Human Rights and the Politics of Inequal

Human Rights & Inequality

This course examines the intersection of human rights and economic inequality, exploring how political and economic governance influence access to rights and justice. Students will assess how human rights principles are integrated into economic policy frameworks, including trade, labor, development, and environmental regulation, and how these frameworks shape both public accountability and corporate responsibility.

Through case studies and policy analysis, the course introduces practical tools for advancing human rights in multilateral institutions, national governments, and private-sector operations. Topics include the role of grievance mechanisms tied to trade agreements and development finance, global supply chains, labor standards, and the impact of environmental policy on marginalized populations. Students will analyze pathways to embed human rights criteria into decision-making, and consider the limits and opportunities of current governance structures in addressing inequality.

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• 3 points

Rethinking Human Rights and Humanitarian

Rethinking Rights & Aid

This advanced seminar critically examines the evolving challenges, limitations, and potential of human rights and humanitarianism as frameworks for justice and global governance. Centering human rights discourse, the course invites students to examine foundational concepts such as universality, accountability, sovereignty, and identity, while addressing complex topics and challenging cases. Through case studies, normative debates, and applied advocacy tools, students explore the responsibilities of state and non-state actors, the contested definition of the “human” in rights claims, and strategies for persuasion, enforcement, and reform in both policy and practice. Course themes include: The political limits and promise of human rights in global and national contexts; Accountability gaps across governments, corporations, and armed groups; The status of refugees, displaced persons, and marginalized groups; Humanitarian dilemmas, transitional justice, and foreign policy advocacy; The rise and fall of doctrines such as Responsibility to Protect (R2P); and Pragmatism, realism, and human rights under states of exception.

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• Instructor: Andrew C Heinrich
  Info
• 3 points

Seminar in International Political Econo

Sem. Int'l Political Econ

This graduate seminar explores the politics of international economic relations, with a focus on contemporary issues in trade, finance, monetary policy, foreign investment, climate change, and globalization. Rather than surveying the entire field of international political economy (IPE), the course investigates selected topics in depth, emphasizing how interests, institutions, and interactions shape economic policy across borders.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• Instructor: Jeffry A Frieden
  Info
• 3 points

Military Technology Assessment

Technology is central to modern defense debates in the United States and globally. Its assessment underpins core functions across the defense policy and planning community, including budgeting, modernization, intelligence, campaign planning, force design, and program management. In the U.S., this work spans think tanks, Defense Department offices, Congressional and Service staffs, the intelligence community, and the defense industry. These assessments influence hundreds of billions in spending and carry life-and-death stakes in wartime.

The demand for analysts with the ability to assess military technology is high. Thousands perform or rely on this work, making it a critical and widely applicable skill for early- and mid-career professionals in the defense field.

This course prepares students for that work by introducing the fundamentals of military technology and its analysis in policymaking contexts. It does not assume prior technical background, nor is it an engineering course. Instead, it focuses on how technologies function and interact under design constraints, and how to assess their operational utility.

The course complements other SIPA security courses, especially
The Conduct of War
and
Methods for Defense Policy Analysis
. It does not cover broader strategic or policy debates, which are addressed elsewhere in the curriculum. While the course can stand alone, it is most useful when paired with related coursework.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Stephen Biddle
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Using Big Data to Develop Public Policy

Using Data for Policy Des

This applied course provides students with foundational skills to analyze and interpret publicly available datasets for public policy decision-making. Emphasizing hands-on learning, the course covers data sourcing, cleaning, research design, statistical analysis, and data visualization using Stata. Students will explore real-world challenges across topics such as poverty, education, housing, and public health, culminating in a data-based policy memo developed through collaborative group work.

• Department: Urban and Social Policy
• Instructor: Francesco Brindisi
  CULPA: 1 Info
• 3 points

Financial Markets and the Macroeconomy

Financial Mrkts & the Mac

This is a lecture course that is intended to help you understand the role that financial markets play in the business environment that you will face in the future. It also provides an understanding of the underlying institutions that either help financial markets work well or that interfere with the efficient performance of these markets. This course develops a series of applications of principles from finance and economics that explore the connection between financial markets and the economy. In addition, it will focus on many public policy issues and examine how the most important players in financial markets, central banks, operate and how monetary policy is conducted. The course will have a strong international orientation by examining monetary policy in many countries and possible reforms of the international financial system. We will also focus on current events reported in the financial press by devoting one class hour per day to an extensive class discussion of current economic events and will use the analytic frameworks developed in class help us to understand these developments.

• Department: Business Economics
• S 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
• Instructor: Frederic S Mishkin
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Energy and Power Financing Markets

Energy & Power Finance Ma

This course explores the financing structures that underpin the development and transformation of global energy and power markets. Students will examine how asset-based, project, and tax-driven financing mechanisms have evolved to meet the growing demands for conventional and clean energy, and how these tools can be leveraged to support the transition to a low-carbon economy. Through case studies and lectures, the course introduces the financial, regulatory, and policy frameworks that shape energy markets, with an emphasis on U.S. practices and instruments. Topics include reserve-based lending in oil and gas, project financing for power generation, Master Limited Partnerships in midstream infrastructure, and renewable energy finance strategies. Special focus is placed on aligning commercial viability with sustainable development objectives, addressing greenhouse gas emissions, and ensuring affordable access to energy. Students will develop applied skills in evaluating financing approaches, assessing project risks, and reconciling financial structures with physical energy system requirements.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• Instructor: Brooks James Klimley
  Info
• 3 points

Rethinking Policing in the 21st Century

Rethinking Policing-21st

This course examines modern policing in the United States through historical, legal, racial, and political lenses. Students will explore the evolution of policing practices and their implications for civil rights, public trust, and public safety. Key topics include police recruitment and training, disciplinary procedures, technology in law enforcement, use-of-force guidelines, and the impact of police unions. The course will evaluate the role of social movements, such as Black Lives Matter, in advancing reform and will analyze policy recommendations implemented in cities across the U.S. and abroad. Students will engage with current scholarship, government reports, and case studies to assess efforts to reimagine public safety, address systemic racism, and improve police-community relations. The course culminates in a policy-oriented final paper proposing actionable reform strategies.

• Department: Urban and Social Policy
• Instructor: Basil A Jr Smikle
  Info
• 3 points

Renewable Energy Project Finance Modelin

Renewable Energy Finance

This course provides a rigorous introduction to renewable energy project finance modeling, focusing on the concepts, structures, and financial mechanisms that underpin investment in renewable energy projects such as wind and solar. Through lectures, demonstrations, and guided analysis of actual project documents and contracts, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the key drivers of renewable energy economics and financing.

Students will examine debt structuring, cash flow analysis, revenue modeling, risk assessment, tax incentives, and the impact of policies such as the Inflation Reduction Act. The course emphasizes the development of best practices in financial modeling and the critical evaluation of project structures, with particular attention to the challenges and considerations unique to renewable energy assets.

Participants will learn to analyze project agreements, assess project risks, build robust financial models, and evaluate project viability from the perspective of developers, lenders, and investors. The curriculum integrates lectures on technical and contractual fundamentals, discussion of policy implications, and instruction on modeling techniques, culminating in the creation of a detailed project finance model.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• 3 points

Equity in American Public Education

Equity in Public Educatio

This course examines the challenges and opportunities in 21st-century public education policy, spanning from Pre-K to higher education, with a particular focus on issues of race, poverty, equity, and access in the post-COVID landscape and within the context of the 2024 U.S. election. Through a case-based, solutions-oriented approach, students examine the role of government, philanthropy, and other stakeholders in shaping public education outcomes. Guest speakers and readings support discussion of core questions about structural reform, historical legacies, college access, and global perspectives on education systems.

• Department: Urban and Social Policy
• Instructor: Lisa Belzberg
  Info
• 1.5 points

Human Rights, Gender, and Equity Simulat

HRGE Simulation

This simulation course is a short two-day course designed to enable participating students to weigh and apply human rights principles, best practices, and standards to simulated human rights emergencies. The simulation exercise challenges student participants with issues facing human rights practitioners when responding to human rights crises and provides practice operating within the human rights system and devising innovative solutions to complex challenges.  Participants will evaluate data reports, assess relevant human rights tools and mechanisms, and propose interventions.  The simulation will include a day of simultaneous exercises, followed by another day of debriefing, evaluation, and identification of key challenges and lessons.

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• 1.5 points

Economic Development for International A

This course introduces students to the economic analysis of development processes and policies in low- and middle-income countries. It examines foundational concepts in development economics, including poverty and inequality, human capital, economic growth, structural transformation, and sustainability. The course emphasizes both theoretical frameworks and empirical methods, providing students with analytical tools for assessing development policies and programs. Students will explore topics such as the measurement of development, macroeconomic policies, trade and industrialization, the environmental dimensions of poverty reduction, and the use of experiments and data analysis to inform policy decisions.

