SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

EMPA U6010x Accounting for Public Affairs 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only Basic concepts of accounting are presented for use in internal decision-making and external financial reporting. Topics include transaction analysis, accrual accounting and its application to manufacturing operations, timing of revenue and expense recognition, long-term assets, and depreciation. Emphasis is placed on financial markets and determination of prices and yields of financial instruments. (Fall semester only)SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U6015x Public Finance 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only Covers management techniques central to the work of international economic and development policymakers, including financial management and project management. Also touches upon management of electronic information resources and technologies, including compilation and dissemination. (Fall semester only)SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U6017x International Trade and Development 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only Prerequisites: SIPA U6401 An exploration of the basis of trade, the gains from trade, and the impact of trade on growth, employment, and income through in-depth analysis and case studies, simulations and policy debates. Topics discussed include the theory of comparative advantage, "new" trade theory, the terms of trade, protectionism in theory and practice, customs unions, the impact of the internationalization of produc�tion on trade, and contemporary debates, such as the role of environmental and labor standards in trade agreements and the effect of trade on poverty. (Fall semester only)SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U6018y International Finance and Monetary Policy 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only Prerequisites: SIPA U6401 Examines international finance and the institutions and principles governing the functioning of the international monetary system. Among the topics discussed are the structure, operation, and stability of foreign exchange markets, the causes and consequences of international accounts disequilibria, the mechanisms of balance-of-payments adjustment, the merits of different exchange rate regimes, financial crises, the effects of international capital mobility on trade, growth, and employment, and the problem of international policy coordination. SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U6020y Public Sector Marketing, Strategic Planning, and Communication 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only This course deals with how public and non-profit agencies interact with their external environment: how they generate revenue, and develop brand identity. The class further discusses the application of private sector marketing techniques to non-profit and governmental organization as well as methodologies and uses of strategic planning in the public sector. (Spring semester only)SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U6025y Ethics for Public Leadership 3 pts. The purpose of this course is to examine corruption in public life to determine what transformative ethical measures can be taken by the public leader in response. Corruption impedes human rights, sustainable development and humanitarian aid, in addition to the rule of law and the administration of justice. Effective management requires an understanding of soft or relational corruption, including narcissistic leadership, prejudicial culture, complicit loyalty and impassive technocracy. It also requires an understanding of hard, or material corruption, including bribery and gift-giving; evident conflict of interest, such as self-dealt compensation and investment, besides nepotism, cronyism and favoritism; and latent conflict of interest, such as campaign contributions, voter suasion and lobbyist support, in exchange for regulatory loopholes, waivers, earmarks, bailouts, subsidies, permits and contracts, besides perquisites such as honoraria, board directorships and revolving-door career advancements. Expectations for the quality of civil discourse and the integrity of civil society are examined, as are appropriate anti-corruption measures. These include soft measures such as transparency and inclusivity and hard measures such as financial disclosure and whistle-blower protections. The course aims to model the public leader, using ethical building blocks of sensitivity and rationality, among them empathy and authenticity. Local, national and international cases are analyzed to determine how a public leader can remediate corrupt practices to achieve ethical decision making outcomes. (Spring semester only)SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U6036x Strategic Corporate Social Responsibility 3 pts. This course will introduce students to the global context of CSR through comparative business perspectives. After considering the theoretical frameworks for undertaking CSR activities the course will addresses a number of public policy issues facing globalizing companies through a series of case studies. Under examination is the manner in which business and ethical considerations have impacted upon different social, labor, and environmental challenges. We will be asking students to consider: to what extent such factors have been, and will be, part of the corporate strategy decision-making process; why companies are having to adapt (or not) to different pressures; and whether they might sometimes be going above and beyond the standards required by regulation. SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U6310x Quantitative Techniques for Policymaking and Administration - I 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only The use of quantitative research techniques, statistics, and computer software in designing public policies and in evaluating, monitoring, and administering governmental programs. Practical applications include research, design measurement, data collection, data processing, and presentation of research findings. SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U6311y Quantitative Techniques for Policymaking and Administration - II 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only The use of quantitative research techniques, statistics, and computer software in designing public policies and in evaluating, monitoring, and administering governmental programs. Practical applications include research, design measurement, data collection, data processing, and presentation of research findings. SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U6415y Nonprofit Management and Finance 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only How to organize, lead and fund nonprofit organizations. The course provides an overview of key issues in not-for-profit accounting and a summary of the main legal issues that are crucial to effectively manage a nonprofit organization. The ability to communicate evaluations and conclusions of situations, especially to audiences not trained in policy and management analysis, is stressed throughout the semester. SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U6425x and y Communicating in Organizations 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only A survey course that explores aspects of day-to-day managerial communication, presentations and high-profile moments, as well as interpersonal communication. The course uses many teaching techniques: short lectures, individual and group exercises, videotaped presentations, role-plays, case discussions, video clips, and writing assignments. SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U6430y Organizational Behavior This course is designed to provide students with an overview of the basic issues in organizational behavior and human resource management. The course is about understanding human behavior in organizational settings and, upon completion of this course you will have a greater understanding of and appreciation for the complexities of behavior in work organizations and of the organizational policies and practices put in place to manage that complexity. The concepts taught in this course are applicable for all types of positions in all types of organizations in which you may find yourself. While we will often discuss public and nonprofit organizations, the concepts we will cover apply equally well to all types of organizations (public, non-profit, private sector, volunteer, social organizations, etc.) SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U8149y International Economic Policy Analysis 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only Application of the tools of international economic analysis and political economy to current policy issues. Sample topics include the Mexican and Asian financial crises, contemporary trade problems, international regulatory issues, the economic transition in Eastern Europe, and recent proposals to reform the international financial architecture. Students work in teams to write an in-depth paper that analyzes a contemporary international economic topic. (Spring semester only)SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U8201y Financial Management 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only Basic principles and actual practices of managing financial resources and accounting in government organizations at the federal, state, and local levels. Topics include Public budgeting and accounting systems, principles of financial reporting, taxation, intergovernmental aid, financial statement analysis, public securities, and debt management. Hands-on computer laboratory exercises provide training in financial analysis. SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U8213x Microeconomics and Policy Analysis I 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only This two-semester course shows students that it is both possible and useful to think about public policy rigorously to see what assumptions work; to understand how formal models operate; to question vagueness and cliches; and to make sophisticated ethical arguments. An important goal of the class is to have students work in groups to apply microeconomic concepts to current public policy issues having to do with urban environmental and earth systems.

