9am: [large] coffee in hand, I was ready to conquer the applications I left sitting on my desk the night before…

then the day got started…

9:30am: followed up on some emails.  counted days left before majority of the admission decisions are released in March <panic>.

10am: Fellowship Committee Meeting — reevaluating how funds are dispersed for 1st and 2nd year students.

11am: crunched some application numbers — approximately 90% of applications submitted are complete.  If you haven’t sent in your missing documents — you know who you are — please send them in.

12pm: MIA/MPA information Session today –  Thank you for joining us!

2pm – 5pm: I blocked a couple of hours today to read files but with the multiple interruptions throughout the day from conversations about Disneyland and peanut M&Ms (an office favorite) to calming over anxious callers to mandatory computer software updates… I was only able to live vicariously through a few applicants as they talked about their commitment to public service and their exploration of the world and of themselves… Unfortunately, by the end of the day the stack did not get much shorter — not a very productive reading day.

5pm:  take a break to recap the day on the Admissions Blog, which I have dreadfully neglected for weeks.

6pm:  somehow more files have found their way into my office.   Guess I will have some interesting reading this weekend (while my babies nap).

It is that time of the year when second year SIPA Students start working on their final project — also known as the “workshop” (for Economic and Political Development (EPD) concentrators) or “capstone” (as is the case of students for all other concentrations) and continue for the remainder of their last semester here.  The final project give students a chance to refine their skills and knowledge and make a positive contribution to the world. The projects also provide valuable experience and contacts for post-graduate employment.

For many of the students, this is one of the most important reasons why they chose to come to SIPA.  There is a lot of excitement in our building surrounding the projects  –  There is endless discussion about the possibilities that lie ahead.

Beginning this year, all SIPA MIA and MPA students are required to participate in either a capstone or a workshop in order to graduate.  You may view this year’s capstone project options here.   Small teams of students will work on cutting-edge issues facing real-world clients and deliver an actionable report at the completion of the project.

Laura Agosta, a second year MPA student concentrating in Economic and Political Development (EPD) is very optimistic about the impact that this experience could have on her personal and professional life. “I believe that this is the chance I have to put into practice the theoretical knowledge I am learning at SIPA. Also, EPD workshops often involve traveling abroad to Africa, Asia or Latin America, this is an excellent opportunity of getting to know a country that you never imagine you would be working in!” says this student from Argentina.  Laura is going to Tanzania to conduct a cost-benefit analysis of a child-protection program.  EPD workshops are projects in which students gain practical experience by engaging in on-going cutting-edge development efforts, often involving country fieldwork. They work in teams with a faculty supervisor and assist a variety of clients on a wide array of assignments in international development. This year’s EPD clients are located in countries such as Nigeria, Tanzania, Georgia, Mexico, Argentina, Brazil and Nepal.

Andrea Bustard is a second year student concentrating in Urban and Social Policy (USP). She is working on a capstone project. These are also projects in which students are organized into small consulting teams and assigned a substantive, policy-oriented project with an external client. Clients include public agencies – from the local to national level – international NGOs, multinational organizations, and major firms in the private sector. Andrea highlights that this “is an exciting time that has allowed me to identify what skills I would like to develop and match it with my field of interest”.

Alex Villarino, a recent SIPA graduate worked with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Operation in spring 2011. The goal of his SIPA team was to develop a risk analysis and assessment of which factor contributed to detecting the possible problems of catch basing clog and street flooding using the system that the city already has on 311 Consumer service. They elaborated an informatics model that now allows the city to use relevant information such as population, altitude, precipitation and the regularity of cleaning of the city in an effort to detect the areas that are more likely to flood. They  even created an index of leaf control from the census of trees in the city! He says that overall, “It was a very exciting and applicable project with a concrete outcome.  The team was fantastic, everybody worked together and the faculty advisers were very supportive.”

No matter where you go or which project you are involved, most of SIPA students and graduates agree that this is a unique experience that can be very valuable for their future professional life.  And is only one of the many exciting opportunities that SIPA offers future development practitioners.  For a full view of workshop and capstone project opportunities and the sponsoring clients, visit our website.

Monday, January 23, 2012 through Saturday, March 10, 2012

Ongoing Exhibit: Behind the Porous Curtain: Photography by Anatoly Pronin
International Affairs Building, 12th Floor Harriman Atrium
Harriman Institute
Photography Exhibit with Anatoly Pronin.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Saddam Hussein’s Ba’th Party: Inside an Authoritarian Regime
Middle East Institute
Lecture with Joseph Sassoon, moderated by Timothy Mitchell.

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

UN Studies Program Panel on, “The Security Council and its Human Rights Agenda: Children and Armed Conflict; New Tools to Fight Impunity”
UN Studies Program
Round-table discussion moderated by Professor Elisabeth Lindenmayer, Director of the UN Studies Program; featuring: Radhika Coomaraswamy, UN Under-Secretary-General, Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict; Ambassador Dr. Peter Wittig, Permanent Representative of Germany to the United Nations; Grace Akallo, former child soldier from Uganda, Founder and Executive Director of United Africans for Women and Children Rights (UAWCR); and Jo Becker, Advocacy Director, Children’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch. A reception will follow.