• Department: Development and Governance
• R 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• R 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• R 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• F 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Andrew Simons
  Info
• 3 points

Failures and Successes of Three Decades

Peacemaking: Lessons & Fa

This course examines three decades of international peacemaking efforts to assess what has been learned, and what has been unlearned, through major conflicts. Drawing on the instructor’s experience leading UN peacekeeping operations and conflict resolution initiatives, the course explores case studies from various regions, including Rwanda, Bosnia, Libya, Syria, Colombia, Ukraine, and Israel-Palestine. Students will analyze how geopolitical shifts, institutional capacities, and strategic choices have influenced outcomes. The course pays particular attention to the United Nations' involvement, the evolution of doctrines such as the Responsibility to Protect, and the role of external actors.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Jean-Marie Guehenno
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Corporate Finance

This course provides an introduction to corporate finance, focusing on how firms assess funding needs, evaluate investment opportunities, and select financing strategies. The course equips future policymakers and practitioners with core analytical tools in financial decision-making. Topics include working capital management, cost of capital, security valuation, capital structure, and free cash flow analysis. Emphasis is placed on applying financial concepts to real-world situations through case studies, quantitative problem sets, and hands-on modeling. Students will gain exposure to Excel-based analysis and decision-making under uncertainty. Prior coursework in accounting is required, and fluency in Excel is essential.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• T 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• T 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• F 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• F 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Deborah McLean
  Info
• 3 points

Topics in Corporate Finance

This course examines the real-world application of corporate finance across both developed and emerging markets. Drawing on the instructor’s 30 years of experience in global equity research, the course examines how investors value companies, how firms build and allocate capital, and how financial markets respond to corporate behavior and economic conditions.

Topics include capital structure, valuation techniques, investor activism, corporate governance, ESG considerations, asset bubbles, fraud detection, and private equity. Special sessions feature guest speakers from Wall Street and case-based discussions grounded in current market trends.

Students will gain practical exposure to forecasting, strategic financial analysis, and investor behavior through interactive lectures and assignments. Readings include both foundational finance texts and real-world case studies. 

Pre-reqs
: At least one prior finance course (IFEP IA7301 Corporate Finance is strongly recommended; IFEP IA7022 or IFEP IA7045 acceptable). A background in accounting (e.g., SIPA IA6200) and working knowledge of Excel are preferred.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• Instructor: Michael N Eastwood
  Info
• 3 points

Capital Markets & Investments

This course provides students with a rigorous foundation in capital markets and investments, emphasizing asset valuation from an applied perspective. It covers valuation techniques for financial securities, essential to portfolio management and risk management applications. Key topics include arbitrage, the term structure of interest rates, portfolio theory, diversification, equilibrium asset pricing models such as the CAPM, market efficiency and inefficiencies, performance evaluation, analysis of common pooled investment vehicles, behavioral finance, and tax-aware investment strategies. Through interactive activities, case studies, and simulations utilizing real-world market data, students will acquire analytical skills and foundational knowledge required for advanced finance courses and practical roles within the investment industry

• Department: Finance
• Instructor: Geert Bekaert
  CULPA: 1 Wikipedia h-index: 75 Info
• Instructor: Faculty
  h-index: 37 Info
• Instructor: Michael Johannes
  h-index: 21 Info
• 3 points

Primary Care for the FNP: Seminar

PC FOR THE FNP: SEM

This seminar course will assist the FNP students to integrate knowledge learned to develop clinical reasoning skills and medical decision making in the delivery of primary care to patients across the lifespan. The focus will be on the provision of evidence-based care in the assessment and treatment of individuals who present to primary care for acute and well encounters incorporating social determinants of health and health disparities.

• Department: Nursing
• Instructor: Maria Pizzirusso
  Info
• 1 points

Primary Care for the FNP: Practicum

PC FOR THE FNP: PRAC

The clinical practicum is designed to prepare the students to provide primary care across the lifespan focusing on health maintenance. The clinical experience will familiarize the student with age-appropriate physical, cognitive and emotional development, routine well and episodic care as well as identifying social determinants of health and health disparities in primary care.

• Department: Nursing
• 3 points

Climate Change, Rights, and Development

Climate, Rights & Develop

This interdisciplinary course examines the complex intersections of climate science, human rights, and sustainable development. Students will first explore the fundamentals of Earth’s climate systems and core human rights frameworks. The course then analyzes how global climate disruption intersects with social vulnerability, equity, and justice. Topics include the science of climate variability, international climate governance, climate change litigation, migration and displacement, adaptation strategies, and sector-specific impacts on food, health, and livelihoods. Special attention is given to the experiences of frontline communities and small island states, as well as to policy responses grounded in climate justice.

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• Instructor: Monica D Medina
  Info
• 3 points

Impact Investing: Essential Skills

Impact Investing: Skills

This experiential course prepares students for careers in the growing field of impact investing by building essential practical skills. Students will analyze real investments, assess both financial viability and impact potential, and simulate the due diligence and negotiation process from sourcing to term sheet. Through case studies, hands-on assignments, and team-based presentations, students will learn how to evaluate and structure impact investments. The course emphasizes applied tools used in the field and offers insight into pathways for careers in impact finance.

• Department: Tech Policy and Innovation
• 1.5 points

Economic Development in Latin America

Econ Dev in Latin America

This course examines the evolution of Latin American economies and their social impacts from independence to the present. Combining historical and contemporary perspectives, it reviews major development phases, including the export era, state-led industrialization, market reforms, and recent crises such as COVID-19. The course emphasizes comparative analysis of the region’s structural change, macroeconomic management, trade strategies, social policies, and debates over inequality. Students will analyze long-term economic trends and institutional legacies, assess policy frameworks, and explore challenges and opportunities for equitable and sustainable growth.

• Department: Development and Governance
• Instructor: Jose A Ocampo
  Wikipedia h-index: 77 Info
• 3 points

Race Policy and American Politics

Race & Politics in the U.

This course explores the complex and enduring relationship between race and American politics. Since the founding of the United States, political institutions have shaped evolving definitions of race, and racial inequality has remained a persistent feature of American society. As a result, race and politics remain inextricably linked.

The course examines how racial disparities—and efforts to address them—affect local, state, and national political dynamics. Drawing frequently on examples from New York City, students will analyze intergroup relations among Black, white, Latino, and Asian communities, as well as the causes and consequences of contemporary racial mobilization. The course will also address the influence of executive leadership, including the ongoing impact of the Trump administration’s rhetoric and policies on racial discourse and governance.

Students will begin with a historical overview of race as an organizing concept, then turn to contemporary themes such as inequality, governance, and the role of institutions in perpetuating or challenging systemic disparities. Topics include disenfranchisement, gentrification, civil rights, economic mobility, and spatial access.

The course engages a range of policy areas, including education, immigration, housing, health, elections, poverty, political representation, transportation, and criminal justice. These will be considered in relation to party politics, group identity, coalition building, and intergroup conflict, with attention to both change and continuity in the intersection of race and American public life.

Guiding questions include: What role does collective racial identity play in shaping policy demands? Should race-based policymaking continue at the local, national, or international level? What lessons can be drawn from coalition politics in New York City and beyond? And what does meaningful political change look like in the twenty-first century United States?

• Department: Urban and Social Policy
• Instructor: Christina M Greer
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

MERGERS & ACQUISITIONS

This course is designed to be an applications oriented course and will draw heavily upon real world change of control case studies. The course builds on the prior courses in corporate finance. The course will not introduce significantly new finance principles or analytical techniques other than those to which the student has been exposed to previously in the prerequisite introductory courses in finance at Columbia. The course will seek to apply basic finance principles and analytical techniques to actual problems likely to be encountered by senior management of major corporations or those who are the advisors to such management in the context of an M&A transaction. At the conclusion of the course, the student will have gained an appreciation for the role M&A plays on today's corporate landscape and have formed an opinion as to whether or not an M&A transaction makes sense" for the firm. The student should expect at the conclusion of this course to have gained a level of competency in M&A commensurate with an entry-level investment banking associate in M&A. Whether or not the student "practices" M&A, the course will afford the student with an insider's look into what is an undeniable major force on today's corporate landscape. Accordingly, students who are interested in investment banking, consulting, equity research, corporate development, corporate lending, strategic planning, private equity, leveraged finance, or proprietary trading many wish to consider this course."

• Department: Finance
• Instructor: Donna M Hitscherich
  Info
• 3 points

Race, Gender, and Political Change

Race, Gender & Politics

This course examines how the current racial and social justice awakening, at the intersection of race and gender—is reshaping American politics and policy. Through case studies and guest speakers, students will examine the impact of movements such as # MeToo and Black Lives Matter on voting rights, governance, and philanthropy. The course asks whether the United States has fulfilled its promise of representative government and considers how policymakers might address persistent systemic barriers to political power based on race and gender.

