This course explores the role of nonprofit organizations in the formation and implementation of public policy in the United States. As the influence and scope of the nonprofit sector continue to grow, nonprofit organizations increasingly shape policy debates, represent community perspectives, and contribute to the development and implementation of public policy. Understanding how nonprofits engage in the policy process has broad implications for future public sector professionals and those working to advance the common good.
The course provides students with an introduction to the public policy process and examines the ways nonprofit organizations participate in it. Topics include lobbying and advocacy, government regulation of nonprofit organizations, ballot initiatives, grantmaking for public policy, ethics in public interest lobbying, and the challenges facing nonprofit advocacy. Students will also explore how nonprofit organizations build the organizational capacity to engage in policy work and how public policy affects nonprofit operations and mission.
Through applied analysis and case studies, students will develop essential skills in lobbying, policy analysis, strategic advocacy campaign design, and—crucially—coalition building. The course emphasizes how ideas and insights from nonprofit practice can inform policy development and implementation, and how organizations can translate community needs into effective policy strategies.
More broadly, the course situates nonprofit advocacy within the social, political, economic, and philanthropic factors that shape the nonprofit sector. By examining the relationship between nonprofits and the public sector, students will gain practical insight into the challenges facing public institutions and communities. The course supports professional preparation for careers in public service, policy, and administration, and provides a strong foundation for students interested in pursuing graduate study in fields such as law, public administration, public policy, and other areas focused on public affairs.
We need to transition toward a more environmentally sustainable society given both pollution and its health effects, and the impacts of extreme weather and climate change. The production and consumption of energy is the largest contributor to these concerns, and so the transition to a clean energy economy is essential. The increasing energy needs of the world’s growing population make this an ongoing challenge. At the same time, energy security and affordability, and social and economic inequities, must also be considered. New technologies and effective policies are needed to help drive increased deployment of renewable energy and energy efficiency. Finance is also a key lever to drive the implementation of clean energy. The availability and cost of capital is a key determinant in scaling renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
This course focuses on the finance and market aspects of the clean energy economy, and integrates technology, policy, and finance to evaluate both the opportunities and challenges. There is a focus on renewable energy generation, as mass electrification using cleaner generation sources is necessary to sustain our energy-dependent lives and economies. The course also looks at energy efficiency, including specific end-uses of energy that are responsible for the majority of emissions (e.g., personal vehicles, buildings). Throughout the course, finance will be analyzed as a barrier to, or enabler of, greater adoption of clean energy, particularly as we think about the allocation of capital.
Course Overview
Transportation accounts for about 25% of global GHG emissions. Significantly reducing emissions in this sector is fundamental for addressing climate change. Historically, the technical and commercial tools for tackling emissions in this sector have lagged other sectors (for example, electricity production). But over the last several years, this dynamic has changed and there is now unprecedented capital and brainpower focused on transportation decarbonization. The course focuses on capturing the key elements that will speed the scale-up to low- and no- carbon transportation (“sustainable transportation”) across the breadth of transportation sectors. In doing so, this scale-up will create new industries and business models – and has the potential to benefit a wide group of people, including those who in the past have been disproportionally affected by poor air quality caused by existing transportation sources. The course is designed for any student who wishes to understand these elements in a deeper way.
The course will explore the decarbonization opportunities and challenges across the various transportation sectors, including light duty, commercial fleets, public transportation, aviation, and marine sectors – as well as areas that cut across all sectors, such as battery adoption, the supply chain for materials, fueling/charging. and the impact of hydrogen. Because the carbon content of propulsion fuels is dependent on other sectors (for example, the transition to renewable electricity), the course will examine the energy transition in transportation in the context of broader decarbonization trends. In exploring each transportation sub-sector, the course will focus mainly from the commercial perspective, but will incorporate the external factors (e.g., innovation, policy, macro-factors) that affect commercial success.
