Selected advanced topics in data-driven analysis and computation. Content varies from year to year, and different topics rotate through the course numbers 6690 to 6699.
Selected advanced topics in data-driven analysis and computation. Content varies from year to year, and different topics rotate through the course numbers 6690 to 6699.
Prerequisite: Course Application.
In an era increasingly defined by geopolitical competition, it is more important than ever for future policymakers to understand why and how foreign policy decisions are made. Inside the Situation Room, co-taught by Secretary Hillary Rodham Clinton and Dean Keren Yarhi-Milo, employs insights from diverse academic fields—including political psychology, domestic politics, and international relations—and the direct experience of high-level principals in the room to understand the key factors which underpin a nation’s most crucial decisions. This course allows students to engage with a range of case studies and examine decision-making in a variety of historical and contemporary contexts, from the search for Osama bin Laden, to the “red line” in Syria, to negotiating with Iran.
Students will be taught how to analyze and understand the complex interplay between individual psychology, domestic politics, public opinion, bureaucracy, the international environment, and other factors which feed into decisions about foreign policy—from crisis diplomacy to the use of force, signaling and perception, intelligence and its analysis, the deployment of other instruments of statecraft, and more. Through this course, students will think carefully and analytically about how leaders and other actors view the world, how they arrive at their decisions, and how various social, political, and psychological factors shape the policies they devise to promote their interests abroad. For more information, visit: https://www.sipa.columbia.edu/situationroom
Required Discussion Section For Inside the Situation Room.
Required Discussion Section For Inside the Situation Room.
Required Discussion Section For Inside the Situation Room.
Required Discussion Section For Inside the Situation Room.
Required Discussion Section For Inside the Situation Room.
Required Discussion Section For Inside the Situation Room.
Probabilistic Models and Machine Learning is a PhD-level course about how to design and use probability models. We study their mathematical properties, algorithms for computing with them, and applications to real problems. We study both the foundations and modern methods in this field. Our goals are to understand probabilistic modeling, to begin research that makes contributions to this field, and to develop good practices for building and applying probabilistic models.
Applications of spoken language processing, including text-to-speech and dialogue systems. Analysis of speech and text, including entrainment, empathy, personality, emotion, humor, sarcasm, deception, trust, radicalization, and charisma.
Perhaps the greatest challenge of policymaking is how to manage the urgent while maintaining focus on the important. Foreign policy leaders must maintain a strategic direction while also responding to the unexpected, and they often struggle to craft a policy that pursues long-term interests while also meeting the needs of the present and recognizing the reality of limits. This is especially true at a moment of tremendous geopolitical change, uncertainty, and political polarization. Historians will likely remember the years from 2020-2025 as an inflection point for the U.S. in the world — when global dynamics of great power competition, regional conflict, and rapid technological change clashed with an intense debate at home about American leadership and the purpose of power. This 1.5-credit workshop will explore the dilemmas of modern U.S. foreign policy decision-making by re-examining events from 2020-2025, focusing on three crises that are the three most acute policy challenges of the period. This workshop will meet over three sessions and consist of short readings, conversations with guest speakers who were directly involved in these events, and active student participation in discussions. Each session will have three parts: 1) an overview of key events led by the instructor, 2) a moderated discussion (either in person or by zoom) with a former senior policymaker, and 3) a class discussion about conclusions, implications, opportunities missed, and lessons for the future. 1) The end of the U.S. war in Afghanistan, 2) the Ukraine crisis, and 3) the response to the October 7 attacks in Israel and its aftermath.
Instructor: Derek Chollet
This course will meet as follows:
Thursday, Sept. 11: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Friday, Sept. 12: 9:30am-12:00pm
Thursday, Oct. 2: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Friday, Oct 3: 9:30am-12:00pm
Thursday, Nov. 20: 6:00pm-8:00pm
Friday, Nov. 21: 9:30am-12:00pm
Advanced treatment of stochastic modeling in the context of queueing, reliability, manufacturing, insurance risk, financial engineering and other engineering applications. Review of elements of probability theory; exponential distribution; renewal theory; Wald’s equation; Poisson processes. Introduction to both discrete and continuous-time Markov chains; introduction to Brownian motion.
