Ten smiling Capstone team members wearing shell leis on a tropical lawn in front of a historic estate.

Info for Students

2026 - 2027 Capstone Workshops

 

Capstone Application is Available for Elective Students and First Years
 

The deadline to apply for a Capstone Workshop as an elective student will be Wednesday, November 4, by 9:00am.  

A Few Important Details:

  • First-Year Students: If you complete a Capstone workshop this academic year, you will have fulfilled your Capstone graduation requirement! You may apply for another Capstone in a future year as an elective, but placement will depend on available space.
  • Project Selection: Please apply only to projects for which you would be excited to accept placement. Space is limited, and students should be prepared to commit to any project they select.
  • Course Registration: Students placed on a Capstone team will be automatically enrolled in the 1.5-credits fall short course (SIPA IA8000) and the 3-credit spring workshop (SIPA IA9000).

  • Scheduling: Please review the Capstone workshop timetable carefully to ensure your selected projects do not conflict with required spring courses. Teams meet weekly with their faculty advisor for 1 hour and 50 minutes and also meet independently throughout the semester. 


    To apply, elective and first year students submits an application here. 

 

Who Should Apply?

This application is open to first-year students, students in the MPA in Global Leadership, EMPA, PEMP, and other degree programs who are interested in participating in a Capstone. For those who previously submitted an application, please do not use the elective application to submit an application. Teams will be announced by November 13th. 

 

Read the Capstone Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for Students and on the Fall Capstone Consultancy Project Management Course.

More on the Application Process

 2026 - 2027 Capstone Application for Open Elective and First Year Students


To apply, elective and first year students must submit an application. When submitting an application, students must:
 

(1) Submit a PDF resume saved as one’s UNI (not as your name, please use your UNI (i.e.. sa3359.pdf, not as SalehaAwal.pdf or sa3359_CV.pdf)
 

(2) Complete all the required fields on the online application, including the release form. Because many Capstones will involve work off-campus, we ask all students to complete the release form.
 

(3) Submit a “statement of interest” for each workshop (no more than 250 words). In addition, students must list their relevant coursework, writing the full name of the course (rather than writing the SIPA course number or an abbreviation of the course). Relevant coursework may include courses taken outside of Columbia University but please indicate where and when the course was completed.

 

The deadline to apply for a Capstone Workshop as an elective student will be Wednesday, November 4, by 9:00am. 

 

2026 - 2027 OPEN CAPSTONE PROJECTS:


The following projects have space available to add 1-2 additional students. For more information about the Capstone projects, you can access the individual project description, link to the client website, and the faculty bio below. 

