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
• M 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• 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
• M 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• None None-None
• 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
• R 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• 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. 

Spring 2026 Course Dates: Feb 20 & 21

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• FS 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Rachel Vogelstein
  Info
• 1.5 points

Economic Development for International A

Lecture

The course has two broad objectives: 1) to explore how economics can be used to understand various facets of development and 2) to provide tools and skills useful in policy work. In the course, we will describe the basic facts surrounding the development process and use economic theory to make sense of these facts and to identify gaps in our understanding. We will also learn about the tools that development economists use to fill in those gaps. These will include analyzing real-world data and thinking in terms of causality and its relevance for policy. Specific modules/topics in the class include: 1) What is Development, 2) Distribution of Income and Human Resources, 3) Randomized Controlled Trials, 4) Growth Models, 5) Trade and Development, 6) Sustainability Topics

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

Economic Development for International A

Recitation

The course has two broad objectives: 1) to explore how economics can be used to understand various facets of development and 2) to provide tools and skills useful in policy work. In the course, we will describe the basic facts surrounding the development process and use economic theory to make sense of these facts and to identify gaps in our understanding. We will also learn about the tools that development economists use to fill in those gaps. These will include analyzing real-world data and thinking in terms of causality and its relevance for policy. Specific modules/topics in the class include: 1) What is Development, 2) Distribution of Income and Human Resources, 3) Randomized Controlled Trials, 4) Growth Models, 5) Trade and Development, 6) Sustainability Topics

• Department: Development and Governance
• R 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• F 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• 0 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
• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Jean-Marie Guehenno
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Corporate Finance

Lecture

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.
• Instructor: Deborah McLean
  Info
• 3 points

Corporate Finance

Recitation

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
• F 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• F 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• 0 points

SOCIAL WORK PRACTICE IN ALCOHOL AND SUBS

SW PRAC ALCOHL & SUBSTANC

• Department: Social Work
• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• W 2 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
• W 6:20 p.m.-8:10 p.m.
• R 8:30 p.m.-10:20 p.m.
• W 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• Instructor: Andrew Hamid
  Info
• Instructor: Anthony Zenkus
  Info
• Instructor: Andrew Hamid
  Info
• Instructor: La McCrae
  Info
• Instructor: Jeffrey E Diaz
  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
• T 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Michael N Eastwood
  Info
• 3 points

HUMAN SEXUALITY

• Department: Social Work
• W 2 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Gabriel San Emeterio
  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
• S 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
• T 6 p.m.-9 p.m.
• S 1 p.m.-4 p.m.
• 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
• M 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Monica D Medina
  Info
• 3 points

SW PRAC & GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE

Students examine the issue of violence against women and families. The demographics of the population, theories of domestic violence, crisis intervention, and short- and long-term clinical issues will be examined, as will service modalities for women victims and survivors, batterers, and their children.

• Department: Social Work
• T 6:20 p.m.-8:10 p.m.
• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• M 8:30 p.m.-10:20 p.m.
• W 6:20 p.m.-8:10 p.m.
• Instructor: Bushra S Husain
  Info
• Instructor: Verena Salvi
  Info
• Instructor: Carmen S Fajardo
  Info
• Instructor: Aditi Bhattacharya
  Info
• 3 points

SW PRAC-LES/GAY/BI/TRANS CLIENTS

• Department: Social Work
• T 11:10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Instructor: Kelsey G Reeder
  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

DEMENTIA

• Department: Social Work
• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• M 6:20 p.m.-8:10 p.m.
• Instructor: Lucia H Mc Bee
  Info
• Instructor: Ada C Mui
  Info
• 3 points

SPIRITUALITY/SOCIAL WORK PRAC

• Department: Social Work
• R 6:20 p.m.-8:10 p.m.
• Instructor: Frederick Streets
  Info
• 3 points

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR IPP

• Department: Social Work
• T 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Joanne Toran
  Info
• 3 points

Economic Development in Latin America

Econ Dev in Latin America

This course aims at familiarizing students with historical and contemporary debates on Latin American economic development and its social effects. The focus of the course is comparative in perspective. Most of the readings deal, therefore, with Latin America as a region, not with individual countries.