Students will analyze structural inequality and its effects across institutions, policies, and public discourse. Emphasis will be placed on actionable strategies to advance equity within inherently inequitable systems. The course is designed to equip emerging policy professionals with the tools to foster more inclusive leadership and effect lasting change.

• Department: Urban and Social Policy
• Instructor: Jeri E Powell
  Info
• 1.5 points

Artificial Intelligence and Climate Chan

AI and Climate Change

This advanced seminar examines the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The course explores how AI can reduce greenhouse gas emissions across key sectors such as power, manufacturing, and food systems, as well as the challenges posed by AI’s own energy use and carbon footprint. Students analyze opportunities and risks associated with deploying AI tools for climate action, including large language models and machine learning applications.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• 1.5 points

Social Value Investing: a Framework for

Cross-Sector Partnerships

Today’s leaders must confront increasingly complex challenges, from climate change to inequality, that demand innovative and collaborative approaches. This course introduces students to the Social Value Investing framework, a five-point management model developed at Columbia University to guide and evaluate cross-sector partnerships (CSPs). Drawing on decades of faculty research, students will examine how leaders across the public, private, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors have built effective alliances to address critical social and environmental problems.

Through a mix of theory, case studies, and applied tools, students will gain practical insights into the formation, governance, and performance measurement of CSPs. Emphasis will be placed on organizational design, leadership practices, and techniques for managing impact across sectoral boundaries. Weekly sessions will include lectures, group exercises, short videos, case-based discussions, and applied impact measurement activities.

Note: Students who have taken
Public Management Innovation
with Professors Buffett and Eimicke are not eligible to enroll.

• Department: Tech Policy and Innovation
• 3 points

Securing Full Economic and Political Cit

US Economic & Political R

This course explores how federal, state, and local policies shape access to full economic and political citizenship in the United States. Students will examine the role of public institutions, legislation, and informal influencers in shaping opportunities for historically marginalized communities. Drawing on case studies and core texts such as
The Persuaders
by Anand Giridharadas, the course considers the relationship between economic self-sufficiency and civic participation. Topics include federal disaster response, social benefit structures, voting rights, and the role of modern-day persuaders in policy discourse. Through discussion and applied assignments, students will analyze policy frameworks and propose actionable strategies to expand civic and economic inclusion.

• Department: Urban and Social Policy
• Instructor: Verna Eggleston
  Info
• 1.5 points

Electricity Markets

This course examines the evolution and future of electricity markets worldwide in the context of liberalization, decarbonization, and technological change. As clean energy costs decline and electrification accelerates, the power sector faces increasing pressure to deliver reliable, affordable, and low-emission electricity. The course provides an interdisciplinary perspective on the structure and operation of electricity markets, exploring regulated and competitive models across advanced and emerging economies. Students will analyze how policy frameworks, regulatory structures, and market incentives shape investment, pricing, and dispatch decisions.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• Instructor: A.J. Goulding
  Info
• 3 points

Advanced Economic Development for Intern

Pre-requisites:
A calculus-based micro-economics course (SIPA IA6400) or equivalent. This is an advanced course in development economics, designed for SIPA students interested in rigorous, applied training. Coursework includes extensive empirical exercises, requiring programming in Stata. The treatment of theoretical models presumes knowledge of calculus. Topics include: the economics of growth; the relationship between growth and poverty and inequality; rural-urban migration; the interaction between agrarian institutions in land, labor, credit, and insurance markets; prisoner’s dilemmas and the environment; and policy debates around development strategies. Recurrent themes: Are markets efficient, and if not, in what specific ways are they inefficient? What are the forces driving development and underdevelopment? What are the causal links between poverty and inequality and economic performance? What is the role of interventions by states or civil organizations in bringing about development? The course will integrate theoretical ideas and empirical analysis, with an emphasis on questions relevant for economic policy.

• Department: Development and Governance
• Instructor: Eric A Verhoogen
  Info
• 3 points

Advanced Economic Development for Intern

Pre-requisites:
A calculus-based micro-economics course (SIPA IA6400) or equivalent. This is an advanced course in development economics, designed for SIPA students interested in rigorous, applied training. Coursework includes extensive empirical exercises, requiring programming in Stata. The treatment of theoretical models presumes knowledge of calculus. Topics include: the economics of growth; the relationship between growth and poverty and inequality; rural-urban migration; the interaction between agrarian institutions in land, labor, credit, and insurance markets; prisoner’s dilemmas and the environment; and policy debates around development strategies. Recurrent themes: Are markets efficient, and if not, in what specific ways are they inefficient? What are the forces driving development and underdevelopment? What are the causal links between poverty and inequality and economic performance? What is the role of interventions by states or civil organizations in bringing about development? The course will integrate theoretical ideas and empirical analysis, with an emphasis on questions relevant for economic policy.

• Department: Development and Governance
• Instructor: Eric A Verhoogen
  Info
• 3 points

Gender and International Security

Gender & Int'l Security

Gender has important implications for international security policy. Gender bias can influence policy choices, distort understandings of military capability—especially among nonstate armed groups with women combatants—and aggravate the causes of war. It can increase internal and interstate violence in settings where women are mistreated or where sex imbalances create instability. Gender also shapes how individuals experience wars and disasters, as existing inequalities are often intensified. Bias can discourage women from pursuing careers in security policy, limiting states’ access to a full range of talent.

The intersection of gender and security has been formally recognized since the 2000 passage of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security (WPS). International organizations such as NATO have developed WPS policies, and the United States passed the Women, Peace, and Security Act in 2017 to integrate gender into the work of the State and Defense Departments.

This course offers a sustained exploration of how gender identities and related power dynamics influence international and internal conflict, as well as security policy. Through case studies and examples, students will learn to conduct gender analyses and apply these skills through research, writing, and presentations. The course is structured as a discussion-based seminar to support collaborative learning.

The course begins by defining gender and international security and examining why these concepts are difficult to define. Later sessions address the intersection of gender with other identity factors, explore how security institutions are gendered, and consider how to create gender-responsive policies. The course concludes by analyzing gendered strategies in conflict and state responses to conflict.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Phoebe Donnelly
  Info
• 3 points

Cost-Benefit Analysis

This course provides an applied introduction to cost-benefit analysis (CBA) as a tool for evaluating public policies. Students will learn how to interpret and produce CBAs through lectures, problem sets, and real-world case studies focused on environmental, financial, agricultural, and transportation policies. Emphasis is placed on CBAs conducted by government agencies, including critical review of regulatory analyses and formulation of public comments.

Through individual and group assignments, students will gain hands-on experience constructing spreadsheet models, estimating impacts, applying discounting techniques, and performing sensitivity analyses. The course culminates in a student-led cost-benefit analysis project and the submission of formal comments on a government regulation.

Prerequisites:
SIPA IA6350 or SIPA IA6400 (Microeconomic Analysis) or equivalent. Familiarity with Excel is expected.

• Department: Tech Policy and Innovation
• Instructor: Jeffrey G Jr Shrader
  Info
• 3 points

Strategic Equity Finance

The name of the course, Strategic Equity Finance, was chosen because Equity is where Strategy meets Finance. The course is case-driven with the objective of putting students in the "decision-maker's seat" in a variety of strategic situations - whether to go public (or not); deciding to acquire or divest businesses; dealing with financial crises - either, market-driven or self-imposed - where a company may potentially use equity. Through the course, students, who want to go into corporate (or private equity/VC) strategic financing roles, will learn how/why to use equity strategically; and students, who want to go into banking or consulting, will learn tools that will help them advising companies and private equity/VC firms.

• Department: Finance
• Instructor: David Erickson
  Info
• 1.5 points

Energy Transition in Europe

This course explores the opportunities and challenges presented by Europe’s efforts to lead the global transition to net-zero greenhouse gas energy systems. Centered on the European Union and its member states, the course also considers key geopolitical developments shaping the region’s energy future, including the war in Ukraine, transatlantic relations, and trade tensions with China.

Students will examine how climate goals intersect with energy security, affordability, and political feasibility. The course covers policy design, institutional dynamics, and market responses across power generation, transportation, and industrial energy systems. Topics include energy storage, electrification, decarbonization of hard-to-abate sectors, and the integration of renewables into power grids.

Through case studies and discussion, students will assess how EU energy and climate policies translate into real-economy investment and innovation. The course emphasizes critical engagement with required readings, active participation, and an understanding of the political and economic factors that shape Europe's transition agenda.

This intensive seven-week course is recommended for students already familiar with energy transition issues.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• 1.5 points

Energy Decarbonization

This course examines the pathways, technologies, and policies for transitioning energy systems from fossil fuels to low-carbon alternatives. Energy systems underpin modern economies and human well-being but remain the primary driver of climate change. The course introduces the scientific, economic, and political foundations of energy decarbonization and surveys the barriers to reducing emissions across major sectors, including power, transportation, buildings, and industry.