Book Discussion with Simon Gikandi: Slavery and the Culture of Taste
Institute for African Studies
Panel to discuss Simon Gikandi’s new book Slavery and the Culture of Taste, with Carroll Smith-Rosenberg, University of Michigan; Saidiya Hartman, Columbia University; Madeleine Dobie, Columbia Univeristy; and moderated by Mamadou Diouf, Columbia University.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

2012 ILAS Travel Grants Information Session
Institute of Latin American Studies
Information Session: Come learn about the Institute of Latin American Studies Research and Internship Travel Grants for 2012.

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Policing Democracy: Overcoming Obstacles to Citizen Security in Latin America
Institute of Latin American Studies
Lecture and part of the University Seminar on Latin America Series presented by Mark Ungar,  Professor of Political Science, Brooklyn College and the Criminal Justice Doctoral Program, The Graduate Center, CUNY.

Friday, February 3, 2012

Medicine and Magic at the “Rooftop of the World”
Harriman Institute
Symposium with Paolo Ognibene, University of Bologna; Yuri Stoyanov, SOAS, London; and Paolo Delaini, University of Bologna. Followed by film screening of “Legami e riti, Love and Rituality,” a short documentary by Paolo Delaini.

Mormonism and American Politics Conference
Center for the Study of Democracy, Toleration and Religion
Day one of a two-day conference on Mormonism. Speakers include Randall Balmer, Columbia; Richard Bushman, Claremont Graduate University; Claudia Bushman, Claremont Graduate University; Joanna Brooks; Matthew Bowman; David Campbell, Notre Dame; Sarah Barringer Gordon, Penn Law; Jan Shipps, The Polis Center; and others.

Saturday, February 4, 2012

Mormonism and American Politics Conference
Center for the Study of Democracy, Toleration and Religion
Day two of a two-day conference on Mormonism. Speakers include Randall Balmer, Columbia; Richard Bushman, Claremont Graduate University; Claudia Bushman, Claremont Graduate University; Joanna Brooks; Matthew Bowman; David Campbell, Notre Dame; Sarah Barringer Gordon, Penn Law; Jan Shipps, The Polis Center; and others.

We’d like to remind students interested in applying to the 2012 Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs & Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowships that the deadline is fast-approaching. The deadline for the Graduate Program is January 30th, 2012.

The Thomas R. Pickering Graduate Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program includes: $40,000 annually towards tuition costs and related academic expenses during the first and second year of graduate study, pending availability of funding. Two paid summer internships in Washington, DC and overseas.

For more information please visit www.woodrow.org/pickering.

Financing a graduate education is a challenge. To assist in this regard, SIPA’s Office of Admissions and Financial Aid works with SIPA students to explore their options for loans, fellowships, and work study programs.  SIPA’s fellowship and assistantship funds (funds that do not have to be repaid after graduation) are very limited.

Therefore, you should be looking for external sources of funding.  A great resource to begin your search for such awards is the SIPA Database for External Grants and Fellowships that can be accessed at: www.sipa.columbia.edu/fellowships/. The database is updated regularly whenever we hear of new fellowship opportunities.  Recently, we added a new fellowship opportunity (EFN) for prospective applicants who are from Malawi, Mozambique, Nepal or the Eastern Pacific Ocean region.  We recommend that interested applicants start to search for fellowships, as soon as possible and not wait until you receive admission into a program to start the search process so you do not miss any deadlines.

Great things await you… but first you need to submit your application.

Today (January 5th) is the application deadline for our MIA/MPA two year degree program.  Make sure you have all your “i” dotted and “t” crossed before you hit the “SUBMIT” button.

Decision notifications are posted to the application Web site.  You will receive an email when the decision is available.  Admitted candidates will receive a hard copy of the admission letter.  We do not mail hard copy letters to applicants who are not admitted.  Decisions are communicated in early March.  All applications are read during the same period (beginning now), therefore all decisions are released roughly around the same time.

Good luck!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Year has been a time for looking back to the past, and more importantly, forward to the coming year. It’s a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and resolve to follow through on those changes.  Usually “help others” and “learn something new” make the list of things to accomplish in the new year — what better way to achieve those goals than to be at SIPA.  Our mission is to empower people to serve the greater public interest so as a student here; you will learn new skills that will prepare you to make a positive impact on people’s lives.

Don’t miss your opportunity to be considered for 2012 admission.  Learn more about our programs at:  www.sipa.columbia.edu.  Our application deadline for our two-year MIA/MPA program is this Thursday, January 5th.  Our MPA-DP application deadline is Friday, January 20th.  Please keep in mind that all materials must be received by the due date.   You can check online if we received documents you have submitted.

As always, feel free to contact the Office of Admission with any questions or concerns.

Good luck everyone!