The course is intended for anyone wishing to further their knowledge or their career in the areas of sustainable transportation – especially in areas related to electric transportation. The course will rely on lectures and discussions, both led by the professor and guest lecturers. There are no prerequisites for the course. The course assignments will include a combination of problem sets, financial modeling, and case studies/written assignments. No previous financial modeling experience is required; the professor and/or TA will provid
APPLIED MACHINE LEARNING I
APPLIED MACHINE LEARNING I
This course provides an overview of the traditional ERM frameworks used to identify, assess, manage, and disclose key organizational risks. The traditional ERM frameworks are those that are more commonly in use and include COSO ERM, ISO 31000, and the Basel Accords. This course also provides an understanding of the methods, tools, techniques, and terminology most organizations use to manage their key risks, presented in the context of the foundational elements of an ERM process. This will enable students to navigate the ERM landscape within most organizations, and, along with the second-semester course Value-Based ERM, evaluate opportunities to enhance the existing ERM practices and evolve their ERM programs over time.
This course provides an overview of the traditional ERM frameworks used to identify, assess, manage, and disclose key organizational risks. The traditional ERM frameworks are those that are more commonly in use and include COSO ERM, ISO 31000, and the Basel Accords. This course also provides an understanding of the methods, tools, techniques, and terminology most organizations use to manage their key risks, presented in the context of the foundational elements of an ERM process. This will enable students to navigate the ERM landscape within most organizations, and, along with the second-semester course Value-Based ERM, evaluate opportunities to enhance the existing ERM practices and evolve their ERM programs over time.
This course provides an overview of the traditional ERM frameworks used to identify, assess, manage, and disclose key organizational risks. The traditional ERM frameworks are those that are more commonly in use and include COSO ERM, ISO 31000, and the Basel Accords. This course also provides an understanding of the methods, tools, techniques, and terminology most organizations use to manage their key risks, presented in the context of the foundational elements of an ERM process. This will enable students to navigate the ERM landscape within most organizations, and, along with the second-semester course Value-Based ERM, evaluate opportunities to enhance the existing ERM practices and evolve their ERM programs over time.
This course provides an overview of the traditional ERM frameworks used to identify, assess, manage, and disclose key organizational risks. The traditional ERM frameworks are those that are more commonly in use and include COSO ERM, ISO 31000, and the Basel Accords. This course also provides an understanding of the methods, tools, techniques, and terminology most organizations use to manage their key risks, presented in the context of the foundational elements of an ERM process. This will enable students to navigate the ERM landscape within most organizations, and, along with the second-semester course Value-Based ERM, evaluate opportunities to enhance the existing ERM practices and evolve their ERM programs over time.
Weekly lectures will introduce film grammar, textual analysis, staging, the camera as narrator, pre-visualization, shot progression, directorial style, working with actors and editing. Lectures by all members of the full time directing faculty anchor the class, highlighting a range of directorial approaches with additional lectures on the techniques and aesthetics of editing. Each lecture will be supported by visual material from master film directors as well as the examples of the short films students will be required to produce in their first two semesters. For the final 7 weeks of the term, a student fellow will be available to mentor students through the planning of their 3-5 films.
This course will build on the topics and tactics covered in Business Intelligence in Sports to create a real-life learning lab where students can apply key concepts and expand their techniques against real data from a partner professional sports team. More advanced skills around SQL, Tableau, and R will be developed and applied to relevant scenarios using available data such as customer demographics, behaviors, tickets, attendance, social media, marketing, surveys, and sponsorships. Students will leave the class prepared to join a team’s business intelligence department and make immediate contributions.
Generative AI represents a pivotal technological evolution with profound implications for the global economy and modern society. This course delves into the decades-long development of AI and machine learning, emphasizing its emergence as a critical economic and strategic force. As we explore this technology, we will assess its potential to revolutionize industries, enhance capabilities, and introduce complex challenges related to security, identity, and ethical considerations.
In this dynamic landscape, both incumbent businesses and governmental bodies face the urgent need to adapt to this disruption and the transformative changes it heralds. This course seeks to unpack the catalysts of this technological surge, its foundational principles, and the critical knowledge required for modern leadership in the AI era.