Students will engage with case studies, debates, and guest lectures to explore topics such as carbon pricing, innovation policy, equity considerations, and decarbonization in emerging economies. The course integrates perspectives from international climate negotiations and country-specific approaches, with a focus on U.S. policy design and implementation.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• Instructor: Noah Kaufman
  Info
• 3 points

Innovations in Development Finance

Innovations-Development F

The aspirations outlined in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development are in jeopardy as the world faces cascading and interrelated global crises and conflicts. It has become increasingly apparent that traditional funding modalities are falling tragically short to meet the financing requirements in addressing the SDGs - currently estimated to be around US$4.2 trillion per year. Hence, there is an urgent need to leverage alternative and innovative sources for financing development initiatives.

This course will explore the intersection of development finance, strategy, and policy. It will examine the landscape of traditional development financing, provide an overview of the various innovative development financing mechanisms, and reflect on the process to design them. The course will be highly interactive, involving six classes taking place over three weekends. It will have leading experts as guest speakers, and practical activities including an individual opinion piece, a group project and presentation, and a simulation exercise on partnership building.The course objectives include: (1) examining tradition and innovative approaches to financing of development initiatives and their relevant advantages and disadvantages; (2) reflecting on the process of designing innovative financing mechanisms and (3) developing practical skills necessary such as, writing clearly and persuasively for different audiences, developing proposals for innovative financing, and building partnerships with diverse stakeholders.

• Department: Development and Governance
• Instructor: Radha S Kulkarni
  Info
• 1.5 points

Applied Value Investing

While the professors background is investing, this course is to a great extent a study of the elements that make a business great. As a result this class provides a sound intellectual framework to think about business in general, and as such it is equally appropriate for students who will work for a great business, build a great business, or invest.COURSE DETAILS: Value Investing is simply the purchase of any asset at a price that is significantly less than its true value. To learn how to do that when investing in common stocks, Warren Buffet has said investment students need to study two things: How to value a business. How to think about market prices. Through practical work as business analysts, the students in this class will primarily learn and intensely practice the skills and framework necessary to understand (and therefore value) a business.The professor has historically found the most value by investing in great (or future great) businesses. As a result, A SIGNIFICANT part of the course will be spent on: Detailed study of what makes a great business, and how to identify/build great (or future great) businesses Realization that to accomplish anything great", it is enormously helpful to identify, understand and align yourself with certain "truths" (For example the necessity of a broad understanding of people, group dynamics, the importance of independent thinking, basic probability, basic finance and accounting, EVA, the implications of proper focus, etc., etc.)."

• Department: Finance
• Instructor: Ehsan Ehsani
  Info
• 3 points

Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise Deve

MSME Development

This course introduces the role of micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in driving inclusive economic growth in developing economies. Students will examine the evolution of MSME development approaches, including value chain and market systems development, microfinance, business services, and private-sector engagement strategies. The course emphasizes practical tools such as value chain assessment and intervention design, along with critical analysis of evidence supporting different MSME development frameworks. Topics include financial services, the business enabling environment, inclusion, and the interaction of MSMEs with broader market, social, and ecological systems. Students will gain hands-on experience applying systems thinking, adaptive management practices, and data-driven approaches to evaluate and improve MSME-focused programs and policies.

• Department: Development and Governance
• Instructor: Daniel Langfitt
  Info
• 3 points

History for Future Policymakers

This course examines the uses and misuses of historical analysis in policymaking and strategic thinking. Although leaders often invoke historical analogies, they tend to rely on a limited set of familiar episodes. Students will explore the value and limitations of using history to inform decisions about present and future challenges. The course introduces key tools of historical reasoning, including concepts such as continuity and change, contingency, human agency, and structural constraint. Students will also consider the risks of overreliance on analogy or using history to support predetermined conclusions. The goal is to deepen understanding of frequently cited historical examples while encouraging more original and critical approaches to thinking about the future.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Sarah C Kovner
  Info
• 3 points

Universal Food Security

This course addresses the challenges and opportunities for achieving a productive, profitable, inclusive, healthy, sustainable, resilient, and ethical global food system. Our first class will provide a brief historical perspective of the global food system, highlighting relevant developments over the past 10,000 years and will explain key concepts, critical challenges, and opportunities ahead. For the ensuing few weeks, we will cover the core biophysical requirements for food production: soil and land, water and climate, and genetic resources. We include an introduction to human nutrition – 
Nutrition Week
 – that focuses on dietary change and food-based solutions to malnutrition. Building on this, the course will survey a selection of important food systems and trends across Asia, Africa, and Latin America that provide food security and livelihoods for more than half of the world’s population. Case studies and classroom debates throughout the course will explore the roles of science, technology, policies, politics, institutions, business, finance, aid, trade, and human behavior in advancing sustainable agriculture, and achieving food and nutritional security. We will probe the interactions of food systems with global issues including poverty and inequality, the persistence of chronic hunger and malnutrition, climate change, environmental degradation, international food business and value chains, biotechnology (GMOs), post-harvest losses, and food waste. With a sharp eye for credible evidence, we will confront controversies, reflect on historical trends, identify common myths, and surface little-known but important truths about agriculture and food systems. In our final sessions, we address the ultimate question: can we feed and nourish the world without wrecking it for future generations?

• Department: MPA-DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE
• TR 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Glenn Denning
  h-index: 14 Info
• 3 points

Foreign Exchange Markets Theory and Prac

This course provides an in-depth examination of the foreign exchange (FX) market—the largest and most liquid financial market in the world. Students will explore the structure of the FX market, key market participants, and trading conventions. Through a combination of theory, practical tools, and analysis of current market developments, the course offers insights into how currencies are traded, valued, and influenced by macroeconomic policy and geopolitical trends.

Topics include currency movements and valuation, FX market structure, trading practices, U.S. dollar dominance, FX intervention by central banks, and reserve management strategies. Guest speakers from both the public and private sectors will provide professional perspectives, and students will engage in topical discussions linking theory to real-world events.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• 1.5 points

Campaign Management

This hands-on, skills-based course trains students to plan, manage, and execute the key elements of a modern American political campaign. Students learn the fundamentals of campaign management, including research, targeting, message development, fundraising, media strategy, digital engagement, crisis communications, and voter outreach. Through simulations and guest lectures by campaign professionals, students gain real-world insights and practical competencies in managing electoral campaigns at all levels.

A central component of the course is a team-based mock campaign project, in which each student assumes a specific campaign role, such as campaign manager, field director, press secretary, or pollster—and contributes to the final campaign plan. Teams respond to real-time political developments and present their final plans to a panel of experts.

By semester’s end, students will have developed a professional-grade campaign plan and acquired the tools to enter the field of political campaigning with confidence and applied knowledge.

• Department: Urban and Social Policy
• 3 points

The UN Development System in Action: Gov

UN Development System Wor

This course examines the United Nations Development System (UNDS) as the world’s most prominent multilateral development actor. Students will explore the governance and funding structures of over 35 UN agencies, programs, and funds, and analyze how they collaborate to achieve country-level results. Topics include joint responses to global crises, UNDS reforms, SDG financing, and partnerships with governments, donors, civil society, and the private sector. Drawing on real-world case studies and practitioner insights, the course emphasizes practical competencies in multilateral development cooperation.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Gulden Turkoz-Cosslett
  Info
• 1.5 points

United Nations and Globalization

United Nations & Globaliz

United Nations and Globalization
introduces the various ways in which the United Nations affect global governance. Over the last decade, every aspect of global governance has become subjected to review and debate: peacekeeping and peacebuilding, the future of humanitarianism, a new climate change architecture, human rights, a new sustainable development agenda, and the need for a new understanding of multilateralism.

Part 1
of this course introduces the different actors, entities, and platforms through which the UN affects global governance. It creates the conceptual foundations for the role of international organizations in today’s multiplex world. It sheds light on how the UN acts at various levels, in different forms and with a varied set of partners to foster global public goods and global public policy. This includes discussions on the role of international law, goal setting, and frameworks, as well as the interlinkages between global-level interventions and regional, national, and local activities and outcomes.

Part 2
applies the conceptual insights to specific issue areas. Discussions on global governance mechanisms in the areas of peace and security, humanitarian action, sustainable development, climate change, human rights, gender, migration, global health, and COVID-19 deepen the understanding of the role the UN plays in global governance regimes more broadly.

