This course explores how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and climate considerations are reshaping public market investment strategies. Students will learn how institutional investors use ESG signals and climate-related data to assess risk, identify opportunity, and support real-world outcomes—all while meeting fiduciary obligations.
The class introduces the concept of the “Double Bottom Line,” or double materiality, where financial performance and sustainability impact are jointly pursued. Students will examine active and index-based approaches to climate and ESG investing, review emerging academic research, and hear from guest speakers on the evolving landscape of sustainable finance.
A key course deliverable is a student-designed investment strategy that applies the Double Bottom Line framework to a climate or ESG theme, demonstrating how it could drive financial returns and measurable impact.
This course is intended for students planning careers in asset management, policy, sustainability, or ESG advisory roles. It focuses exclusively on public markets and complements SIPA courses covering private finance and regulatory approaches.
Students should know basic finance concepts like beta, the Capital Asset Pricing Model, equilibrium, active and passive management, and portfolio risk and return. Students should be familiar with some basic knowledge of statistics, like the concepts of statistical significance and regressions. At least one semester of statistics is required. We recommend that students have taken some previous classes in finance, management, sustainability, or quantitative analysis.
Business analytics refers to the methods enterprises—such as businesses, non-profits, and governments—use to analyze data to gain insights and make better decisions. This discipline is applied across various functions including operations, marketing, finance, and strategic planning. The advent of modern data collection methods in fields like bioinformatics, mobile platforms, and previously unanalyzable data (such as text and images) has led to an explosive growth in the volume of data available for decision-making. Utilizing data effectively to drive rapid, precise, and profitable decisions has become a critical strategic advantage for diverse companies including Walmart, Google, Capital One, and Disney. Moreover, many startups are emerging based on the application of AI and analytics to large databases. With the increasing availability of broad and deep sources of information—often referred to as "Big Data"—business analytics is becoming an even more essential capability for enterprises of all types and sizes.
AI is starting to influence every dimension of business and society. In many industries, being literate in AI is becoming a prerequisite for successful business leadership. The Business Analytics sequence is designed to prepare you to take an active role in shaping the future of AI and business. You will develop a critical understanding of modern analytics methodologies, exploring their foundations, potential applications, and—perhaps most importantly—their limitations.
This course explores how subnational governments, states, cities, and local jurisdictions are shaping climate policy and leading efforts to transition toward a clean energy economy. While national governments often receive the spotlight, much of the practical, political, and technical work happens closer to the ground.
Students will examine how subnationals regulate utilities, shape building codes, implement clean energy programs, and navigate complex federal dynamics. Topics include emissions reduction, climate resilience, environmental justice, clean energy finance, and political feasibility. The course is structured around real-world case studies, guest insights, and policy exercises that prepare students to develop actionable, context-sensitive climate strategies.
The course encourages practical thinking about political trade-offs, limited resources, and institutional constraints. It is ideal for students interested in public policy, sustainability, and climate leadership at all levels of government. Familiarity with the energy sector is helpful but not required.
More than 80 percent of the U.S. population lives in urban areas, which generate nearly 90 percent of the nation’s GDP. This course introduces the field of urban economics, which explores why cities exist, how they grow, and the economic forces that shape them.
The course begins by examining the distribution of people and firms across space and the incentives behind urban location decisions. It then turns to how housing and production activities are arranged within cities, how land is valued, and how it is allocated. The course also addresses the role of local government, including the provision of services, regulation, and municipal finance.
Selected topics such as housing, transportation, income inequality, segregation, and urban sustainability help students apply theoretical and empirical models to real policy challenges. By the end of the course, students will be able to interpret urban economic models, evaluate policies using efficiency and equity frameworks, and apply their knowledge to a specific issue in urban policy.
Studying not just global cities such as New York, London, and Tokyo, but especially developing global cities like Rio de Janeiro, Cairo, Jakarta, Dubai, Shanghai, and Mumbai, has never been more important. Over half of the world’s population is now urban, and twelve of the world’s sixteen largest cities are outside of the “affluent core” (i.e. Western Europe, the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand). As developing cities continue to expand, we must acknowledge the critical role that they play as sociocultural centers and as nodes in the world economy. We should also recognize that, in spite of these cities’ conspicuous differences, many of them share a set of challenges including: sprawl, poor sanitation, poverty, inequality, pollution, corruption, and crime. This course in comparative urban policy will help you develop a keener understanding of these challenges while also introducing you to some innovative solutions.
