Admissions Frequently Asked Questions

Yes. Columbia SIPA has extended our application deadline to April 15, 2025 specifically for current and former federal employees applying for Fall admission. This special extension recognizes the significant disruptions in the policy and development sector job market and provides an opportunity for federal professionals to transition into our graduate programs.

Our STEM-designated MPA degree program and globally-immersive MIA degree program are designed to help you develop transferable skills and prepare for diverse career opportunities across public, nonprofit, and private sectors.

Please note that applications will be considered on a space-available basis and reviewed as they are received. We encourage interested federal employees to submit their applications as soon as possible to maximize their chances of admission.

This extension offers federal professionals the opportunity to begin their graduate studies this fall in New York City for a transformative educational experience.

Yes, you may apply simultaneously to more than one SIPA MPA degree program at SIPA. However, you should apply to the program(s) that most closely reflects your professional, personal, and geographic interests and experience. Admission decisions are determined by each individual program. SIPA will not accept simultaneous applications to its 21-month MIA and 21-month MPA programs. 

The Admissions Committee reviews each application thoroughly and with great care. All decisions are final.  There is no appeal process.

The Admissions Committee appreciates the commitment of time and energy put into each application.  However, we are unable to offer individual feedback on why they did not gain admission into the program.

Requesting Feedback Details

Yes, SIPA welcomes applications from candidates who have previously applied for admission, regardless of the outcome.

All SIPA program applications and required documents can be submitted through the online application. We do not require documents be mailed to our office. Feel free to contact the Office of Admissions at 212-854-6216 or send an e-mail to [email protected] if you have any further questions.

Deadlines vary on based on program and term. Please see this website for more information.

Those who apply to an Early Action deadline will receive their enrollment decision sooner than those who apply after this deadline. They will receive any funding notifications with the rest of the Fellowship Consideration applications. An Early Action application is not binding.

In order to receive funding consideration you must both apply before the deadline (and ensure all of your materials are submitted as well), and mark that you would like to be considered for funding in your application.

The admissions committee seeks to admit candidates with a combination of proven academic ability and most successful applicants possess two to three years of relevant professional-level work experience. Please refer to the What We Look For page for details.

The $95 USD non-refundable application fee can be paid by credit card or check. Unfortunately, we do not grant fee waivers for financial hardship.

We may grant application fee waivers to applicants who meet the following criteria:

• Active duty U.S. military personnel
• AmeriCorps 
• Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Fellows
• Columbia University (Barnard, CC, GS, SEAS) 5-year dual-degree applicants 
• Columbia Displaced Persons' Scholarship applicants
• Graduates from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• Graduates from Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs)
• Institute for International Public Policy (IIPP)
• Joint Japan/World Bank Scholarship Program (MPA-EPM applicants only) 
• McNair Scholars
• Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (MMUF)
• Payne Fellows
• Peace Corps volunteers (MIA, MPA, MPA-DP applicants only)
• Public Policy & International Affairs (PPIA) Fellows
• Teach for All network partners (currently in service)
• Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellows
• Truman Scholar
• Questbridge

Applicants requesting a fee waiver should email [email protected]. Applicants must be prepared to submit an official document confirming participation in the appropriate program. 

Decision notifications are posted to the application portal. You will receive an email when a decision is available.

MIA/ MPA: Fall Early Action applicants will receive decisions by January 1, and remaining fall decisions are communicated in mid-March. Decisions for spring applications are released by late November.

Yes, you must select your program and concentration of choice on your admissions application. For information on concentrations and specializations, please visit this website.

There is no separate application for SIPA fellowship consideration. In order to be considered for funding, you must select “yes” on the application and apply by the fellowship consideration deadline. SIPA has a need-blind admission policy, meaning an applicant’s financial need is not a factor in the admission decision.

To monitor the status of your application materials, you may log into your application portal. You will receive a notification email once a decision has been made.

If the Admissions Committee determines additional materials are required, you will be contacted. No additional materials may be uploaded after your application is submitted.

The school places a small number of applicants on an admissions waitlist each year. Students on the waitlist are notified when and if places become available in the entering class. The waitlist is not ranked, nor is there any guarantee that applicants on the list will be granted admission.