In addition to critical scholarship on international organizations and global governance, the course relies on students’ analysis of relevant proceedings and debates at the UN, original policy documents, as well as expert testimony from a range of guest speakers, who share their extensive first-hand observations as actors of global governance processes. By these means,
United Nations and Globalization
offers insights into the processes, challenges, and impacts of UN activities to make global governance regimes stronger, more effective, and hold actors more accountable.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Daniel Naujoks
  Info
• 3 points

Risk Management for UN Crisis and Post-c

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of risk management in crisis and conflict settings, with a focus on the United Nations’ efforts to deliver on mandates in complex environments. Drawing on UN doctrine and international standards such as ISO 31000, the course emphasizes practical skills and real-world applications across the UN’s peace and security, development, human rights, and humanitarian pillars. Students will engage with case studies, guest speakers, and group simulations, culminating in the development of a comprehensive risk assessment for a selected UN mandate. Topics include security risk management, access and protection, strategic communications, human rights, program and partner risks, political engagement, civil affairs, DDR, and mission transitions.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Marc Jacquand
  Info
• 3 points

Ocean Policy, Sustainable Development an

Sustainable Ocean Policy

Oceans are critical to life on Earth. They supply more than half of the oxygen we breathe, regulate our climate, and connect peoples and continents.

The class will provide an overview of the most contentious and vexing issues and challenges regarding the ocean that are facing policy makers in the U.S. and across the globe today, and will examine their implications for global security and sustainable development of ocean resources.

The class will discuss policy, international institutions, governance models, scientific and economic issues, and potential solutions.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• Instructor: Monica D Medina
  Info
• 3 points

Asian Energy Security

This course surveys the distinctive character of Asian energy security requirements, how they are changing over time, what political-economic forces are driving their transformation and what those requirements imply for broader economic and political-military relationships between Asia and the world. It gives specials attention to Asia’s energy dependence on the Middle East and the extent to which Russia and alternative sources, including nuclear power, provide a feasible and acceptable alternative. Cross-national comparisons among the energy security policies of China, India, Japan, Korea, and Western paradigms are used to explore distinctive features of Asian approaches to energy security.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• Instructor: Zoe Liu
  Info
• 3 points

Women s Economic Security

Women's Economic Security

This class will introduce students to the main causes contributing to women’s economic insecurity in the United States and around the world, including discriminatory laws and norms, gaps in care infrastructures, occupational segregation, harassment and gender-based violence, and barriers to accessing capital, along with the growing body of global policies and laws aimed at promoting women’s full and equal economic participation.

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• 3 points

Women and Leadership: Designing Policy f

Women, Leadership & Polic

This course examines how public policy can support the advancement of women in leadership roles across sectors. Despite increased global attention, women continue to be underrepresented in senior leadership positions, and progress toward achieving gender equity remains slow. Through a combination of readings, class discussions, guest speakers, and applied policy analysis, students will explore the structural and cultural barriers to women’s leadership and design policy solutions to address them. Topics include gender norms, discrimination and harassment, workplace equity, and mandates such as Title IX and corporate board quotas.

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• Instructor: Jeri E Powell
  Info
• 1.5 points

Gender, Conflict, and Peacebuilding

Gender, Conflict & Peaceb

This intensive seminar explores the evolving field of gender, conflict, and peacebuilding, with a focus on the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda initiated by UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Now supported by a suite of resolutions and national action plans, the WPS framework has reshaped the global policy landscape by highlighting women’s contributions to peace and the need for gender-responsive approaches to security. Through lectures, group exercises, and interactive discussions, students will examine the historical, geopolitical, and policy contexts that gave rise to this agenda, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing its implementation in current conflict zones.

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• 1.5 points

Real Estate as an Asset and a

NOTE: YOU SHOULD NOT ENROLL IN THIS COURSE IF YOU HAVE TAKEN OR PLAN ON TAKING REAL ESTATE FINANCE (B7331)
The goal of this course is to make you knowledgeable and conversant about the principles of real
estate, with many changes as the world has adjusted to the new circumstances of COVID-19. As both a physical asset and an investment asset with a defined location in space, real estate is strikingly different from other asset classes. Real estate forms part of the alternative investment asset class and institutional investors invest a substantial part of their portfolio in real estate. We will look at the investors in real estate and the investment management firms and how they are investing
internationally. We will give an overview of investing in all major commercial property types: office,
logistics, retail, hotels, and residential, niche sectors like senior housing and student housing, and the purchase of a home and consider how these are changing to a quickly evolving world. The goal is to give an overview of the international real estate market and provide you with the tool set to identify investment opportunities globally, certainly for investing but also to find a place to live and figure out how to work.

• Department: Finance
• MTWRU 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• 3 points

The Economics of Energy

This course is an introduction to the economics of energy markets. We will study the main sources of inefficiencies in energy markets—market power and externalities—and their implications for policymaking. We will cover, for example, how oil and natural gas prices are determined globally, deregulation and market power in electricity markets, and policy responses such as carbon permit trading.

We will also discuss recent challenges faced by policymakers in energy markets, such as the incorporation of renewables, transmission, transport, and the broader energy transition to net zero.

Students will work in groups to deliver a project and presentation focusing on a real-world energy policy question of their choice. The objective of the group project is to provide hands-on experience in energy policy analysis using the main economic concepts discussed in the class.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• T 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• T 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• W 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• R 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Robert Metcalfe
  Info
• 3 points

Quantitative Methods in Program Evaluati

Quant Methods-Program Eva

Pre-req: SIPA IA6501 - Quant II. 
The goal of this course is to provide students with a basic knowledge of how to perform some more advanced statistical methods useful in answering policy questions using observational or experimental data. It will also allow them to more critically review research published that claims to answer causal policy questions. The primary focus is on the challenge of answering causal questions that take the form “Did A cause B?” using data that do not conform to a perfectly controlled randomized study. Examples from real policy studies and quantitative program evaluations will be used throughout the course to illustrate key ideas and methods.

First, we will explore how best to design a study to answer causal questions given the logistical and ethical constraints that exist. We will consider both experimental and quasi-experimental (observational studies) research designs, and then discuss several approaches to drawing causal inferences from observational studies including propensity score matching, interrupted time series designs, instrumental variables, difference in differences, fixed effects models, and regression discontinuity designs.

As this course will focus on quantitative methods, a strong understanding of multivariate regression analysis is a prerequisite for the material covered. Students must have taken two semesters of statistics (IA6500 & IA6501 or the equivalent) and have a good working knowledge of STATA.

• Department: Data Science for Policy
• Instructor: Alan S Yang
  CULPA: 5 Info
• 3 points

Sovereign Debt and Power Dynamics

Sovereign Debt & Power

This course explores the economics and politics of sovereign debt, focusing on the sustainability of public borrowing and the power dynamics shaping debt resolution processes. Students will analyze how debt decisions are made under uncertainty and examine the implications for domestic economies and the global financial system. The course is divided into two parts: the first covers the structure of sovereign debt, market incentives, and macroeconomic linkages; the second examines sovereign debt crises, including restructuring processes, negotiation challenges, and the roles of key institutions such as the IMF. Case studies—including Argentina, Greece, Puerto Rico, and ongoing restructurings in developing economies—provide practical insight. The course is designed for students interested in policymaking, international finance, or advanced academic work in this field.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• Instructor: Martin Guzman
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Basics of Cybersecurity

The purpose of this half-semester course is to familiarize students with how the Internet and cybersecurity works; to provide a foundation of knowledge for later courses; and to familiarize students with the devices, protocols, and functions of computers, the Internet, industrial control systems, and cybersecurity. This course is not intended to be a computer science course, but to provide the students with the lexicon of cyberspace and the understanding of how hardware, software, and networks fit together to create the Internet experience. We will also illuminate some essential and current cybersecurity policy topics, including privacy and risks of emerging technology.

It is a broader course meant to complement Cyber Risks and Vulnerabilities and other coursework throughout SIPA.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Ian W Gray
  Info
• 1.5 points

Foundations of Cyber Conflict

This course explores the strategic, policy, and institutional dimensions of cyber conflict. It focuses on the national security implications of cyber threats and responses, rather than the technical mechanics of cyberspace. Students will examine how cyber operations unfold at both tactical and strategic levels, assess the comparison of cyber power to other domains of conflict, and trace the development of U.S. cyber policy and organizational structures. There are no prerequisites, though students without prior exposure to cybersecurity are encouraged to complete the assigned foundational readings before the first class or take a 1.5-credit introductory course.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Jason Healey
  Wikipedia h-index: 15 Info
• 3 points

Cyberspace in Modern Warfare

This course examines the evolving role of cyberspace in modern warfare. Since the emergence of the Internet, scholars and policymakers have debated whether cyber capabilities represent a fundamental shift in the nature of conflict or a complement to conventional military power. Students will engage key conceptual debates about cyber conflict, assess how major powers including the United States, Israel, Russia, and China develop and employ cyber capabilities, and consider whether cyber operations should be viewed as a distinct strategic domain. The course also explores the future of cyber warfare, including the role of non-state actors and the integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and space-based systems. Through case studies and policy analysis, students will develop a framework for understanding how cyber strategy is shaped and executed in theory and practice.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Erica D Lonergan
  Info
• 3 points

Cyber Risks and Vulnerabilities

The purpose of this course is to familiarize SIPA students with the function of the internet while focusing on the flaws and vulnerabilities that can be exploited in attacks or impact user privacy.  This course will approach each session in the following manner: discussion of recent cyber events, discussion topic(s) to be covered, and the ramifications when used in the real world.

