COMMUN SCH GUIDED INDEP STUDY

• 0 points

INTRO TO FILM & MEDIA STUDIES

This course serves as an introduction to the study of film and related visual media, examining fundamental issues of aesthetics (mise-en-scene, editing, sound), history (interaction of industrial, economic, and technological factors), theory (spectatorship, realism, and indexicality), and criticism (auteurist, feminist, and genre-based approaches). The course also investigates how digital media change has been productive of new frameworks for moving image culture in the present.  Discussion section FILM UN1001 is a required corequisite.

• R 10:10 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Robert King
  CULPA: 7 Info
• 0 points

INTRODUCTION TO ART HISTORY II

The second part of the Introduction to Art History goes from about 1400 to 2015, circles the world, and includes all media. It is organized around one theme for each lecture, and approximately 100 works of art. Visits to New York museums and discussions sections are crucial parts of the course.

• MW 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Anne Higonnet
  CULPA: 31 Wikipedia Info
• 0 points

GLOBAL WARMING FOR GLOBAL LEADERS

Global Warming will dominate civic discourse and inform economic, social, and governmental policies throughout the 21st century, in all walks of life. This course will cover the basics of climate science, anthropogenic global warming, proposed solutions and policy challenges facing society in response to our changing planet. This course will increase your confidence and ability to engage in public discourse on the subject of climate change, climate change solutions, and public policy concerning our collective future.

• TR 2:40 p.m.-3:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Baerbel Hoenisch
  CULPA: 3 h-index: 33 Info
• 0 points

ELEMENTARY LATIN II

Prerequisites: LATN UN1101. A continuation of LATN UN1101, including a review of grammar and syntax for students whose study of Latin has been interrupted.

• MW 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Lien Van Geel
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 0 points

GENERAL CHEMISTRY I-LECTURES

Corequisites: MATH UN1101 Preparation equivalent to one year of high school chemistry is assumed. Students lacking such preparation should plan independent study of chemistry over the summer or take CHEM UN0001 before taking CHEM UN1403. Topics include stoichiometry, states of matter, nuclear properties, electronic structures of atoms, periodic properties, chemical bonding, molecular geometry, introduction to quantum mechanics and atomic theory, introduction to organic and biological chemistry, solid state and materials science, polymer science and macromolecular structures and coordination chemistry. Although CHEM UN1403 and CHEM UN1404 are separate courses, students are expected to take both terms sequentially. The order of presentation of topics may differ from the order presented here, and from year to year. Students must ensure they register for the recitation that corresponds to the lecture section.

When registering, please add your name to the wait list for the recitation corresponding to the lecture section (1405 for lecture sec 001; 1407 for lecture sec 002; 1409 for lecture sec 003; 1411 for lecture sec 004).  Information about recitation registration will be sent out before classes begin.  DO NOT EMAIL THE INSTRUCTOR. Please check the Directory of Classes for details.

• TR 6:10 p.m.-7:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Ruben M Savizky
  CULPA: 22 Info
• 0 points

GENERAL CHEMISTRY II-LECTURES

Prerequisites: CHEM UN1403 Although CHEM UN1403 and CHEM UN 1404 are separate courses, students are expected to take both terms sequentially. Topics include gases, kinetic theory of gases, states of matter: liquids and solids, chemical equilibria, applications of equilibria, acids and bases, chemical thermodynamics, energy, enthalpy, entropy, free energy, periodic properties, chemical kinetics, and electrochemistry. The order of presentation of topics may differ from the order presented here, and from year to year. Students must ensure they register for the recitation that corresponds to the lecture section. Please check the Directory of Classes for details.

• MW 6:10 p.m.-7:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Robert Beer
  CULPA: 22 Info
• 0 points

MUSIC & MYTH

The course explores the relationship between music and myth in Western culture, with particular emphasis on the role that mythological narratives continued to play in societies where rituals and other forms of symbolic behavior were gradually displaced and abandoned. Greek civilization provided the model for a dramatic representation of human behavior rooted in the union of music and myth. Despite the decline of ritual in modern Western societies, the model of ancient tragedy continued to inspire ritual-like performances of mythological themes in complex literary, musical, and theatrical works. We will develop in-depth analyses of myths
that gave rise to particularly influential and rich musical traditions, including those of Odysseus, Orpheus, Oedipus, Ariadne, and Semele, as well as Wagner’s use of Norse mythology. In the process, we will investigate how myths were borrowed, adapted, reinterpreted, transformed, or recreated within the context of changing cultural configurations and against the backdrop of different claims about the meaning of the knowledge preserved and transmitted as myth.