The first five classes are historical. After an initial overview of long-term historical trends and debates on institutional development in Latin America, we consider the four distinctive periods of economic development: the “lost decades” after independence, the export age from the late nineteenth century to 1929, the era of state-led industrialization, and the recent period of market reforms. The last topic should be viewed as an introduction to the second part of the course, which deals with major contemporary issues: macroeconomic management, trade policies, production sector trends and policies, income distribution and social policy. The course will end with a session on the effects of recent crises on Latin America (Covid-19 and the 2022-23 world crisis), and the ongoing debate on the region’s future economic and social development.

• Department: Development and Governance
• M 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Jose A Ocampo
  Wikipedia h-index: 77 Info
• 3 points

ADULT PSYCHPATH/PATHWAY-WELLNS

• Department: Social Work
• R 6:20 p.m.-8:10 p.m.
• T 6:20 p.m.-8:10 p.m.
• T 4:10 p.m.-6 p.m.
• T 11:10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• W 8:30 p.m.-10:20 p.m.
• R 8:30 p.m.-10:20 p.m.
• Instructor: Lorraine M Pirro
  Info
• Instructor: Pascale Jean-Noel
  Info
• Instructor: Lorraine M Pirro
  Info
• Instructor: Noel Ramirez
  Info
• Instructor: Katherine A Segal
  Info
• Instructor: Amira Martin
  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
• M 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Christina M Greer
  Wikipedia Info
• 3 points

Inequality, Poverty, and Politics

Inequality, Poverty, & Po

Instructor: Professor Cesar Zucco

The course provides students with a theoretical and empirical overview of the policies designed to address poverty and inequality in the developing world, as well as the political context in which these policies are chosen and implemented, with a particular (though not exclusive) focus on the Brazilian experience. The first meetings focus on normative perspectives and the general political implications of poverty and inequality. We then briefly examine differences in social policies between developed and developing countries and proceed to discuss various practical approaches to the issue. By the end of the course, students should have enhanced their understanding of the theoretical underpinnings of poverty- and inequality-reducing policies, as well as how politics shapes their implementation.

• Department: Development and Governance
• T 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• 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
• F 3:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
• 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
• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• 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
• W 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• 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
• T 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• 3 points

EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICE

• Department: Social Work
• T 2 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Amy S Kapadia
  Info
• 3 points

Corporate Social Impact: Funding Global

CSI: Funding Global Innov

This course moves beyond the old model of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), often seen as peripheral charity or public relations, and into the strategic practice of Corporate Social Impact (CSI). CSI integrates social and environmental value creation directly into business strategy, proving that companies can do well by doing good.

Students will learn to design, measure, and pitch social impact programs that are resilient to market shifts, executive scrutiny, and stakeholder pressures. Through case studies, practical frameworks, and hands-on projects, this course prepares future leaders to leverage corporate assets such as brand, talent, and technology to generate tangible benefits for both business and society.

• Department: Tech Policy and Innovation
• 1.5 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
• W 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• 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
• R 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: A.J. Goulding
  Info
• 3 points

Advanced Economic Development for Intern

Lecture

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; prisoners’ dilemmas and the environment; and policy debates around development strategies. Recurrent questions include: 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
• T 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• T 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Eric A Verhoogen
  Info
• 3 points

Advanced Economic Development for Intern

Recitation

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; prisoners’ dilemmas and the environment; and policy debates around development strategies. Recurrent questions include: 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
• M 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• M 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• 0 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
• T 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Phoebe Donnelly
  Info
• 3 points

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Lecture

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
• T 8 a.m.-9:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Jeffrey G Jr Shrader
  Info
• 3 points

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Recitation

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
• W 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• 0 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
• S 3:45 p.m.-6:45 p.m.
• 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
• M 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Noah Kaufman
  Info
• 1.5 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.