This course is intended to build on the Basics of Cybersecurity with a tighter focus on specific vulnerabilities and information transmission and how these can be exploited by hackers, criminals, spies, militaries, or business interests.

This course is intended to be an introduction to cyber risk and vulnerabilities and is thus suitable for complete newcomers to the area. It is a big field, with a lot to cover; however, this should get students familiar with all of the basics.  The class is divided into weekly topics; the first five iteratively build on each other, and the others either addressing recent technologies or hosting relevant guest speakers.

Many cyber jobs are opening up with companies that need international affairs analysts who, while not cybersecurity experts, understand the topic well enough to write policy recommendations or intelligence briefs.  Even if you don’t intend your career to focus on cyber issues, having some exposure will deepen your understanding of the dynamics of many other international, privacy, and public policy issues.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Elizabeth Cartier
  Info
• 1.5 points

Cybersecurity and Business Risk

Cybersecurity & Business

This course introduces cybersecurity as a business risk, emphasizing its impact beyond IT and into areas such as regulation, governance, finance, and reputation. Students explore core concepts in cybersecurity, risk management frameworks, and the evolving threat landscape. The course examines how leading organizations assess, quantify, and address cyber risk through strategies such as risk mitigation, transfer, and resilience. Topics include incident response, supply chain vulnerabilities, regulatory compliance, critical infrastructure, and cyber conflict. Through policy memos and a group-designed risk taxonomy, students build practical tools for evaluating and managing cyber threats in public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• 3 points

Data Analysis for Policy Research Using

Data for Policy Research

This course develops the skills necessary to prepare, analyze, and present data for policy analysis and program evaluation using R. Building on the foundations from Quant I and II—probability, statistics, regression analysis, and causal inference—this course emphasizes the practical application of microeconometric methods to real-world policy questions. (Note: macroeconomic topics and forecasting methods are not covered.)

The central objective is to train students to be effective analysts and policy researchers. Key questions include: Given the available data, what analysis best informs the policy question? How should we design research, prepare data, and implement statistical methods using R? How can we assess causal effects of policies rather than mere correlations? What ethical considerations arise when working with data on marginalized populations?

Students will learn through hands-on analysis of datasets tied to a range of policy issues, including: caste-based expenditure gaps in India, racial disparities in NYPD fare evasion enforcement, water shutoffs in Detroit, Village Fund grants in Indonesia, public health insurance and child mortality, and Stand Your Ground laws and gun violence. The course culminates in a student-led project on a policy topic of their choosing.

• Department: Data Science for Policy
• Instructor: Harold B Stolper
  Info
• 3 points

Cyberspace in Strategy and Grand Strateg

Cyberspace & Grand Strate

This course examines the role of cyberspace in national strategy and grand strategy, with a primary focus on the United States and select comparative cases. As the United States shifts from counterterrorism and counterinsurgency toward renewed great power competition, questions about the utility of force, alliance structures, economic statecraft, and international institutions are increasingly framed by strategic thinking. Although cyberspace influences nearly all instruments of national power, its role in debates about grand strategy remains underexplored. This course addresses that gap by evaluating how traditional concepts of strategy and grand strategy apply in the digital domain. Students will assess how cyberspace shapes the formulation and execution of strategy through military operations, diplomacy, intelligence, and economic tools.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Erica D Lonergan
  Info
• 3 points

Education in Humanitarian Emergencies

Education in Emergencies

This course examines the role of education as a critical component of humanitarian response. Students will explore the legal frameworks, minimum standards, coordination mechanisms, and funding models that underpin education in emergencies. The course analyzes how conflict and disasters disrupt learning, and how education contributes to protection, psychosocial wellbeing, and resilience. Special attention is given to issues of gender, disability inclusion, and emerging challenges such as climate change. Through readings, discussion, and research, students will gain practical and theoretical insights into designing effective education interventions in crisis-affected settings.

• Department: Development and Governance
• 3 points

The Tenets and Dilemmas of Humanitarian

Humanitarian Action Dilem

This course introduces students to the foundations, actors, and debates that shape modern humanitarian action. Students will examine the history and evolution of humanitarianism, the development of international legal and normative frameworks, and the operational principles guiding humanitarian response. Through case studies and thematic discussions, the course explores the challenges of delivering aid in complex emergencies, including issues of coordination, protection, access, politicization, and accountability.

Attention will be given to ethical dilemmas, the humanitarian-development-peace nexus, the rise of localization, and calls for decolonizing aid. Students will engage critically with core questions: How does humanitarian action intersect with power, politics, and security? Are established norms fit for purpose in today’s crises? The course combines lectures, debates, and independent research to prepare students to assess and navigate the evolving landscape of humanitarian response.

• Department: Development and Governance
• Instructor: Laura Perez
  Info
• 3 points

Theory and Practice of Financial Regulat

Financial Regulation Theo

This course examines the theory, design, and implementation of financial regulation. Students will explore the rationale for regulatory oversight in financial systems, focusing on the challenges of liquidity and solvency risk, information asymmetries, market failures, and systemic vulnerabilities. The course considers both regulation, meaning rules grounded in law, and supervision, referring to oversight practices that enforce those rules.

Through case studies and recent financial failures such as FTX and Silicon Valley Bank, students will consider how regulatory frameworks have evolved over time, largely in response to crises and scandals. The course emphasizes the complexity of balancing regulatory objectives, managing trade-offs between credibility and flexibility, and understanding how regulatory design affects the behavior and incentives of financial market participants.

Topics include capital and liquidity requirements, stress testing, internal governance, the role of market discipline, regulatory responses across financial subsectors, the growth of shadow banking, and developments in macroprudential supervision. Students will also examine the limitations and unintended consequences of regulatory interventions.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• Instructor: Christine Cumming
  Info
• 3 points

Family Systems Across the Lifespan

FAM SYSTEMS ACROSS LIFESP

This course will present Family Systems Theory as it applies to families across the lifespan. It will apply the concepts of Family Systems Theory to the understanding and assessment of the family life cycle from a multi-generation and multi-cultural perspective. The conceptual framework will assist the clinician in the provision of family-centered primary care.

• Department: Nursing
• Instructor: Patricia Ryan
  Info
• 1 points

Managing Humanitarian Emergencies

According to the 2025 Global Humanitarian Overview, humanitarian partners are appealing for over US$47 billion to assist nearly 190 million people facing life-threatening and urgent needs across 72 countries. These staggering numbers are fueled by drivers such as conflicts and political instability, climate change, disease outbreaks, poverty, and natural hazards. Together, these drivers have deepened pre-existing vulnerabilities, resulting in unprecedented need. They have also prompted humanitarians to address the accountability challenges and inequities deeply seated within the aid system.

Humanitarian agencies strive to meet rising needs, but the task that confronts them is immense. 
Funding
 for humanitarian responses is not keeping pace with requirements: although donors contribute more, the amounts are not commensurate with needs. Beyond financing, donor policies and politics challenge agencies' ability to deliver. The safety and security of aid workers is increasingly under threat.

This course focuses on the management of humanitarian operations and intends to provide students with the opportunity to explore critical issues in the humanitarian system. It helps students understand debates in the humanitarian system, develop a framework of analysis they can use in headquarters and the field, and acquire a toolkit to help them succeed as aid workers. This practical course will interest those wishing to work with an aid agency, directly or indirectly with disaster-affected populations, or those who want to better understand the system and the opportunities and challenges that humanitarians face.

• Department: Development and Governance
• Instructor: Pierrette Quintiliani
  Info
• 3 points

Humanitarian Crisis Simulation

This short course is designed to enable participating students to weigh and apply humanitarian principles, concepts, best practices, and minimum standards to a simulated humanitarian emergency response. The simulation exercise challenges student participants with issues and dilemmas confronting humanitarian practitioners when responding to a complex emergency, and inspires them to work within the humanitarian system and architecture to solve problems in creative ways

In their roles as staff of humanitarian response agencies charged with responding to a large-scale crisis, student participants will analyze a dynamic stream of assessment data, prioritize key humanitarian needs, and make critical decisions about the appropriate type and scale of needed interventions. Participants will also be introduced to the importance and mechanisms of international humanitarian coordination in assembling the response. 

The simulation will include a day-long exercise followed by a day of debriefing, analysis, and identification of key challenges and lessons. The Humanitarian Crisis Simulation focuses on humanitarian operations from the perspective of humanitarian assistance agencies operating in the field. The course should, therefore, be of interest to those wishing to work with humanitarian agencies responsible for planning and conducting responses to vulnerable populations affected by disaster, or to those who want to better understand the humanitarian assistance system and the challenges confronting humanitarian decision-makers.