If your application has been placed on the waitlist, you will receive occasional updates via e-mail about their status; these updates may continue until our incoming class is finalized. A final notice will be emailed to all applicants on the waitlist once the class has been finalized. At any time you may contact us if you would like your application to be removed from the waitlist.

No. We do not permit applicants on the waitlist to submit any additional materials. These applications have already been evaluated by the Admissions Committee; newly submitted materials will not be reviewed unless requested by the Committee.

You can only access your essays after you select a program of study on the application. All programs have different essay requirements. 

A bachelor's degree or its equivalent from an accredited institution is required to enroll at Columbia SIPA. Applicants must submit transcripts for any college or university attended even if the coursework was not part of a degree program. We need the credits, grades, and grading scale. Unofficial copies of transcripts may be uploaded to the admission site for admission consideration. If an offer of admission is made and the applicant accepts, we will we require official transcripts including confirmation of a bachelor's degree.

Classes that have notes such as T, TR, or CR will not be accepted. These notes generally refer to transfer classes. If an applicant attended one school and transferred to another and the new school only notes codes for transfer credit, the applicant must submit the transcript from the first school with the grade achieved.

If an applicant is currently in an academic program and will not finish the program by the time of the application deadline we ask that the applicant submit the most up-to-date transcript information. We do not require that a program be completed at the time of application. In other words, we can make an admission decision with incomplete transcripts if an applicant is still finishing a program. However, the academic degree must be completed prior to enrollment at SIPA. 

Materials that are not in English must be translated by an official translation agency and notarized. SIPA does not endorse or recommend any individual provider of translation services. Please submit both the original documents and the translations to the Admissions Office.

Once you have accepted our offer of admission, you must submit an official electronic transcript from each university you attended. This transcript must include degree conferral, or you must submit proof that the degree has been awarded. 

If you completed a study abroad or exchange program that is credited on your “home” transcript (where your bachelor’s degree was conferred), the official transcript (from the abroad institution) is not needed. 

*For incoming GPPN students, all official transcripts are needed from colleges and universities prior to your enrollment of the partner dual degree institution. We also require official transcripts from the partner institution where you spent your first year of study with the exception of Sciences Po.

Accepted Transcripts:

If you attended a U.S. based institution: Request electronic transcripts directly from the school to Columbia SIPA through a secure, password-protected system such as National Clearinghouse or Parchment.

• National Student Clearinghouse: In the section where National Student Clearinghouse asks “Who are you sending the transcript to?' select 'College or University.' If prompted to select a country and state, select 'United States' and 'New York.' At this point, there should be a field that says 'Enter and select the school you are sending your transcript to.' Enter and select 'Columbia University.' After selecting 'Columbia University,' you should be prompted to select a department. Select 'Columbia School of International and Public Affairs.'
• Parchment: In the section where Parchment asks "Where would you like your documents sent?" you should type in 'Columbia SIPA' in the search box and select 'Columbia University - School of Int & Public Affairs.’
• Credential Solutions: In the section where Credential Solutions asks you to "Please choose type of recipient," select 'Search our recipient table.' If prompted to select recipient state, select 'New York.' Then, in the search box, type and select 'Columbia University.' You should now see 'Available recipients for Columbia University.' Select 'SCH OF INT'L/PUBLIC AFFAIRS.'

If you attended a Chinese institution: contact CHSI/CSSD to arrange submission of a "Verification Report of China Higher Education Student's Academic Transcript" AND a "Verification Report of China Higher Education Qualification Certificate" to Columbia SIPA at [email protected]. 

If you attended an institution in any other country besides the U.S. or China: submit an electronic transcript through a secure online delivery. If the school cannot send transcripts electronically via a secure, password-protected system, you must contact one of the following approved services for an electronically-delivered foreign transcript evaluation:

• Education Credential Evaluators (ECE) and order a Course by Course Report. View ECE's Documentation Requirements and FAQs.
• Educational Perspectives (EP) and order a Course-by-Course Report. View EP's Documentation Requirements and FAQs.
• International Education Evaluations (IEE) and order an Education Course Report. View IEE's Documentation Requirements and FAQs.
• The Evaluation Company (TEC) and order a Course Analysis (Course-by-Course) Evaluation. View TEC's Resources and FAQs.
• World Education Services (WES) and order a Course-by-Course Evaluation and International Credential Advantage Package to be sent to [email protected]. You may view a guide of arranging for the report to be sent to us here: WES Evaluation guide PDF or WES Evaluation website.   
   