Financial Psychology focuses on the intersection of human psychology and wealth
management and the basic elements of consumer behavior. Students will explore
all of the biases, behaviors and perceptions that impact client decision-making and
financial well-being. Most importantly, this course is specifically designed to help
prepare the advisor to better understand all of the factors that impact client
decisions in an effort to help them achieve their own personal goals.
Prerequisites: graduate standing. Introductory survey of major concepts and areas of research in social and cultural anthropology. Emphasis is on both the field as it is currently constituted and its relationship to other scholarly and professional disciplines. Required for students in Anthropology Department's master degree program and for students in the graduate programs of other departments and professional schools desiring an introduction in this field.
Each week, outstanding shorts from Sundance, Cannes, Tribeca, Aspen, and other international festivals will be screened and discussed. (You might see a few duds as well, for comparison purposes.) The emphasis in the first two weeks will be on shorts under six minutes, in preparation for the “3-to-5” project. The second two weeks will be devoted to films between 8 and 12 minutes long, in preparation for the “8-to-12”. The final weeks will include a variety of narratives the size of Columbia thesis films. Altogether, over forty films will be shown and discussed.
This course explores the intersection of theory and practice in conflict resolution, giving students the opportunity to apply theories, models, and frameworks to real world scenarios. Students will analyze case studies, review current events, and bring to bear their own experiences in international, organizational, community and interpersonal conflicts in an interactive setting as they continue to develop and hone their critical thinking and conflict analysis skills.
Drawing from the disciplines of social and clinical psychology, political and organizational sciences, and international relations, conflict resolution practitioners have at their disposal a wealth of research that can inform their analysis of a situation and how to assist parties to mitigate, de-escalate and prevent conflict.
Participants in this class engage with the course readings, instructors, and each other to critically analyze and deconstruct complex conflicts in a variety of contexts. A focus on the actors, issues, structures, strategies, and processes inherent in a conflict will be used to identify opportunities to change conflict dynamics. Applying conflict resolution constructs and frameworks such as interdependence, intergroup conflict, social identity, bias, peacebuilding, power dynamics, culture, and negotiation frameworks, are among the key learnings integrated into the course.
The competencies advanced in this class are intended to be applicable beyond the program into other areas of life. Students will be empowered to reflect critically on texts, select relevant data, understand the applicability of a theory, and offer results-based recommendations in contexts ranging from global to personal.
Prerequisites: At least one semester of calculus. A calculus-based introduction to probability theory. Topics covered include random variables, conditional probability, expectation, independence, Bayes rule, important distributions, joint distributions, moment generating functions, central limit theorem, laws of large numbers and Markovs inequality.
Prerequisites: STAT GR5203 or the equivalent, and two semesters of calculus. Calculus-based introduction to the theory of statistics. Useful distributions, law of large numbers and central limit theorem, point estimation, hypothesis testing, confidence intervals, maximum likelihood, likelihood ratio tests, nonparametric procedures, theory of least squares and analysis of variance.
APPLIED MACHINE LEARNING II
Collective Action: Mobilizing for Change
examines how communication operates as a strategic force in the formation, activation, and coordination of collective action. The course moves beyond individual-level persuasion to focus on how messages, narratives, identities, and infrastructures mobilize groups, networks, and publics. Core topics include theories of collective action and mobilization; strategic communication and audience segmentation; narrative, framing, and collective identity; digital platforms and algorithmic mediation; power, ethics, and accessibility in mobilization; and comparative case studies drawn from social movements, advocacy campaigns, organizational mobilization, and civic action. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to connect strategic communication practices to broader social, political, and technological contexts.
Prerequisites: STAT GR5203 and GR5204 or the equivalent. Theory and practice of regression analysis, Simple and multiple regression, including testing, estimation, and confidence procedures, modeling, regression diagnostics and plots, polynomial regression, colinearity and confounding, model selection, geometry of least squares. Extensive use of the computer to analyse data.