Our focus will be on how academics and analysts study and debate urban policy. Global developing cities will serve as the central geopolitical context for our discussion on governance strategies. We will explore questions such as: What political strategies do citizens have available to influence their city governments? Are the structures of governance in developing cities designed to respond to citizens’ needs? How do governments redistribute resources and responsibilities from federal to regional and local institutions to balance urban growth and social equity? How do governments and the private sector respond to the need for infrastructure and social services? What are the problems with publicly vs. privately operated infrastructure and services? What is the role of local institutions and civil society in addressing problems of the slums and housing crises caused by heightened urban growth? How do urban governments and private actors prevent center city decay? Who benefits from mega-projects? What sort of innovations can help improve service delivery, ensure environmental sustainability, and promote orderly growth in developing cities? How do governments, international organizations, and social movements impact urban policies to resolve problems of segregation, displacement, and economic inequality?
Students learn to think and practice as advanced generalist social work practitioners. Emphasis is placed on helping students to develop a conceptual framework with which they can differentially assess the multiple, interrelated interventions needed to respond to clients' issues. The course focuses on advanced direct practice; assessment of the service needs of individuals, families, client populations, and neighborhoods; case management; and community social work with vulnerable populations.
No business and no government can ignore China. The People's Republic of China is the world's second-largest economy and is on track to surpass the US economyin the future. China represents enormous opportunities for businesses and public policies, but it also presents a set of tough challenges. This course is designed to provide a framework for understanding these issues. As several other emerging market economies hope to follow China's footsteps, the conceptual framework in the course should help one appreciate the risks and rewards in these economies better as well. In this course, we will discuss what motivates the Chinese as savers, consumers, workers, and entrepreneurs. We will examine both the people factor and the government factor that underpin China's growth story. We will not be satisfied with simply repeating the conventional wisdoms, but will probe deeper than what we often read or hear. We will also combine conceptual knowledge with practical insight by inviting distinguished speakers with rich business or government experience to share their perspectives on China's business environment and other related topics.
All public policy occurs within a political context. The purpose of this seminar is to examine how politics impacts policy in America’s large cities. While we rely on case material from American cities, the theoretical frameworks, problems, and policy solutions we consider are relevant to understanding public policy in any global city.
Cities are not legal entities defined in the American Constitution. Yet, historically, they have developed a politics and policymaking process that at once seems archetypically American and strangely foreign. We will consider who has power in cities and how that impacts policy priorities; whether America’s traditional institutions of representation “work” for urban America; how the city functions within our federal system; and whether neighborhood democracy is a meaningful construct. We will also consider the impact of politics on urban policymaking. Can cities solve the myriad problems of their populations under existing institutional arrangements? How are cities being affected by the post-pandemic work-from-home economy? Do the economic and social factors that impact urban politics and policy limit a city’s capacity to find and implement solutions to urban problems? How has increasing income inequality and persistent racial discrimination impacted urban governance and policy making? Does political protest result in changes in urban policy? Finally, can urban politics be restructured to better address problems of inequity and racial justice. Do cities have a viable economic future in post-pandemic America?
Threat Financing and Anti-Money Laundering
is a class that provides an overview of the world of money laundering, terrorist financing, and sanctions. It delves into how these areas are handled by governments around the world, especially focusing on the United States and its reach overseas. The class does a deep dive into the realm of compliance programs and the regulations and laws that apply to financial institutions, such as banks, brokerage firms, and investment advisers; to money services businesses, including money transmitters and the hawala system; and to gambling entities, including those that are online as well as casinos. Fines issued to various entities will be analyzed, such as the $3 billion fine imposed upon TD Bank in the fall of 2024, as well as criminal penalties that have been imposed on individuals and entities.
A review of how funds are moved, such as via the transfer of real estate, art, and jewelry, will be conducted. Some guest speakers who handle such issues on a daily basis will be brought in to provide their analysis. In this class, the perspective of law enforcement, regulators, and compliance personnel will be presented.
