Columbia | SIPA Executive MPA Brochure by Jesse Gale

Executive MPA Program

Introduction to the Executive MPA

or more than 60 years, Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs has drawn students from around the world for its traditional, full-time master’s and PhD programs. The global reach of the School is one of its defining characteristics, with alumni located in more than 150 countries and prestigious academic partnerships throughout Asia, Europe, and Latin America. Also central to SIPA’s identity and educational mission is its home, New York City. SIPA recognizes that many busy professionals must be lifelong learners, acquiring skills and broadening their horizons throughout their careers. The Executive MPA program connects SIPA with the dynamic community of midcareer professionals based right here in Columbia’s home town, New York City. Executive MPA students are leaders and managers from a wide array of public, nonprofit, and private sector organizations. Although EMPA students pursue a variety of different professional interests, they share a commitment to serving the public interest, creating effective public institutions and stable, efficient markets. We believe that the program’s rigorous analytical curriculum and its hands-on approach to policy and management problem solving can be of great use to graduates working in any organization. The EMPA, developed by the Picker Center for Executive Education in 1999, offers students the core analytical and management skills shared by all of SIPA’s master’s degree programs, on a schedule that is demanding but feasible for the working professional. Students can build on these core skills with a focus on International Economic Policy and Management, Advanced Management and Finance, or Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management. In addition to the demanding curriculum of their program, EMPA students have immediate access (before graduation) to an exciting set of programs designed for SIPA alumni, typically offered on evenings at midtown locations. Of course, they are also welcome to participate in any of the seemingly endless parade of events (lectures, conferences, seminars, film series) that are a regular part of the day-to-day life at one of the world’s leading public policy schools. We hope that you can become part of this exciting community.

The EMPA Experience

“I enrolled in SIPA’s EMPA program to strengthen my analytical skills, broaden my network, and deepen my understanding of international relations. During the last two years, I have been surrounded by a network of professionals who care about public service. The course work provides the right mix of analytical and theoretical rigor. Since entering the program, I transitioned from a role at a public affairs firm as vice president to establishing and leading a nonprofit arts and cultural center as an executive director. The support of my EMPA colleagues and the complementary course work helped to make it a seamless transition.” —Tracey Foster, Class of 2010 “I serve as the deputy director for City Futures, which is the parent company of the Center for an Urban Future and City Limits. The EMPA program provides a concrete management framework for policymaking and organizational leadership. The students are excited and talented and offer a wealth of diversity in experiences, careers, and backgrounds. The EMPA program provides the core skills to do this—leaving graduates with the quintessential skill sets to be the next set of global policy leaders.” —Mark Anthony Thomas, Class of 2009

“Twelve years of working at the Department of the Army, a number of which were spent in Europe, East Asia, and the Middle East, served to galvanize my view of the power of globalization. My recent work at the New York City Police Department requires refined analytic and quantitative abilities. Searching for a graduate program that would draw on this experience and provide the opportunity to broaden my skills in a global context led me to Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). To date, my experience at SIPA’s EMPA program has been the greatest investment in my future, which I’m certain will pay dividends well beyond my expectations.” —John W. Dandola, Class of 2010

With best regards, Robert C. Lieberman Interim Dean

he Picker Center for Executive Education offers both degree and nondegree programs for working professionals who wish to advance their skills while continuing to work.

The Picker Center for Executive Education enables working professionals to benefit from SIPA’s worldclass faculty and curriculum in public policy, management, economics, and international affairs. The Center’s ﬁrst offering, the Executive MPA program, trains students to become senior managers in the public, private, and nonproﬁt arenas by equipping them with the analytic, managerial, and policy skills needed to get ahead.

