Quantitative Analysis I for Internationa
- Department: International and Public Affairs
-
Instructor:
Doru Cojoc
Info - 3 points
Quantitative Analysis I for Internationa
- Department: International and Public Affairs
-
Instructor:
Doru Cojoc
Info - 3 points
Quantitative Analysis II for Internation
- Department: International and Public Affairs
-
Instructor:
Alan S Yang
CULPA: 5
Info
- 3 points
Quantitative Analysis II for Internation
- Department: International and Public Affairs
-
Instructor:
Alan S Yang
CULPA: 5
Info
- 3 points
Quantitative Analysis II for Internation
- Department: International and Public Affairs
-
Instructor:
Alan S Yang
CULPA: 5
Info
-
Instructor:
Cristian Pop-Eleches
h-index: 23 Info - 3 points
Quantitative Analysis II for Internation
- Department: International and Public Affairs
-
Instructor:
Cristian Pop-Eleches
h-index: 23 Info - 3 points
Quantitative Analysis II for Internation
- Department: International and Public Affairs
-
Instructor:
Cristian Pop-Eleches
h-index: 23 Info - 3 points
Religion & Space
Emplacement is often taken as the unspoken background of the study of religious phenomena. This seminar considers how problematizations of space, place, locality, and geography may cast religious phenomena in a new light. Approaches to theorizing space and place from various disciplines such as geography, cultural anthropology, philosophy, literature, art history, and history of cartography will be brought into conversation with questions emerging within the study of specific religion traditions.
While this seminar is open to interested students from all disciplines, our work in this course specifically falls into the “zone of inquiry” of “space and place” of the Religion Department’s graduate programs. “Zones of inquiry” seek to introduce students to a particular cluster of key concepts and various theoretical elaborations of those concepts, in order to aid students in honing their ability to reflect critically on and develop further the central concepts that they derive from and bring to the specific traditions and phenomena that they study in their own research. A main goal of this course will therefore be to deepen our conceptual and analytical acumen and expand our theoretical resources at the intersection of religious studies and theories of space, place, and geography.
- Department: Asian and Middle East @Barnard
-
Instructor:
David L Moerman
CULPA: 18
Info
- 4 points
ALGEBRAIC NUMBER THEORY
Local and global fields, group cohomology, local class field theory, global class field theory and applications.
- Department: Mathematics
- TR 11:40 a.m.-12:55 p.m.
-
Instructor:
Eric Urban
CULPA: 12 Wikipedia Info - 4.5 points
Data Analysis for Inclusive Policy
Data Analysis-Inclusive P
MIA and MPA Policy Skills II Core. Pre-req: Quant I (SIPA IA6500)
.
Priority Registration: MIA and MPA.
Data is not neutral. How it is collected, categorized, and analyzed is shaped by historical, political, economic, and social forces, often reinforcing existing injustices. While policy professionals are trained in quantitative methods, there is comparatively less focus on interrogating how data itself is produced, how existing frameworks exclude certain populations, and how data can be used to either reinforce or challenge inequities.
This course introduces students to inclusive and decolonial approaches to working with data for policy research and advocacy, emphasizing critical engagement with its lifecycle—from collection to analysis to dissemination. Students will examine how statistical tools, methods, and available data can be utilized to either reinforce or dismantle barriers to opportunity and address structural injustices. Through weekly discussions, hands-on coding exercises, and a research or advocacy project sketch, students will examine a range of data sources and methodologies while developing strategies for ethical, community-centered data practices.
- Department: Data Science for Policy
-
Instructor:
Harold B Stolper
Info - 1.5 points
Political Development
‘Political development’ is a generic concept that refers to the development of institutions, social structures and civic values that form the basis of a society's political organisation. Contrary to what was believed in the recent past, it is by no means the result of a universal model of historical evolution that applies to all societies. It takes shape as a result of a combination of changes brought about by national, transnational and international factors. Some transformations may occur over the long term: they can be analysed by observing structural changes, such as the development of colonialism, economic and financial globalisation, the system of international relations, demographic shifts or climate change, among many other factors. Other transformations may be triggered by specific events, such as civil wars, revolutions, international conflicts, economic crises, natural disasters and global pandemics. Nor should we underestimate the role of political leaders, active minorities or broader social movements in changes to the political organisation of societies.
Analysis of political development requires exploring the multifaceted changes in societies throughout national and global history, highlighting the diversity of political experiences and the multiple aspirations of peoples. It also requires avoiding interpretations biased by ideology and false assumptions, stereotypes and beliefs that are not based on evidence.