Cities can and do develop innovative policies to address problems and respond to residents. Recent examples include ordinances involving workers’ rights, LGBTQ rights, and environmental regulation. However, local policies are regularly overturned by state legislatures and courts. Cities are constrained by state and federal policies and laws, as well as by local voters and taxpayers.
This course explores the ways in which the dynamics of American federalism influence public policy and policymaking in U.S. cities. We will review how cities fit into the U.S. federal system and examine both city-state and city-federal relations. To better understand the real-world impact of federalism, we will focus on specific policy domains, including fiscal policy and budgeting, zoning and land use, employment, the environment, and drug addiction.
This course examines the relationship between human well-being and the natural environment through the lens of economics and policy analysis. Students will explore the causes and consequences of environmental degradation, the behaviors that drive it, and the policy tools available to address it. The course introduces a conceptual framework grounded in economics, while drawing from environmental science, ethics, political science, law, and game theory to address questions of efficiency, equity, incidence, and institutional design. The course will include externalities, public goods, common property resources, regulatory instruments, environmental justice, climate change, biodiversity, ecosystem services, and global environmental cooperation. The course emphasizes the importance of both positive and normative economics in policy analysis and encourages critical thinking about how societies identify, assess, and pursue sustainable outcomes.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to the major global health challenges facing low- and middle-income countries and their implications for sustainable development. Organized into thematic modules, the course covers foundational topics in global health, key disease burdens such as HIV, TB, and malaria, maternal and child health, nutrition, epidemic preparedness, and the evolving role of technologies and financing in global health systems.
Instruction integrates expert guest lectures, case studies, and policy discussions to examine effective health interventions and implementation barriers. Students will critically assess global health strategies, analyze policy responses, and engage with real-world applications.
This course explores both the theory and policy of international trade. In the first half, students will learn why countries trade, what determines trade patterns, and how trade affects prices, welfare, and income distribution. Key models covered include the Ricardian, Specific Factors, and Heckscher-Ohlin models, along with extensions on migration and offshoring. In the second half, the course focuses on trade policy instruments such as tariffs, quotas, and subsidies, examining their effects under different market structures. Topics include the political economy of trade, strategic trade policy, climate and agricultural subsidies, and international trade agreements. Prior coursework in microeconomics is required. Students will develop both analytical and applied understanding of global trade issues.
This workshop-style course introduces students to the principles of social entrepreneurship and human-centered design. Working in teams, students will identify pressing social or environmental challenges, conduct stakeholder research, and develop new venture ideas through iterative prototyping, budgeting, and pitching. The course emphasizes design thinking methodologies and includes instruction in customer discovery, solution testing, and storytelling for social impact.
Through hands-on collaboration and expert feedback, students will build a viable social enterprise plan—nonprofit, for-profit, or hybrid—and present their venture to potential partners and funders. Ideal for students who want to develop an idea, contribute to a team, or explore the tools and mindset needed to launch a mission-driven venture.
This course introduces the major theoretical approaches and substantive issues in international political economy (IPE). Students will explore realist, liberal, and critical perspectives while engaging with topics such as trade, finance, monetary systems, sovereign debt, economic crises, and development. Through close examination of historical and contemporary case studies, the course considers the interplay of power, institutions, and markets in shaping global economic outcomes. Special attention is paid to the post-Bretton Woods monetary order, capital account liberalization, IMF policies, and the transition from globalization to geo-economic competition.
Enrollment in this course is restricted to students who have officially declared the IFEP concentration, as reflected in their Stellic profile. If space allows, enrollment may be extended to additional students at a later date.
As long as societies have gone to war, commanders have had to consider how they will treat captives. It can be a factor at every stage of a struggle, from negotiations to avert war, tactics and strategy for winning, and post-conflict resolution. And long after the end of fighting, the experience of captivity can continue to shape how people recall and commemorate their history. This course examines how generations of lawmakers, diplomats, military commanders and activists have dealt with the problem of captivity. It will also explore the experience of the captives themselves, as well as their guards, including those guards who themselves were made prisoner after being accused of war crimes. Students will become familiar not just with different kinds of modern conflict, but also the diff`erent disciplinary methods for studying it, from sociology and political science to philosophy and international law.
In Writing about War, seminar participants engage with a pressing matter of our age: how to evaluate facts and context and create compelling and precise narratives from the fog of war. This intensive writing seminar explores the special challenges of creating narrative and assessing truth claims in the context of violent conflict. In this course you will grow as a writer through extensive practice reporting, writing, revising, and editing your own work and that of your peers.