Maps have long been used to explore and communicate spatial information for practical tasks such as navigation and more analytic pursuits such as understanding relationships at the intersection of social and natural sciences. Today, most data—whether in spreadsheets, documents, apps, or sensor logs—is tied to a location, making it “mappable”. Learning to analyze this spatial data allows us to discover patterns and quantify relationships which support data driven decisions.
This course introduces students to Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a modern end-to-end toolset to collect, store, analyze, and visualize spatial data. Through lectures, readings, guided discussions, weekly hands-on exercises (both in class and at home), and an individual term project, students practice core spatial analysis techniques and spatial data visualization. Weekly lectures will cover GIS applications in fields relevant to sustainability management as well as GIS theory and skills. Weekly assigned readings will match lecture topics on both applications and GIS theory/skills. The required term project allows each student to connect and apply GIS methods to a question of personal or professional importance, producing a polished spatial analysis and map product which will be presented to the class using StoryMaps.
Course Overview:
This course introduces Python programming, covering data structures, control-flow, objects, and functions, along with libraries like re, requests, numpy, pandas, scikit-learn, scipy, and more. These skills are applied to real-world data science tasks, including AB testing, data manipulation, modeling, optimization, simulations, and data visualization.
Students will develop computational thinking abilities, including problem decomposition, pattern recognition, data representation, abstraction, and algorithm design, through practical exercises.
This course examines the discipline of global marketing communication, including the environmental factors that enabled global marketing. The course assesses early models of communication management and the current factors that enable global communication programs: the identification of global target audiences; the kinds of products and services that lend themselves to global communication and those that don’t; and the characteristics of leadership brands that are preeminent in global communication today. Students consider how levels of development and cultural values affect communication programs and how local differences can be reflected in global programs. Message creation and the available methods of message distribution are evaluated in the context of current and future trends. Students learn how to approach strategy and develop an integrated, holistic global communication program and how to manage such a program.
Students explore the grammatical rules and narrative elements of cinematic storytelling by completing a minimum of three short, nondialogue exercises and two sound exercises, all shot and edited in video. Emphasizes using the camera as an articulate narrator to tell a coherent, grammatically correct, engaging, and cinematic story. Technical workshops on camera, lighting, sound, and editing accompany the workshops, as well as lectures that provide a methodology for the director.
Students explore the grammatical rules and narrative elements of cinematic storytelling by completing a minimum of three short, nondialogue exercises and two sound exercises, all shot and edited in video. Emphasizes using the camera as an articulate narrator to tell a coherent, grammatically correct, engaging, and cinematic story. Technical workshops on camera, lighting, sound, and editing accompany the workshops, as well as lectures that provide a methodology for the director.
This course will present students with the architecture, data, methods, and use cases of environmental indicators, from national-level indices to spatial indices. The course will draw on the instructor’s experience in developing environmental sustainability, vulnerability and risk indicators for the Yale/Columbia EPI as well as for a diverse range of clients including the Global Environmental Facility, UN Environment, and the US Agency for International Development. Guest lecturers will provide exposure to Lamont experience in monitoring the ecological and health impacts of environmental pollution and the use of environmental indicators in New York City government. Beyond lecture and discussion, classroom activities will include learning games, role play and case study methods.
The course will explore alternative framings of sustainability, vulnerability and performance, as well as design approaches and aggregation techniques for creating composite indicators (e.g., hierarchical approaches vs. data reduction methods such as principal components analysis). The course will examine data sources from both in-situ monitoring and satellite remote sensing, and issues with their evaluation and appropriateness for use cases and end users. In lab sessions, the students will use pre-packaged data and basic statistical packages to understand the factors that influence index and ranking results, and will construct their own simple comparative index for a thematic area and region or country of their choice. They will learn to critically assess existing indicators and indices, and to construct their own. In addition, students will assess the impacts of environmental performance in several developing and developed countries using available data (e.g., pollutant levels in soils and air in Beijing and NYC), and project future changes based on the trends they see in their assessments. The course will also examine theories that describe the role of scientific information in decision-making processes, and factors that influence the uptake of information in those processes. The course will present best practices for designing effective indicators that can drive policy decisions.