Spring 2026 Course Dates: April 10-25

• Department: Development and Governance
• FS 12:40 p.m.-3 p.m.
• 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
• SS 12:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m.
• Instructor: Ehsan Ehsani
  Info
• 3 points

Accelerating Small and Growing Businesse

Accel Small & Growing Biz

The objective of this course is to learn and apply practical approaches to leveraging business innovation to spur socially and environmentally sustainable development, based on an understanding of the role of enterprises—especially small and growing businesses (SBGs)—in emerging markets and developing economies (EMDEs). Students will learn—from the course professors, as well as a group of guest lecturers specialized in a range of economic sectors, social or environmental priorities, and types of client—about the leading approaches to enterprise development and their foundations in systems thinking, political science, innovation theory, complexity science, and institutional, ecological, and business economics. Over the years, enterprise development has grown from implementing organizations directly providing services to businesses to the use of more systems-aware, facilitative approaches that include work with larger private sector companies, communities, local governments, and civil-society, and use tactics like business incubators and blended finance in ways that break away from a traditional grant-led donor paradigm and align commercial incentives with social and environmental priorities.

 

The ten-session course will begin with understanding market systems and their context in the surrounding socio-ecological system, then cover the financial systems, business enabling environment, and ‘knowledge’ systems of data and decision-making that make healthy market systems thrive. Students will learn fundamental market systems development concepts like facilitation and complexity-aware programming as well as concrete skills like market systems analysis, public-private partnership design, and incubator–accelerator tactics. Students will complete a semester-long project—including mid-term feedback from a simulated client—in market systems analysis and intervention design oriented to one of five types of client: traditional bilateral or multilateral institutions; impact investors; private philanthropy; multinational companies; and the governments of developing countries. Interventions will harness business growth to accelerate equitable economic development that achieves both social and environmental outcomes. A group of active professionals in the field will provide guidance on the semester-long projects to help demystify ‘development consulting’ and prepare students with the skills and mindsets to enter a rapidly evolving field. Fol

• Department: Development and Governance
• M noon-3 p.m.
• 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
• T 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• 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
• R 7:10 p.m.-9 p.m.
• 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
• R 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• 3 points

PSYCHEDELIC-ASSISTED THERAPY II

PSYCHEDELIC-ASSISTD THERA

• Department: Social Work
• T 11:10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Instructor: Heidi L Allen
  Info
• 3 points

PSYCHEDELIC-ASSISTED THERAPY (P.A.T.) CL

P.A.T. CLINICAL SEMINAR

• Department: Social Work
• T 2 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
• Instructor: Brooke Stott
  Info
• 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
• R 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• 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
• T 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• 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
• M 7 p.m.-9 p.m.
• Instructor: Marc Jacquand
  Info
• 3 points

Gender Based Violence Law & Policy

This course will introduce students to manifestations of gender-based violence around the world—including intimate partner violence, sexual assault, child marriage and forced genital mutilation, femicide and “honor killings,” human trafficking, conflict-related sexual violence, and technology-facilitated gender-based violence. The course will also examine the legal and policy frameworks governing these manifestations at the international, regional, and national levels—including global treaties, national laws and action plans, and programmatic support for survivors—and evaluate research on how and why ending gender-based violence globally advances prosperity and stability.

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• R 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Rachel Vogelstein
  Info
• 1.5 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
• T 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Monica D Medina
  Info
• 3 points

Women and the Economy: Policy, Participa

Improving women’s economic security and boosting women’s labor force participation is not only critical for advancing gender equality but also for driving economic growth.  This class will introduce students to the main factors contributing to women’s economic insecurity in the United States and around the world, including legal barriers, insufficient care infrastructure, lack of access to good-paying jobs, and discrimination and harassment, including sexual harassment, in the workforce.  The course will also explore solutions – domestic and global laws, legislative proposals, and policies – to address these barriers and to advance progress on women’s economic security, along with the current debates on these policy interventions.  Students will also learn about the role that social norms play in women’s ability to participate fully in the economy.

