SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences Master of Arts

Back to MPA Dual Degree Programs

MPA and QMSS
37 SIPA credits, 30 QMSS credits
Dual-degree students are required to fulfill the SIPA and QMSS core requirements outlined below.

Admission Process

Students must apply separately to and be accepted by both the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (for the QMSS M.A. program) and to the School of International and Public Affairs (for the MPA program).  Each School will use its current selection procedures but will consult on all dual degree applicants.  Please consult the SIPA admissions website and the GSAS admissions website for details.

Dual Degree Curriculum

The dual degree program is completed in five semesters of full-time study and a total of 67 credits.  For students not enrolled in the dual degree program, the QMSS M.A. degree requires 30 credits, while the MPA requires 54 credits.  To earn the dual-degree, students are required to complete a minimum of five semesters in residence at Columbia University.

QMSS M.A. Curriculum

The QMSS curriculum consists of five core courses and five electives, totaling two residence units and a minimum of 30 points of credit.  The core courses are: G4010-a theory and methodology course (4 points), offered in the fall semester; G4015-a data analysis course (4 points), offered in the spring semester; G4021/22-a year-long research seminar series (2 points per semester, 4 points total); and G5999-the master’s thesis (4 points).  The other 14 points of credit are earned through elective courses (at or above the 4000 level), two of which much focus on statistics or research methods.

SIPA MPA Curriculum

The MPA program at SIPA is taught in the case method, combining the “hands-on” applied approach influenced by the disciplines of the social sciences.  Students must complete 54 credits of coursework to earn the MPA degree.  The MPA curriculum for a QMSS M.A.-MPA dual degree student includes a standard core set of courses (20 points), and a summer internship (3 points. QMSS coursework takes the place of the 15 credit concentration usually required of an MPA student, but dual degree students may opt to use their electives to construct an emphasis though not a formal concentration. 

Required MPA core courses include: a year-long course on the political environment of public affairs (4 points); a year-long course in economic and policy analysis (6 points); public management and institutional analysis (3 points); workshop in public affairs (3 points); a course in professional development (1 point) and a financial analysis requirement (3 points).  A public affairs internship in public service is usually taken in the summer between the first and second years (between the fourth and fifth semesters for dual degree students) and is credited as 3 points the following fall.  MPA core requirements do not change within the framework of the dual degree, with the exception of the quantitative methods requirement,(PUAF U6310 Quantitiative Techniques).  This requirement is waived for students enrolling first at QMSS because dual degree students will have already gained advanced quantitative skills through QMSS coursework.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The dual degree curriculum is designed such that full-time students are enrolled in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) during their first two semesters of study and at SIPA during the final three semesters or visa versa.  Students pay tuition accordingly, i.e., to GSAS during the first two semesters and to SIPA during the final three semesters.  The school where the student is enrolled during a given semester serves as the administrator of the student’s financial aid and/or fellowship support in that semester.

Fellowships and financial aid are not transferable between schools. Therefore if a student has aid at one school it is advisable to maintain full-time coursework at that school until complete before taking courses through the second school. This will allow the student to maintain financial aid offered by each school during their course of study.

Students enrolling first at QMSS:
Fall Semester, First Year (1 residence unit, 12 points)

• QMSS G4010: Theory and Methodology of the Social Sciences (4 points)
• QMSS G4021: QMSS Research Seminar (2 points)
• QMSS Elective – Social Science Course I (3 points)
• QMSS Elective – Research Methods/Statistics Course I (3 points)
  Tuition and fees for 1 residence unit (12-19 credits) paid to GSAS

Spring Semester, First Year (1 residence unit, 15 points)

• QMSS G4015: Data Analysis for the Social Sciences (4 points)
• QMSS G4022: QMSS Research Seminar (2 points)
• QMSS Elective – Social Science Course II (3 points)
• QMSS Elective – Social Science Course III (3 points)
• QMSS Elective – Research Methods/Statistics Course II (3 points)
• QMSS G5999: Master’s Thesis (4 points)
  Thesis completed during summer between first and second years and retroactive grade change to Spring Semester upon completion.
  Tuition and fees for 1 residence unit (12-19 credits) paid to GSAS

