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SIPA & the Hertie School Dual Degree Program

Study in New York and Berlin: Dual Degree Program with the Hertie School

Columbia SIPA and the Hertie School offer a two-year dual degree program in which students complete their first year at their home institution and, if admitted, their second year at the partner school—earning a Master of Public Policy (MPP) or Master of International Affairs from the Hertie School and a Master of Public Administration or a Master of International Affairs degree from SIPA in the time typically required for one. SIPA students study in New York and Berlin, while Hertie School students study in Berlin and New York, gaining the academic strengths, global perspectives, and professional networks of both institutions.

Tuition, Fees & Financial Aid

Students pay tuition at the institution where they are in residence. During the New York year, tuition and fees are paid to Columbia SIPA; during the year abroad, they are paid to the partner school

SIPA → Hertie School

Tuition and fee information is available on the Hertie School Tuition & Fees webpage. Scholarship questions should be directed to the Hertie School.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents planning to apply for U.S. federal financial aid should contact the SIPA Office of Financial Aid.

Additional Fees: 
Students attending the partner school in their second year will be charged the following SIPA fees.

Hertie School → SIPA

Full tuition and fee information is available on the SIPA financial aid website. Institutional funding for International Dual Degree students is very limited—fewer than 10% of students receive scholarships—so students are strongly encouraged to seek external funding.
U.S. citizens and permanent residents planning to apply for U.S. federal financial aid should contact the SIPA Office of Financial Aid.

Scholarship Application Timeline

  • Financial aid application opens: February–March
  • Scholarship decisions released: April

 

SIPA Students - Second Year at the Hertie School

  • For eligibility criteria and application link and instructions, please refer to the International Dual Degree landing page, under the Flexible Track subsection.

    Note:
    --Students completing their second year abroad are not required to complete a concentration.
    --SIPA students are required to complete the core curriculum in their first year; in the second year, they complete partner school curricular requirements.
    Hertie Curriculum: Please visit the Hertie website for detailed course information

    Degrees from both institutions are awarded only upon completion of all requirements at both schools. 

     

Hertie School Students - Second Year at SIPA

  • Hertie School students interested in the dual degree program should consult their administrative office regarding eligibility and obtain approval from their home institution before applying to SIPA. The International Dual Degree application at SIPA typically opens in early February.

     

  • Dual degree students completing their second year at SIPA must:

    • Complete a minimum of 30 credits in residence
    • Fulfill all core requirements
    • Complete concentration requirements
    • Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0
    • Complete all first-year curricular requirements at the partner school

    Degrees from both institutions are awarded only after all requirements at both schools are satisfied.

    Note: Certain partner school courses may satisfy SIPA core requirements; approved equivalencies are listed in the table below. Students may also apply one first-year course toward their SIPA concentration, with approval from the relevant concentration office. Direct concentration questions to the appropriate office.

    Core MIA Curriculum
    Concentration Page

    The table below lists approved course equivalencies for rising second-year dual degree students.

    MIA Track 1 Core Requirements   MIA Track II Core Requirements Hertie Courses
    Economics Fundamentals (3credits) - Covers both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics IA6400 - Microeconomics for International and Public Affairs GRAD-C8‐101 Public Sector Economics
        GRAD‐C7 Economics I - Introduction to Economics
        GRAD- C7adv: Advanced Economics: Concepts and Policy Applications
         
      IA6401 - Macroeconomics for International and Public Affairs GRAD-C7adv Economic and Financial Market Policy (Advanced)
        GRAD-C7med Economics: Basic Concepts and Policy Applications (Intermediate)
        GRAD-C8-109: Economics II: Inflation and Monetary Policy Challenges
        OR
        (A combination of at least TWO courses from the listing below)
        GRAD-C7 Applied Economic Analysis
        GRAD-C8‐101 Public Sector Economics
        GRAD-C8-102 Economics II: Economic Growth and Climate Change
        GRAD-C8-103 Economics II: International Economics
        GRAD-C8-104: Economics II: Economic and Financial Market Policy
        GRAD-C8-106 Economics II: Economic Crises
        GRAD-C8-107 Economics II: Sustainability
         
    U6500 Quantitative Analysis U6500 Quantitative Analysis C5 Statistics I
         
      Quantitative Analysis II (3 credits) GRAD-C6-2001 Statistics II: Statistical Modeling and Causal Inference with R
     