• MW 11:40 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
• Instructor: Giuseppe Gerbino
  CULPA: 12 Info
• 0 points

THE DOCUMENTARY TRADITION

This class offers an introduction to the history of documentary cinema and to the theoretical and philosophical questions opened up by the use of moving images to bear witness, persuade, archive the past, or inspire us to change the future. How are documentaries different than fiction films? What is the role of aesthetics in relation to facts and evidence in different documentary traditions? How do documentaries negotiate appeals to emotions with rational argument? From the origins of cinema to our current “post-truth” digital age, we will look at the history of how cinema has attempted to shape our understanding of reality. FILM W2311

• R 2 p.m.-5:45 p.m.
• Instructor: Nico Baumbach
  Info
• 0 points

ORGANIC CHEMSTRY II-LECTURES

Prerequisites: CHEM UN1404 or CHEM UN1604, CHEM UN1500 and CHEMUN2443. The principles of organic chemistry. The structure and reactivity of organic molecules are examined from the standpoint of modern theories of chemistry. Topics include stereochemistry, reactions of organic molecules, mechanisms of organic reactions, syntheses and degradations of organic molecules, and spectroscopic techniques of structure determination. Although CHEM UN2443 and CHEM UN2444 are separate courses, students are expected to take both terms sequentially. Students must ensure they register for the recitation which corresponds to the lecture section. Please check the Directory of Classes for details.

• MW 6:10 p.m.-7:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Charles E Jr Doubleday
  Info
• 0 points

The Age of Augustus

The reign of the first Roman emperor, Augustus (27bce-14ce), has been seen as a Roman revolution, both political and cultural. Rome had for centuries been governed as a Republic, but a series of increasingly divisive civil wars allowed Augustus to create a new political system in which he exercised sole rule as the ‘first citizen’ within a ‘Restored Republic’. Augustus’ reign lasted more than 40 years, and established a model of autocratic rule that would last for four centuries. During this time there were profound changes in the political, social, and cultural structures of Rome. In this course, you will examine the nature of these changes, Augustus’ political strategies, military activities, and religious initiatives through his own writing, the accounts of (often hostile) historians and a range of literary and archaeological sources, including Roman poetry. Ultimately, we will address the question: how did Augustus achieve the seemingly paradoxical feat of becoming a monarch within a republican system?

• MW 1:10 p.m.-2:25 p.m.
• Instructor: Lien Van Geel
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 0 points

Worlding Otherwise: Speculative Fictions

Worlding Otherwise is a studio course exploring how artists use game engines to craft speculative and ecological narratives. Using tools like Unreal Engine and Blender, students will visualize alternate futures, mythologies, and socio-political realities through creating immersive virtual environments. Key questions include: How might the game environment lend itself to storytelling? How can speculative fiction act as a method of critique? What can we learn from artists who blend technology with mythology and alternative futures? The semester culminates in a final project: a short cinematic piece, interactive environment, or hybrid installation created within a game engine.

• T 6:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• Instructor: Jozefina Chetko
  Info
• 0 points

LATIN LITERATURE SELECTIONS

Prerequisites: LATN UN2102 or the equivalent. Since the content of this course changes from year to year, it may be repeated for credit.

• TR 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• Instructor: Rosalie Stoner
  Info
• 0 points

Ecstasy & Agony: Queer Electronic Dance

Queer dance floors balance utopian longing and material constraint. Sweat, flesh, and rhythm intermingle, allowing queer people to build counter-publics on the dance floor. At the same time, queer clubs have been entangled in the gentrification of traditionally Black and brown neighborhoods. This course explores tensions within queerness surrounding race and class by examining New York based queer electronic dance music scenes from the 1970s to the present. Through practice-based assignments, students will learn electronic music production techniques to develop their own dance music. Through journaling, students will reflect on how their identies have been shaped by dance.

