A popular question we hear is about core courses and whether or not someone can take core courses for their concentration (not just core courses for the degree curriculum)  in the first semester.

It is definitely possible. Most people take at least CF (Conceptual Foundation)/POP (Politics of Policymaking) and Econ their first semester (although there are a smattering of students who complete these their second year).  Most people tend to spread their core courses throughout the four semesters, concentrating more in the first year.

To give you an idea, this is what Nancy’s SIPA schedule looked like; the courses that count toward the core are (*),  in parenthesis  are courses that would count toward Nancy’s specialization, concentration and co-curricular requirements.   This is a somewhat typical (except maybe the semester where most of her classes were at other CU schools) schedule. Hope this helps!

Fall 1

• Econ 4200*
• Quant Analysis (Stats I)*
• POP*
• Elections and Political Development
• Women and Power in the 21st Century (Half Semester, Management, Gender Policy)

Spring 1

• Econ*
• Budgeting for Non-Profits*
• Campaign Management (USP and Management)
• Statistical Races and Public Policy (USP)
• Women and Global Leadership (Half Semester, Management, Gender Policy)

Fall 2

• Effective Management in the Public Sector* (Management- although I don’t think this counts for you guys anymore)
• Gender Mainstreaming (Gender Policy)
• Elections (in the Poli Sci PhD Dept, USP)
• Election Law (at CLS, USP)
• Money in Politics (1/2 semester at the J-school, USP)

Spring 2

• Capstone with UN Women
• Work/Family Policy in Industrialized Countries (USP Core Course, Gender Policy, Management)
• Writing for Policy
• Women’s Human Rights (Gender)

For a sample of the MIA and MPA curriculum, you may visit our website at:  http://new.sipa.columbia.edu/academic-advising.