Capstone Client  Project Title  Faculty Advisor 
AI and Justice Consortium (AIJC) Mapping AI in Criminal Justice: Building a National Landscape Index Richard Greenberg
Amber Farmland Investments Nature as Critical Infrastructure - The Market Opportunity for Nature Based Credits Tanya Khotin
Center for Safety and Change Empowered to Lead: Evaluating a Youth-Led Model for Ending Dating Violence Carole Wacey
Comunitas Public Innovation in Practice: Measuring the Impact of Comunitas in Brazil William B. Eimicke
Global Environment Facility Evaluating Nature-Based Solutions and Green/Blue Finance in the GEF Blue and Green Islands Program: Cabo Verde Case Study Hans-Martin Boehmer
Gobierno de Santiago, Metropolitan Regional Government of Santiago From Strategy to Implementation: Building the Operational and Measurement Framework of the International Engagement Strategy 2026–2030 of the Santiago Metropolitan Region Hans-Martin Boehmer
Habitat for Humanity International Bridging Policy, Building Homes: A Housing Finance Policy Playbook for Emerging Markets Damian Busch
New Jersey Public Defender Holistic Representation: A New and More Effective Way to Represent People Who are Court-Involved Richard Greenberg
New York City Cyber Command  NYC for Post-Quantum Cryptography: A Governance and Migration Readiness Framework Danny Brando
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)  NYCHA’s Sustainability Agenda: Building the Workforce for an Electrified Housing Future Thomas Quaranta
New York City Mayor's Office of Food Policy Strengthening New York City’s Food Recovery: Rescue Partner Mapping and Strategies for Better Diversion Madhuri Kommareddi
New York Senate, Office of Majority Counsel Containing Health Costs: Lessons for New York State  Jeri Powell 
Re:Structure Lab Forced Labour and Worker Power: Can Fundamental Labour Rights Prevent Severe Labour Exploitation? Thomas Liess
Red Hook Initiative Developing a Strategic Framework for Business-Community Partnerships in Red Hook  Robert Walsh
ReNew Energy Global Plc From Strategy to Execution: Beyond Scope 1 and 2: ReNew’s Action Plan for Scope 3 Decarbonisation AJ Goulding
Tata Sons, India - CSR team Measuring Meaningful Social Impact: A Best-Practice Framework for CSR Portfolio Allocation Preeti Bhattacharji
The Sentry  A New Sanctions Regime for Environmental Crimes: Developing a Blueprint from the Global Magnitsky Act Linda M. Kirschke
UNICEF Sri Lanka Country Office Blended Finance Options for Nutrition-Sensitive Social Protection in Sri Lanka Ourania Dionysiou
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Applying the UN Diagnostic Tool for Infrastructure Asset Management: From Diagnostic Evidence to Action Isabelle Delalex
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Mapping and Assessing Subnational Multi-Actor and Multisectoral Food Governance Mechanisms through a Right-to-Food Lens Alison Rose
VEMAR Group The Agrivoltaics Investment Case in Senegal: Addressing Food and Energy Security in a Changing Climate  Ellen Morris and Jennye Greene

Information for Capstone Students for MIA & MPA Programs

A core requirement for the Master of International Affairs (MIA) and Master of Public Administration (MPA), the Capstone workshops give students an opportunity to put learning into practice. Serving as a culminating educational experience for the Master of International Affairs and Master of Public Administration degree programs, students in all of the concentrations complete a Capstone workshop in their final semester. Students in the Development and Governance concentration, formerly the Economic and Political Development Concentration and students in the MPA- DP program– satisfy the capstone requirement by participating in the Capstone Workshop in Sustainable Development Practice in their last semester.) Students 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 Booz Allen Hamilton, Citi Global Wealth Management, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Mercy Corps, New York City Mayor’s Office, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), UNICEF, 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 Capstone that is designed to translate into real change on the ground.

SIPA Capstone workshops are available to MIA and MPA students.

For information on the application process, timeline, and general information, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) page for students.

For more information on the Fall Short Course, please refer to our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