“As the director of finance at Columbia University’s School of Nursing, I am responsible for managing the School’s financial activities and ensuring that they comply with the School’s mission and with federal and University policies. The EMPA program has helped me attain a firm understanding of the nonprofit sector. The courses offered in the program improved my management skills and broadened my ability to solve problems creatively. Thanks to the EMPA program, my peers describe me as a professional who can perform optimally despite limited resources.” —Ruth E. Torres, Class of 2006

“I am a senior executive, heading the U.S. business for a major South Asian financial institution. At the EMPA program we have a diverse student body, ranging in backgrounds in health to legal, financial, HR management, technology, NGOs, multilateral organizations, and foreign consulates. The newly learned skills and techniques from my SIPA experience include effective consensus building, strategic management with both top-down and bottom-up approaches, conflict resolution, building sustainable strategic partnerships, professional memo writing with a public sector focus, and leadership.” —Faiq Sadiq, Class of 2010

The Center provides customized, in-service executive training programs, technical assistance, and research for public and nonprofit agencies seeking to improve current programs, develop new initiatives, or evaluate their performance. The Picker Center also serves as a forum for discussion and debate on critical issues in public service and international affairs. Join us! William Eimicke Founding Director, Picker Center for Executive Education

“I came to Columbia University in 2007 as a midcareer financial manager with a desire to transition into public policy and socially meaningful work. I graduated from the SIPA EMPA program to the position of presidential management fellow and policy analyst at the U.S. Library of Congress. The renowned faculty, challenging curriculum, experienced staff, and diverse student body of the EMPA program played an integral role in shaping my academic goals and assisted markedly in the attainment of my professional objectives.” —Richard Lattanzio, Class of 2009

The EMPA Program

Advanced Management & Finance

International Concentration

Environmental Policy & Sustainability

Core Courses

Public Management

Sustainability Management

Quantitative Techniques for Policymaking and Administration I & II

Microeconomics and Policy Analysis I & II

Financial Management in Government

Portfolio Presentation Workshop

Accounting Accounting

Green Accounting

Context Courses

Seminar on Innovation in Public Management

Issues in Contemporary Security and Policy

Environmental Politics, Policy and Management

Political Environment of Policymaking

International Political Economy

Sustainability Economics

Economic Setting of Public Policy

Contemporary International Policymaking Process

Sustainability Metrics an Analytics

Concentration Courses

Public Finance

International Finance and Monetary Policy

Public Sector Marketing, Strategic Planning and Communication

International Trade and Development

Nonprofit Management and Finance

International Economic Policy Analysis

Public Sector Ethics

Open Economy Macroeconomic Analysis

The Executive Master of Public Policy and Administration (EMPA) program of the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) is designed for the experienced and ambitious executive who is looking for a topquality, practical graduate program, but who cannot take time out to pursue full-time study. The program trains professionals to be competent and sophisticated public managers by incorporating broad questions of public affairs and the specific analytic, managerial, and communication skills of management and policy analysis into the curriculum.

The Executive MPA program at Columbia is deeply committed to preparing its graduates to play leadership roles in public service in local, state, and federal governmental agencies as well as nonprofit organizations, private corporations, banks, and consulting firms dealing with critical public policy issues. Employers in the private and nonprofit sectors are attracted by the EMPA’s rigorous program in quantitative and managerial analysis, which also provides a deep understanding of governmental processes.

Program Schedule Classes are offered on Saturdays starting at 9:00 a.m. during the academic year. Speakers from the various sectors are invited to join us for lunch on occasional Saturdays. During the summer, a full semester is offered from

mid-May until late July, when classes meet on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Students are granted 9 graduate points of credit of advanced standing for professional and management experience. Those points, along with the 45 points earned during the program of study at SIPA, comprise the 54 points of credit of the Executive MPA program. Students can complete the program in either two or three years of study.

The Core The core curriculum provides the professional and vocational skills needed to analyze and understand the formulation and management of public policy, including memo writing, oral briefings, group process and team building, and several forms of financial analysis. These tools have been added to more traditional curriculum elements such as organizational analysis, budgeting, financial management, probability theory, applied regression analysis, and applied microeconomics. The principal goal of the core is to provide students with the analytic, communication, and work skills required to be innovative, problem-solving managers.

The Concentration in Advanced Management and Finance The concentration in Advanced Management and Finance enables students to deepen the policy and management analytic skills they are

exposed to in the core curriculum. Students receive rigorous training in public and nonprofit finance. They also learn management innovation tools such as total quality management, reengineering, benchmarking, strategic planning, electronic communication and commerce, performance management, and team management. Thus, the concentration provides Executive MPA graduates with the latest cutting-edge management and finance skills in demand in today’s rapidly changing public sector.

