SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

Applying to the Program

The Application for Fall 2012 Admission is now available. Please see below to view the application.

 

Application Deadlines

The program has two admissions deadlines. The first is an early admission deadline. Prospective students who submit complete applications by March 1st will be informed of admission decisions in late April. The final deadline for application to the program is July 1st for the following fall term. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis, and applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible. Decisions will be communicated by early August.

 

Applying to the Program

The Executive MPA program strongly encourages students to apply online. Applicants using the online system pay a reduced application fee of $85 Online application available here. Please read the instructions carefully for applying to the program here.

*** The EMPA program does not require the GRE of its applicants.***

Please note for any questions regarding your application to the EMPA program please contact the Office of Admissions. The Office of Recruitment only receives completed applications from the Office of Admissions.

Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
420 West 118th Street, 4th Floor
Mail Code 3325
408 International Affairs Building
New York, NY 10027

212-854-6216
212-854-3010 (fax)
sipa_admission@columbia.edu

 

Admissions Criteria

If you require a visa, you must secure it prior to attending the EMPA program. Since this is a part-time program, EMPA students may enroll in a maximum of three courses (for a total of nine credits) per semester. We are therefore unable to offer assistance in securing visas and cannot make any exceptions to this rule. Your deposit will be fully refunded if you cannot attend the EMPA program because you are unable to secure a visa.

Admission to the program is competitive and is based primarily on the following three criteria:

• A demonstrated commitment to public service
• A thorough understanding of the Executive MPA program and a clear indication of how the program fits the educational and professional needs of the candidate
• Previous academic excellence

The Committee uses these three criteria, as demonstrated in the prospective student's application, to assess the "fit" of the prospect to the Executive Graduate Program in Public Policy and Administration and the prospect's future professional public service.

In order to assess these admissions criteria, the Admissions Committee reviews the following elements of a prospect's application: personal statement, resume, transcripts, and letters of appraisal. (Please refer to the Application Checklist for more information about these requirements.)

Duration of Study

Students may complete the Executive MPA program in either two or three years of study. Applicants must advise us of the option they wish to pursue by checking the appropriate box on the response form sent with the letter of admission. The option selected will not affect the application decision. Students who successfully complete all requirements of the program will be awarded the degree of Master of Public Administration (MPA).

Interviews and Visits

Prospective students are strongly encouraged to attend an open house or schedule an informational interview with the program's faculty and administrators. Open houses are an excellent way to find out more about the Executive MPA program and meet faculty, staff, current students and fellow applicants. Informational interviews give prospective students a chance to determine more fully if Columbia's program is right for them.

With special permission from the Office of Recruitment applicants are also invited to sit in on classes and speak with current students and faculty.

Please contact the EMPA Recruitment Office if you would like to set up an informational interview, sit in on classes or if you have any questions about the program.

Phone: (212) 854-5124
Email: empa@columbia.edu

 

Employer Sponsorship

While sponsorship by an employer is not required, the program welcomes the participation of organizations in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. Prospective students receiving sponsorship must complete the Sponsoring Organization Information form of the application to ensure proper billing. Please be advised that employer support plays no role in the admission decision. The School of International and Public Affairs adheres to a need-blind admissions policy.

 

Visas and Part-Time Study

U.S. immigration law strictly limits the ability to enroll in a course on a B or visa waiver. Under very limited circumstances it may be permitted, but only where the visitor can establish that taking a course is not the primary reason for coming to the U.S.

As a general matter, B-2 visas are for people whose main reason for visiting the United States is tourism. If visitors intend to pursue a course of study, the B-2 and the B-1 business visa are not appropriate.

More than thirty countries are part of a visa-waiver program. Citizens of these countries may travel to the United States as tourists without obtaining visa stamps in their passports and are admitted to the United States with the notation WT for waiver tourist or WB for waiver business. (The same rules regarding study apply to the visa-waiver program; a course of study is not appropriate.) Visitors who enter the United States under the visa-waiver program are admitted for a 90-day period and cannot change their immigration status or extend their stay in the United States.

It may be possible to obtain a B-2 visa that specifically notes that part time "study incidental to visit," is appropriate. To find out more about this, please check with the American Consulate in your country.

 

Application Checklist

• Online or paper application form

• Application fee ($85 for the online form, $100 for the paper application)

• Official transcripts from all colleges, professional schools, and universities (including Columbia).  All documents not issued in English must be accompanied by certified English translations.

• Personal Statement

First Topic (500 Word Maximum)

What distinct impact do you hope to have on the world in the
future? Please be as clear as possible about your future goals, the
policy/public service issue(s) you are passionate about, and your
personal motivation(s). Be sure to include details regarding the
features of SIPA that you believe are integral to helping you in
your pursuits and what skills you need to develop to achieve a
lasting impact.

Second Topic (300 Word Maximum)

Please CHOOSE ONE of these options to write about - do not
address both, pick one or the other.

1. A competition is being conducted that will provide one
million dollars as seed funding to start a new organization. The
competition requires a 300 word essay/statement. Compose a 300 word
essay/statement to submit in order to be considered for this seed
funding.

2. You have just read a news story that has deeply moved you.
Compose a 300 word response in the form of a letter to the editor.
The news story you are responding to can be real or fictional and
does not need to be limited to the present time - it can be framed
in the past, present, or future.

Third Topic (200 Word Maximum)

Please share any additional information about yourself that you
believe would be of interest to the Admissions Committee. Please
focus on information that is not already reflected in the other
parts of your application or might not be clear in the information
submitted

• Standard Resume/Curriculum Vitae (CV) is accepted. Although we highly prefer the Quantitative Resume format.

• Test Scores

Applicants may submit Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores or GMAT scores if you wish. It is NOT mandatory. We do not accept the LSAT.

The Test of English as Foreign Language Examination (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS)*

• Three Letters of Recommendation

*Any candidate who earned a bachelor's degree (or the international equivalent) from a country in which English is not the native language of instruction must submit the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores, the results of the Columbia University American Language Program (ALP) English Placement Test, or results from the IELTS exam. The school considers a TOEFL score of 600 on the paper exam, 250 on the computer based test; a grade of 10 or higher on the ALP, or a score of 7 or higher on the IELTS to be the minimum acceptable score for admission. International candidates who received their bachelor's degrees from an English language college or university are not required to sit for the TOEFL or ALP examination.

Please visit http://www.sipa.columbia.edu/academics/degree_programs/empa/faq.html for a list of frequently asked questions f.a.q.'s