2026 - 2027 

MIA and MPA Capstone Workshops

View Capstone Projects with tentative Plans for International Travel

Capstone Client  Project Title  Faculty Advisor 
AI and Justice Consortium (AIJC) Mapping AI in Criminal Justice: Building a National Landscape Index Richard Greenberg
Amber Farmland Investments Nature as Critical Infrastructure - The Market Opportunity for Nature Based Credits Tanya Khotin
Andrew Carnegie Foundation Campus to Community: Connecting Higher Education and National Service Saleha Awal
AthenaLab The Role of the Armed Forces in Addressing Domestic Security Challenges in Latin America Lionel Beehner
Autorité des Marchés Financiers de l'Union Monétaire Ouest Africaine (AMF-UMOA) Infrastructure Financing through WAEMU Regional Capital Markets Christine Capilouto
Bank of America From Silos to Synergy: Strengthening AI Governance Through Collaboration Amanda Stanhaus
Barclays How to Build Trust and Gain Confidence in AI Daniel Wallance
Benjamin Franklin House, London House of Democracy: The Next 250 — Rebuilding Trust and Civic Engagement in an Age of Disinformation Michael Sheldrick
Bison Energy Systems Powering Data Centers Behind the Meter: Technology Selection and Configuration Optimization Bassam Chain
Brookfield Asset Management The Double Engine of Tourism: Harnessing Culinary Legacy and Cultural Heritage to Power India's Tourism Growth Isabelle Delalex
Business at Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (BIAC) Investment in Infrastructure for a Sustainable Digital Transformation Alicja Cade and David Homovich
Center for Safety and Change Empowered to Lead: Evaluating a Youth-Led Model for Ending Dating Violence Carole Wacey
Central Bank of Namibia and the Namibia Revenue Agency of the Ministry of Finance Optimizing Namibia’s Sustainable Future: A Pathway to Regional Prosperity and Global Competitiveness Eric Chang, with special advisor, Jenik Radon
Citi Community Capital Investing in Affordable Housing? Which is Riskier – non-profits or for-profits? Carol O'Cleireacain and Christopher Pak
City of Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, Office of the Mayor The Making of an International College Town in Bulgaria, the Balkans Mahima Achuthan, with special advisor, Jenik Radon
City of Buenos Aires  Mobilising Climate Finance for Buenos Aires: Green and Sustainability-Linked Bonds for Urban Climate Action Daniel Zarrilli
Climate Policy Initiative, IREN Agri - Ksapa & Société Générale Seeds of Scale: Prioritizing Value Chains & Countries for Scaling Innovative Climate & Financial Inclusion Solution in African Agriculture Ingrid Dyott and Panos Varangis
Comunitas Public Innovation in Practice: Measuring the Impact of Comunitas in Brazil William B. Eimicke
Eurasia Group Middle Powers: Maintaining Sovereignty in a G-Zero World Markus Jaeger
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Advancing Gender and Human Capital Development in Iraq: A Case Study & Roadmap for Intervention in High-Fragility Contexts  Kristy Kelly
Federal Bureau of Investigation Victims of Cybercrime Field Guide: Immediate and Ongoing Response for Individuals and Businesses Bryan Vorndran and Evan Wolff
Federal Reserve Bank of New York  Central Bank Responses to Commodity Shocks Daniel Waldman
Global Environment Facility Evaluating Nature-Based Solutions and Green/Blue Finance in the GEF Blue and Green Islands Program: Cabo Verde Case Study Hans-Martin Boehmer
Gobierno de Santiago, Metropolitan Regional Government of Santiago From Strategy to Implementation: Building the Operational and Measurement Framework of the International Engagement Strategy 2026–2030 of the Santiago Metropolitan Region Hans-Martin Boehmer
Goldman Sachs Pricing Sovereign Risk Robert Kopech
Google Cloud: Office of CISO Next-Generation Data Systems: An Integrated Strategy for Earth-Based Power Advancement and Space Processing Solutions Elizabeth Cartier and Neal Pollard
Government of Belize: Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Developing a Data Management and Governance Policy for Belize’s Education Management Information System (BEMIS) Sayu V. Bhojwani and Suzanne Hollmann
Government of Estonia and e-Governance Academy Estonia, From Digital Pioneer to Digital Superpower: Integrating Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence into the Future of Global Digital Governance Leslie Hough, with special advisor, Jenik Radon
Government of French Polynesia: Office of the President Countering Geopolitical and Corporate Pressures for Deep Sea Mining in the Pacific Eric Chang and Jenik Radon
GVP Climate Mapping the Nuclear Value Chain for Climate Tech Investment Gregory Stoupnitzky
Habitat for Humanity International Bridging Policy, Building Homes: A Housing Finance Policy Playbook for Emerging Markets Damian Busch