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• W 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• Instructor: Jennifer L Klein
  Info
• 1.5 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
• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• Instructor: Jeri E Powell
  Info
• 1.5 points

Gender, Conflict, and Peacebuilding

Gender, Conflict & Peaceb

Over 25 years ago, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security, and since then, it has adopted an additional 9 related resolutions. This agenda marks the first time in the UN’s 80-year history that women’s experiences, particularly their contributions to promoting peace and security in contexts of violent conflict, closed political spaces, and rising extremism, are acknowledged. It is also the first time that the need for women’s protection has been strongly noted. The resolution marks a clear watershed in the evolving efforts to promote human security as a normative framework for the international community. Although the primary focus is on women, the emerging discourse has drawn increasing attention to the need for gendered analysis – i.e., addressing the conditions/experiences of women and men with intersecting identities – in conflict and peacebuilding.

This intensive 2.5-day seminar will provide an overview of the evolving field of women, peace, and security. Drawing on empirical research and practice, the modules will address the following issues:

● Historical and geopolitical evolution and context in which the WPS field has arisen;

● Attaining UN Security Council Resolution 1325 and the expansion of the WPS policy agenda with attention to subsequent resolutions and key pillars of this agenda – notably women’s participation in peace and security, protection issues, peacekeeping and conflict prevention including conflict related sexual violence.

● Implications of ongoing conflicts, rising authoritarianism, and violent extremism on gender, peace and security issues.

● Gender analysis and the practical application of a gendered lens to key mediation, security, and peacebuilding processes.

● Experiences and lessons from women’s peace coalitions and women’s contributions to peacebuilding including countering/preventing violent extremism

● Efforts to prevent and address sexual violence in conflict.

● Women and peacekeeping, including issues of sexual exploitation and abuse.

• Department: Human Rights, Gender, and Equity
• Instructor: Jennifer L Klein
  Info
• 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
• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• 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
• M 3:10 p.m.-5 p.m.
• 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
• W 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Ian W Gray
  Info
• 1.5 points

CLINICAL CASE EVALUATION

• Department: Social Work
• W 2 p.m.-3:50 p.m.
• T 9 a.m.-10:50 a.m.
• T 11:10 a.m.-1 p.m.
• Instructor: Michelle A Salvaggio
  Info
• Instructor: Leny Bolivar
  Info
• Instructor: Nino Makharadze
  Info
• 3 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
• T 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Jason Healey
  Wikipedia h-index: 15 Info
• 3 points

Advanced Research Methods and Statistics

Adv Research Methods & St

• Department: Social Work
• M 6:20 p.m.-8:10 p.m.
• Instructor: Xiaoning Huang
  h-index: 3 Info
• 3 points

Advanced Research Methods and Statistics

Adv Research Mthds & Stat

• Department: Social Work
• M 8:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
• Instructor: Xiaoning Huang
  h-index: 3 Info
• 0 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
• W 10 a.m.-11:50 a.m.
• 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
• W 5:10 p.m.-7 p.m.
• Instructor: Elizabeth Cartier
  Info
• 1.5 points

Democratic Institutions under Stress

This course will explore the core principles of constitutional democracy, beginning with a close reading of the US founding documents, and proceeding through the key institutions, from citizenship and elections to the branches of government, the role of the military and a free press. We will alternate between a discussion of history and text and consideration of contemporary topics in the US and around the world. The course will stress the inherent tensions and guardrails in democracy that protect individual and minority rights while allowing for orderly governance and security, and some of the challenges that exist today in both mature and emerging democracies

• Department: Urban and Social Policy
• M 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Jacob J Lew
  Info
• 3 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
• W 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• 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
• T 1:10 p.m.-3 p.m.
• Instructor: Harold B Stolper
  Info
• 3 points