Quantitative Analysis II for Internation

Lecture

MPA Quantitative II Core. 
This course introduces regression analysis as a key tool for policy analysis and program evaluation. Emphasizing causal inference, students will learn to assess the impacts of programs and policies using both experimental and non-experimental methods. The first half of the course reviews foundational concepts from Quant I and builds toward multiple regression techniques; the second half applies those tools to real-world policy settings. Designed for future practitioners, the course focuses on applying and communicating statistical concepts in accessible, non-technical language, and prepares students for advanced coursework in data analysis and program evaluation.

• T 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• T 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• W 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• W 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• W 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• M 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Alan S Yang
  CULPA: 5 Info
• 3 points

Quantitative Analysis II for Internation

Recitation

MPA Quantitative II Core. 
This course introduces regression analysis as a key tool for policy analysis and program evaluation. Emphasizing causal inference, students will learn to assess the impacts of programs and policies using both experimental and non-experimental methods. The first half of the course reviews foundational concepts from Quant I and builds toward multiple regression techniques; the second half applies those tools to real-world policy settings. Designed for future practitioners, the course focuses on applying and communicating statistical concepts in accessible, non-technical language, and prepares students for advanced coursework in data analysis and program evaluation.

• R 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• R 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• F noon-1:50 p.m.
• M 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• M 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• T 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• F 2 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
• 0 points

Global Reliance on Russian Energy

Global Reliance-Russian E

This course examines the global reliance on Russian energy exports in the aftermath of the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the realignment of geopolitical and energy markets. Students will assess whether Russia can operate without Western customers and whether the West can isolate Russia while securing its own energy needs. The course explores disrupted energy ties between Russia and Europe, shifting alliances with China, India, the Middle East, and the Arctic, and how sanctions have reshaped oil and gas flows worldwide. Through regional case studies and up-to-date policy analysis, students will investigate Russia's role in OPEC+, the Black and Caspian Seas, and the future of European energy diversification, including hydrogen initiatives.

• W 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Natasha Udensiva
  Info
• 3 points

Putin and Global Anti-Americanism

Putin & Global AntiAmeric

This course explores the development of relations between Russia and the United States from the end of the Cold War to the present day. It also reveals a broader trend: in the early 1990s, it seemed that Western liberal values were triumphant worldwide. However, as Russia failed to transition into a democratic state, anti-Americanism and revanchism began to flourish. After becoming president, Vladimir Putin exploited these sentiments, ultimately making anti-Americanism a central aspect of his international political agenda. Russian propaganda has not only influenced the Russian population but also seeks to spread these ideas and conspiracy theories beyond Russia’s borders. As an inherently unstable political system, Russia aims to destabilize the West. The course concludes with an analysis of present-day dynamics.

• W 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Mikhail Zygar
  Info
• 1.5 points

War Against Liberal Democracy: Weaponiza

This course explores how the Russian state under Vladimir Putin has deployed homophobia and appeals to "traditional values" as tools of political control, ideological warfare, and foreign policy. It examines the domestic origins of this agenda, the role of propaganda platforms such as RT and Russian troll farms in exporting these narratives globally, and the resonance of Russian-style traditionalism in various geopolitical contexts—including Eastern Europe, the Arab world, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Through case studies, media analysis, and frameworks from political science, media studies, and queer theory, students will assess how authoritarian regimes manipulate ideas of gender, family, and "moral order" to undermine liberal democracy and build international ideological alliances. The course includes comparative analysis with other illiberal regimes, media literacy work on disinformation, and attention to resistance efforts by civil society and LGBTQ+ communities. Guest speakers may join some sessions to provide firsthand insight into these global dynamics.