If you’re interested in pursuing a degree at SIPA, don’t let financial concerns be an obstacle to your goals.  The majority of SIPA students receive some type of financial assistance, including institutionally-funded Fellowships and Scholarships, student loans, and on-campus Work Study jobs.  Other students are supported by their employers or other third parties…so for many of our students, there are a number of financing options available.

Fellowships

SIPA fellowships provide students with varying combinations of tuition assistance (much like a grant or scholarship), stipends for living expenses, and part-time jobs on campus.  Fellowships are merit-based and competitive, and all you need to do is complete the Fellowship section of the SIPA Application for Admission and you’ll be considered (some programs have additional requirements, which are identified on the application).   If you haven’t completed your application yet, visit the SIPA Admissions page and click on either “Online Application” or “Download Application” to review; essays will be required, so it’s time to write!   If you are awarded a Fellowship, you must enroll for a full-time course load.

Whether you’re a domestic or international student, you can apply for a SIPA Fellowship or Scholarship.  For more information on these awards, click here.

Student Loans

Many long-term financing options are available in the form of loans from the Federal government and various private sources (the Federal loans typically offer better rates and terms).  Most loans are only available to domestic students.  To be considered, domestic students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, at www.fafsa.gov.  The information collected on the FAFSA is used by Financial Aid staff to determine your eligibility for various types of loans.  We will notify you about what types of Federal student loans you qualify for and the amount.

There are also privately funded student loans available to use to supplement Federal student loans or in place of Federal loans for students who don’t qualify (including some for international students, with co-borrowers).  Most are credit-based.  For more information on private loans, click here.

Work-Study Employment

If you’re a domestic student, you might also qualify for a part-time position on campus under the Federal Work-Study program.  Click here for more information.

You’ll probably have questions about financing your education along the way.  The Financial Aid Office is available to assist you in any way we can.  Please feel free to contact us at sipa_finaid@columbia.edu or 212-854-6216.

Applications are continuously being printed as files are compiled and reviewed.

But we’re taking a break.  If you need to reach us, please note that the Office of Admissions & Financial Aid will be closed, December 23 – December 27.  Our office will close again for the New Year on December 31.  We will be back on January 3, 2012 (shortly before the application deadline).

Happy Holidays!

The application deadline for our MIA/MPA two year program is Thursday, January 5^th.

Below is a check list of all the documents we will need to receive by the deadline so go through the list as you edit your essays (for the third time) or rewrite your CV and make sure nothing is forgotten.

• Application form – it’s online — All documents, including transcripts and test scores can be uploaded to the application Web site for admission consideration. We will use unofficial copies of transcripts and test scores for admission consideration. Candidates offered admission will later be required to supply official transcripts and test scores prior to enrollment. Sending hard copy materials can delay the evaluation of your application so we recommend that you submit as many materials via the online application site as possible.

• Personal Statement - Questions are subject to change each year. The following questions are for those applying for 2012 admission.

First Topic (500 Word Maximum)

What distinct impact do you hope to have on the world in the future? Please be as clear as possible about your future goals, the policy/public service issue(s) you are passionate about, and your personal motivation(s). Be sure to include details regarding the features of SIPA that you believe are integral to helping you in your pursuits and what skills you need to develop to achieve a lasting impact.

Second Topic (300 Word Maximum)

Please CHOOSE ONE of these options to write about – do not address both, pick one or the other.

A competition is being conducted that will provide one million dollars as seed funding to start a new organization.  The competition requires a 300 word essay/statement.  Compose a 300 word essay/statement to submit in order to be considered for this seed funding.

You have just read a news story that has deeply moved you.  Compose a 300 word response in the form of a letter to the editor.  The news story you are responding to can be real or fictional and does not need to be limited to the present time – it can be framed in the past, present, or future.

Third Topic (200 Word Maximum)

Please share any additional information about yourself that you believe would be of interest to the Admissions Committee. Please focus on information that is not already reflected in the other parts of your application or might not be clear in the information submitted

• Standard Résumé/CV

• Quantitative/Language Résumé/CV – click here for samples.

• Test Scores

GRE or GMAT (GRE/GMAT scores are valid for five years.)

• GRE Code: 2161 (do not list a department code)
• GMAT for MIA: QF8-64-56
• GMAT for MPA: QF8-64-99

TOEFL or IELTS exam for applicants whose native language is not English (TOEFL/IELTS scores are valid for two years.)

• TOEFL code is 2161

• Three letters of recommendation: If a person writing a letter of recommendation for you wishes to do so in another language, please have the letter sent to an official translator. The translator should include both the translated copy and the official copy of the letter in a sealed envelope, along with their contact information – these letters must be sent to us.

•  Academic Transcripts: You are required to submit transcripts from all colleges, professional schools and universities attended (including Columbia University).