Advising Note:
Students are required to have had prior coursework in descriptive and inferential statistics.
Conflict and communications technologies are inextricably connected and this relationship is increasingly mediated by social networks. Individuals and organizations face many challenges in using online technology for collaboration and conflict mediation purposes. Recent software innovations can facilitate knowledge acquisition, network building, and the analysis and presentation of conflict-related data. For professionals working in the field of conflict resolution, it is imperative to understand the role developments in communications technologies has played in exacerbating and/or resolving conflicts.
This course will analyze the relationship between conflict and communications technologies. It will explore the challenges that individuals and networks face in using online technology for collaboration and conflict mediation purposes. It will demonstrate how recent software and social media innovations can facilitate knowledge acquisition, network building, and the analysis and presentation of conflict-related data. Finally, it will analyze contemporary cases where developments in communications technologies have played a critical role in exacerbating and/or resolving conflicts.
The course focuses on international peacebuilding and business and human rights cases. The former cases include Israel-Palestine, refugees, African peacebuilding, genocide prevention, and election violence monitoring. The latter cases include online harassment, cross-national email conflicts, sex trafficking, new business models such as Uber and AirBnB, and extractive resource conflicts.
The course will also instruct students in the use of social software (such as blogs, social media curation, and networking/visual mapping) and improve their “digital literacy” on a range of technologies. The course will provide practical (and often provocative) examples and challenge students to reflect on how these experiences and tools will be useful in their professional development and work environments.
This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.
This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.
This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.
This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.
This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.
This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.
This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.
This is the discussion that corresponds with the course CLMT 5015 Climate Change Adaptation. Students are required to register for a discussion section.
Prerequisites: Knowledge of statistics basics and programming skills in any programming language. Surveys the field of quantitative investment strategies from a buy side perspective, through the eyes of portfolio managers, analysts and investors. Financial modeling there often involves avoiding complexity in favor of simplicity and practical compromise. All necessary material scattered in finance, computer science and statistics is combined into a project-based curriculum, which give students hands-on experience to solve real world problems in portfolio management. Students will work with market and historical data to develop and test trading and risk management strategies. Programming projects are required to complete this course.
This course is designed to introduce students to the terms, concepts and issues in sports management and their practical application in the sports business workplace. It is the required first class for every student in Columbia University’s graduate Sports Management Program. This course examines various business disciplines as they apply to the sports industry. The course provides the student with an overview of the business of the intercollegiate and professional sports enterprises. In addition, the course investigates the business-related issues encountered by managers of sport organizations and covers how business principles can be applied to effectively address these issues.
We will share practical experience and incorporate student experimentation to achieve our goal of fully preparing our students for advancement in the Sports Management Program.
Prerequisites: STAT GR5205 Least squares smoothing and prediction, linear systems, Fourier analysis, and spectral estimation. Impulse response and transfer function. Fourier series, the fast Fourier transform, autocorrelation function, and spectral density. Univariate Box-Jenkins modeling and forecasting. Emphasis on applications. Examples from the physical sciences, social sciences, and business. Computing is an integral part of the course.
This course is designed to furnish students with a conceptual framework for understanding climate tech innovation and an overview of practical ways to professionally engage in it. We focus on climate tech because the current global rate of decarbonization is not sufficient to limit warming to 1.5°C. To accelerate the rate of change and stabilize our planet’s climate, innovative technology development and diffusion is required. Beyond the moral imperative, rapid decarbonization represents an unprecedented economic opportunity. To realize the promise of a low-carbon economy, new practitioners must join the innovation ecosystem and drive it forward. This course will prepare students to do so.
