Climate, Energy, and Environment
The Climate, Energy, and Environment (CEE) Concentration prepares students to tackle key climate, energy, and environmental challenges by providing them with vital skills and knowledge about a complex and rapidly changing sector.
Students gain a holistic understanding of how science, technology, policy, and finance intersect to shape the societal risks and opportunities around energy, natural resources, and the environment. Through practical skills, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and multicultural interaction, students learn to become effective problem solvers and leaders in both the public and private sectors.
Who It’s For
Regardless of their background, CEE students benefit from our specialized courses, exceptional internship options, prestigious Capstone workshops, and corporate engagement with leading Wall Street firms. Our strong ties to the New York City financial and clean energy communities allow students to engage regularly with thought leaders through a variety of extracurricular activities, field trips, and research fieldwork.
The program connects a number of centers and schools across Columbia University, from the Sustainable Investing Research Initiative (SIRI), the Center on Global Energy Policy (CGEP), Center on Environmental Economics and Policy (CEEP), and the Columbia Climate School, to Columbia’s schools of business, law, science, and public health. SIPA’s CEE Concentration offers an unrivaled set of resources and expertise to train future practitioners in this field.
Curriculum and Courses
The curriculum provides students with:
- Advanced knowledge of global energy and environmental issues and how governments, businesses, and civil society can lead effective action
- A holistic understanding of how science, technology, policy, finance, and society shape energy, natural resources, and environmental risks and opportunities
- Quantitative and qualitative tools to analyze and model energy and environment-related issues
- Practical skills to become effective leaders in energy, natural resources, and environment in both the public and private sector
- Multicultural interaction, teamwork, and collaboration within an international context
- Experience working with clients to formulate energy and environmental policy and management decisions through applied projects, internships, and workshops
Student Career Paths
The Climate, Energy and Environment Concentration trains the next generation of leaders to excel in a diversity of fields related to sustainable finance, the energy sector (including oil and gas, renewable energy, and electricity), in policy and development (at public agencies and international organizations), and in industries, such as consulting, finance, environment and sustainability, and more.
Related Degree Programs
Designed for students looking to facilitate and lead international cooperation, the MIA equips students to understand international political and legal institutions, and develop the skills of conflict resolution, diplomacy, and inter-cultural competency necessary to achieve change on the worldwide stage.
Developed for students looking to lead the policymaking process, the MPA provides a data-rich analytical education, equipping students to understand policy challenges and to develop, implement, and evaluate policy solutions. The MPA is STEM-designated so that students in all policy domains will be eligible to apply for OPT extensions where relevant.
Contact Us
Doug Almond
Professor of International and Public Affairs; Concentration Co-Director
IAB Room 1425 | [email protected]
David Sandalow
Senior Research Scholar at SIPA's Center on Global Energy Policy; Concentration Co-Director
1255 Amsterdam Room 102F | [email protected]
Andrew Donini
Concentration Manager
IAB Room 804 | [email protected]