Our preferred method is that you upload unofficial copies of your transcripts to the application Web site. When scanning transcripts to upload, be sure to scan the reverse side of the transcripts if applicable or any additional pages that include comments on the grading system used.  Transcripts not in English must be translated into English prior to uploading.   If you cannot read the transcripts, we will not be able to either. Thus after scanning your transcript you should print it to see if it is legible. Once you have determined that it is legible please upload the transcripts.

Transcripts may also be mailed to our office; the registrar should seal the transcript in an envelope, sign across the seal and return it to you. Do not open these envelopes or break the seals. Some universities may prefer to send transcripts directly to our office. If this is the case, please have official transcripts sent to:

Office of Admissions and Financial Aid
420 West 118th Street, 4th Floor
Mail Code 3325
408 International Affairs Building
New York, NY 10027

All documents, except foreign transcripts judged irreplaceable, become the property of Columbia and cannot be returned.  All documents must be in English or accompanied by certified translations.

• Application fee – $85

One final note… The Admissions Committee only accepts documents that are specifically asked for in our instructions. As much as we would like to be able to read writing samples and other information you might wish to submit, our tight time line and desire to treat every applicant fairly means that we will only put required documents in your file for review – all other documents will be discarded.

Good luck!  And Happy Holidays!

Happy Friday!  SIPA students are finishing their semester.  Finals are around the corner and then many will go home for the holidays, some will attend the Annual DC Career Conference, while others may travel and begin work on their capstone projects.   The halls may be quieter without the chatter of faculty and students but our Admissions Office will remain busy as we begin to match documents to applications.  The deadline for fall 2012 admission consideration for our MIA, MPA, and MPA-DP programs is quickly approaching.  The application and all required documents must be submitted to our office by January 5th, 2012… a little less than a month away.

The sooner an application is submitted, the better.  Once an application is submitted and the fee is paid we print the application and start a file in our office.  This will allow us to track documents associated with each application.  Applicants can then view the documents received by logging in to the application site.  The tracking process does not begin until an application is submitted.  Submitting your application well before the deadline will ensure that we have the most time possible to communicate with you and can start reviewing files soon after the January 5th deadline.

If you have questions about the program or about your application, please contact our office at +1.212.854.6216 or at sipa_admission@columbia.edu.

Twisha Mehta is 2nd Year MPA, concentration in Economic and Political Development

******************************

Summer is an exciting opportunity for SIPA students to travel to all corners of the world for their summer internships. Last semester, many of my peers found it difficult to choose one country and internship over the next. When it came time for me to choose my summer internship, I knew that I wanted to work in an international setting, so I decided to stay right here in New York and intern with the United Nations Secretariat.  With such a diverse set of colleagues, I do not think it could get more international than this!

The Secretariat is one of the 5 principle organs of the United Nations and is under the leadership of Ban Ki Moon, the current Secretary General. It is primarily responsible for the administrative functioning of the entire UN system and providing support to the other four UN organs- including the Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC) and the General Assembly (GA). The Secretariat is also responsible for administering peacekeeping operations and preparing studies on international issues such as sustainable development and human rights.

Anyone who knows a thing or two about the UN knows that pinpointing your exact location in the UN organizational chart is like finding the file path of an illusive document your computer hard-drive. So where exactly was I within the UN chart? My UN ‘file path’ looked something like this:  United Nations/New York Headquarters/UN Secretariat/Department of Management/Office of the Under-Secretary General/UN Headquarters Committee on Contracts/Capacity Development Program

I spent my first few days soaking in the idea of working at the UN. The idea of walking through the same hallways and sitting in the same rooms as heads of state, diplomats, and even the Secretary General was quite inspiring and exciting. The organization is truly comprehensive in its scope of work and reach. As many of my colleagues pointed out to me, the United Nations is the only platform where all countries can come together in one location and discuss issues- even if it means endless debates the limits of the continental shelf (a topic which I have yet to read up on!).

Prior coming to SIPA, my professional experiences related to grassroots project management and implementation. Upon starting my UN internship, I quickly realized my work there was as equally challenging and rewarding as working in the field. Despite the large size of the organization, my department’s work directly interacted with UN field offices and peacekeeping missions all around the world.

The Headquarters Committee on Contracts (HCC) primary works to ensure that UN contracts of goods and services over a specified amount follow UN rules and regulations in order to increase transparency and procure items with the best value for money (BVM) for the organization. As a HCC Capacity Development Program intern, I was primarily responsible for developing a briefing folder for HCC training participants, analyzing data from the HCC training programs and producing annual training reports for the department as well as a the Department of Management Under-Secretary General (DM- USG).

One of the most exciting things about working with the United Nations is that there is never a true ‘lull’ period. In between my primary responsibilities as an intern, I got to see the many sides of the UN through lunch-time briefings, sit on ECOSOC meetings, attend member-state mission briefings, welcome South Sudan as the 193^rd member state, and even shake hands with Ban Ki Moon!

Here is a picture of all of the UN Secretariat Summer interns with Secretary General Ban Ki Moon.  (Courtesy of the UN).