This course introduces students to the field of social work and the law – specifically the practice of social work in legal settings. Students will develop competency in forensic social work practice - working knowledge as a practitioner in an interdisciplinary setting representing clients entangled in legal systems including criminal, civil, family and immigration. Students will deconstruct the complexities of the criminal legal systems and further develop awareness in addressing clients’ concerns related to their criminal justice history – pre-arrest, arrest, disposition and re-entry. Similarly, students will gain insight into the filing of Article X petitions in family court and the pathway of a child protection case. This course complements field placements in legal/forensic settings, law minors and students interested in social work and law rooted in rights-based advocacy. This course is premised on a basic understanding of how the legacy of slavery led to mass criminalization and incarceration. Black Lives Matter.
The course will focus on understanding the theory and varied practices of restorative justice (RJ) and transformative justice (TJ), and how they are being used as alternatives to retributive and punitive responses to social problems and individual, community and institutional harm. Students will learn – through modeling and practice – how to facilitate a restorative circle which can serve as the foundation for continued use of restorative practices in social work. The class will provide an understanding of the values and principles of RJ and R, and the most-commonly used RJ models and where they are being used. It will support students in understanding their own relationship to conflict and teach students how to facilitate restorative processes using peacemaking circles. Issues of power, privilege, oppression and identity will be substantial themes throughout the course, both in understanding the need for RJ and TJ, how RJ/TJ can address them, and the ways in which these issues arise in facilitation and the RJ/TJ movement. In addition to understanding RJ, the course will also provide students with a critical analysis of other theories and practices of conflict resolution including mediation, truth and reconciliation, and transitional justice, and how all of these relate to addressing individual, communal and institutional harm. Finally, the course will discuss how social workers can use restorative justice in a variety of settings.
This course presents a systematic overview of basic level oncology advanced practice nursing utilizing various theoretical approaches. It incorporates the pathophysiology of cancer, prevention and detection, cancer treatment modalities, diagnosis, and socioeconomic, ethical, and legal issues related to cancer care. The course provides the framework for the synthesis, integration, and application of oncology nursing theory in clinical practice.
Previously offered as Oncology Nursing Theory I - Fundamentals of Oncology Nursing.
This immersive, two-day workshop examines the concept of a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the lens of historic negotiation efforts, most notably the Camp David Summit (1999–2001). Guided by former Israeli and Palestinian negotiators, students will explore the political, legal, and narrative frameworks that have shaped these peace talks, with particular attention to the components of Palestinian statehood.
Through structured simulation, analysis of historical documents, and engagement with practitioners, the workshop will deepen students' understanding of negotiation dynamics, the role of state recognition, and the impact of historical narratives on diplomacy. Issues such as refugees, Jerusalem, security, and diplomatic recognition will be addressed only insofar as they relate to the establishment of a Palestinian state.
To register for this course, you must join the waitlist in Vergil and submit an application:
https://forms.gle/ku43fs8WwtgRNPte7
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Henry Kissinger remarked in the 1970s that "Israel has no foreign policy, only domestic politics." Moshe Dayan, Israel's quintessential general, observed that "Israel has no foreign policy, only a defense policy with international implications." These statements highlight an enduring question for the Middle East: What explains Israeli foreign policy? How do history, security challenges, ideology, and domestic politics influence Israel's position in a globalized world? This question carries special relevance when considering the war in Gaza. Since late 2023, Israel and the Middle East have been engulfed in a highly consequential conflict, with various actors—Hamas launching the October 7 attack, Iran, the Houthis of Yemen, and Hezbollah. The war is still ongoing, and its attachment to Israeli domestic politics cannot be overstated. The conflict has refocused attention on the history and dynamics of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the decades-long successes and failures in the peace process. We will explore significant episodes that reflect the intersection of Israel's foreign policy and domestic politics, specifically within the context of the Middle East peace process. Analyzing how Israeli politics has shaped major regional shifts over the last four decades, we'll debate whether the predominance of a fragmented political system necessarily leads to a crisis of national strategy or might ensure a more flexible and adaptive foreign policy.