• W 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Mikhail Zygar
  Info
• 1.5 points

Politics of the Caucasus

This course tracks the trajectories of politics in the Caucasus, focusing on the political development of the independent states of the South Caucasus: Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia. While the emphasis is on contemporary dynamics, the course considers how Imperial Russian expansion and Soviet structures interact with current mechanisms of interest articulation and power. Topics include post-Soviet conflicts, regime types, institutions, political economy, and foreign policy. Students will examine each country individually and comparatively

• T 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Julie George
  Info
• 3 points

Policy Communication and Advocacy

Policy Comms and Advocacy

MIA and MPA Policy Skills I Core. 
This course provides students with practical skills to communicate clearly and persuasively on issues they care about. Whether writing to influence policy, shape public opinion, or present ideas within an organization, the ability to craft sharp, purposeful messages is essential. Students will learn to distill their key arguments, adapt their writing for different audiences, and develop strong foundational pieces such as op-eds, press releases, and policy memos. The course also introduces generative AI tools as part of the writing process—teaching students how to use AI to brainstorm, draft, and revise more efficiently, while critically assessing its outputs. As AI transforms how we write and communicate, this course equips students to harness its benefits while maintaining their own voice, judgment, and clarity of thought.

• M 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• M 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• W 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• W 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• M 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Rumela Sen
  CULPA: 1 Info
• Instructor: George W III Miller
  Info
• 1.5 points

Policy Design

MIA Policy Skills II Core. 
Making good policy is a science, an art, and a craft. This course introduces students to the key principles of public policy design from global perspectives. Students will engage with a policymaker’s toolbox, examining best practices in evidence-based and participatory policymaking, policy innovation, and policy design. In addition to exploring the conceptual foundations of policymaking, the course equips students with practical tools they can apply throughout careers in government, think tanks, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. A central focus of the course is policy memo writing. Students will learn how to conduct concise, evidence-based policy analysis and design meaningful policy solutions. Additional tools covered include: The design and use of indicators and public opinion polls; Stakeholder mapping; Public participation plans; Theories of change; Intersectional policy analysis.

By the end of the course, students will have a deeper understanding of how public policy is made and implemented across diverse contexts, along with enhanced skills for designing effective public policies and programs.

• R 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Daniel Naujoks
  Info
• 1.5 points

Writing and Delivering Speeches for Poli

Writing & Delivering Spee

MIA Policy Skills II Core. 
This introductory course equips students with the fundamentals of persuasive speechwriting and public speaking for political, business, and nonprofit contexts. Students will explore the classical canons of rhetoric and apply them to contemporary speechwriting, developing both the art and science of persuasion.

Following an initial session on theory, the course focuses on building practical skills through writing, editing, and delivering original speeches. Topics include voice and message alignment, tailoring speeches to audiences and occasions, persuasive delivery techniques, and ethical considerations in shaping public discourse.

• W 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: James P Holtje
  Info
• 1.5 points

Communications Tools for Advocacy

MIA Policy Skills II Core. 
This course builds on the writing and presentation skills developed in the first part of the SIPA Skills Course by exploring how these skills may be deployed in the broader context of organizational communications, with a focus on policy advocacy.

It will introduce students to a set of key communications tools that can drive effective policy advocacy by turning well-crafted, focused messages into impact. It will focus on the practical tactics that form part of an effective strategic communications plan, from handling one-to-one broadcast interviews to utilizing advocacy reports and publications targeting policymakers, to organizing events, media stunts, and leveraging celebrity spokespeople.

Students will produce and workshop their own video interviews, and conclude the course by developing a communications campaign plan, both in support of the policy memo/issue developed at the end of Policy Skills Part One. The objective is to introduce students to the scope of Comms work, both to develop their own skills and their understanding of how a Comms department approaches its mission.

• T 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Jonathan Birchall
  Info
• 1.5 points

Visual Storytelling

MIA Policy Skills II Core. 
This course provides students with a foundation in the principles and practices of video journalism and multimedia narrative. Against a backdrop of rapidly evolving platforms, technologies, and generative AI tools, students will learn how to create compelling, credible video content that cuts through the noise of the contemporary media landscape. Led by experienced journalists from PBS NewsHour and the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the class offers a blend of hands-on technical training, theoretical exploration of media production, and critical reflection on the social, ethical, and narrative dimensions of visual communication. Students will produce, film, write, and edit a portfolio of original video stories, using smartphones, digital cameras, and Adobe Premiere. Coursework includes individual and collaborative assignments, culminating in a final video essay project and pitch. In addition to developing technical skills, students will gain experience in story development, audience engagement, and content distribution.