The following post was written by Andrea Bustard, a second year MIA student concentrating in Urban and Social Policy. Her involvement in the Southeast Asia Student Initiative, SIPA Students of Color and the Migration Working Group has proven to be an enriching experience while at SIPA.

___

SIPA offers a wealth of avenues to prepare students with the needed skills for their careers after graduation. Courses range from Cost Benefit Analysis to Policy and Practices of Humanitarian Assistance, and this doesn’t include the classes offered through other schools such as Columbia Business School or Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia. And with over 40 student organizations, you’re bound to find at least one that matches an interest. As a second year, while I’ve felt the courses have taught me skills, having an opportunity to get involved in student groups has given me a chance to work with like-minded professionals and expand my network.

Few classes meet on Fridays, so students often take advantage of the time to attend SIPA related events. Here’s a snapshot of my Friday:

8am Arrive at the Localizing Global Justice conference in the International Affairs Building and greet incoming presenters and help with check-in for registered guests as a board member of the Southeast Asian Student Initiative.

10am-4pm Hear from panelists at the conference about law and human rights issues in Southeast Asia. Highlights included the presentation “Keeping it Up and Keeping it Down – Broadcasting Rights at Thai Protests” by Benjamin Tausig.

4pm-530pm Attend a reception for the panelists from the conference. I especially enjoyed a poetry and cello performance by Professor McCargo’s wife.

6pm-9pm Network at the Alumni of Color Reception hosted by SIPA Students of Color attended by graduate students and alumni from various schools. The highlight was hearing from SIPA alum and candidate for Congress in New York, Vince Morgan, but the food catered from a nearby Côte d’Ivoire restaurant was a close second.

11pm-2am Support SIPA Pan-Africa Network by going to their African Diplomatic Forum fundraiser party at the Empire State Building. On the way back, we stopped at a pizza place outside the subway station before catching a train home. It was a great way to end the event-filled night.

I believe you can learn a lot about a school by visiting it — wander around campus, visit a class and speak to our students.   You may feel the same energy and excitement that I experience every day here as you walk across campus and enter the SIPA building.   There always seems to be something happening here!

Aside from classes and SIPASA activities, as a SIPA student you also have the opportunity to attend several thought-provoking SIPA events on campus each week, ranging from general information sessions on internships, panel forum on police reform, lecture on energy,  a film screening and commentary on conflict resolution .  This week’s feature event is on Thursday, December 1, 2011; 12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: “The U.S. and Global Growth Challenges ” a lecture with Lawrence H. Summers, Charles W. Eliot University Professor of Harvard University. Register.

If you are interested in learning more about SIPA, our programs and how to apply, you can attend one of our information sessions on campus.  They are held weekly on Monday evenings and Friday afternoons, excluding holidays.  If you are interested in visiting us, please contact our office at 212.854.6216 or at sipa_admission@columbia.edu.

Hope to see you around!

By Molly Powers

At the Office of Admissions we get a lot of questions about the MPA in Development Practice (MPA-DP also known as MDP). It’s understandable, considering that the degree program was established in 2009 and just graduated its first class in May 2011. As a current second-year MPA-DP student, I am often the go-to person fielding these questions, so in the interests of sharing some insights with folks who can’t come by our office, I’m highlighting a few of the most common queries here.

Q. Where did the MPA-DP degree come from anyway?

A. The creation of the MPA-DP degree was one of the core recommendations of the International Commission on Education for Sustainable Development Practice, supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.  The year-long Commission was co-chaired by Jeffrey D. Sachs, Director of The Earth Institute at Columbia University, and John McArthur, then Executive Director of Millennium Promise, and comprised 20 top thinkers in the field of sustainable development, including the CEO of CARE, the then Executive Director of UNICEF, and a former president of Mexico.

This group concluded that there is significant and growing demand for generalist development professionals – individuals highly trained in a set of cross-disciplinary competencies that prepares them to address the complexities of sustainable development.  Leaders in the field need multidisciplinary knowledge and skills to solve problems in an increasingly complex and dynamic world.

There are now students pursuing MPA-DP or MDP degrees at more than 20 universities around the world. You can learn more at the Global MDP Secretariat website.

Q. What is the difference between MPA-DP and a traditional MPA?

A. Each MPA-DP or MDP program around the world may be slightly different, although they share the same cross-disciplinary objectives. At SIPA, the MPA in Development Practice program is a two-year MPA degree, but the student cohort is smaller (fewer than 50 students per class) and the core courses differ somewhat from a traditional MPA. The MPA-DP is geared toward development practitioners with some field experience who are interested in a multi-sectoral approach to sustainable development and poverty alleviation.

Due to the number of required core courses in varied subjects such as health, food systems, management, infrastructure, and economics, MPA-DP students do not select a concentration or specialization. As with a traditional MPA, macro and microeconomics, statistics, and professional development are required, but MPA-DP students are not required to do a capstone project in their fourth semester (though they may if they apply and are accepted).

