Academic Programming and Dean’s Initiatives
Capstone Program
SIPA Capstone Workshops apply the practical skills and analytical knowledge learned at SIPA to a real-world issue. Students from the Masters of International Affairs and Masters of Public Administration degree programs are organized into small consulting teams (between 4 to 8 students per team) and assigned a substantive, policy-oriented project with an external client. Clients include public agencies (from the local to national level), international NGOs and multinational organizations, and major firms in the private sector—recent examples include Barclays, Bloomberg New Energy Finance, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Human Rights Watch, Mercy Corps, New York City Mayor’s Office, United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office, and the World Bank Group. Student teams, working under the supervision of a faculty expert, answer a carefully defined problem posed by the client. Each team produces an actionable report and an oral briefing of their findings at the close of the workshop that is designed to translate into real change on the ground.