Each session of the course focuses on a specific topic and is structured in three parts. First, the instructor introduces the topic by outlining key analytical perspectives, guiding questions, and relevant controversies or debates. This is followed by a student group presentation. Finally, the session opens up to the class for a collective discussion. One of the main objectives of the course is to foster critical thinking, grounded in the solid foundations of the social sciences and a clear-eyed observation of current world events. The aim is to cultivate individuals with independent and discerning minds, capable of making fair, balanced, and well-reasoned decisions.
- Department: Development and Governance
- 3 points
Persistent Problems in the Global South
Global South Challenges
This course examines the politics of persistent policy challenges in the Global South, a term that traditionally refers to developing nations but also encompasses marginalized communities in wealthier countries affected by globalization.Poverty, inequality, hunger, communicable diseases, water scarcity, political and financial instability, and corruption are among the most persistent challenges in the Global South. While policymakers have invested significant resources to address these issues, their global roots often make them more complex and difficult to resolve. Responses to these problems vary across the Global South, shaped by each country’s unique historical and political context. This variation highlights that developing countries are not uniform and provides valuable opportunities for comparative analysis of policies and outcomes.
This course takes a comparative approach, drawing on the histories and experiences of developing countries worldwide. Each week, we will focus on a key challenge in the Global South using an empirically grounded, case-based method, supported by relevant theoretical frameworks and policy literature. While recognizing country-specific differences, we will also examine common constraints—such as colonial legacies, resource scarcity, and institutional barriers—that set these nations apart from wealthier Global North countries.
- Department: Development and Governance
-
Instructor:
Rumela Sen
CULPA: 1 Info - 3 points
Topics in Financial Inclusion: Enhancing
Financial Inclusion Topic
Research shows that countries with deeper levels of financial inclusion -- defined as access to affordable, appropriate financial services -- have stronger GDP growth rates and lower income inequality. In recent years, research around the financial habits and needs of poor households has yielded rich information on how they manage their financial lives, allowing for the design of financial solutions that better meet their needs, boosting financial inclusion. Nevertheless, an estimated 1.3 billion people globally remain underserved by financial services.
While microfinance institutions remain a leading model for providing financial services to the poor, new models and technology developments have provided opportunities for scaling outreach, improving the range of products and services, deepening penetration and moving beyond brick-and-mortar delivery channels. The course will provide an overview of selected topics in financial inclusion, with a focus on several foundational areas and select topics of current interest, including leading-edge digital financial services, gender, and innovative financial product design.
The course will be highly interactive, with leading industry experts as guest speakers and group assignments.
- Department: Development and Governance
- 1.5 points
International Capital Markets
- Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
-
Instructor:
Benedict O Okoh
CULPA: 1 Info - 3 points
Data and Conflict
This course equips students for humanitarian, human rights, foreign policy and political risk jobs that require real-time interpretation and analysis of conflict data. The course will introduce students to contemporary open-source data about conflict events, fatalities, forced displacement, human rights violations, settlement patterns in war zones, and much more. Students will learn about how this data is generated, what data reveals, what data obscures, and the choices analysts can make to use conflict data transparently in the face of biases. Then, students will learn introductory skills to visualize a range of conflict data in
R
and ArcGIS Pro. The objective is to give students the foundations to go further independently after the course using open-source training material and trouble-shooting portals. Each student will choose a conflict-related policy problem which they will investigate as the course progresses, culminating in a four-page policy brief or an ArcGIS Story Map, along with an explanatory memo.
- Department: International Security & Diplomacy
-
Instructor:
Sophia Dawkins
Info - 3 points
Innovation Driving Development Impact
Innovation Driving Devt I
This course focuses on innovation in low and middle-income countries and how international development organisations and governments can drive better development processes and outcomes. Sessions will cover the role of innovation in fostering inclusive digital transformation, economic growth as well as practical applications of innovation in development policies and programmes. The course will feature a number of case studies from diverse low and middle-income countries as well as frameworks to help students gain a practical and conceptual understanding of innovation at various levels: macro, meso and micro.
The course is designed to help students sharpen their critical thinking skills related to development cooperation policies and programming writ-large, and specifically as they pertain to innovation and digital transformation efforts. Students will gain an understanding of the history of investments in science, technology and innovation (STI) systems in low and middle-income countries and in fields of digital transformation and mission-oriented innovation. Students will work individually and in groups on practical exercises related to innovation policies, local innovation ecosystems, grassroots and frugal innovation, and more. The practical exercises will be anchored in conceptual frameworks and case studies from across low and middle-income countries. Case studies include innovation efforts led by international development organisations as well as by Global South government entities and by local grassroots innovators.