One of the major differences is the nature of the MPA-DP internship. Rather than find their own internship, MPA-DP students are matched with select partner organizations for a three-month field internship in a developing country during the summer between first and second year. Otherwise, most courses available to MPA and MIA students are also available to MPA-DP students.

Q. What kind of background do MPA-DP students have?

A. There’s a big range. My cohort includes four engineers, six Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, a lawyer, four corporate consultants, two with experience working in corporate social responsibility, a number of entrepreneurs who started their own non-profit enterprises, and many who have experience with international NGOs like WWF or multilateral organizations like UNDP and ILO.  One thing is for sure, MPA-DP encourages potential students to gain hands-on field experience before applying to the program.

For each cohort, we seek diverse international representation and undergraduate degrees. The first two MPA-DP classes include students from 21 countries, coming from a range of academic backgrounds including economics, business, engineering, computer science, agriculture, public health, biology, religion, history, communications, political science, law and international relations.  The cultural and professional diversity within each cohort is a powerful asset for learning and contributing to a vibrant program.

Q. Is the MPA-DP program more quantitatively rigorous?

A. The MPA-DP degree requires that students take advanced 6400 level macro and microeconomic analysis for international affairs rather than the (slightly) less advanced 4200 level. This is in preparation for some of MPA-DP’s other core curriculum including Human Ecology and Energy and Infrastructure Planning. Economics is a key component of international and public affairs and students who have not been exposed to statistics or a college-level economics class will find the first semester particularly challenging.

That said, MPA-DP is not significantly more rigorous than the traditional MPA or MIA degrees, quantitatively speaking, and people who have not cracked open a calculus textbook since high school should not feel discouraged from applying.  Speaking for myself, I came to the program with a Religious Studies and Anthropology major, having little exposure to economics and having avoided statistics in college. I struggled with some of the concepts, but managed to do better than I expected. So long as you are able to demonstrate quantitative competency (I had taken a number of natural science courses and my work experience included budgeting and excel), you should be able to survive, and even hone new skills.

Q. What kind of jobs are MPA-DP graduates qualified for?

A. MPA-DP graduates are qualified for the same jobs as MPA and MIA graduates, although the degree is particularly well suited for work in international development-oriented organizations requiring fieldwork. Grads are equipped to understand and solve complex development problems at local, national, and global levels. In addition, the small size of the cohort and the program’s alliance with the Earth Institute and Global MDP Secretariat gives students access to additional networks through which to pursue career opportunities.

In May 2011, our first class of 23 students graduated from the program. They have since found jobs with a diversity of organizations across 9 countries. These include positions in the World Bank, US government, foreign governments, international NGOs, development  consulting firms, entrepreneurial ventures, philanthropic organizations, and universities.

Q. How do I select a Summer Field Internship site?

A.  The three-month summer field internship is an essential component of the MPA-DP curriculum and is designed to provide students with practical work experience in sustainable development practice. MPA-DP students are given a number of possible, approved sites and organizations employing integrated approaches to sustainable development around the world. Students are also provided descriptions of project work that is available at these sites, then rank their preferences, and are matched in teams of 3-4 with these preferences and the site needs in mind.

In 2011, MPA-DP students worked in six Sub-Saharan African countries with Millennium Villages Projects, in Bangladesh with BRAC, in Cambodia with Maddox Jolie-Pitt Foundation, and in East Timor with the Earth Institute. The number of projects and countries will expand in 2012 to include Haiti as well as more Asian, African, and Latin American project sites. To read student blogs from summer field internships, you can visit this site.

Q. Can I do a dual degree with MPA-DP?

A. As of 2011, the answer is no.  It is not possible to combine the international dual degrees, such as the two-year London School of Economics Degree or Sciences Po Program in Paris with MPA-DP because of the specific core requirements for the degree. The MPA-DP curriculum is densely mapped out over 22 months and cannot be completed in only one year at SIPA. Domestic, three-year dual degrees with Mailman School of Public Health or the School of Social Work, for example, might be more feasible, but are not currently available to MPA-DP students.

Q. Can I submit an application to both the MPA-DP and to a traditional MIA/MPA?

A. Yes, you may apply to both MIA/MPA and MPA-DP programs by creating two separate applications. The MPA-DP admissions process does not differ significantly from the traditional MIA and MPA process. The same elements are required (application, personal statements, traditional and quantitative resumes, GRE or GMAT, and 3 recommendations), however the MPA-DP applications are reviewed by a different committee to select a well-balanced cohort.

For more information, interested applicants should also check out the MPA-DP website, or contact the program manager, André Correa D’Almeida, directly at ac3133@columbia.edu or at (212) 854-2636.

Apologies for the short hiatus between our last post and this one.

As the new Executive Director of Admissions and Financial Aid, I am excited to get to work in my new post here at SIPA.  For decades, SIPA has been educating professionals who work in public, private and nonprofit organizations to make a difference in the world.  SIPA has adapted to meet the challenges of our rapidly changing world, distinguishing itself as a place where a renowned university, the nation’s largest city and the global community converge.