Pre-req: ISDI IA6000 (INAF U6874) - Foundations of Int'l Security Policy.
This intensive two-day workshop explores the complex landscape of peacemaking and reconstruction in Ukraine following Russia’s 2022 invasion. Students will examine key challenges associated with ending hostilities, sustaining peace, and rebuilding the state. Topics include Ukraine’s security needs, Russia’s incentives and deterrents, frameworks for international monitoring and verification, economic reconstruction, human reintegration, and the risk of future aggression.
Drawing on historic precedents and expert perspectives, the course will address the interdependence of political, military, economic, and human dimensions in post-conflict stabilization. Students will work collaboratively to develop peace and reconstruction frameworks, assess pitfalls, and propose mechanisms for accountability and resilience. The course will emphasize critical analysis of stakeholder interests, institutional roles, and the evolving international context.
Analytical approach to the design of (data) communication networks. Necessary tools for performance analysis and design of network protocols and algorithms. Practical engineering applications in layered Internet protocols in Data link layer, Network layer, and Transport layer. Review of relevant aspects of stochastic processes, control, and optimization.
Analytical approach to the design of (data) communication networks. Necessary tools for performance analysis and design of network protocols and algorithms. Practical engineering applications in layered Internet protocols in Data link layer, Network layer, and Transport layer. Review of relevant aspects of stochastic processes, control, and optimization.
Mathematical models, analyses of economics and networking interdependencies in the internet. Topics include microeconomics of pricing and regulations in communications industry, game theory in revenue allocations, ISP settlements, network externalities, two-sided markets. Economic principles in networking and network design, decentralized vs. centralized resource allocation, “price of anarchy,” congestion control. Case studies of topical internet issues. Societal and industry implications of internet evolution.
Mathematical models, analyses of economics and networking interdependencies in the internet. Topics include microeconomics of pricing and regulations in communications industry, game theory in revenue allocations, ISP settlements, network externalities, two-sided markets. Economic principles in networking and network design, decentralized vs. centralized resource allocation, “price of anarchy,” congestion control. Case studies of topical internet issues. Societal and industry implications of internet evolution.
Further study of areas such as communication protocols and architectures, flow and congestion control in data networks, performance evaluation in integrated networks. Content varies from year to year, and different topics rotate through the course numbers 6770 to 6779.
This intensive two-day workshop examines North Korea’s nuclear program within the broader security dynamics of the Indo-Pacific region. Students will explore how North Korea’s ambitions intersect with U.S.-China strategic competition and the evolving roles of Japan, South Korea, India, and other regional actors. Topics include extended deterrence, crisis escalation, alliance management, economic statecraft, and the linkage between Korean Peninsula security and Taiwan Strait tensions.
To register for this course, you must join the waitlist in Vergil and submit an application:
https://forms.gle/t6ZxptA5YyB6cd6RA
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Health Communication has emerged as an important field of theory, research, and practice in the 21st century. As recognized by several public health and global health agendas, well-designed and implemented health communication interventions can have a positive impact on public health and health care outcomes, as well as health equity. This course will introduce students to the field of Health Communication theory and practice, and its key action areas. It will prepare them to design, implement and evaluate health communication interventions within a systematic, participatory, engaging, process-oriented, and multidisciplinary framework that aims at behavioral, social, and organizational results and ultimately, improved public health outcomes.
As health communication is grounded in many theories and principles (e.g., behavioral and social change, marketing, intergroup, sociology, anthropology, cultural-centered and positive deviance theory, mass media and new media theory, medical models, community organizing, social networks, etc.) that are also shared by other disciplines in the public health, health care, and community development fields, these theories will be briefly reviewed as part of session two in relation to their specific application to health communication theory and practice. The planning frameworks and practical exercises included in this course are specific to the field of health communication and provide students with core competencies and skills for future work in health communication within the nonprofit, corporate, academic, and government sectors both in the United States and globally.