The Concentration in International Economic Policy and Management The concentration in International Economic Policy and Management (IEPM) prepares students for careers in international agencies, nonprofit organizations, international business and finance, and government. Students develop proficiency in international trade, finance, and economic policy analysis, giving them the conceptual and technical skills needed to understand the complex forces that drive international economic activity in this era of globalization. Course work in political economy and international relations provides students with the training to understand how the international political system and governmental institutions affect national security and foreign economic policies, and to contend with increasingly complex governance issues, such as corruption and human rights.

Financing the Green Economy

The Science of Environmental Sustainability Sustainable Cities and Built Environments

Inaugural Year for This Cutting Edge Concentration

he earth is witnessing human-induced environmental change on a scale and at a pace that is unique in history. Increased levels of greenhouse gases are warming the planet; the extinction of species is occurring at an ever-faster rate; renewable resources such as water are being degraded; and finite resources such as fossil fuels are having widespread negative impacts on fragile, interconnected, natural systems. The Environmental Policy and Sustainability concentration serves to cultivate a new profession that understands these impacts and to develop real-world solutions that manage earth systems in ways that will ensure the long-term viability of life on our planet.

Environment or Energy Elective

The Concentration in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management The concentration in Environmental Policy and Sustainability Management prepares students for careers in managing earth systems. Coupled with the Executive MPA core, it emphasizes integrated thinking and learning so that graduates will see beyond linear and fragmented approaches to holistic planning for environmental sustainability. Students develop proficiency in sustainability management, finance,

and accounting from a “green” perspective; and environmental politics and policy analysis, giving them the conceptual and technical skills needed to develop real-world solutions that sustainably manage human interaction with natural systems. Course work in environmental politics, policy, and management provides students with the training to understand how environmental policies are devised, implemented, and evaluated. Second-year students can delve further into subjects such as sustainable cities and built envi-

ronments, which combine ecology, architecture, design, engineering, and management, addressing sustainability issues faced by urban centers. Sustainability metrics and analytics coursework will provide theory and practice measures to track and assess the use of resources and its impact on ecological systems. Environment and energy electives provide insight on climate policy, water management, energy efficiency, carbon foot printing, and life-cycle analysis.

A Glimpse of the EMPA Faculty William B. Eimicke is the founding director of the Picker Center for Executive Education of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Dr. Eimicke served as the director of fiscal studies for the New York State Senate, assistant budget director of the City of New York, and deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Most recently, he was deputy commissioner of Strategic Planning at the Fire Department of NYC. Dr. Eimicke has also provided management training and assistance to a wide range of government and not-for-profit organizations, including the Fire Department of New York City, New York Racing Association, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Transitional Work Corporation of Philadelphia, the 92nd Street Y, the Northern Ireland Peacebuilders, and the United Nations Development Corporation. He is the author of Public Administration in a Democratic Context (Sage Publications, 1974). He also has written Tools for Innovators with Steven Cohen (Jossey-Bass, 1998); The New Effective Public Manager with Steven Cohen (JosseyBass, 1995); The Effective Public Manager, 3rd edition, with Steven Cohen (Jossey-Bass, 2002); and numerous articles on public management innovation, ethics, competition, and welfareto-work programs. He is a graduate of Syracuse University and holds an MPA and PhD from the Maxwell School of Syracuse University. He previously taught at Syracuse University, Indiana University, Russell Sage College, the State University of New York at Albany, and Baruch College of the City University of New York.

Arvid Lukauskas is director of the Program in International Economic Policy and Management, and executive director of the Program in Economic Policy Management. He is an expert on international and comparative political economy, political economy of finance, and North-South relations. Some of his key publications include The Political Economy of the East Asian Crisis and Its Aftermath, edited with F. Rivera-Batiz (Edward Elgar, 2001); Regulating Finance: The Political Economy of Spanish Financial Policy from Franco to Democracy (University of Michigan, 1997); “The Political Economy of Financial Restriction: The Case of Spain,” in Comparative Politics; “Managing Mobile Capital,” in Review of International Political Economy; “Explaining Styles of Financial Market Opening in Chile, Mexico, South Korea, and Turkey,” with S. Minushkin in International Studies Quarterly; and “Financial Restriction and the Developmental State in East Asia,” in Comparative Political Studies. Dr. Lukauskas received a BA from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1980. In 1986, he received an MPA from the University of Oklahoma and in 1992, a PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.