• MW 5:40 p.m.-6:55 p.m.
• Instructor: David A Farrow
  Info
• 0 points

SELECTIONS FROM LATIN LITERATURE

Prerequisites: LATN UN3012 or the equivalent. Since the content of this course changes from year to year, it may be repeated for credit.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Katharina Volk
  CULPA: 7 Info
• 0 points

Music, Sound and Image Theory

Some of the most exciting theoretical moving image work in recent years has centered on the problem of the acoustic sign in cinema and especially around the relation between image track and sound “track.” This course rethinks the history and theory of cinema from the point of view of sound: effects, dialogue, music. From cinematic sound recording and play-back technologies through Dolby sound enhancement and contemporary digital audio experiments. Revisiting basic theoretical concepts from the pov of sound: realism (sound perspective, dubbing), anti-realism (contrapuntal and dissonant effects), genre (the leitmotiv), perception (the synaesthetic effect). The silent to sound divide considered relative to the *19th* century Romanticism of the classical Hollywood score associated with the Viennese-trained Max Steiner to the scores of John Williams.

• W 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Benjamin A Steege
  Info
• 0 points

SEA LEVEL CHANGE

Pre-requisite: At least a year of calculus and physics; basic programming experience (e.g. EESC3400 - Introduction to Computational Earth Science).
Recommended: EESC2100 (Climate System), EESC2200 (Solid Earth), EESC3201 (Solid Earth Dynamics). 

The course aims to explore sea level changes that take place over a wide variety of timescales and are the result of multiple solid Earth and climatic processes. The course will step chronologically through time starting with long term sea level changes over the Phanerozoic, followed by Plio-Pleistocene ice age sea level variations and lastly modern and future sea level change. This is a cross-disciplinary course, which is aimed at students with interests in geophysics, cryosphere evolution, ocean dynamics, sedimentology, paleogeography, and past and present climate.

• TR 8:40 a.m.-9:55 a.m.
• Instructor: Jacqueline Austermann
  h-index: 18 Info
• 0 points

The Politics of Memory. Remembrance, Eth

This seminar will explore the multidimensional interplay between collective memory, politics, and history in France since 1945. We will examine the process of memorializing key historical events and periods – the Vichy regime, the Algerian War, the slave trade – and the critical role they played in shaping and dividing French collective identity. This exploration will focus on multiple forms of narratives – official history, victims’ accounts, literary fiction – and will examine the tensions and contradictions that oppose them. The seminar will discuss the political uses of memory, the influence of commemorations on French collective identity, and the role played by contested monuments, statues and other “
lieux de mémoire
” (“sites of memory”). We will ask how these claims on historical consciousness play out in the legal space through an exploration of French “memorial laws”, which criminalize genocide denial and recognize slave trade as a crime against humanity. These reflections will pave the way to retracing the genesis of the “
devoir de mémoire
” (“duty to remember”), a notion that attempts to confer an ethical dimension to collective memory. The seminar will examine the multiple uses of the French injunction to remember – as a response to narratives of denial, as an act of justice towards the victims, and as an antidote to the recurrence of mass crimes and persecutions. We will examine how amnesty is used to reconcile conflicting collective memories and will evaluate the claim that the transmission

• M 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Emmanuel Kattan
  Info
• 0 points

PIRANDELLO & MOD ITALIAN DRAMA

• T 2:10 p.m.-4 p.m.
• Instructor: Elizabeth Leake
  Info
• 0 points

PALEOCEANOGRAPHY

Prerequisites: Complements GU4937 Cenozoic Paleoceanography, intended as part of a sequence with GU4330 Terrestrial Paleoclimate. For undergrads, UN2100 Earth System: Climate or equivalent, or permission of instructor The course examines the ocean's response to external climatic forcing such as solar luminosity and changes in the Earth's orbit, and to internal influences such as atmospheric composition, using deep-sea sediments, corals, ice cores and other paleoceanographic archives. A rigorous analysis of the assumptions underlying the use of climate proxies and their interpretations will be presented. Particular emphasis will be placed on amplifiers of climate change during the alternating ice ages and interglacial intervals of the last few million years, such as natural variations in atmospheric greenhouse gases and changes in deep water formation rates, as well as mechanisms of rapid climate change during the late Pleistocene. The influence of changes in the Earth's radiation distribution and boundary conditions on the global ocean circulation, Asian monsoon system and El Nino/Southern Oscillation frequency and intensity, as well as interactions among these systems will be examined using proxy data and models. This course complements W4937 Cenozoic Paleoceanography and is intended as part of a sequence with W4330 Terrestrial Paleoclimate for students with interests in Paleoclimate.