Students will gain practical insights on how to advance inclusive innovation in the context of international development cooperation policies and programmes.
- Department: Development and Governance
-
Instructor:
Benjamin Kumpf
Info - 1.5 points
Migration and Economic Development
Economics of Migration
This course equips students with economic tools to analyze the impacts of international migration on destination and origin countries. Emphasizing migration between low-, middle-, and high-income economies, it explores the effects of migration restrictions, remittances, diaspora networks, and labor market outcomes. Students will review key economic models, assess policy debates, and engage with empirical research. The course combines lectures, case discussions, and applied assignments to strengthen analytical skills and inform policy recommendations in migration and development.
- Department: Development and Governance
-
Instructor:
Limon B Rodriguez
Info - 1.5 points
Emerging Capital Markets: Theory & Pract
- Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
- 3 points
Green Transition in Emerging Markets
Greening Emerging Markets
The transition to a net-zero economy is of particular relevance to Emerging and Developing economies, which are both the most vulnerable to climate change and also the largest emitters of greenhouse gases.
The transition is creating considerable challenges but also opening up significant opportunities: over $200 trillion of investments will be needed in order to ensure that global temperatures stay well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with most to be invested in the infrastructure sector of emerging and developing economies.
The class will explore the challenges of the transition to a low-carbon economy. It will also examine the new mechanisms that are being put in place to channel finance toward the greening of emerging and developing countries.
- Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
-
Instructor:
Christian Deseglise
Wikipedia Info - 1.5 points
Intelligence and US Foreign Policy
Intelligence & US Foreign
Instructor permission required. Join the waitlist in Vergil to request registration.
This seminar explores the role of intelligence in U.S. national security and foreign policy, focusing on both historic and contemporary controversies. Topics include intelligence failures such as 9/11 and Iraq’s WMDs, challenges in cyber and surveillance, and debates about covert action and interrogation practices. The course also considers the Intelligence Community’s (IC) relationship with policymakers, particularly during election cycles and presidential transitions. Recent failures in Russia and Israel will prompt discussion on whether intelligence failures are inevitable and how success or failure should be defined. Students will examine the core functions of intelligence—collection (human, technical, cyber), analysis, and covert action—and their place in a democratic society. Readings focus on the post-WWII period to the present, with an emphasis on reform efforts. Guest speakers and a crisis simulation will provide practical insight into intelligence work, including real-world pressures faced by analysts and decision-makers.
- Department: International Security & Diplomacy
-
Instructor:
Peter Clement
Info - 3 points
Climate Change & ESG Investing
This course explores how Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and climate considerations are reshaping public market investment strategies. Students will learn how institutional investors use ESG signals and climate-related data to assess risk, identify opportunity, and support real-world outcomes—all while meeting fiduciary obligations.
The class introduces the concept of the “Double Bottom Line,” or double materiality, where financial performance and sustainability impact are jointly pursued. Students will examine active and index-based approaches to climate and ESG investing, review emerging academic research, and hear from guest speakers on the evolving landscape of sustainable finance.
A key course deliverable is a student-designed investment strategy that applies the Double Bottom Line framework to a climate or ESG theme, demonstrating how it could drive financial returns and measurable impact.
This course is intended for students planning careers in asset management, policy, sustainability, or ESG advisory roles. It focuses exclusively on public markets and complements SIPA courses covering private finance and regulatory approaches.
Students should know basic finance concepts like beta, the Capital Asset Pricing Model, equilibrium, active and passive management, and portfolio risk and return. Students should be familiar with some basic knowledge of statistics, like the concepts of statistical significance and regressions. At least one semester of statistics is required. We recommend that students have taken some previous classes in finance, management, sustainability, or quantitative analysis.
- Department: Climate, Energy, & Environment
-
Instructor:
Andrew Ang
Info - 1.5 points
Data Science and Public Policy
Pre-req: SIPA IA6501 - Quant II or equivalent quantitative methods course. Instructor permission required. Join the waitlist in Vergil to request registration.
This course bridges the gap between data science and public policy by bringing together students from diverse academic backgrounds to address contemporary policy challenges using large-scale data. With the rapid growth of digital information and the increasing influence of machine learning and AI on public life, the ability to work across disciplines is becoming essential.
Students will examine real-world datasets on topics such as disinformation campaigns, privacy and surveillance, crime and recidivism, natural disasters, and the impact of generative AI. Through weekly presentations and a semester-long team project, students will gain practical experience applying data science methods to pressing policy issues while learning how to collaborate across fields.
- Department: Data Science for Policy
-
Instructor:
Tamar Mitts
h-index: 5 Info - 3 points
Text as Data
Pre-req: SIPA IA6500 - Quant I, and prior experience with R are required. Instructor permission required. Join the waitlist in Vergil to request registration.
