SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

Application Checklist

Please note that instructions on this page are meant for applicants to our two-year full-time MIA, MPA and MPA in Development Practice programs. For details on our other degree programs, please click here.

Applicants interested in our MIA/MPA two-year programs can apply for fall or spring admission. MPA-DP can only apply for fall admission.

• The deadline to apply for fall admission is February 5, 2013 for the MIA and MPA programs.

• The deadline to apply for MPA-DP is February 5, 2013. Applicants for the MPA-DP cannot apply for spring admission.

Please note that the spring & fall 2013 application will not be available until August 2012. Please review this page for important information, but do not start to fill in the online application for fall 2013 until August 15, 2012 or after.

The details below cover the basic requirements but you will benefit greatly from subscribing to the SIPA Admissions Blog. The blog is focused on providing up-to-date information and advice about the admissions process. You can subscribe to the blog by entering your e-mail address in the Feedburner box in the right hand menu of the blog:

Click Here to Visit the SIPA Admissions Blog

Admission to the School of International and Public Affairs is competitive, based in large part on academic excellence and professional focus. The applicant must have a bachelor's degree or evidence of equivalent preparation, as determined by the Director of Admissions.

The core curriculum at SIPA includes required coursework in economics, statistics and financial management.  The Admissions Committee is therefore quite interested in the quantitative aptitude of applicants to our program.  This most typically includes coursework and/or professional experience related to mathematics, statistics and economics. 

Also of note  can be quantitative experience as it pertains to areas such as science or engineering. While there are no specific course requirements to apply, most successful candidates have a record of success in courses such as:

• Microeconomics
• Macroeconomics
• Math courses such as Linear Algebra, Pre-Calculus or Calculus
• Statistics

For the Master of International Affairs (MIA), MPA in Development Practice and for MPA students that choose Economic and Political Development, as a concentration, proficiency in a second language is a graduation requirement. Applicants to these programs should therefore have at least an elementary understanding of a second language when applying. Proficiency is defined as being able to achieve a grade of "B" or better in an intermediate level II language course.

The average age of incoming students is approximately 27, with most applicants having had several years of relevant professional experience before deciding to return to school. A small percentage of students—those who have significant fieldwork or internship experience—apply directly from undergraduate institutions and represent about 8-10% of each year's incoming class. Applicants are encouraged to gain applicable work or internship experience, even if it means delaying graduate study for one year or more.

We strongly encourage all applicants to submit all of the required documents through the SIPA application Web site. 100% of the application process can be completed on line. All documents, including transcripts and test scores can be uploaded to the application Web site for admission consideration. We will use unofficial copies of transcripts and test scores for admission consideration. Candidates offered admission will later be required to supply official transcripts and test scores prior to enrollment. The following deadlines for our two-year, full-time programs apply:

• MIA and MPA spring admission: October 15, 2012
• MIA and MPA fall admission: January 5, 2013

• MPA in Development Practice (MPA-MDP): January 20

Application deadlines for our other programs vary. Please use the following links for deadline information for our other programs:

• Program in Economic Policy Management (PEPM)
• Program in Environmental Science Policy (PESP)
• Executive MPA Program (EMPA)
• PhD in Sustainable Development

SIPA utilizes an online application system that helps expedite the receipt and tracking of information.  Applicants are able to track the receipt of letters of recommendation once the names of these individuals have been entered into the application system. We therefore recommend that applicants start an application and enter the names of these three individuals as soon as possible.

Please note that the Admissions Committee only accepts documents that are specifically asked for in our instructions. As much as we would like to be able to read writing samples and other information you might wish to submit, our tight time line and desire to treat every applicant fairly means that we will only put required documents in the file - all other documents will be discarded.

Sending hardcopy materials can delay the evaluation of your application and we recommend that you submit as many materials via the online application site as possible.  Our online site allows applicants to submit all of the required documents on line. To apply all of the following must be submitted:

• Application form (biographical information filled in on the application site)

• 2 Personal Statement Essays - NOTE: questions are subject to change each year.  Both topics are required for submission.

  First topic (600 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 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 Résumé/CV

• Quantitative/Language Résumé/CV - Sample here

• Test Scores
  • GRE or GMAT for all applicants (results must have been achieved within five years of applying)
    • GRE Code: 2161 (do not list a department code)
    • GMAT for MIA: QF8-64-56
    • GMAT for MPA: QF8-64-99
• TOEFL or IELTS* exam for applicants that speak English as a second language (results must have been achieved within two years of applying).
  • TOEFL code is 2161

  *see FAQ#27

• 3 Letters of recommendation: The names of the individuals you chose can be submitted on the application Web site any time after beginning the application.
  • If a person writing a letter of recommendation for you wishes to do so in another language, please see to it that the letter is sent to an official translator. Letters submitted this way should be mailed to our office. The translator should include both the translated copy and the official copy of the letter in a sealed envelope, along with their contact information.

• Academic Transcripts:

  • You are required to submit transcripts from all colleges, professional schools and universities attended (including Columbia). Our preferred method is that you upload unofficial copies of your transcripts to the application Web site. When scanning transcripts to upload, be sure to scan the reverse side of the transcripts if applicable or any additional pages that include comments on the grading system used. Transcripts not in English must be translated into English prior to uploading. We recommend using a high quality scanner for this process.

    Remember that if you cannot read the transcripts, we will not be able to either. Thus after scanning your transcript you should print it to see if it is legible. Once you have determined that it is legible please upload the transcripts.

    If you wish to have transcripts mailed to our office, the registrar should seal the transcript in an envelope, sign across the seal and return it to you. Do not open these envelopes or break the seals. Some universities may prefer to send transcripts directly to our office. If this is the case, please have official transcripts sent to:

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

    All documents, except foreign transcripts judged irreplaceable, become the property of Columbia and cannot be returned. All documents must be in English or accompanied by certified translations.

• Application fee - US $95.00

• Special Note:
  • Candidates who wish to be considered for candidacy in the SIPA International Fellows Program must submit a separate essay.. This is not a requirement, it is an optional part of the admission application. Information on the program can be found by clicking on the following link: http://sipa.columbia.edu/ifp
  • If applicants wish to be considered, a 300 word essay will need to be uploaded as part of the admission application. This essay is separate from the personal statement topics above. Applicants interested in IFP consideration are asked to respond to the following:

    • In 300 words or less, please explain your interest in the International Fellows Program.

 

To start the application process, please click here.

For Re-applicants, please click here to read more about the reapplication process.

*Please remember that if you are applying for spring or fall 2013 please do not start your application until August when the 2013 application becomes available.