• TR 10:10 a.m.-11:25 a.m.
• Instructor: Jerry F McManus
  CULPA: 8 h-index: 56 Info
• 0 points

STRATEGIC NEGOTIATION IN COMPLEX SYSTEMS

STRAT NEG IN COMPLEX SYST

Negotiation today requires navigating complexity, interpreting incomplete data, managing uncertainty, and fostering trust in environments where clarity is scarce and stakes are high. Practitioners must address information gaps and asymmetry, regulatory pressures, and power dynamics while aligning diverse interests and shaping agreements that endure.

This course prepares students with skills to negotiate effectively across healthcare, technology, and business—domains where outcomes hinge on data limitations, contractual nuance, and shifting stakeholder priorities. Trust and credibility are emphasized as essential currencies, especially when agreements depend on long-term relationships, compliance, and cross-functional collaboration.

Guest speakers from multiple industries will share practical insights into negotiating across roles and power structures. Their perspectives will underscore the value of preparation, trust-building, and adaptive strategies for navigating uncertainty in dynamic environments.

Students will:


Build and apply negotiation frameworks in complex, multiparty environments.

Learn how to extract meaning from structured (quantitative) and unstructured (qualitative) data.

Develop data-informed narratives to guide decision-making and stakeholder alignment.

Practice identifying cognitive bias, ethical tension, and strategic leverage points.

Engage in simulations and case studies grounded in real-world contracting and influence challenges.


Note for NECR Students
: As an elective offered by the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (NECR) program, this course builds on students’ conflict negotiation skills (PS5105) and their application in healthcare. Students will further engage with concepts on the influences and cultural understandings of conflict parties, and conflict analysis (PS5124 and 6050). The aforementioned courses will contribute to the understanding of this course’s content and should, in general, be taken before this elective.

• W 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Rodney K Jr. Erb
  Info
• 0 points

COMPLEXITY OF CONFLICT AND CHANGE MANAGE

Complexity of Conflict and Change Management (NECR K5095) is an elective course in the Negotiation and Conflict Resolution (NECR) Program. The course explores how change can create conflict and also how conflict requires change. Conflict is generally about differences in how people think, know, prefer, believe, and understand. By entering into a conflict resolution process, people can shift their understanding and beliefs about the conflict, the other party or parties, and possible outcomes. The course reviews literature and case studies of how people are impacted at a fundamental level when change occurs. Understanding this elemental human experience can lead to greater self-awareness and the ability to manage change professionally and personally, in order to become effective change agents, negotiators, mediators, and peacemakers. We will also explore how leaders at all levels in organizations can play an important role in implementing change in an organizational context. Thoughtful and strategic approaches that consider the impact of a change management process can mitigate and even prevent conflict. We will review change management models and links to developments in neuroscience and how humans are biologically wired to resist change. Balancing theory and practice, this course will focus on the experience and expertise of the students. They will learn to apply practical conflict resolution approaches to change efforts at the individual and organizational levels as well as consider national and international applications.

• WR noon-2 p.m.
• Instructor: Susan Levin
  Info
• 0 points

FINANCE AND ACCOUNTING FOR THE CONSTRUCT

FIN & ACTG FOR CONSTR IND

.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: William Fischer
  Info
• 0 points

UNDERSTAND CONFLICT & COOPERATION

UNDERSTAND CONFL & COOPER

• TMT noon-1:30 p.m.
• Instructor: Fulya N Beriker
  Info
• 0 points

SAFETY IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

SAFETY IN THE CONSTR INDU

.

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Joseph Schwed
  Info
• 0 points

LEGAL ISSUES IN BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

• R 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Ross McKinnon
  Info
• 0 points

GRN BLDG & SUST: TOOLS & TECH

.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Christopher P Hagen
  Info
• 0 points

INTEGRATED TALENT MGMT STRATEGIES

• W 8:30 p.m.-10 p.m.
• Instructor: Steven I Safier
  Info
• 0 points

BUSINESS ANALYTICS

OVERVIEW: Business analytics (BA), in essence, is the discipline of using data analysis - ranging from simple descriptive statistics to advanced, AI-based predictions - to illuminate all quantitative aspects relevant to a specific organization, from its own performance, to the behavior of its customers, and challenges from competitors. This course covers the entire value chain of a BA process, including formulating the question, collecting and managing the relevant data, analyzing said data to answer the question, and finally effectively communicating the results (e.g., data visualization) to stakeholders. While the course teaches some hands-on data analysis/statistics (e.g., database structures, conditional averages, correlations, confidence intervals), the emphasis of the course is on educating users and managers of BA, and as such includes stakeholder engagement and implementation planning.