• Department: Development and Governance
• Instructor: Jeffrey Klenk
  Info
• 1 points

Development Practitioner's Lab (DP-Lab)

DP-Lab I

Development Practitioner's Lab I (DP-Lab I)
is a required course for MPA-DP students in their second semester, focused on tools and methods for effective program design in sustainable development. Drawing on insights from over 90 MPA-DP alumni working in diverse global contexts, this course emphasizes applied learning, systems thinking, and adaptive leadership.

Students will learn and apply tools to diagnose development challenges, design interventions for social impact, and address cross-cutting themes such as communication, ethics, equity, and inclusion. The course supports students in developing a comprehensive project proposal, structured around contextual analysis, implementation planning, and critical reflection on development practice.

• Department: MPA-DEVELOPMENT PRACTICE
• R 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Lisa Tarantino
  Info
• 3 points

International Finance & Monetary Theory

Intl Finance & Monetary T

This is a theory and applications course in international macroeconomics and finance. It provides students with the basic tools to analyze real-life macroeconomic, policy, and financial market situations. The class is suitable for those interested in working at domestic or international policy institutions, in diplomatic service, the financial sector, or the media. Lectures are fairly rigorous, though if the student has some first-year economics, knows basic algebra and graphs, they will handle the material fairly easily. While theory is central, policy and market relevance is emphasized through: i) discussions on topical issues; ii) study of key historical and current episodes to illustrate ideas; iii) relevant pieces of policy/media/finance sector analysis. In terms of topics, part one will develop analytic frameworks to understand exchange rates in terms of short- and long-term determinants. Part two explores the balance of payments and the interaction between the macroeconomic policy, the exchange rate, and macroeconomic outcomes. Then part three will cover various advanced topics such as the choice of exchange rate regime, the euro, currency crashes, and default.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• Instructor: Daniel J Waldman
  Info
• 3 points

Comparative Social Welfare Policy

This course explores welfare systems from a comparative perspective and analyzes the political, economic, socio-cultural, and historical factors that shape and sustain them in various parts of the world.  It pays particular attention to the development of key national social welfare policies, such as social security, health care, unemployment insurance, social assistance, public employment and training, and emerging best practices and challenges in these areas.  The course also analyzes pressing global/regional trends (e.g., greying of societies, labor market stratification, social innovation, and working poverty).

• Department: Urban and Social Policy
• Instructor: Yumiko T Shimabukuro
  Info
• 3 points

Collaborative Social Justice and Health

Social Justice & Health

This intensive, two-day course introduces students to the collaborative social justice model, with a focus on Medical-Legal Partnerships (MLPs) as a policy tool to advance racial and health equity. MLPs bring together professionals across disciplines, particularly law and medicine, to jointly address the structural causes of poor health, including poverty, discrimination, and housing insecurity. The course explores how these partnerships operate, their policy reform potential, and the risks and challenges of interdisciplinary collaboration. Through guest speakers and hands-on group work, students will examine how to design and advocate for collaborative social justice initiatives that protect marginalized communities and promote systemic change. Students will gain practical tools for developing cross-sector partnerships and translating them into effective policy interventions.

• Department: Urban and Social Policy
• Instructor: Rose C Goldberg
  Info
• 1 points

Global Monetary Policy in the 21st Centu

This seminar examines the evolution of global monetary policy from 2000 to the present, focusing on the actions and strategies of the Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, and the Bank of England. Students study the major economic disruptions of the era, including the Global Financial Crisis, the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the recent surge and subsequent decline in global inflation. The course analyzes how central banks operated under constraints such as the effective lower bound and explores the adoption of unconventional monetary tools. Students will assess the effectiveness, repercussions, and future trajectory of monetary policy in advanced economies.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• Instructor: Richard H Clarida
  CULPA: 2 Info
• 3 points

Conflict Resolution

This course introduces the study and practice of international conflict resolution, providing students with a broad understanding of the subject and a framework for approaching more specific strands of study offered by CICR. Can a war be stopped before it starts? Is it realistic to talk about ‘managing’ a war and mitigating its consequences? What eventually brings adversaries to the negotiating table? How do mediation efforts unfold and how are the key issues resolved? Why do peace processes and peace agreements so often fail to bring durable peace? Students will address these and other fundamental questions in order to develop an understanding of international conflict resolution.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• 3 points

Mediation in a World in Flux

This course explores the challenges and opportunities in international peacemaking, with a particular focus on mediation as a tool for advancing political solutions to violent conflict. Complementing other CICR courses, it offers students the opportunity to deepen their understanding of how various mediators—including the United Nations, multilateral institutions, states, and non-governmental organizations—are responding to shifting dynamics in global conflict and politics.

The course considers key questions: What factors hinder current conflict resolution efforts? How have mediators adapted to changes in geopolitics, the fragmentation of non-state armed groups, and a crowded mediation landscape? How should they continue to adapt, especially amid declining resources for peace and humanitarian efforts and growing resistance to established norms?

Students will also examine how mediators can engage conflict parties on emerging issues, including the effects of the climate crisis and digital technologies on conflict dynamics and peace processes.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Teresa Whitfield
  Info
• 1.5 points

International Finance, Liability Flows a

Intl Finance & Stability

This course explores the benefits and risks of international financial flows, with a focus on the economic stability of emerging markets and non-major developed economies. Students will examine the drivers and implications of cross-border liability flows, consider the perspectives of local and global policymakers, and analyze how capital movements shape national debt dynamics and financial resilience. Drawing on theory, current research, and real-world cases, the course covers topics such as exchange rate regimes, uncovered interest parity, financial crises, capital flow management, and the effects of monetary tightening in major economies. Readings include academic work and institutional analyses from the IMF, BIS, and World Bank.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• Instructor: Sigridur Benediktsdottir
  Info
• 3 points

Macroeconomic Policy and Global Financia

Macroecon & Global Fin Ma

This course examines the pivotal moments in international finance since the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a turning point that marked a shift in global priorities from security to prosperity. Students will explore how macroeconomic conditions and policy decisions can trigger decisive changes in markets and economies, often overturning conventional wisdom. The course also develops an understanding of the psychology and dynamics of financial markets, which remain among the most powerful and cyclical forces shaping global outcomes.

For future policymakers, this knowledge provides valuable insight into how financial markets influence, and are influenced by, policy decisions. For those pursuing careers in finance, the course offers a practical framework for assessing markets, macroeconomic trends, and their interactions as events unfold.

Drawing on first-hand experience, the instructor shares personal insights and case studies from major financial episodes, highlighting the strategies and decision-making approaches of policymakers and market participants. Through these examples, students will gain perspective on effective responses to economic challenges and on the complexities of the macroeconomic policy process in both large and small economies, during periods of stability and crisis alike.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• 1.5 points

Struggles for Sustainability: Food, Farm

How has the quest to produce enough food shaped societies, economies, and the environment in the United States and beyond? This course examines the powerful historical forces that have driven transformations in food production and policy over the past century, and how those forces continue to shape debates around sustainability, food security, and development today.

Students will explore the evolution of agricultural science and technology, the impact of government programs such as subsidies and rationing, and the ways ideas born in the U.S. have been adopted, adapted, or resisted globally. From the rise of large-scale production to the emergence of movements for organic and regenerative practices, we will trace how food systems reflect shifting values, power dynamics, and visions of progress.

This seminar invites students interested in sustainability and social change to critically engage with the past to better understand the urgent questions of the future.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• Instructor: Sara Tjossem
  Info
• 3 points

Central Bank Crisis Management

The extraordinary policy responses of global central banks to the 2023 banking turmoil, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the 2007-2009 financial crisis have fostered debate about both the appropriateness and the effectiveness of central bank actions.   This course will discuss the theory and practice of “unconventional” monetary policy tools – i.e., those used to address financial crises, widespread deflation, and deep recessions or depressions.  Examples in the course will be drawn from a broad array of crises, countries, and central banks in both the developed and emerging world over many decades. 

 The bulk of the course will focus on how central banks adapt their policy rules and tools in response to extraordinary financial or economic turmoil. Different types of monetary policy tools will be discussed and analyzed, with particular focus on the design and the effectiveness of various crisis policy tools.  Central to understanding policy effectiveness will be consideration of how financial and macroeconomic conditions impact central bank policy design,  and in turn, how financial markets and the macroeconomy respond to extraordinary policies. 

Examples of the use of crisis management tools – both more and less successful – across jurisdictions will be discussed in the latter half of the course.   The course finishes with discussions of several important and timely dilemmas: Where is the “line” between crisis monetary policies and traditional fiscal policy actions?  Why was the (inflation) impact of COVID-19 policy responses so different from previous episodes of instability?   How do central bank “undo” their crisis management policies and return to “normal”?  What difficulties do central banks face in handling economic side effects and the political consequences of extraordinary policies?