The course includes problem sets designed to teach core concepts and their application. In the spring semester, the emphasis is on the application of concepts to analyze contemporary policy problems. Some time is also devoted to international trade and regulation, and industrial organization issues. Students not only learn microeconomic concepts, but also how to explain them to decision-makers. Student groups take on specific earth system policy issues, analyze options through the use of microeconomic concepts, and then make oral presentations to the class. SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U8216y Microeconomics and Policy Analysis - II 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only Introduction and development of microeconomic concepts that are of particular importance in policy analysis and program evaluation. Background training in economics is recommended, although not required. SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U8500x Issues in Contemporary Security and Policymaking 3 pts. This course examines central issues in contemporary international security policy (American hegemony, multilateralism, civil and ethnic conflict, nuclear proliferation, globalization and failed states, state-building, democratization and violence, the war in Iraq, etc.) and key concepts in the academic study of international relations (e.g., realist and liberal approaches; traditional and nontraditional security concepts, ranging from the threat or use of force to environmental challenges) (Fall semester only)SIPA: EMPA.

EMPA U9500y Portfolio Presentation Workshop 3 pts. Open to EMPA Students Only This is a course during which the mid-career executives who are enrolled as students in the Executive MPA program exhibit and share professional work they have managed or directly created during their first year in the program. Materials are presented to the faculty and students for criticism, analysis, and potential improvement. SIPA: EMPA.