CONTENT: Following an introduction to the history of BA, weekly lectures and associated assignments (some spreadsheet-based, others in essay format) teach all above elements of the BA value chain one by one. Accompanying readings cover academic foundations and practitioner commentary, from Alan Turing's work (1912-1952) to latest advances in quantum computing. A short individual presentation and a group white paper allow students to combine and hone the various acquired skills in an end-end application. As an overarching objective, upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to devise and "pitch" an innovate BA process to an organization, including strategic recommendations on its business value and implementation.

LOGISTICS: Required course for IKNS students, open to all Columbia University graduate students; no prerequisites other than beginner's familiarity with spreadsheet software and simple statistics (e.g., average, error margin). Online course meets once a week (live via zoom) for the duration of the semester.

• T 8:10 p.m.-10 p.m.
• Instructor: Kathy Koontz
  Info
• 0 points

SPECIAL TOPICS: Getting AI Right for Tec

AI + Techno-Social Change

OVERVIEW:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming every sector of human activity—from healthcare and education to defense and diplomacy—presenting both risks and opportunities and raising urgent questions about ethics, governance, global stability, and even civilizational churn. This course explores AI as both a technological and geopolitical force, one that has considerable societal impact in reshaping institutions, economies, and even civilization itself. Rather than approaching the topic from a technical perspective, the course is designed for students across disciplines who seek to understand how AI and convergent technologies can be developed and governed responsibly in a time of unprecedented change.

 

CONTENT:

Students will examine AI not as a set of tools but as an evolving infrastructure of global order. The course integrates ethical reasoning, policy analysis, and systems thinking to investigate how to get AI right in an era of rapid techno-social transformation. Students will explore foundational frameworks for AI governance and regulation (e.g., EU AI Act); analyze how the convergence of emerging technologies drives innovation and reshapes industries (e.g., autonomous vehicles); understand the role of AI within the larger context of human innovation; debate the rise of sovereign AI as a geopolitical force (e.g., UAE’s ‘Falcon’, Singapore’s ‘SEA-LION’ models.); evaluate AI’s potential role in both civilizational collapse and societal resilience; and apply methods of strategic foresight to anticipate future emerging technologies (e.g., the work of Sachs, Acemoglu & Robinson, Spengler etc.). Final projects will synthesize technical, ethical, and geopolitical perspectives to design a Responsible AI framework relevant to students’ personal and professional contexts.

 

LOGISTICS:

The course meets once per week in person. No technical background or coding experience is required. Open to all Columbia University graduate students.

• M 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Manail Anis
  Info
• 0 points

Human-Centered Design for Data-Driven St

HumCenDesignForDDStrat+De

Within this course, students will explore how practices from human-centered design (HCD) can be applied to the end-to-end data science workflow—problem (use case) definition, data collection & preparation, data exploration, data modeling, and communicating and visualizing the results— in order to build trust in data that is used to drive strategy and decision making and impact organizational change. Students will learn about fundamental human values and how methods from the behavioral sciences and HCD can inspire ethical use of data to drive strategy and change in the modern, data-driven workplace. Students will understand how keeping “humans in the loop” is beneficial, and they will develop a critical eye for assessing whether the data they rely on to make decisions at work is human-centric, particularly as we become more reliant on data science and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to inform our insights, strategies, and decision making at work.

Content & Goals: Through hands-on, project-based work, students will work individually and in project teams to practice designing human-centric information and communication experiences, leveraging audience-focused data visualizations and storytelling techniques to drive a strategic workplace objective, motivating leaders and employees into action to create traceable organizational impact that benefits people. Students will have an opportunity to practice their writing and presentation skills through practical course assignments.

Logistics: This graduate-level elective course is designed for students in Information & Knowledge Strategy but is open to other students at Columbia University. This course would be relevant to students studying management and technology more broadly. The course will be delivered in person on Columbia’s campus during the spring semester.

