SIPA: School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University

Application Checklist

Completed Application Form.  We prefer the application form be submitted online.

Application Fee

A nonrefundable application fee payable to Columbia University must be received before your application can be processed. SIPA strongly recommends that applicants submit an online application. All applicants to the MIA, MPA, EMPA, and PEPM must pay a non-refundable fee of $85 if applying online and $100 if submitting a paper application. 

All applicants to the ESP program must pay a non-refundable fee of $75 if applying online and $90 if submitting a paper application.

SIPA utilizes an online application system that helps expedite the receipt and tracking of information.  Applicants are able to track the receipt of documents via the online application site once an application form and the appropriate nonrefundable application fee have been submitted.  We therefore recommend that applicants submit the online application form and pay the fee as soon as possible to trigger this process.

If the application form is submitted online, we recommend paying the applicable fee online using a credit card.  If the application form is mailed or if you do not wish to pay by credit card online, a check or money order with the applicable fee must be sent to our office.  The fee for online applicants is the same whether or not payment is made with a credit card or with a check or money order.

If you opt to pay online you must submit your application form FIRST- only then will you be prompted to utilize the online payment option.  A detailed checklist is included on the application form submission page to help guide you.  If you wish to mail your application fee, please use the following address:

Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
420 West 118th Street, Room 408
Mail Code 3325
New York, NY 10027

No application will be considered until the fee has been paid.

Fellowship Statement

The School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) requires applicants for Columbia University fellowships and scholarships to complete the fellowship statement form along with their admissions application by January 4th. Only applicants who complete this form will be considered for fellowships and scholarships. To guarantee consideration for financial aid, U.S. citizens and permanent residents must also submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Title IV Code for SIPA is E00128.

International students are not eligible for federal aid.

Personal Statement

The personal statement is critical to the application review process.  The personal statement must be submitted via an upload process on the application web site.  The personal statement may not be emailed to our office. 

The instructions for the personal statement are:

Please describe how your academic, professional, and personal background has influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree from SIPA. How and why will the pursuit of a degree at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs assist you in achieving your professional goals? Please be as specific as possible concerning your goals and limit your response to no more than 850 words.

Official Transcripts

Official transcripts from all colleges, professional schools, and universities (including Columbia) are required. 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. Universities may not wish to send official copies via an applicant. If this is the case, please have official transcripts sent directly to:

Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
420 West 118th Street, Room 408
Mail Code 3325
New York, NY 10027

If you are preparing your application while still completing undergraduate studies, you should obtain from your registrar a transcript showing the courses you have already completed with your current courses listed as "in progress" and submit them by the applicable deadline.  The same applies to applicants who have obtained a bachelor’s or master’s degree and are taking supplemental college level coursework.  A transcript showing the courses that are in progress must be submitted by the applicable admission deadline.  A final transcript should be sent as soon as possible after the completion of the undergraduate academic program or supplemental coursework. 

All documents not issued in English must be accompanied by certified English translations.

Letters of Recommendation

Three (3) letters of evaluation are required all SIPA applications.  Only three letters will be considered so do not submit more than three.

These letters should be submitted by individuals who are able to state, from personal knowledge, your qualifications for graduate study. 

While not a requirement, we prefer that one letter be from a member of academia.  It is understandable that some applicants have not been in an academic program for sometime and would prefer to submit all three letters from supervisors or associates from professional settings.  You are free to choose the combination of recommenders that you feel best describes your qualifications.

Letters may be submitted via the online application web site (see instructions on the application menu) or via traditional mail delivery.  If a letter is mailed to our office, the envelope should be sealed and the author of the letter should sign across the seal.  

Résumé/C.V.

The Résumé/CV must be submitted via an upload process on the application web site.  The Résumé/CV may not be emailed to our office. 

The instructions for the Résumé/CV are:

Please outline the following (where appropriate).  The typical length of a Résumé/CV is 3 to 4 pages.  Do not feel pressured to limit your Résumé/CV to one page.

• Employment held (include title of jobs and start/end dates)
• Academic honors, including fellowships you have been awarded
• Volunteer, public service, or political work you have done
• Memberships in honorary societies and awards for service or leadership you have received
• Extracurricular activities; and, particularly if an MIA applicant
• Any foreign travel undertaken (state purpose and length of stay)

Standardized Tests

Graduate Record Examination

If you have not taken the GRE, or do not want your GRE scores to be considered with your application, do not indicate a test date or a reporting date when filling out your application forms. You may leave this section blank.  If you have taken the GRE, please complete the information in this section.  The test date and date you requested the score report be sent from ETS to SIPA is particularly useful. 

It is recommended but not required that applicants submit recent GRE scores.  The Admissions Committee only reviews the General Test and Subject Tests are not required. We recommend the GRE because it is a useful indicator of academic ability. However, we never make a decision solely on the basis of GRE scores.

To make sure your scores arrive in our office on time, you should arrange to take the exam approximately 6-8 weeks before the application deadline. Please note that the General Test is not offered in October or April in states with test disclosure laws.

The examination is administered by the Educational Testing Service, Box 955, Princeton, NJ 08541 (www.ets.org).

Please note: Self-reported GRE results are tracked, but only an official score report will be considered by the Admissions Committee.  For a test report to be considered official, it must be sent from ETS directly to SIPA using our school code, 2161 (there is no department code).

TOEFL, IELTS, ALP

Any applicant who earned a bachelor's degree (or the international equivalent) from an institution in which English was not the language of instruction must submit proof of competency in English in order for the application to be reviewed. The requirement can be met by submitting the results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Columbia University American Language Program (ALP) English Placement Test.

International students who received their bachelor's degree from an English language four-year college or university are not required to submit TOEFL, IELTS or ALP test report. At the discretion of the Director of Admissions, Graduate-level study in an English speaking country may be substituted for the TOEFL requirement.

Please note: Self-reported English language test reports may be used for initial application review, but the Admissions Committee will not render a decision without an official score report. TOEFL test scores must be sent from ETS directly to us at our school code, 2161 (there is no department code).

If you have taken the TOEFL, when filling out your application you should enter only your Test Date as well as the date you requested that a score report be sent from ETS to SIPA.

Notification of Decision

Decision notifications are usually mailed within eight to ten weeks after the deadline. An email will be sent notifying you that your decision is available on the online application site.  A hard copy of the admission letter will follow in the mail.

Admission to Individual Courses

Degree candidates in other divisions of the University may register for any of the general courses offered at SIPA, provided the prerequisites are met and space is available. A student may register for colloquia and seminars (courses with 8000 or 9000 designations) only with the permission of the course instructor unless otherwise instructed. SIPA does not offer admission to non-degree candidates. Non-Columbia students may register for individual courses listed in this bulletin only after being admitted as a postgraduate special student in the Division of Special Programs, which is specially designed to serve part-time students. Registration for each course requires the approval of the appropriate departmental representative or the instructor.

Visit the School of Continuing Education for further information about taking individual courses.

Please understand that as the deadline approaches, we are inundated with large amounts of mail, e-mail, and phone calls regarding the status of applications.  We highly recommend that you submit all of your materials well in advance of the deadline to avoid delays. 

Any materials mailed or uploaded to our office become the property of SIPA at Columbia University and cannot be returned.