In a recent post I mentioned that the Admissions Committee has decided to make some changes to the application process in the coming year. As the title of this post suggests, I will be laying out the changes in a series of entries in the coming weeks.
One of the changes may at first seem a bit burdensome, but I assure you it is in the best interests of both applicants and Committee members who review applications. In the past we have asked for the submission of one résumé. Starting with the spring 2010 cycle we will be asking for two résumés (note that we consider CV and résumé to be interchangeable terms).
Traditional Résumé
The first résumé will be the “traditional” résumé we have always asked for as a part of the application process. A traditional résumé includes, but is not limited to, information such as:
- Positions held (employment and internships)
- Academic degrees and other academic achievements
- Volunteer, public service, political work completed
- Memberships in honorary societies and awards for service or leadership
- Extracurricular activities and particularly if an MIA applicant – foreign travel undertaken, including purpose and length of stay.
As has always been the case, with this traditional résumé we do not recommend trying to keep it to a single page in length. A one page résumé is more aligned with applying for a job. This résumé is for graduate school consideration and the Committee encourages applicants to list all relevant information and to not use a small font or extended margins in an attempt to cram a great deal of information into a very small space. A typical résumé in this format submitted to SIPA is three to four pages in length.
Quantitative/Language Résumé
The second résumé will focus exclusively on an applicant’s background with quantitative methods and language learning/ability.
Quantitative Methods
The core curriculum at SIPA includes required coursework in economics, statistics, and financial management. The Committee is therefore quite interested in the quantitative aptitude of applicants to our program. This most typically includes coursework and/or professional experience related to mathematics, statistics, and economics. Also of note can be quantitative experience as it pertains to areas such as science or engineering.
Unfortunately, academic transcripts rarely provide in depth descriptions of the actual content of coursework completed. For example, a class labeled as “Principles of Economics” on a transcript provides little detail on how much focus was placed on the use of quantitative methods. And with the large number of international applicants to SIPA, often times transcripts translated into English will just list a class as “Mathematics” thus giving the Committee little information on the actual content/level of math studied.
Providing the opportunity for applicants to list detailed information pertaining to quantitative preparation/experience will allow for better explanations of past academic and professional experience. The goal is to be able to allow applicants to list full descriptions of courses included in a course catalog or in the syllabus used in a class.
Language Learning/Ability
Proficiency in a second language is a graduation requirement of the MIA program but is not a requirement of the MPA program. Proficiency is defined as the ability to use a second language at an intermediate level. Academically this is defined as the ability to achieve a grade of “B” or better in an intermediate level 2 language course.
Incoming MIA students who speak English as a native language will be tested in a second language of their choice upon entering into the program. Due to the intensity of the MIA program at SIPA, it would be quite difficult for an applicant with no previous language study to achieve intermediate level proficiency in two years of study. The Committee therefore wishes to see at least elementary level proficiency in a second language when evaluating an MIA applicant for admission.
If an incoming native English speaker passes the proficiency exam administered shortly after beginning the program, no additional language study is required. If the grade achieved on the exam is not sufficient, to prove proficiency a grade of “B” or better must be achieved in an intermediate level 2 language course during the time at SIPA in order to graduate.
For MPA students that speak English as a native language, second language learning is optional so it is not required to include language learning information in the second résumé. However, if an MPA applicant does have experience in a second language we encourage them to provide this information because it provides us with additional information on your background.
Please do note that there is one exception to the language requirement for the MPA program. If an MPA applicant chooses the Economic and Political Development concentration, second language proficiency is a requirement just like in the MIA program.
For applicants that do not speak English as a native language, the second résumé will provide an opportunity to elaborate further on time spent studying English and other languages. This can of course include academic study but can also include additional information not included in transcripts or test scores such as time spent living in English speaking environments.
Details on Quantitative/Language Learning
The second résumé is meant to provide applicants with the ability to provide detailed information which can include:
- Name/level/grade/institution pertaining to classroom courses.
- For classroom courses, a description of the course and specific learning objectives (best done by providing a description from a course catalog or a syllabus that was used for the class).
- Examples of working knowledge of the subject matter as demonstrated in academic or professional settings.
- Tests taken and grades/scores achieved.
- Specific certificates earned.
- In the case of second language learning, the following information is useful:
- Information on time spent in a foreign country where the language is spoken. Or, if the second language was spoken in your home country please provide the context (i.e. did you grow up in a home where a second language was spoken but your academic training was in another language?).
- Details regarding professional/volunteer/personal use of the language.
- Specific details/examples regarding writing, reading, speaking, and listening ability.
One question you might have is, “If the course is listed on my transcripts or noted in another part of my application, is it necessary to include it in the Quantitative/Language résumé?”
The answer is yes. It is okay to be redundant or to include the same information that might be listed in another part of the application in this section. Seeing the information twice, but in more detailed format in the résumé portion, is what the Committee is seeking to achieve.
You can view samples of this résumé by clicking here. Do note that the sample is only a guide. The level of detail you wish to include is entirely up to you.
A perfect example is the recent appointment of SIPA professor Merit Janow to the international advisory board of the China Investment Corporation, the country’s $200 billion sovereign-wealth fund. The newly established board has 14 members, and comprises economists, investors and former government officials from the United States, Europe and Asia. Professor Janow formerly served as a member of the Appellate Body of the World Trade Organization while teaching at SIPA as well. You can read about Professor Janow on her SIPA bio page and can research other SIPA faculty via the faculty directory page.
Another faculty member that has been in the news recently is Professor Gary Sick. Professor Sick was the National Security Council expert on Iran in the Ford, Carter and Reagan administrations. He comments in multiple publications and outlets on the disputed re-election of Iran’s Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Here are a few links to interviews with Professor Sick: PBS, NPR, Council on Foreign Relations.
And making some of our own news, SIPA is pleased to welcome Swati Desai as Associate Professor of Practice. Desai served in a variety of positions with the City of New York’s Human Resources Administration, most recently as Executive Deputy Commissioner of Evaluation and Research. She has previously taught at Fordham University, New York University and Long Island University; and her research interests include management analysis, performance management, and health and labor economics.
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