SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

International Affairs and Architecture, Planning and Preservation

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MIA and MS Urban Planning:
45 SIPA credits, 45 Urban Planning credits
3 semesters in residence at SIPA

MIA/MS Urban Planning Dual Degree Curriculum Overview

Dual degree students are required to fulfill the MIA and MS Urban Planning core requirements outlined below. Dual degree candidates must complete 3 semesters in residence at SIPA and fulfill all MIA core requirements. Dual degrees do not need to complete a policy concentration or specialization.  The second professional degree will be accepted toward the MIA in lieu of a policy concentration.

Core Requirements – SIPA MIA Degree

Foreign Language Proficiency

Proficiency in a language other than English is required for graduation from SIPA. This requirement may be met in any of three ways:

1. As a native speaker of a language other than English, who can also read and write that language.
2. By passing a language proficiency test.
3. By achieving a grade of B or better in an Intermediate Level II (fourth semester) language course at Columbia.

Note: Students may pursue any language course they wish at SIPA. However, elementary I or II courses cannot count toward the SIPA degree requirement of 54 points.

Core Requirements – Urban Planning MS Degree

Dual degree MIA/MS Urban Planning students must fulfill the entire curriculum of the Urban Planning School Master of Science degree requirements. 

Overview of Curriculum (Total Credits: 45 Credits)

Columbia's Urban Planning Program intents to train planning leaders who are politically informed, technically capable, and ethically committed, to provoke the betterment of peoples and places. 

Students in the program will study:

1) Fundamental economic and political processes that shape the built environment of cities,

2) Ways in which governments, community-based organizations, private sector actors, and political mobilizations produce and influence these processes, and

3) Crafting of collective efforts to improve the quality of life of city residents.

The tensions among market forces, civil society, and the goals of planning are of major concern.  Particular attention is given to the importance of expert knowledge and the quest for social justice. 

In pursuit of these goals, the Program focuses on the ideas and techniques developed by planners and social activists since the emergence of the planning profession in the early 20th century. 

Planning students are required to take at least one "Methods" course during their academic career. Methods courses include GIS, Advanced GIS, Techniques of Project Evaluation, Fundamentals of Urban Digital Design, and Negotiations for Planners.  The electives include a sequence of at least four courses that serve as a concentration in an area such as housing, environment, infrastructure or development.

Please note: Full-time students must be registered for at least 12 credits each semester.

Sector Specializations

Students select a sector of specialization during their first year of study. A minimum of four courses must be taken within a sector to fulfill the requirement. A student interested in concentrating in a sector not listed below may construct his or her own specialization, subject to the approval of the planning faculty. 

Five sector specializations are regularly offered in the Urban Planning Program, plus an option to self-design a sector:

1. Housing and Community Development
2. International Comparative Planning
3. Physical Planning and Infrastructure Development
4. Urban Economic Development
5. Environmental Planning

Students may take courses offered elsewhere in the University to fulfill some or all of their sector and elective requirements. Each student is required to write a master’s thesis during his or her second year of study.

Advising
Although students are enrolled full-time at one school or the other in any given semester, they should contact advisors at both schools at least once per semester to ensure that their study and enrollment plans are in accordance with program guidelines. A planning sheet is available for students to help them map out their course of study. 

The primary faculty and administrative contacts are listed below.

Contact Information