During this course, students will be introduced to the methods and techniques of creating infographics and data visualizations. They will learn about storytelling and how to create various charts using Tableau Desktop software. Students will also learn the practical aspects of managing a public health data visualization project. Tableau is becoming widely used and is now also connectable to the “big 4” SPSS/SAS/STAT/R, as such it is an essential data analytics tool for understanding and manipulating data for public health. Students will learn methodologies on how to approach public health data to create data visualizations that display statistics in a compelling form in Tableau. This hands-on introductory course will teach students to develop meaningful public health data stories that reveal insights. Students will utilize health data to tell visual stories and develop an aesthetic for presenting their findings to a lay audience.
Trees shadow the human in faceless fashion. They mark of a form of deep-time (like Darwin’s tree of Life), record and respond to ecological devastation and abundance. Symbolic of the strange proximity of the divine, trees figure as alter-egos or doubles for human lives and their after lives (in figures like the trees of life and salvation, trees of wisdom and knowledge, genealogical trees, et al). As prostheses of thought and knowledge they become synonymous with structure and form, supports for linguistic and other genres of mapping, and markers of organization and reading (Moretti). As key sources of energy, that is, as food-procurers, wood, and coal (from the Carboniferous period), trees –as we know them today -- are direct correlates with the rise of the Anthropocene. This course turns to trees as shadows and shade: that is to trees as coerced doubles of the human and as entry ways to an other-world that figures at the limits of thought and language. Part eco-criticism, part philosophy, this course will begin by coupling medieval literary texts with theoretical works, but will expand (and contract) to other time periods and geographic locales. An undercurrent of the course is the relation of trees to language, knowledge, democracy, aesthetics, indigeneity, colonization, and religion.
This course introduces the fundamental concepts and problems of international human rights law. What are the origins of modern human rights law? What is the substance of this law, who is obligated by it, and how is it enforced? The course will cover the major international human rights treaties and mechanisms and consider some of todays most significant human rights issues and controversies. While the topics are necessarily law-related, the course will assume no prior exposure to legal studies.
MIA & MPA Ethics Core.
This course investigates how ethical considerations shape, complicate, and often introduce dilemmas into the work of policymaking. It asks what justice, democracy, and responsibility demand in concrete policy contexts—should political leaders prioritize stability or accountability in post-conflict settings? Should elected officials follow their moral convictions even when doing so goes against the preferences of their constituents? Should public servants uphold the law when it conflicts with their moral principles? When is it right to work within flawed systems to achieve change, and when is it better to act from the outside? Through a mix of theoretical readings and case studies, students will learn to balance political, institutional, and ethical considerations, develop arguments for their moral choices, and advocate effectively for their policy decisions. The course is designed to cultivate reflective practitioners who can identify moral dilemmas in public policy, weigh competing values, and articulate their ethical positions in ways that are both critical and constructive.
Prerequisites: the instructors permission prior to registration. Issues and problems in theory of international politics; systems theories and the current international system; the domestic sources of foreign policy and theories of decision making; transnational forces, the balance of power, and alliances.
Musicals, especially those that have traditionally originated on Broadway, are complex pieces of machinery that are designed to produce a variety of energies in the theater. When taken collectively, those energies constitute the aesthetic of the experience. As with plays, stage managers are charged with coordinating all of a musical’s production elements. However, stage managers should also be able to view a musical from every angle; that is, read it intelligently and analyze it dramatically so they can accurately gauge their contribution to the overall aesthetic. This course seeks to provide stage managers with a customized template to do that: in other words, how to connect what’s on the page and the stage to their own standard methodologies, cue calling, and the CEO/COO perspective. In the contemporary professional landscape, these are important tools that will help them optimize their work on musicals.