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SIPA/LSE MPA Dual Degree Program
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Students will have the opportunity to study in London and New York and obtain MPA degrees from both the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) in the same amount of time it takes to earn one degree. The MPA is an interdisciplinary degree designed to produce effective policymakers and policy analysts by focusing on the skills necessary to understand the formulation and management of public policy.
Admission Process
To be eligible, students must have been accepted to either SIPA or the LSE, and have the option to apply in the spring semester of their first year to complete the dual degree at the other institution in their second year.
Tuition, Fees and Financial Aid
Students pay the tuition and fees at the school where they are in residence (e.g., if you are attending LSE, you will pay LSE tuition and fees, and similarly at SIPA). Dual Degree students will pay one year each of SIPA and LSE tuition and fees. Students who begin the dual degree at SIPA will be enrolled in Columbia University health insurance and pay those fees during the semesters they are at LSE to maintain their insurance coverage. Students who begin at LSE will be enrolled in Columbia University health insurance or have comparable insurance coverage when they are at Columbia during their second year.
Fellowships are administered by the school where students attend. Students should clearly indicate which institution they would like their federal student loans and/or private educational loans to be administered. SIPA students completing their dual degree at LSE should continue to have SIPA administer their loans in their second year.
LSE MPA: £14,679 (2007-08 tuition figures)
Columbia MPA: $38,449 (2007-08 tuition, fees, health fees and insurance)
FAQs
How many students will be accepted into the Dual Degree Program each year?
Generally, 5-8 students will participate in the Dual Degree Program each year. The number of accepted students will vary from year to year, depending on the qualifications of the applicants from both schools.
What are the differences in the curricula of the LSE and SIPA Programs?
Students will complete the core curriculum at their home institution and then pursue an area of specialization at the partner institution in their second year. Both Programs have a capstone course which is project work done in student teams for organizations. LSE also requires its Dual Degree Program students to complete a 10,000 word dissertation. Columbia requires the summer internship for their students whereas LSE offers it as an option.
1. In the first year, students must fulfill core requirements at the home institution.
Columbia Core Courses | LSE First Year Requirements
2. Students specialize in their second year:
The second year concentrations at SIPA (for students who did their initial core year at LSE):
- Advanced Policy and Economic Analysis*
- Economic and Political Development (EPD)
- Environmental Policy Studies (EPS)
- Human Rights (HR)
- International Economic Policy (IEP)*
- International Energy Management and Policy (IEMP)*
- International Finance and Policy (IFP)*
- International Media and Communications (IMC)
- International Security Policy (ISP)
- Management and Institutional Analysis*
- Social Policy
- Urban Policy
* Please note that concentrations with an * require students to complete calculus-based economics and 2 semesters of statistics during their first year at LSE.
The second year options at LSE (for students who did their initial year at SIPA):
- Welfare State Policies
- Urban Policy
- Environmental Policy
- International Policy
- Development Policy
- Economic Policy
- Regulatory Policy
- Governance
- European Union
- Management of Organizations
Columbia Concentrations | LSE Options
Application forms for all the dual degree and exchange programs are available here.
For further information, please contact:
AT SIPA
Tan Nguyen, Program Coordinator for the GPPN, tn2102@columbia.edu
Mona Khalidi, Assistant Dean, mk2388@columbia.edu
AT LSE
Jo Underwood, LSE-MPA Programme Manager, j.underwood@lse.ac.uk
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