Executive MPA Admissions Steven A. Cohen is the executive director of Columbia University’s Earth Institute. From 1998 to 2001, Dr. Cohen was vice dean of Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. From 1985 to 1998, he was the director of Columbia’s Graduate Program in Public Policy and Administration. From 1987 to 1998, he was associate dean for faculty and curriculum at SIPA. Dr. Cohen served as a policy analyst in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1977 through 1978 and from 1980 through 1981, and as consultant to the agency from 1981 through 1991 and from 2005 to the present. From 2001 to 2004, he served on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Advisory Council on Environmental Policy and Technology. He serves on the board of directors of Homes for the Homeless. Dr. Cohen is the author of The Effective Public Manager (1988) and Understanding Environmental Policy (2006) and the co-author of Environmental Regulation through Strategic Planning (1991), Total Quality Management in Government (1993), The New Effective Public Manager (1995), Tools for Innovators: Creative Strategies for Managing Public Sector Organizations (1998), The Effective Public Manager, 3rd and 4th editions (2002, 2008), Strategic Planning in Environmental Regulation (2005), The Responsible Contract Manager (2008), and numerous articles on public management innovation, public ethics, and environmental management. He also writes a blog on The New York Observer Green page. He is a graduate of Franklin College of Indiana (1974) and the State University of New York at Buffalo (MA, 1977; PhD, 1979).

Deadline Applications for the fall semester must be received in the Office of Admissions and Financial Aid no later than July 1. Early admission deadline is March 1. Admission decisions are made on a rolling basis. Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications as early as possible.

Office of Admissions and Financial Aid School of International and Public Affairs Mail Code 3325 420 West 118th Street, Room 408 New York, NY 10027-9720

Personal Statement

The following items, except standardized test results, should be collected by the applicant and submitted as a package to the Office of Admissions by the application deadline: • Application Form • Three Letters of Recommendation (professional) • Personal Statement (in three parts) • Undergraduate Certified Transcripts • Application Fee • GREs are not mandatory for our program

1. P lease elaborate upon your professional goals and how your prior employment/ volunteer experience has helped to prepare you to meet these goals. Your response should be no more than 400 words. 2. D escribe what you consider to be your most significant past or present contribution to a community. Your response should be no more than 400 words. 3. P lease provide any additional information about yourself that you would like to share with the Admissions Committee. Your response should be no more than 200 words.

Application Fee

Interviews and Visits

An application fee must accompany the application. Applicants using the online system pay a reduced fee of $85. Applicants who do not use the online system must submit a fee of $100.

Application Forms A downloadable pdf application is available at http://www.sipa.columbia.edu/joinempa. Complete and sign the application forms and send to:

Prospective students are strongly encouraged to attend an open house and schedule an informational interview with the program’s faculty and administrators. Open houses are an excellent way to find out more about the Executive MPA program and meet faculty, staff, and fellow applicants. Informational interviews give prospective students a chance to determine more fully if Columbia’s program is right for them. Applicants are also invited to sit in on classes and speak with current students and faculty. To see a list of the upcoming Open House events, please go to www.sipa.columbia.edu/joinempa.

Financial Aid Applicants to the Executive MPA program who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents and who will be enrolled for a minimum of 6 points per term are typically eligible for federal Stafford student loans of up to $20,500 per year. All interested applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The School’s Title IV code is E00128. Following admission, all students who submitted a FAFSA form will be advised by the School of their eligibility for federal aid via an award letter with the forms and materials needed to apply for Stafford loans. Additional educational financing support sufficient to meet the full cost of attendance is available through an assortment of private lenders. Following admission, all students will be mailed a packet of information entitled Columbia Comprehensive Educational Financing Plan. This guide outlines the financing options recommended by Columbia University. Students in the Executive MPA program enrolled in at least two classes (6 points) of course work are eligible to have prior federal student loans deferred during their term of study. Please contact your lender for a Certification of Enrollment form and bring it to the Office of the Registrar, 209 Kent Hall, for certification.