         
    Politics I & II, Policy Skills I & II (6 credits) Same as track  I GRAD-C1-2000 Global Politics
         
    Leadership & Management I , II,  & III ) -  (3) 1.5 credit courses - (4.5 credits) Leadership & Management I (1.5 credits) GRAD-C3 Public Management
        GRAD-E1245: Strategic Management in the Public Sector
        GRAD-E1330: The Political Economy of Global Financial Regulation
         
    International Law (1.5 credits) Same as track I

    GRAD-C2-1101: International Law (Fall 2025)

    GRAD-C2-2001: Law and Governance (Fall 2025)

     
         
    Global Requirement I & II (6 credits)  Global Requirement I (3 credits)  Waived for International Dual Degree Students
         
    Ethics for Policymakers (1.5 credits) Same as track I No Equivalent - Must be completed at SIPA
         
    Thesis OR Capstone Workshop & Capstone Preparatory course Same as track I Must be completed at SIPA
         
    Foreign Language Proficiency Same as track I Proficiency at B2 level or above - Please refer to SIPA's Foreign Language Requirement Page
         
    Professional Development: Required but course is not registered. Contact Career Advancement Center regarding requirement completion Same as track I Must be completed at SIPA:  Can be waived with sufficient work experience
    Internship: 0 credits Same as track I Complete either Year 1 or Year 2 or the summer between the partner school  and SIPA: Can be waived with sufficient work experience
     

     

  • Dual degree students completing their second year at SIPA must:

    • Complete a minimum of 30 credits in residence
    • Fulfill all core requirements
    • Complete concentration requirements
    • Maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0
    • Complete all first-year curricular requirements at the partner school

    Degrees from both institutions are awarded only after all requirements at both schools are satisfied.

    Note: Certain partner school courses may satisfy SIPA core requirements; approved equivalencies are listed in the table below. Students may also apply one first-year course toward their SIPA concentration, with approval from the relevant concentration office. Direct concentration questions to the appropriate office.

    Core MPA Curriculum
    Concentration Page
     

    The table below lists approved course equivalencies for rising second-year dual degree students.

    MPA Core Requirements Hertie Courses
    IA6400 - Microeconomics for International and Public Affairs GRAD-C8‐101 Public Sector Economics
      GRAD‐C7 Economics I - Introduction to Economics
      GRAD- C7adv: Advanced Economics: Concepts and Policy Applications
       
    IA6401 - Macroeconomics for International and Public Affairs GRAD-C7adv Economic and Financial Market Policy (Advanced)
      GRAD-C7med Economics: Basic Concepts and Policy Applications (Intermediate)
      GRAD-C8-109: Economics II: Inflation and Monetary Policy Challenges
      OR
      (A combination of at least TWO courses from the listing below)
      GRAD-C7 Applied Economic Analysis
      GRAD-C8‐101 Public Sector Economics
      GRAD-C8-102 Economics II: Economic Growth and Climate Change
      GRAD-C8-103 Economics II: International Economics
      GRAD-C8-104: Economics II: Economic and Financial Market Policy
      GRAD-C8-106 Economics II: Economic Crises
      GRAD-C8-107 Economics II: Sustainability
       
    U6500 Quantitative Analysis C5 Statistics I
       
    U6501 Quantitative Analysis II GRAD-C6-2001 Statistics II: Statistical Modeling and Causal Inference with R
     
       
    Politics I & II, Policy Skills I & II (6 credits) Module 1: Foundations of Public Policy, Policy Process Course
       
    Leadership & Management I & II (2) 1.5 credit courses GRAD-C3 Public Management
      GRAD-E1245: Strategic Management in the Public Sector
       
    Financial Management I & II (2) 1.5 credit courses

    GRAD-E1330: The Political Economy of Global Financial Regulation

    GRAD-E1458: Green Finance in Europe and the World
       
    Ethics for Policymakers (1.5 credits) No Equivalent - Must be completed at SIPA
       
    Capstone Workshop & Capstone Prepatory course Must be completed at SIPA
       
    Professional Development: Required but course is not registered. Contact Career Advancement Center regarding requirement completion Must be completed at SIPA:  Can be waived with sufficient work experience
       
    Internship: 0 credits Complete either Year 1 or Year 2 or the summer between the partner school  and SIPA: Can be waived with sufficient work experience