Inter-American Development Bank  MSME Capital Markets: Toward Maximum Effectiveness in Latin America and the Caribbean  Fernando Sotelino
International Crisis Group Food Insecurity and Conflict: Mapping the Relationship between Famine and Siege Operations Walter Miller
International Energy Agency Powering Under-Energized Industry in Africa Jonathan H. Elkind
International Labour Organization, Fundamentals Branch From Data to Action: Understanding the Drivers of Forced Labour in the Garment Industry Thomas Liess
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Jordan Mapping Narcotics Trafficking and Governance Gaps Along Jordan's Green Borders Daniel White 
Jefferies Financial Group Optimizing Affordability: A Quantitative Analysis of State Housing Finance Agency Down Payment Assistance Program and Outcomes Sigridur Benediktsdottir
JPMorgan Chase & Co. Emerging Regulatory Jurisdictions Sydney Jones
Jubarte Capital Long-Run Drivers of Financial Market Returns in the Age of AI, Geopolitical Risk and Challenges to Institutional Quality: An Application to Brazil Drausio Giacomelli
Marathon Capital The Independent Power Producer (IPP) Platform of the Future: How Power Developers Should Evolve in an Era of AI Load Growth, Policy Volatility, and Capital Scarcity Ryan Hakim 
Mastercard Inc. Formalizing the Invisible Economy: Digital Payments as an Enabler of Economic Formalization, Public Sector Modernization, and Inclusive Growth Ourania Dionysiou
McKinsey & Company Anticipating the Next AI Frontier: Scenario Planning at the Intersection of AI and Cybersecurity  Andrew Jaquith and Stephen Sparkes
Moody's Ratings The Decline of Balance-of-Payments Crises in Emerging Markets Thomas Byrne
Municipality of Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile, Public-Private Tourism Council Easter Island, Rapa Nui: Sustainability Challenges Sustainability in the Land of Moai Jenik Radon
National American Committee on Foreign Policy (NCAFP) The Future of Transatlantic Relations Lindsay P. Cohn
NATO Innovation Fund Scaling Defence Innovation: Strengthening the Industrial Base of NATO Nations Michelle Greene
New Jersey Public Defender Holistic Representation: A New and More Effective Way to Represent People Who are Court-Involved Richard Greenberg
New York City Comptroller's Office  Promises vs Performance: Analyzing the Landscape of NYC’s Community Benefit Agreements Carol O'Cleireacain
New York City Cyber Command  NYC for Post-Quantum Cryptography: A Governance and Migration Readiness Framework Danny Brando
New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA)  NYCHA’s Sustainability Agenda: Building the Workforce for an Electrified Housing Future Thomas Quaranta
New York City Mayor's Office of Food Policy Strengthening New York City’s Food Recovery: Rescue Partner Mapping and Strategies for Better Diversion Madhuri Kommareddi
New York Senate, Office of Majority Counsel Containing Health Costs: Lessons for New York State  Jeri Powell 
Omidyar Network Pro-Social Emerging Technologies Horizon Scanning and Policy Assessment Dana Omran
PayPal Enabling Cross-Border Digital Identity: Regulatory Frameworks for Interoperability Across APEC William Hoffman
PepsiCo, Global Public Policy Unit Blended Circular Economy Financing Models to Complement Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Systems in Emerging Markets Radhika Shroff
Piraeus Bank Building a Banking-Enabled Voluntary Carbon Market for Greek Agriculture Ingrid Dyott and Panos Varangis
Prefeitura Rio, Rio City Hall Economic Incentives for Sustainability in the City of Rio de Janeiro Vojislava Cordes
Re:Structure Lab Forced Labour and Worker Power: Can Fundamental Labour Rights Prevent Severe Labour Exploitation? Thomas Liess
Red Hook Initiative Developing a Strategic Framework for Business-Community Partnerships in Red Hook  Robert Walsh
ReNew Energy Global Plc From Strategy to Execution: Beyond Scope 1 and 2: ReNew’s Action Plan for Scope 3 Decarbonisation AJ Goulding
Roland Berger Fission Without Friction: the Case for US Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) Gregory Stoupnitzky
Rwanda Health Development Initiative (HDI) When Policy Meets Practice: Implementation of Rwanda's Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare Reform  Neri Bukspan and Sharon Gordon
Schneider Electric Energy Transition and Resilience in Emerging Markets:
Governance and Public-Private Cooperation with Schneider Electric		 Angela Chitkara
Segal Family Foundation Scaling Social Impact: Building a Philanthropic Ecosystem for Locally Led Organizations in Francophone West Africa Peter Twyman
Serpens Center for International Security (SCIS) Frontline Capital: Investing in Ukraine’s Defense Technology Ecosystem David Bonfili