The course starts by framing what climate tech means (i.e., all technologies focused on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions and addressing the impacts of climate change) and how climate tech innovation will occur (i.e., as a complex process including co-evolution of technology, regulations, infrastructure, and consumer behavior). It then provides an overview of the innovation value chain including various stakeholders and avenues for professional involvement. It concludes with a survey of sectoral innovation opportunities. Considerations of equity and just transition are covered throughout.
The global sports industry is substantial, encompassing various aspects such as sporting events, merchandise, broadcasting, and more. In 2024, the industry's revenue amounted to nearly $470 billion. By 2028, the global sports market is expected to surpass $680 billion. By 2027, the global sports market is expected to surpass $623 billion. However, the influence of sports extends far beyond the field. Fans are both dedicated and passionate supporters who contribute to the industry's success and have a massive following across continents. From local matches to international tournaments, fans engage through attendance, viewership, merchandise purchases, social media interactions, and so much more.
As the market continues to grow, the sports industry has made significant progress toward embracing sustainability practices. Brands are increasingly transparent about their sustainability efforts, businesses are looking to partner with sustainability-focused organizations that have reputable certifications and initiatives, real estate developers and investors are designing environmentally friendly facilities, and athletes and their fan bases are demanding climate action, just to name a few. Despite some progress, there's ample room for growth within emerging sustainability practices in sports. Continued innovation can lead to eco-friendly materials, sustainable event management, ensuring sustainability across supply chains, and greening stadiums, venues, and event infrastructure, which can further minimize resource consumption and pollution and contribute to a healthier planet.
This course introduces the concept of sustainability and its relevance to the sports industry. It examines the environmental, social, and economic impacts of sports activities, events, and organizations and explores the strategies and practices that can enhance the sustainability performance of the sports sector. The course covers topics such as the definitions and dimensions of sustainability and how they relate to sports; the drivers and challenges of sustainability in sports (climate change, stakeholder expectations, governance, and innovation); frameworks and tools for assessing and reporting on sustainability in sports; best practices and case studies of sustainability in sports; and opportunities and benefits of sustainability in sports (fan engagement, athlete activism, business development, and social impact).
This course will be structured in the following main se
The global sports industry is substantial, encompassing various aspects such as sporting events, merchandise, broadcasting, and more. In 2022, the industry's revenue amounted to nearly $487 billion. By 2027, the global sports market is expected to surpass $623 billion.
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However, the influence of sports extends far beyond the field. Fans are both dedicated and passionate supporters who contribute to the industry's success and have a massive following across continents. From local matches to international tournaments, fans engage through attendance, viewership, merchandise purchases, social media interactions, and so much more.
As the market continues to grow, the sports industry has made significant progress toward embracing sustainability practices. Brands are increasingly transparent about their sustainability efforts, businesses are looking to partner with sustainability-focused organizations that have reputable certifications and initiatives, real estate developers and investors are designing environmentally friendly facilities, and athletes and their fan bases are demanding climate action, just to name a few. Despite some progress, there's ample room for growth within emerging sustainability practices in sports. Continued innovation can lead to eco-friendly materials, sustainable event management, ensuring sustainability across supply chains, and greening stadiums, venues, and event infrastructure, which can further minimize resource consumption and pollution and contribute to a healthier planet.
This course introduces the concept of sustainability and its relevance to the sports industry. It examines the environmental, social, and economic impacts of sports activities, events, and organizations and explores the strategies and practices that can enhance the sustainability performance of the sports sector. The course covers topics such as the definitions and dimensions of sustainability and how they relate to sports; the drivers and challenges of sustainability in sports (climate change, stakeholder expectations, governance, and innovation); frameworks and tools for assessing and reporting on sustainability in sports; best practices and case studies of sustainability in sports; and opportunities and benefits of sustainability in sports (fan engagement, athlete activism, business development, and social impact).
A workshop in which the student explores the craft and vocabulary of the actor through exercises and scene study as actors and the incorporation of the actor's vocabulary in directed scenes. Exploration of script analysis, casting, and the rehearsal process.