• M 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Christopher Booker
  Info
• 1.5 points

Writing about Policy

MIA Policy Skills II Core. 
This course equips students with the journalistic tools necessary to communicate policy ideas to broad public audiences. Through a combination of seminar discussions and workshop-based learning, students develop fluency in multiple forms of opinion writing, including op-eds, essays, blogs, and newsletters. Weekly writing assignments guide students in translating specialized policy expertise into persuasive, accessible prose suitable for publication in student and professional media outlets.

Participants will learn to craft compelling narratives that bridge the gap between expert analysis and public discourse, while cultivating editorial skills through constructive peer feedback. The course emphasizes revision as a core element of the writing process and encourages students to experiment with different genres and styles.

• T 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Liza Featherstone
  Wikipedia Info
• 1.5 points

North Korea: State, Society, Diplomacy,

North Korea: State & Stra

This seminar offers an in-depth, interdisciplinary examination of North Korea’s political system, society, foreign policy, and security strategy. Students will critically assess how outside powers influenced Korea’s division, the internal dynamics that shaped the Kim regime’s rise, and how state institutions continue to evolve. Drawing from political science, history, firsthand accounts, and policy documents, the course equips students to challenge common misperceptions and engage analytically with key questions surrounding North Korea’s economy, propaganda, human rights, gender dynamics, and nuclear posture.

• T 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Jonathan Corrado
  Info
• 3 points

Ethics in Public Policy

MIA & MPA Ethics Core. 
This course investigates how ethical considerations shape, complicate, and often introduce dilemmas into the work of policymaking. It asks what justice, democracy, and responsibility demand in concrete policy contexts—should political leaders prioritize stability or accountability in post-conflict settings? Should elected officials follow their moral convictions even when doing so goes against the preferences of their constituents? Should public servants uphold the law when it conflicts with their moral principles? When is it right to work within flawed systems to achieve change, and when is it better to act from the outside? Through a mix of theoretical readings and case studies, students will learn to balance political, institutional, and ethical considerations, develop arguments for their moral choices, and advocate effectively for their policy decisions. The course is designed to cultivate reflective practitioners who can identify moral dilemmas in public policy, weigh competing values, and articulate their ethical positions in ways that are both critical and constructive.

• T 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• T 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• W 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• R 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• R 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Nicole M Peisajovich
  Info
• 1.5 points

Ukraine: Power Politics and Diplomacy

Ukraine: Politics & Diplo

This seminar examines the political development, foreign policy, and historical trajectory of modern Ukraine, with particular attention to its evolving relationship with Russia and the West. The course is divided into three sections: (1) historical foundations of Ukrainian statehood; (2) thematic issues such as nationalism, governance, and Euroatlantic integration; and (3) the ongoing Russo-Ukrainian war. Students will explore the origins, progression, and implications of the war, while considering potential paths toward resolution.

• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Alexander J Motyl
  CULPA: 1 Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Capstone Workshop

Prerequisite: Course Application.
A Capstone Workshop is a live consulting project with an external client outside of SIPA. Each workshop partners a team of about 6 graduate students with a faculty advisor. The goal is to provide clients with innovative analysis and practical recommendations while SIPA students gain experience by working on a real-world problem. A core requirement for the Master of International Affairs (MIA), Master of Public Administration (MPA), the workshops give students an opportunity to put learning into practice. Serving as their culminating educational experience at SIPA, students work in teams of 6-8 students under the guidance of an expert faculty advisor to work on a real-world consultancy project with an external client. For more information, visit:
https://www.sipa.columbia.edu/sipa-education/capstone-workshops.

• M 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• R 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• R 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• F 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• W 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• M 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Thomas Quaranta
  Info
• Instructor: Suzanne Hollmann
  Info
• Instructor: David V Bonfili
  Info
• Instructor: Damian Busch
  Info
• 3 points