In Admissions, there is always a lot of anxiety around getting accepted into a program/school of your choice.  Part of that anxiety is created by the application.  Many prospective applicants have contacted and/or visited our Office recently on a quest to learn more about the application process — we hope we were able to answer your questions and put concerns to rest.  We try to demystify the process by being upfront with our candidates on what we look for in our students.  First and foremost, we are looking for candidates who are passionate, committed and accomplished…. and individuals who want to serve the global public interest.

Applications for our MIA, MPA and MPA in Development Practice programs must be completed and submitted to us by 11:59PM January 5, 2012.  For those of you who have already submitted an application for Fall 2012 consideration, we will begin reviewing your completed application in December.  Therefore, you will not see much action on your application until then.  We ask you to be patient as we are working diligently on processing your application.

Again, if you have admissions and/or financial aid related questions please email our office at sipa_admission@columbia.edu or call us at 212.854.6216.  My team and I look forward to getting to know you as an applicant and hopefully as a student at SIPA.  We wish you the best of luck and stay tuned for more!

Dara Stofenberg is a second year MIA student concentrating in International Security Policy.

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One of things I am most grateful for at SIPA is the wide variety of employers across sectors who come to the school to recruit for their organizations. On any given day, there are multiple employers from think tanks, NGOs, the U.S. Government, and consulting firms coming “to sell” their organization to SIPA students, whom they view as potential future employees. It was through this process that I found my summer internship at Booz Allen Hamilton in Washington, DC. Over the course of my 10 week experience, I provided analytical support, conducted research, and wrote papers to help the firm better support some of its security sector clients.

Booz Allen Hamilton is a top government consulting firm and contractor, as well as one of the Fortune 500 largest public companies. The firm has been ranked consistently by FORTUNE magazine as one of the “100 Best Companies to Work For,” and this summer I learned that it is easy to see why.  “Collaboration” is perhaps the most important word at Booz Allen. Teamwork drives everything the firm does. Whiteboards and discussions are the modes that drive the way work is conducted. Bouncing ideas off of colleagues, regardless of their tenure, is a consistent feature of the work day. This aspect creates an energizing and friendly environment where people are happy to help and mentor one another.

Coming from SIPA, where students are no stranger to doing things in groups, all of the group projects, homework assignments, presentations, and study sessions, I participated in during my first year definitely helped prepare me to excel in this environment. Like at SIPA, working in a group environment at Booz Allen fostered some great relationships. I interned in a small cohort with 13 other students from other great international and public affairs schools, including two other Columbia students. I look forward to being in contact with these individuals both personally and professionally throughout my career.

I feel very fortunate that I was able to work directly in my area of interest and in an engaging environment where diversity, development, and merit were highly valued. If not for SIPA, I probably would not have had the opportunity to have gained this incredible experience.

Our online application system makes it easy to send reminder messages to those you have asked to compose letters of recommendation for your application to SIPA. You can also easily delete a recommender if it turns out they will not be able to submit a letter on your behalf.

All you have to do to perform these actions is to log into the application site with your PIN and password, click on the “Application for Admission” link on the top of the page and then click on the “Recommendations” link on the left menu.

When you click on the “Recommendations” link you will be taken to a new window. Then click on the “Recommendation Provider List” button and you will see the following (above this text will be the names of the recommenders with a blank box next to each name):

To resend a reminder message simply put a check in the blank box next to the recommender(s) name and then click on the “resend” button and an automated message will go out to email address of the recommender you have placed a check mark next to. Please do note that it is a good idea to let recommenders know to look for an email message Apply Yourself.

If you wish to delete a recommender simply click their name and hit the “Delete” button. After doing this you will then be able to add a new recommender.

This is the 9th entry in our series entitled “Top 10 Application Tips.” I highly recommend that you take the time to slowly read this entry as it will answer many of the questions we have been receiving by email. I know it is a little long, but hang in there because this entry will help you to understand how you can track what is going on with your application after it has been submitted.

Do please note that you cannot change any information on your application after it has been submitted.

Also, and I cannot emphasize this enough, when an application becomes complete in our system has no impact on the decision. What does matter is that all application information is submitted by the deadline.

It is normal for us NOT to have all applications completed for up to three weeks past the deadline. We manually review each application for completion and this takes time.

Do not panic if you log in after you have submitted your application and see that it is not marked as complete. The Committee does not start to meet until three weeks after the deadline and there are “reading rounds” so to speak. By this I mean that not all readers read at the same time and thus not all applications need to be ready at the same time. Thus if your application is not complete until well after the deadline this is not something to be concerned about.

When your application is complete you will receive an email from us letting you know. If there is an issue with your application that needs to be addressed we will contact you.

Now on to the visuals . . .

#1 : You Are Working On Your Application But Have Not Submitted It

Let us start with what you see when you log in to the application system while your application is in progress and has not been submitted. This is what you will see when you log in. Note that next to Submission Status it says “Not Submitted” (at the end of the red arrow). In this example, the applicant has also entered the names of the three recommenders and they are displayed, along with the status.