Swisscontact and Confédération Nationale du Tourisme (CNT) International Benchmark and Policy Recommendations for Accelerating Sustainable Tourism in Morocco Isabelle Delalex
Tata Sons, India - CSR team Measuring Meaningful Social Impact: A Best-Practice Framework for CSR Portfolio Allocation Preeti Bhattacharji
The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (BNY) Future-State AI Supplier Assurance and Continuous Governance for a GSIB Neal Pollard
The Sentry  A New Sanctions Regime for Environmental Crimes: Developing a Blueprint from the Global Magnitsky Act Linda M. Kirschke
The Stimson Center The UN Security Council and African Union: Mapping Opportunities for a Security Partnership through Resolution 2719 Walter Miller
UNICEF Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (APRO)  Enhancing Child-Centered Early Warning Systems across Asia and the Pacific through AI Integration Suzanne Hollmann
UNICEF Sri Lanka Country Office Blended Finance Options for Nutrition-Sensitive Social Protection in Sri Lanka Ourania Dionysiou
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA) Applying the UN Diagnostic Tool for Infrastructure Asset Management: From Diagnostic Evidence to Action Isabelle Delalex
United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) Where the UN Security Council Fears to Tread: Mapping the Council’s Response to Thematic Issues Walter Miller
United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA) Mapping Track 1.5 and Track 2 Processes: Israeli-Palestinian Dialogues & the Middle East Peace Process Jaser AbuMousa and Samantha Sutton
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): Europe and Central Asia AI and Economic Preparedness in Eurasia / AI's Economic Transformation Deep Dive Daniel Dobrygowski
United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): City Experiment Fund From Experiments to Transformation: Capturing Learning, Early Wins and Next Actions from UNDP’s City Experiment Fund Twin Transition Portfolios Mariela Machado Fantacchiotti
United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Mapping and Assessing Subnational Multi-Actor and Multisectoral Food Governance Mechanisms through a Right-to-Food Lens Alison Rose
United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons  Human Rights, Internal Displacement and Confinement: Linkages, Recognition and Protection Mechanisms Kristina Eberbach
United Nations World Health Organization (WHO)  The Loneliness Challenge: Building WHO’s Coalition Across the Geneva UN System Ourania Dionysiou
United States Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration, Office of Materials Management and Minimization  Enhancing Nuclear Energy Management: Lessons from Global Practices Judyt Mandel
United States Department Of State, Diplomacy Lab Resilience as Deterrence: Reimagining U.S. Security Cooperation for Whole-of-Society Defense Lauren Young
United States Department of the Treasury, Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes (TFFC) Evolution or Revolution: Future Outlook for the U.S. Financial System Merit E. Janow
United States Department of War, Center for Excellence in Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance Resilience as Readiness: Strengthening and Building Economic Capacity and Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response Readiness in the Indo-Pacific Melanie Sisson
United States Department of War, Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) Defense Technology Innovation in Ukraine: The Role of International Partnerships in Developing and Scaling New Technologies David Bonfili
United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) Economic Statecraft In the Pacific: Project Assessment and Return On Investment Analysis Tool James A. Siebens
VEMAR Group The Agrivoltaics Investment Case in Senegal: Addressing Food and Energy Security in a Changing Climate  Ellen Morris and Jennye Greene
World Bank Group, 2030 Water Resources Group Water Security Decision Support Using Generative AI Daniel Shemie
World Bank Group, Latin America, Agriculture Unit Farmer Trust and Payout Fairness Index Paula Pagniez, Panos Varangis, Daniel Osgood
World Bank Group, Social Protection & Labor Global Benchmarking Governance & Investment of Public Pension and Social Security Funds Scott Martin 

Capstone Workshops Requirements by Program

The following degree programs include capstone workshops as part of their curriculum. See the degree program pages for more details.
Master of International Affairs (MIA) »
Master of Public Affairs (MPA) »
Master of Public Administration in Environmental Science Policy (MPA-ESP) »

Three people speaking

D&G Workshop Information for Students

Three Alumni at a networking event

MPA-ESP Capstone Workshops