No prerequisites.

• T 6:10 p.m.-8 p.m.
• Instructor: Blake Dicosola
  Info
• 0 points

Intelligence and US Foreign Policy

Intelligence & US Foreign

Instructor permission required. Join the waitlist in Vergil to request registration.
This seminar explores the role of intelligence in U.S. national security and foreign policy, focusing on both historic and contemporary controversies. Topics include intelligence failures such as 9/11 and Iraq’s WMDs, challenges in cyber and surveillance, and debates about covert action and interrogation practices. The course also considers the Intelligence Community’s (IC) relationship with policymakers, particularly during election cycles and presidential transitions. Recent failures in Russia and Israel will prompt discussion on whether intelligence failures are inevitable and how success or failure should be defined. Students will examine the core functions of intelligence—collection (human, technical, cyber), analysis, and covert action—and their place in a democratic society. Readings focus on the post-WWII period to the present, with an emphasis on reform efforts. Guest speakers and a crisis simulation will provide practical insight into intelligence work, including real-world pressures faced by analysts and decision-makers.

• R 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Peter Clement
  Info
• 0 points

Gender Based Violence Law & Policy

This course will introduce students to manifestations of gender-based violence around the world—including intimate partner violence, sexual assault, child marriage and forced genital mutilation, femicide and “honor killings,” human trafficking, conflict-related sexual violence, and technology-facilitated gender-based violence. The course will also examine the legal and policy frameworks governing these manifestations at the international, regional, and national levels—including global treaties, national laws and action plans, and programmatic support for survivors—and evaluate research on how and why ending gender-based violence globally advances prosperity and stability.

• R 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Rachel Vogelstein
  Info
• 0 points

Managing Humanitarian Emergencies

According to the 2025 Global Humanitarian Overview, humanitarian partners are seeking over $47 billion to assist nearly 190 million people facing life-threatening and urgent needs across 72 countries. These alarming figures are driven by various factors, including conflicts, political instability, climate change, disease outbreaks, poverty, and natural disasters. Additionally, a rise in nationalism is impacting multilateral cooperation, which is essential for the effective functioning of the humanitarian system. Together, these issues have exacerbated pre-existing vulnerabilities, leading to unprecedented levels of need. 

Relief work is crucial; it saves lives and, when executed effectively, can protect livelihoods, alleviate human suffering, and help communities rebuild. The adaptability and flexibility of humanitarian organizations and workers have demonstrated their capacity to adjust to new realities. The current obstacles also present opportunities for humanitarian actors to strive for a long-term goal: the decentralization and localization of the humanitarian system.

This course focuses on the management of humanitarian operations, offering students the opportunity to explore the strategic and day-to-day work of humanitarian organizations, including various UN agencies, as well as international and local organizations. It aims to help students develop an analytical framework that can be applied in both headquarters and field settings, along with a tools to evaluate populations' needs, write successful grants, and monitor the impact of humanitarian assistance. This practical course will appeal to those interested in working with an aid agency, whether directly with disaster-affected populations or indirectly, as well as to those who seek to gain a deeper understanding of the humanitarian system and the opportunities and challenges it presents.

• W 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Pierrette Quintiliani
  Info
• 0 points

Impact Investing II: Blended Finance

Impact Investing II: Blended Finance'' equips students with a detailed understanding of the tools, strategies and innovative approaches being utilized by investors seeking both financial and impact returns, via blended finance transactions. Students in this course will study cases, dig into transactions and be prepared to be a professional contributor to a transaction at a future employer. Moreover, the course provides students with a further understanding of opportunities that blended transactions can provide impact investors as they aim to unlock capital markets' support to mitigate climate change, reverse biodiversity loss, address social inequality, reduce poverty, and generate other system-level challenges.