This course introduces students to the quantitative analysis of text, an increasingly important method in the social sciences and public policy. With vast amounts of textual information now available from sources such as social media, news articles, political speeches, and government documents, the ability to analyze text systematically is essential. Students will learn how to collect, process, and analyze text data to answer meaningful research questions.
The course covers a range of methods including dictionary-based approaches, supervised classification, topic modeling, word embeddings, and emerging applications of Large Language Models. Emphasis is placed on practical application through hands-on exercises using the R programming language. By the end of the semester, students will develop an original research project using text as data.
- Department: Data Science for Policy
-
Instructor:
Tamar Mitts
h-index: 5 Info - 3 points
Asian Financial Markets
Pre-req: SIPA IA6401 - Macroeconomic Analysis.
This course offers a comprehensive examination of the structure, evolution, and policy challenges of financial markets across Asia, focusing on key economies including Japan, China, India, South Korea, and ASEAN member states. It provides a historical overview of Asian financial development from the 1960s to the present, emphasizing the role of financial markets in supporting economic growth.
A central focus of the course is the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997–98, exploring its causes, policy responses, and long-term impacts on financial governance. Students will analyze the IMF’s controversial role during the crisis and the subsequent shift in Asian countries’ approaches to capital flows, exchange rate regimes, and monetary policy. The course also investigates the region’s efforts toward financial integration, cooperation, and institutional reform.
The second half of the course reviews the development trajectories of individual financial markets across Asia, with particular attention to Japan’s liberalization and demographic challenges, China’s rise and its promotion of the Renminbi as a global currency, and India’s financial sector reforms. The course further explores emerging issues including central bank digital currencies (CBDCs), infrastructure investment, and regional responses to global financial shifts.
Students will engage with current policy debates, case studies, and academic literature to understand the interplay between macroeconomic policy, financial regulation, and international finance in Asia.
- Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
-
Instructor:
Silvia Pezzini
Info - 3 points
Terrorism and Counterterrorism
This course examines the origins and development of modern terrorism, the challenges it poses to states and the international system, and the strategies employed to confront it. The course explores a wide range of terrorist groups, assessing the psychological, political, socioeconomic, and religious factors that contribute to terrorist violence. Students will also evaluate the effectiveness and ethical implications of various counterterrorism approaches. The course is structured in two parts. Part I addresses the nature, causes, tactics, and objectives of terrorism and terrorist organizations. Part II focuses on counterterrorism, including U.S. policy responses, international strategies, and the tension between security and democratic values.
- Department: International Security & Diplomacy
-
Instructor:
Stuart M Gottlieb
CULPA: 12
Info
- 3 points
Seminar in Urban Politics and Policy
S. Urban Politics and Pol
All public policy occurs within a political context. The purpose of this seminar is to examine how politics impacts policy in America’s large cities. While we rely on case material from American cities, the theoretical frameworks, problems, and policy solutions we consider are relevant to understanding public policy in any global city.
Cities are not legal entities defined in the American Constitution. Yet, historically, they have developed a politics and policymaking process that at once seems archetypically American and strangely foreign. We will consider who has power in cities and how that impacts policy priorities; whether America’s traditional institutions of representation “work” for urban America; how the city functions within our federal system; and whether neighborhood democracy is a meaningful construct. We will also consider the impact of politics on urban policymaking. Can cities solve the myriad problems of their populations under existing institutional arrangements? How are cities being affected by the post-pandemic work-from-home economy? Do the economic and social factors that impact urban politics and policy limit a city’s capacity to find and implement solutions to urban problems? How has increasing income inequality and persistent racial discrimination impacted urban governance and policy making? Does political protest result in changes in urban policy? Finally, can urban politics be restructured to better address problems of inequity and racial justice. Do cities have a viable economic future in post-pandemic America?
- Department: Urban and Social Policy
-
Instructor:
Ester Fuchs
CULPA: 4 Wikipedia Info - 3 points
Advanced Computing for Policy
Pre-req: DSPC IA6000 - Computing in Context,
or see option for testing out
.
In Computing in Context, students "explored computing concepts and coding in the context of solving policy problems." Building off that foundation of Python fundamentals and data analysis, Advanced Computing for Policy goes both deeper and broader. The course covers computer science concepts like data structures and algorithms, as well as data engineering tools like databases, cloud services, and collaboration tools. Over the semester, students will build a complex end-to-end data system. This course prepares students for more advanced data science coursework at SIPA, and equips them to do sophisticated data ingestion, analysis, and presentation. It's particularly well-suited to students looking to do data work in the public sector, not-for-profits, and academia.