Paper transcripts from outside of the United States cannot be mailed to our office under any circumstances. Transcripts sent by email or as email attachments, even from schools directly, are NOT considered official. 

Your recommender must submit an English translation of their letter. 

References are integral to the application evaluation and we encourage applicants to ask individuals who are equipped to attest to your academic abilities, leadership skills, and/or character. 

All programs besides Environmental and Science Policy require two (2) recommendation providers. Environmental and Science Policy (MPA-ESP) program requires three (3) letters of recommendation.

International students who did not earn a four year bachelor's degree (or international equivalent) from an institution in which English is the primary language of instruction, must submit proof of competency in English by submitting TOEFL*, IELTS, or Cambridge English scores in order for the application to be reviewed.

In order for the application to be considered for admission, applicants must successfully achieve a minimum score on the English proficiency exam. By achieving a preferred score, admitted applicants will not be required to enroll in SIPA's mandatory American Language Program (admitted students required to take this course are notified in their admission letter). Scores must be verified after admission to the program, but before your scores expire. If scores will expire, please contact us well ahead of time so that we can retrieve the official scores before they expire. TOEFL scores must be reported to code 2161. 

• TOEFL ibt minimum score: 100, preferred score: 110 or above
• IELTS minimum score: 7.0, preferred score: 7.5 or above
• Cambridge English C1 Advanced/ C2 Proficiency: minimum score: 185 C1 Advanced, preferred score: 191 or above

*We do not accept the at-home version of the GRE, GMAT, TOEFL or IELTS exams at this time. We do not accept TOEFL myBest scores. 

GRE or GMAT scores are currently optional for applicants in all programs* but are strongly recommended. However, even if optional, we have found them to be useful indicators of academic ability. You may review this blog post here for additional information.

*View PhD in Sustainable Development test score requirements here. 

Applicants reporting scores will self-report their GRE or GMAT scores through the online application. If admitted, applicants must arrange for the official test report(s) to be sent to the Office of Admissions prior to enrolling. Please note the Admissions Committee reserves the right to reverse an admission decision if the self-reported scores do not match official scores sent by the testing agencies.

Applicants who do not have evidence of quantitative coursework are strongly encouraged to submit a GRE/GMAT exam.

Columbia SIPA GRE school code is 2161 (there is no department code). Our GMAT codes: Master of International Affairs: QF8-64-56 and Master of Public Administration: QF8-64-99

We do NOT accept LSAT scores.

Yes, SIPA accepts GMAT Focus Edition scores. 

Self-reported test scores should be submitted with the application by the deadline. Scores must be verified after admission to the program, but before your scores expire.

SIPA has no minimum GRE or GMAT scores. The Admissions Committee carefully reviews every application in its entirety, including test scores, grades (particularly those in relevant coursework), letters of reference, and the applicant's personal statement and work experience.

No, we do not accept the at-home version of the GRE, GMAT, TOEFL or IELTS exams at this time.

The average age of an incoming MIA/MPA student is 26. However, we have received applications from students who are as young as 21 and as old as 61. The vast majority of MIA/MPA students are between 25 and 35 years old. Most admitted students have a minimum of 3 years of full-time work experience. 

We encourage all applicants to carefully review the curriculum set forth for the MIA and MPA programs, along with the various concentrations and specializations. The Admissions Committee will look for evidence of quantitative abilities, which can be reflected within the undergraduate transcript, resume, or standardized test scores. If you determine that you would like to supplement your application with additional coursework, you may consider courses in Economics and/or Statistics at an accredited institution.

Each year, 5 to 10 percent of accepted students come directly from undergraduate institutions. These are individuals with extraordinary academic records who have also had significant internship or study abroad experience. In some cases, recent undergraduates with very strong academic credentials are not offered admission, but are encouraged to reapply after they have gained at least one year or more of relevant work experience.

We do see a lot of candidates that are career-changers, and SIPA has students that come from many different academic backgrounds. What you will need to do is draw the connections clearly from your background and experience, to what you want to study at SIPA. Highlight your transferable skills for the Admissions Committee. There are many areas to do this within your application, including your resume and essays, and if applicable, the optional essay.