offers a customizable core curriculum, including a wide range of courses in international politics and political economy. Students choose from a broad range of concentrations (majors): International Security Policy, International Finance and Economic Policy, Economic and Political Development, Human Rights and Humanitarian Policy, Energy and Environment, and Urban and Social Policy. Students prepare to work in a global environment by demonstrating proficiency in a modern language other than English. The MIA also offers special international immersion courses and fieldwork opportunities.
For additional information on the Master's of International Affairs program, including information for prospective students and admissions, please refer back to the MIA program page.
The purpose of the core curriculum is to ensure that every student in the MIA program receives basic, broad-based, interdisciplinary training in international affairs.
This includes graduate-level course work in economics, statistics, interstate relations and management. Students must also demonstrate proficiency in a foreign language. Students are required to take two international politics courses (Conceptual Foundations of International Politics and one course in interstate relations), a year-long course in economics, and one-semester courses in statistics, management, and financial management. Conceptual Foundations, Economics, Quantitative Analysis, and Professional Development must be taken during the first year. Other core requirements can be distributed throughout a student’s program of study.
| Code | Title | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Points | ||
| Conceptual Foundations of International Politics | 4 | |
Students must complete both the lecture and the discussion: | ||
| Conceptual Foundations of International Politics | ||
| Conceptual Foundations of International Politics - Discussion | ||
| Interstate Relations | 3 | |
Select from a menu of approximately 70 courses that fulfills this requirement: http://bulletin.columbia.edu/sipa/programs/mia/interstate-relations | ||
| Economics | 6 | |
Students must complete one of the following sequences: | ||
| Microeconomics for International and Public Affairs and Macroeconomics for International and Public Affairs | ||
| Microeconomic Analysis for International and Public Affairs and Macroeconomic Analysis for International and Public Affairs | ||
| Quantitative Analysis | 3 | |
| Quantitative Analysis I for International and Public Affairs | ||
| Management & Financial Management | 3 | |
Students must complete one of the following courses: | ||
| Analysis of Public Sector Organizations | ||
| Effective Management in the Public Service | ||
| Strategic Management of Nonprofit Organizations | ||
| Strategic and Entrepreneurial Management | ||
| Sustainability Management | ||
| Leading ＆ Managing in Moments of Adversity ＆ Opportunity | ||
| Effective Management in the Public Service | ||
| Accounting for International and Public Affairs | ||
| Nonprofit Financial Management | ||
| Budgeting ＆ Financial Management for Government | ||
| Economics of Finance | ||
| Professional Development | 0.5 | |
Students must complete the required course and one (1) elective | ||
Required: | ||
| Professional Development | ||
Electives: | ||
| Professional Development | ||
| Professional Development | ||
| Professional Development | ||
| Professional Development | ||
| Professional Development | ||
| Capstone Workshop | 3 | |
| Students must complete one of the following courses: | ||
| Capstone Workshop | ||
| Capstone Workshop in Sustainable Development Practice | ||
| Internship | 0-3 | |
| Internship | ||
| Total Points | 22.5-25.5 | |
All students choose one concentration from the list below. Each concentration is described in more detail below.
All students also choose one specialization consisting of 3 courses: a skill or area of specialized knowledge to pair with their policy concentration:
Proficiency in a language other than English is a graduation requirement for Master of International Affairs students and Economic and Political Development concentrators. Proficiency is defined as the ability to read, write and speak the language at the Intermediate II level. This requirement is met in one of three ways:
Beginning in Spring 2022, SIPA will no longer offer Language Proficiency Exams. Students wishing to waive language requirements must take proficiency exams through the appropriate language department. Please contact the language departments for exam dates and more information.
| Year 1 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Points | Spring | Points |
| Conceptual Foundations of International Politics | 4 | Macroeconomics | 3 |
| Quantitative Analysis I | 3 | Core - Management/Financial Management Course | 3 |
| Microeconomics | 3 | Concentration Course 2 | 3 |
| Professional Development | 0.5 | Specialization Course 1 | 3 |
| Concentration Course 1 | 3 | Internship Registration (Optional) | 0-3 |
| 13.5 | 12-15 | ||
| Year 2 | |||
| Fall | Points | Spring | Points |
| Interstate Relations Course | 3 | Capstone Workshop | 3 |
| Concentration Course 3 | 3 | Concentration Course 5 | 3 |
| Concentration Course 4 | 3 | Specialization Course 3 | 3 |
| Specialization Course 2 | 3 | Elective Course 2 | 3 |
| Elective Course 1 | 3 | Elective Course 3 | 3 |
| 15 | 15 | ||
| Total Points: 55.5-58.5 | |||
Students must meet the following requirements in order to be approved for graduation:
* Requirement for dual degree students may differ.
In addition to the above please note that grade changes cannot be made post-graduation.
Students can use the Degree Audit Report (DAR) in Stellic to track their academic progress.
The DAR is an unofficial guide to the MIA and MPA core.
To request revisions to the Degree Audit Report, please fill out the Degree Audit Report Correction Form and submit the form to the Student Affairs Office.
Degree Audit Report Correction Form
All students are required to declare a concentration and specialization. SIPA permits MIA & MPA students to change their concentration or specialization after admission. For more information, visit Changing Academic Programs.
Concentration audit forms are designed to assist students and concentration directors in determining if the concentration requirements have been met. All students must complete one concentration to graduate except for PhD students and those pursuing dual degrees with other Columbia University schools.
Students are required to meet with their concentration director once per semester at SIPA to ensure they are fulfilling the appropriate concentration requirements. Prior to their final semester, students should meet with their concentration director and have the concentration director approve the degree audit form on Stellic.
Concentration audit form deadlines are August 1st for October graduation; November 1st for February graduation; and January 29th for May graduation.
Print this page.
The PDF will include all information unique to this page.