- Department: Data Science for Policy
-
Instructor:
Aidan Feldman
Info - 3 points
Finance, Policy, and Investments in Sub-
Fince & Policy: Sub-Sahar
Finance, Policy, and Investments in Sub-Saharan Africa examines the interaction between public policy, financial systems, and private investment across selected countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The course focuses on how governments, financial institutions, and investors design and implement policies, financial products, and investment strategies to address development challenges and unlock economic opportunities.
Through comparative case studies and guest lectures by senior policymakers and industry leaders, students analyze real-world examples spanning banking reform, development finance, mobile money, health and financial inclusion, private equity, and infrastructure investment. Each case highlights the underlying market conditions, policy frameworks, investment structures, and measurable outcomes, with attention to both successes and limitations.
Designed for students interested in international finance, economic policy, and emerging markets, the course equips participants with analytical tools to assess risk, evaluate policy effectiveness, and understand how financial innovation can support inclusive growth in developing economies.
- Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
-
Instructor:
Benedict O Okoh
CULPA: 1 Info - 1.5 points
Critical Issues in Urban Public Policy
This course is designed to prepare future policymakers to critically analyze and evaluate key urban policy issues in US cities. It is unique in offering exposure to both practical leadership experience and urban policy scholarship that will equip students to meet the challenges that face urban areas. Students are responsible for all the required readings and they will hear from an exciting array of guest lecturers from the governmental, not for-profit, and private sectors. Drawing from my experiences as former Mayor of Philadelphia, I will lay out fundamental issues of urban governance and policymaking, emphasizing the challenges and opportunities cities are now facing.
- Department: Urban and Social Policy
-
Instructor:
Michael A Nutter
Info - 3 points
International Trade
IFEP Concentration Registration Priority.
This course explores both the theory and policy of international trade. In the first half, students will learn why countries trade, what determines trade patterns, and how trade affects prices, welfare, and income distribution. Key models covered include the Ricardian, Specific Factors, and Heckscher-Ohlin models, along with extensions on migration and offshoring. In the second half, the course focuses on trade policy instruments such as tariffs, quotas, and subsidies, examining their effects under different market structures. Topics include the political economy of trade, strategic trade policy, climate and agricultural subsidies, and international trade agreements. Prior coursework in microeconomics is required. Students will develop both analytical and applied understanding of global trade issues.
- Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
-
Instructor:
Sebastian Heise
Info - 3 points
Conduct of War
The conduct of war is central to international security policy. Even when unused, the ability to wage war effectively underpins deterrence and shapes foreign policy. Military organization, training, and strategy are built around this capacity, and the institutions that support it exist largely to ensure effectiveness in conflict. A strong grasp of modern warfare theory and practice is essential for anyone pursuing a career in security policy. This course provides a foundation in the conduct of war, preparing students for professional roles in government agencies, legislative offices, think tanks, and international organizations. It focuses on developing the analytical skills and conceptual tools needed for early-career success and long-term growth in the defense policy field. While the course includes critical thinking and key concepts, it is intended as targeted professional preparation rather than general education. The course complements ISDI IA6000: Foundations of International Security Policy, ISDI IA7250: Military Technology Assessment, and ISDI IA7275: Methods for Defense Analysis. While these courses may be taken independently, this course does not address topics such as war’s causes, ethics, or technology evaluation, which are covered elsewhere. Instead, it concentrates on the theory and practice of how wars are conducted.
- Department: International Security & Diplomacy
- 3 points
The Politics of Defense in the United St
Politics of U.S. Defense
This course examines how national security and defense policy are developed and implemented in the U.S., focusing on political processes and institutional dynamics. Topics include military strategy, budgeting, force structure, acquisition, personnel policy, and the use of force. Students explore five key dimensions: partisan politics, Congress–Executive relations, civil-military relations, inter-service dynamics, and coordination across federal agencies. While grounded in U.S. policy, the course addresses global contexts and current debates, including defense reform, great-power competition, and the sustainability of the all-volunteer force. Readings span historical and contemporary sources.
- Department: International Security & Diplomacy
-
Instructor:
Michael O'Hanlon
Wikipedia Info - 3 points
International Political Economy
Int'l Political Economy
IFEP Concentration Registration Priority.
This course examines the intersection of international politics and international economics. It covers an analysis of the historical background to and contemporary reality of the political economy of international trade, finance, monetary relations, foreign investment, and climate policy; problems of economic development; and globalization.
- Department: International Finance & Economic Policy
-
Instructor:
Markus H Jaeger
Info - 3 points