#2: You Have Submitted Your Application

Now let’s move on to when you submit your application. When you log into your application after it has been submitted the main page will show the message “Submission Status: Submitted” (see arrow #1).

You will also notice in this example that one letter of recommendation has been submitted (see arrow #2).

At this point no documents will show up. Do not worry, this is because we have not printed your application yet.

#3: We Print Your Application – This Does Not Typically Happen The Same Day You Submit

The next step that will occur is that we will print your application for review. Do understand that it can take up to 15 days for us to print your application after it has been submitted. Please do not panic if your application has not been printed. The important thing is not when your application is printed, the important thing is that your application is submitted by the deadline.

If you look at this next picture you will notice two changes from the picture above. First, the status has changed to “Application Printed – Manual Review of All Information Submitted In Progress” (see the red arrow #1).

Second, arrow #2 shows that we have not marked your application as complete because we have not finished our manual review. We need to make sure we can read your transcripts for example.

Third, you will notice that transcripts, test scores, and other supporting documents now appear (see red arrow #3). Please note that the default status for the following documents, if you uploaded a document, at the time your application is printed is “Received – Official” -

• Academic Resume

• International Fellows Program Essay

• Personal Statement

• Standard/CV Resume

We find that the vast majority of our applicants submit documents that are legible and complete so the default status is “Received – Official.” Do note that in some cases there are issues with these documents and if so, we will contact you.

Special Note: the IFP statement or Lemann fellowship statement is not mandatory and if you did not submit an IFP or Lemann statement they might not appear, or if it does appear it could read Not Applicable, Not Received, or Waived.

Above the “Other Supporting Documents” section you will see test scores. Please note that the default status for the test scores at the time your application is printed is “Not Received” – even if you entered the scores. This is the same for transcripts – the status after we print will read “Not Received.” After we manually review your application this information will be tracked. If there is an issue we will contact you.

Please do not panic at the message “Not Received” even if you self reported your scores and uploaded your transcripts – this is normal.

We find that some applicants will not enter all of the information so we will perform a manual check to make sure we have all of the information we need. Also remember that we do not look for official test reports until after admission offers are made – WE ONLY USE SELF REPORTED SCORES to make admission decisions so please do not contact us at this point in time to see if we have your official scores on file.

In the above example the native language of the applicant is English so TOEFL is marked “Not Applicable.” If this were an applicant that speaks English as a second language this will read “Not Received.”

The last comment for this example is, please ignore the message on the bottom near arrow #4 that says “Submission Status: Not Submitted.” That references a part of the application we no longer use but it is hard coded into the system – it means nothing.

#4: Complete – All Documents Tracked But Not Sent to Committee

This next picture shows that we have everything we need. All the letters are submitted and we accept unofficial transcripts and self reported test scores for admission review. However the status shows “Incomplete” and above that you will notice is still says “Manual Review of All Information Submitted in Progress.”

A final sign off must be made before the file gets sent off to the Committee and this one is just waiting.

#5: Complete . . . But with a Question

This next shot shows you the message “Documents still pending – Application is Under Review” with the Application Status below that reads “Complete.”

This is a case where we have everything we need, however there may be an issue we feel we need to resolve before the file is sent to the Committee. There is no need for you to contact us if you are in this status. If there is a question we need to ask you, we will contact you.

#6: Complete – Sent to Committee!

This final shot is when you know your application has been sent to Committee. You will also receive an email from us when your file is complete in case you do not want to compulsively log into the system to keep checking =)

You can see on the top that it states “Application Complete – No additional documents.” As a reminder, please ignore the submission status at the bottom. Last year our application was in two parts and it is not possible for us to get rid of that message at this time. It means nothing so ignore it.

Thank you for your patience as we work to complete several thousand files in a short period of time. If documents were submitted by mail it will likely take us longer to complete your file. Again, when a file is complete has no impact on the decision of the Committee.

Please keep reading this blog for more details on the admission review process.

SIPA works with a third party provider, Hobsons, which administers our online admission application. As much as we work with Hobsons to ensure a stable and easy to use interface, we understand that at times those using the site may have technical difficulties.

There are times when you can contact our office for help (i.e. advice on a document issue) but in most cases contacting Hobsons directly is the quickest way to get questions of a technical nature answered. Questions we can handle in our office relate to:

• Basic application criteria
• Basic submission instructions
• Deadline information
• Admission requirements
• Document tracking

If you have a technical question about the site you should immediately contact Hobsons technical support. This can include issues such:

• Uploading errors
• Logging in to the site
• Retrieving your password or PIN
• Error messages
• Inability to access the application site

Contact Hobsons technical support by using the following hyperlink:

https://app.applyyourself.com/AYContactHelpDesk/TechSupport.asp

If you do not find your question answered in the FAQ section, click on the “Submit a Ticket” hyperlink and you will be able to email the particular issue you are having to the technical support team.