Prerequisites:
 Macroeconomics (SIPAU6401 or PEPMU6104)
OR
permission of the Instructor.  If you have taken a quantitative macroeconomics course prior to SIPA and wish to take the class, please contact the instructor during registration.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• Instructor: Patricia C Mosser
  Info
• 3 points

Applied Peacebuilding and Conflict Resol

Peacebuilding Fieldwork

This course prepares students to engage in peacebuilding practice by developing fieldwork-related competencies rooted in critical reflection, professional strategy, and ethical engagement. Students examine foundational values, frameworks, and dilemmas in the peacebuilding field, while cultivating skills in project design, monitoring and evaluation (MEAL), communication, collaboration, and cultural awareness.

Structured as the first part of a spring-summer-fall sequence, the course introduces peacebuilding theory and practice through seminar-style discussions and applied assignments. Students collaborate with vetted field-based partner institutions to design projects aligned with real-world needs. These projects are implemented through optional summer internships, followed by a fall debrief session with the incoming cohort.

Coursework emphasizes partnership with local actors, conflict sensitivity, reflective practice, and an openness to critique and adaptation. Students are expected to grapple with the complexity of field conditions and to develop strategies for self-care, ethical engagement, and navigating uncertainty. Assignments include reflective journals, a midterm conflict analysis and thematic research paper, and a final project design paper.

Please note: All fieldwork and associated travel are voluntary and student-funded, though external funding opportunities may be available.

• Department: International Security & Diplomacy
• Instructor: Zachary B Metz
  Info
• 3 points

Fighting Corruption: Concepts and Strate

This course examines the causes, dynamics, and consequences of corruption across societies, with emphasis on developing countries. Students will learn to identify different forms of corruption and explore legal, institutional, and policy-based strategies to prevent and address it. Through scenario assessments, simulations, and applied exercises, the course emphasizes practical tools for designing anti-corruption responses. Topics include measurement and transparency, enforcement mechanisms, multilateral initiatives, the role of civil society and media, and emerging challenges such as strategic corruption and financial technologies.

• Department: Development and Governance
• Instructor: Richard Nephew
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Applied Geopolitics: Risk Analysis

This course introduces students to the theory and practice of political risk analysis, focusing on how geopolitical dynamics shape markets, investment strategies, and global governance. Students will examine frameworks such as the G-Zero world, J-Curve, and state capitalism, and explore how they apply to real-world risks across countries and sectors. Taught by leading experts in the field, the course emphasizes interdisciplinary tools and methodologies for identifying, assessing, and managing political risk—including scenario planning, risk indices, and game-theory modeling. Through a combination of case studies, interactive practicums, and group presentations, students will apply these tools to current global challenges such as political transitions, social unrest, climate change, technological disruption, and great power conflict. The course prepares students to think strategically and forecast risk in public, private, and multilateral settings.

• Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
• 1.5 points

Sustainable Finance II: System-level Inv

Sust Fin II: System-Level

Today’s most pressing challenges, including climate change, social inequities, and financial instability, are complex, global, and systemic. This course explores how investors can respond through system-level investing, an emerging approach that considers the deep interconnections among financial markets, the real economy, and long-term environmental, social, and governance (ESG) outcomes.

Building on traditional and sustainable finance principles, system-level investing expands beyond portfolio-level risk and return analysis to address the broader systems that support market performance. Students will explore how investors can influence and manage systemic risks to improve investment outcomes and support societal resilience. Topics include foundational finance theory, tools for system-level investing, real-world case studies, and evolving practices across asset classes.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• R 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• 3 points

Sustainable Investing: Past, Present, an

History of Sustainable In

This course will track the history of sustainable investing from the 1970s, in order to better understand the field, what it’s been doing, and where it stands now. We will start with the emergence of sustainable investment in the 1970s as it congealed strands of community organizing, consumer society, institutional activism from community organizing, labor activism, and institutional investor assertion into a new set of specific institutions and practices; continue through the shareholder activism and professionalization of the field in the 1980s and 1990; turn to the substantial growth and mainstreaming of the field from 2000s; and finally bring our history up to the present moment of policymaking, backlash, and self-doubt in the field. We will ask questions like: what did practitioners and advocates hope to achieve by building the field of sustainable investment? What kinds of work, in what kinds of institutions, made up the field? What are the political and ideological contexts in which the field emerged, and how have they changed over time? Why did something seen as so marginal back become so much more central to how we talk about finance and financial policy now? What does this history tells us about the (potential) utility of sustainable investment?

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• Instructor: David C Wood
  Info
• 1.5 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.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• R 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• 3 points

Climate Finance, Policy, and Just Transi

Clim Fin, Policy, & Just

The field of responsible investment has grown rapidly over the last twenty years, with the climate crisis serving as the paradigmatic ESG issue for investors. In the private sector, investors pledge to decarbonize their portfolios, ask for carbon reporting to manage that task, join together to engage corporations on their transition plans. As activity has grown, questions about the effectiveness and limitations of climate finance approaches to the climate crisis have grown along with them. A narrow focus on decarbonization has begun to give way to broader considerations of the transition and the risks and opportunities it poses for affected workers and communities, on the belief that social cohesion is a precondition for successful transition. Private sector initiatives have been complemented with public policy and public investment efforts to shape environmental, social, and economic outcomes. Climate finance is in a moment of reflection, change, and doubt.

This course will survey and analyze the ways that public and private investment are being or could be directed in support of a Just Transition (i.e., a low-carbon transition that does not worsen social inequalities), and various ways to think about how effective climate finance can be. We will look at investors’ approaches to the decarbonization of the economy in political and social context, asking: how do or should investors integrate concerns for workers, communities, and environment into climate finance? what kinds of public policies are needed to ensure that investment points towards a Just Transition? The result, we hope, will lead both to a better understanding of the roles public and private investment in a Just Transition, climate policy, and an expanded critical capacity to analyze how well it’s working.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• Instructor: David C Wood
  Info
• 3 points

ESG and Corporate Political Strategy

ESG and Corporate Political Strategy examines how organizations align environmental, social, and governance (ESG) priorities with corporate political strategies to shape policy, manage risk, and advance system-level change. As public expectations of corporate responsibility grow, firms must navigate both market and non-market arenas to sustain value, engage with stakeholders, and influence the rules by which they operate.

This course equips students with practical tools and analytical frameworks to understand and implement integrated strategies that align ESG goals with legislative, regulatory, and political engagement. Case studies and applied exercises explore how companies influence policy, respond to regulatory shifts, and act as stewards of systemic transformation. Topics include corporate lobbying, public positioning on social issues, regulatory influence, and the strategic use of litigation and partnerships.

Ideal for students pursuing careers in business, policy, nonprofit, or advocacy sectors, this course complements 
Social Impact: Business, Society, and the Natural Environment 
and is open to graduate students across SIPA, Columbia Business School, the Climate School, and other Columbia schools.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• Instructor: Dylan Minor
  Info
• 1.5 points

Quantitative Valuation of the Environmen

Quant Valuation of Enviro

The Quantitative Valuation of the Environment course will explore theory and methods of economically valuing environmental benefits and disbenefits, and how they can be applied in decision-making processes to improve stated outcomes. Specifically, it examines model specification for stated preference valuation, generating awareness of the theoretical and empirical questions being investigated in the area, generating awareness of environmental and resource issues currently being debated, and practical issues such as how these welfare economics measures can be used in efficiency measures such as benefit cost analysis.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• Instructor: Lorie Srivastava
  Info
• 3 points

Campaigning for Change - Media, Mobiliza

Strategic Campaigning & R

This course introduces the history, strategy, and practice of human rights campaigning, with a focus on media-driven advocacy. Students will examine the foundations of campaigning journalism, explore modern digital mobilization tactics, and learn to develop and execute impactful advocacy campaigns. The course emphasizes the intersection of strategic communications, digital tools, and policy advocacy, and provides hands-on experience in campaign design, messaging, and evaluation.

Students will develop an original advocacy campaign on a contemporary human rights issue using the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a global platform. Course assignments include writing advocacy letters and op-eds, designing media strategies, and producing a final campaign pitch deck. Case studies will include successful campaigns addressing labor rights, gender equity, and corporate responsibility in sport.

The course is suitable for students interested in human rights, journalism, digital strategy, and public advocacy. Sessions include skill-building workshops, guest speakers, and applied project work in collaboration with Human Rights Watch and other advocacy professionals.

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• Instructor: Mary Worden
  Info
• 3 points

Social Impact: Business, Society, and th

Social Impact:Bus,Soc,Nat

The Social Impact: Business, Society, and the Natural Environment course explores the relationship between corporations, society, and the natural environment. Specifically, it examines the ways in which governments, (for-profit and non-profit) organizations, and investors (fail to) have positive impact and manage issues where the pursuit of private goals is deemed inconsistent with the public interest.

• Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
• Instructor: Caroline Flammer
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• 3 points