Fall Semester, Second Year (13 points)

• PUAF U6110: Political Environment of Public Affairs (3 points)
• PUAF U8200: Public Management and Institutional Analysis (3 points)
• PUAF U8213: Economic and Policy Analysis I (3 points)
• Professional Development in Public Affairs (1 point)
• PUAF Elective (3 points)
  Student completing QMSS thesis in addition to coursework.
  Tuition and fees for 1 residence unit (12-18 credits) paid to SIPA

Spring Semester, Second Year (13 points)

• PUAF U6111: Political Environment of Public Affairs (1 point)
• PUAF U8216: Economic and Policy Analysis II (3 points)
• Financial Analysis Course: Budgeting, Accounting, or Economics of Finance (3 points)
• PUAF Elective (3 points)
• PUAF Elective (3 points)
  Tuition and fees for 1 residence unit (12-18 credits) paid to SIPA

Fall Semester, Third Year (12 points)

• PUAF U4240: Public Affairs Internship (3 points)
  internship completed during summer between second and third years
• PUAF U9000: Public Affairs Workshop (3 points)
• PUAF Elective (3 points)
• PUAF Elective (3 points)
  Tuition and fees for 1 residence unit (12-18 credits) paid to SIPA

MPA & QMSS Degree Awarded

Students enrollng first at SIPA:
Fall Semester, First Year (1 residence unit, 13 points)

• PUAF U6110: Political Environment of Public Affairs (3 points)
• PUAF U8200: Public Management and Institutional Analysis (3 points)
• PUAF U8213: Economic and Policy Analysis I (3 points)
• Professional Development in Public Affairs (1 point)
• PUAF Elective (3 points)
  Tuition and fees for 1 residence unit (12-18 credits) paid to SIPA: $15,821

Spring Semester, First Year (1 residence unit, 13 points)

• PUAF U6111: Political Environment of Public Affairs (1 point)
• PUAF U8216: Economic and Policy Analysis II (3 points)
• Financial Analysis Course: Budgeting, Accounting, or Economics of Finance (3 points)
• PUAF Elective (3 points)
• PUAF U4240: Public Affairs Internship (3 points)
  Internship completed during summer between first and second years-retroactive grade change performed in the fall based on completed internship.
  Tuition and fees for 1 residence unit (12-18 credits) paid to SIPA

Fall Semester, Second Year (1 residence unit, 13 points)

• PUAF U9000: Public Affairs Workshop (3 points)
• PUAF Elective (3 points)
• PUAF Elective (3 points)
• QMSS G4010: Theory and Methodology of the Social Sciences (4 points)
  Tuition and fees for 1 residence unit (12-18 credits) paid to SIPA

Spring Semester, Second Year (1 residence unit, 15 points)

• QMSS G4015: Data Analysis for the Social Sciences (4 points)
• QMSS G4022: QMSS Research Seminar (2 points)
• QMSS Elective – Research Methods/Statistics Course I (3 points)
• QMSS Elective – Social Science Course I (3 points)
• QMSS Elective – Social Science Course II (3 points)
  Tuition and fees for 1 residence unit (12-19 credits) paid to GSAS

Fall Semester, Third Year (1 residence unit, 12 points)

• QMSS G5999: Master’s Thesis (4 points)
  Thesis completed during summer between second and third years
• QMSS G4022: QMSS Research Seminar (2 points)
• QMSS Elective – Social Science Course III (3 points)
• QMSS Elective – Research Methods/Statistics Course II (3 points)
  Tuition and fees for 1 residence unit paid to GSAS

QMSS M.A. & M.P.A Degree Awarded

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.  The primary faculty and administrative contacts for this dual degree are:

Christopher Weiss, Director, Quantitative Methods in the Social Sciences M.A. Program
811, International Affairs Building
420 West 118th Street
New York, NY 10027
212-854-7559
cw2036@columbia.edu

Caroline Kay, Assistant Dean
School of International and Public Affairs
1432 International Affairs Building
420 West 118th Street
New York, NY 10027
212.854.8690
cck11@columbia.edu