• R 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Henry J Guinness
  Info
• 0 points

MS Strategy Formulation

This course provides an introduction to strategic management. Strategy Formulation" has two broad goals. The first is to understand why some companies are financially much more successful than others. Second, we will analyze how managers can devise a set of actions ("the strategy") and design processes that allow their company to obtain a financial advantage. To gain a better understanding of strategic issues and begin to master the analytic tools that strategists use, we will study the strategic decisions of companies in many different industries and countries, ranging from U.S. technology firms to a Spanish fashion retailer and a Danish shipping company. The primary objective of Strategy Formulation is for you to analyze the sources of companies competitive advantage. This skill is not only critical for positions in general management but also for those who aspire to careers in banking, consulting, non-profit, social enterprise, and start-up environments. The course will provide the analytic tools to analyze competitors, predict competitor behavior, and understand how firms can develop and sustain advantages over time. "

• W 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Dongil Keum
  Info
• 0 points

High Performing Nonprofits

The nonprofit sector is full of organizations, many of which are operating below peak performance. With unlimited ideas, low barriers to entry and decidedly limited funding, we have a sector with enormous volume and an overall lack of effectiveness. While the overall problem definition is accurate, well trod and unlikely to change, there are worthwhile remedies. The goal of the course is to study the solutions that work. We start by exploring all of the external and internal forces that cause weakness in nonprofit strategy and execution. Then we determine what factors can lead to high performance. Well review case studies and other real world examples to learn how the best nonprofits surmount significant barriers to produce great results.The course is six sessions. The first three sessions focus on the nonprofit operating environment and the central strategic issues facing nonprofits today. The next two sessions deal with finances - the over-emphasized keys to smart revenue generation and the under-emphasized importance of effective spending. The last session rivets on talent - both at the board level as well as senior staff - and how you should think about crafting a path with high impact both during and after your business education. As a newly minted MBA, your skill set will be in high demand in the sector. That said, the direct application of for profit strategies to nonprofit work has limits. Well look at where and how to take the best of private thinking, adjust it and apply it to nonprofit performance. Well question many commonly held assumptions on the sector. The course will touch on theory, but will be grounded in current practice.Whether you have past experience, current involvement or future aspirations, you should take this course if youre interested in pushing changes as an: 1.) institutional or individual donor; 2.) board member; 3.) executive director or senior leader; or 4.) management consultant. The goal is to give you the knowledge and skills to work from either inside or outside to drive nonprofits to achieve.

• R 6 p.m.-9:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Anne Eidelman
  Info
• 0 points

Global Philanthropy

Global philanthropy has become a significant force in recent years, including both funding from developed countries to create change in the developing world as well as the growth of philanthropy in the developing world. The funds available for global philanthropy, forecasts for its future, media attention, levels of involvement, innovative approaches, expectations, and potential - all have grown and changed tremendously in recent years. Importantly, a global culture of philanthropy has begun emerging. Thus, its important for any business school student to understand how innovations in philanthropy around the world are having an impact on social, economic and environmental developments.With this growth has come a set of important questions and challenges that this course will explore: * Given its small size compared with the for-profit and public sectors, can private philanthropy make a difference? * What gives private philanthropy its "license to operate," and should it be seeking to change government policy? * How can success in tackling complex challenges and systems be defined and measured? * Do traditional models of giving actually work? Have newer models proved themselves? * What is the best path for philanthropy in developing/emerging markets?Using research, case studies and expert guests, this class will review current issues and approaches to important issues in global philanthropy, including education, livelihoods, public health and human rights. This class is intended to give MBA students the tools they need to assess opportunities and solutions as well as to become thoughtful, effective philanthropists. Specifically, students will learn to: 1. Analyze complex challenges in the developing world; 2. Evaluate the effectiveness of current programs to address these challenges; 3. Develop strategic options; and 4. Create a plan for funding and assessing results.

• T 9 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
• Instructor: Melissa A Berman
  Info
• 0 points

Business Strategies for Solvin

Business will be a primary contributor to solving the big social problems of the 21st century. While business strategy analyzes competition and markets, firms also pursue non-market strategies to influence politicians, and politicians seek to benefit from firms. Governments pursue not only political goals, but often pro-market strategies. This course takes a realistic variation on these themes to ask: when do firms, markets, and politics work to resolve the big social challenges of this century. These challenges are the consequences of inequality, corruption, climate change, immigration, and inclusion. The course is organized around these major challenges, ranging from income equality to immigration to the quality of work life. Our approach is to set out the argument why firms should be engaged in contributing to social and political solutions and more importantly to identifying what can be done.

• TR 10:50 a.m.-12:20 p.m.
• Instructor: Bruce Kogut
  Wikipedia h-index: 65 Info
• 0 points