Master of International Affairs (MIA) Curriculum

The MIA includes a customizable core curriculum, including a wide range of courses in international politics and political economy. Students also choose from the broadest range of majors among SIPA’s peer institutions:  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.

Core Curriculum 

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, Statistics, and Professional Development must be taken during the first year. Other core requirements can be distributed throughout a student’s program of study.

Policy Concentration 

All students choose one concentration from the list below. Each concentration is described in more detail below.

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

Specialization

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

• Data Analytics & Quantitative Analysis (DAQA)
• Gender and Public Policy (GPP)
• International Organization & United Nations Studies (IO/UN)
• International Conflict Resolution (ICR)
• Management
• Regional Specializations, including Foreign Language Specializations
• Technology, Media, and Communications (TMaC)

Language Proficiency 

Proficiency in a language other than English is required for graduation. 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:

• As a native speaker of a language other than English who also demonstrates that a substantive part of their education (e.g., high school, college, prior graduate degree) has been in that language. TOEFL/IELTS will also be taken into account as supplemental evidence of proficiency in another language.
• Students may fulfill the language requirement for the MIA degree and the MPA/EPD Concentration with any spoken language offered by Columbia University language programs or the Language Resource Center: http://www.lrc.columbia.edu/languages/#languageprograms. Information on language proficiency assessment at Columbia University is provided here: http://www.lrc.columbia.edu/proficiency-testing/. Students must successfully complete an Intermediate Level II (4th semester) modern language course at Columbia. Students may register for any modern language course at Columbia. However, elementary level courses cannot count toward the 54 credits applicable to the degree. Intermediate-level courses will count as electives. If you are at the elementary level, you should start your language courses in your first semester.
• By passing a language proficiency exam in Spanish, French, German, and Portuguese administered by SIPA. (Proficiency/placement exams in other languages may be arranged through the departments teaching in those languages.) The exam can only be taken once. You are strongly advised to take the exam in your first year.

Sample Program

MIA and MPA Graduation Requirements Overview

Students must meet the following requirements in order to be approved for graduation:

• Complete 54 credits in residence at SIPA *
• Complete 4 residency units *
• Complete all core, concentration and specialization requirements*
• Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above
• Have no pending grades. All grades must be final. Any notations indicating a pending grade must be converted to a final grade prior to graduating. These include, “IN” (incomplete), “CP” (credit pending) and  “YC” (year-long course).
• Complete and submit the Application for Degree or Certificate by the appropriate deadline.

* Requirement for dual degree students may differ.

In addition to the above please note that grade changes cannot be made post-graduation.

Tracking MIA and MPA Core Requirements:

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

Concentration/Specialization Declaration:

All students are required to declare a concentration and specialization. Students can opt to change their Concentration or Specialization via the Concentration Specialization Declaration Change Form .  Requests are reviewed and approved  by OSA advisors. If there is an issue with the request your OSA advisor will contact you. Otherwise, if approved, the new Concentration/Specialization will appear on your record in SSOL. 

Tracking Concentration Requirements

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.