New York City, the financial capital of the world and the commercial capital of the United States, is the logical location for the leading policy program on international finance and trade.  Our faculty flourish here, as they could not do in places such as Maryland, Massachusetts, Paris or Singapore.  Our faculty have both academic credentials suited to an Ivy League university and up-to-date experience with how markets function—-we do not have to compromise.  Columbia has always drawn top students who would not want to study anywhere else, from Alexander Hamilton (the nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury and founder of the New York Stock Exchange) to Warren Buffet.

Internships, capstone workshops and ultimately jobs for IFEP students that can be found in New York City are unrivaled.  The top 5 banks or investment banks in the world in terms of fee revenues are headquartered here, as are 45 of the Fortune 500 companies. Two-thirds of the world’s hedge funds lie within 20 miles of SIPA.

Many things in New York City are big and so is the IFEP concentration.

With approximately 110 graduates each year, it is believed to be the largest such concentration among major policy schools.  Scale means a bigger network of graduates, more courses and a bigger reputation.

While most IFEP students find satisfying jobs, no graduate education can guarantee a particular result.  Students should keep in mind that job offers will depend on experience before coming to SIPA, immigration policies in the country where they wish to work, performance as a student, the economy at the time they graduate and a measure of good luck.