We will read accounts produced as journalism, policy analysis, advocacy, literature, and philosophy. We will discuss ongoing conflicts as well as historical cases, and grapple with questions of policy and ethics. Students will produce original reported narrative writing about conflict, which they may try to place for publication. Students should expect to write or revise an original piece most weeks of the semester.
This course cultivates useful skills for any writer, whether they plan to write about conflict as a journalist, advocate, aid worker, policy analyst, or other field. The instructor places a premium on critical thinking and clear writing; grades reflect participation, effort, clarity of thought, reporting initiative, and narrative craft.
This course introduces students to the diverse methodologies, actors, and outputs involved in human rights research and reporting. Students will examine how governments, international organizations, NGOs, and journalists approach documentation and advocacy, while developing skills in interviewing, document analysis, data collection, and report writing. The course emphasizes ethical considerations, sociocultural awareness, and gender sensitivity throughout the research and reporting process.
Through case studies, simulations, and guest speakers, students will explore the strategic use of human rights documentation in advancing justice and accountability. Assignments include analytical reflections, response papers, and a final research report tailored to one of the core reporting perspectives studied.
This course explores how human-centered design and innovation methods are used to drive public-sector change. Students will learn how to apply design tools to complex policy and service delivery challenges while also engaging with the ethical, philosophical, and institutional questions that shape civic innovation work. Weekly sessions follow the full arc of a design-based innovation project, from scoping and research to prototyping and implementation, paired with critical themes such as power, embodiment, ethics, and systems change.
Students will practice design methodologies, develop speculative future policy proposals, and refine storytelling skills for public impact. The course culminates in a PechaKucha presentation reflecting personal insights into innovation practice.
This course builds on the core Global Economic Environment curriculum to equip students with toolkits for applying open-economy macro frameworks to the analysis of the fundamental forces shaping economic turning points and the development of public-market trading strategies around them. Key concepts in global macro investing are delivered through a mix of interactive lectures, case-study discussions, and directed conversations with practitioners. The course is structured in three sections: (1) a review and extension of core macroeconomic principles, an annotated discussion of key macroeconomic indicators, a structured look at the principal features of major risk assets (i.e., equities, currencies, fixed income, and commodities), and the development of templates for global macro trading strategies and risk management; (2) case studies around recent, disruptive major global macro inflection points; and (3) the application of the course’s key learning objectives to the development of broad global macro trading strategies around prevailing macroeconomic conditions, special cases, and instances of asset mispricing. This course will provide introductory knowledge and skills for students wishing to pursue activities in markets-focused macroeconomic research and strategy, global tactical asset allocation, the application of macroeconomic overlays on a wide range of investment platforms, strategic planning, and policy development.
This course explores the evolving relationship between the private sector and human rights, with emphasis on legal frameworks, global standards, and practical approaches to corporate accountability. Students examine the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other key instruments that shape responsible business conduct across sectors.
Through case studies, role-playing exercises, and guest speakers, students analyze human rights risks and strategies in industries such as apparel, extractives, finance, and tech. Topics include human rights due diligence, corporate complicity, responsible disengagement, and litigation. The course equips students to assess business conduct, engage stakeholders, and advance rights-based accountability.
This course examines the underlying economics of successful business strategy: the strategic imperatives of competitive markets, the sources and dynamics of competitive advantage, managing competitive interactions, and the organizational implementation of business strategy.The course combines case discussion and analysis (approximately two thirds) with lectures (one third). The emphasis is on the ability to apply a small number of principles effectively and creatively, not the mastery of detailed aspects of the theory. Grading is based on class participation and online case quizzes (35%), two case write-ups (20%) and a final group paper (45%). The course offers excellent background for all consultants, managers and corporate finance generalists.
This course introduces students to the structure and strategy of international project finance in the energy sector, with emphasis on projects central to the global energy transition and LNG market expansion. Through real-world case studies and hands-on modeling exercises, students will analyze project risks, develop risk ratings, and assess cashflows to determine equity returns and lender credit metrics.
Topics include contract structuring, completion and market risk mitigation, the role of development finance institutions, renewable energy incentives, and evolving trends in merchant power and virtual PPAs. Students will examine investment drivers for energy infrastructure and gain a practical understanding of how project economics align with capital source expectations. The course concludes with student team presentations applying course concepts to real-world energy finance challenges.
Enrollment in this course is restricted to students who have officially declared the CEE concentration, as reflected in their Stellic profile. If space allows, enrollment may be extended to additional students at a later date.
This seminar explores the strategy and storytelling behind effective social impact campaigns. Through case studies on topics such as reproductive rights, racial justice, teen pregnancy, and climate change, students will examine why certain narratives succeed in shifting public opinion and policy. The course draws on theories of moral psychology, values-based messaging, and campaign strategy to analyze how leaders and organizations mobilize audiences, engage diverse stakeholders, and measure impact.
Students will study high-profile campaigns, meet with leading practitioners, and develop their own group-based social impact campaign project. Emphasis is placed on applying narrative frameworks to real-world advocacy, understanding audience motivations, and crafting media strategies across platforms.
This seven-week course considers the impact of housing policy on communities and neighborhoods across the United States. We will discuss how local, state, and federal decisions about what we build, where we build, who we build for, and how we pay for it has created the cities we live in today. The course will draw examples from small to large American cities and urban areas to examine the social, political, and economic forces that have shaped housing policy in the U.S. Given the time constraints, the course will focus on the American landscape; however, the material can be viewed through the prism of how government decisions impact the urban environment across the globe. Students are encouraged to share comparative perspectives of their own home cities and experiences in class discussions.
In May 2016, the UN Human Rights Council passed a highly contested resolution condemning discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and establishing the first-ever Independent Expert on these issues. The protracted debate surrounding the resolution underscored how lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) rights remain among the most contentious topics in international human rights, law, and public policy.
Disputes over LGBTI rights are often framed as a clash between ‘human rights’ and ‘traditional values,’ highlighting a central challenge in advancing LGBTI claims: how to assert universal principles based on identities that are historically contingent and culturally shaped.
This course examines how LGBTI rights intersect with broader debates in areas such as bilateral relations and good governance, while also addressing challenges including legal recognition of same-sex partnerships and transgender identities. It explores the political uses of anti-LGBTI sentiment and investigates how LGBTI rights become flashpoints for deeper societal and political divisions.
Students will reflect on the complexities of advancing LGBTI rights in transnational contexts, engage with current scholarly debates, and develop the tools to address LGBTI rights across academic and professional domains. Contemporary developments and breaking news will be integrated into course discussions and assignments.
Carbon pricing has become a central tool in global climate policy, with over 70 jurisdictions implementing carbon taxes or emissions trading systems that now cover more than one quarter of global emissions. This course explores how carbon markets and taxes are designed, reformed, and evaluated, using real-world case studies from Europe, the Americas, Asia, and beyond.
Students will engage with a structured, step-by-step framework for designing effective carbon pricing policies across sectors, including energy, transportation, industry, and land use. The course examines market-based mechanisms such as cap-and-trade, carbon taxes, and crediting programs, along with emerging policy innovations and debates around integrity and equity.
Topics include carbon border adjustments, voluntary markets, the role of carbon pricing in trade, investment, and corporate climate strategies, and the intersection of pricing with complementary policies. Students will assess existing policies, model policy impacts, and develop informed policy proposals.
Existing energy sources and the infrastructures that deliver them are undergoing a period of rapid change. Limits to growth, fluctuating raw material prices, and the emergence of new technologies contribute to heightened risk and opportunity in the energy sector. This course aims to establish a core energy skill set for students and prepare them for more advanced coursework by introducing a foundational language and toolset for analyzing energy issues.
Through both theoretical and practical approaches, students will examine how energy technologies are developed, financed, and deployed. The course highlights root drivers of change in the industry, emerging technologies, and the critical factors that influence their successful commercialization. Understanding these dynamics is also essential to designing effective energy policy aligned with broader social welfare goals.
By the end of the course, students will have a working knowledge of conventional and emerging forms of energy generation and delivery. They will also develop the analytical tools to assess which technologies may succeed, which may not, and what innovations may help drive further deployment.
Enrollment in this course is restricted to students who have officially declared the CEE concentration, as reflected in their Stellic profile. If space allows, enrollment may be extended to additional students at a later date.