Cornell Institute for Public Affairs

Faculty

The depth and flexibility of the program is reflected in the growing number of affiliated faculty members. CIPA is not confined within a single school or college, but spans the entire university. More than 100 field faculty members, representing 25 departments, welcome CIPA Fellows into their courses and serve on professional report/thesis committees. The core faculty is the heart of the CIPA structure. With broad representation from across the university, the core faculty bring an academic richness to CIPA that transcends disciplinary boundaries. These faculty members provide instruction in the core foundation courses. Core faculty members include Richard Booth, City and Regional Planning; Nancy Brooks, City and Regional Planning; Nancy Chau, Applied Economics and Management; Ralph D. Christy, the J. Thomas Clark Professor of Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise; Kieran Donaghy, City and Regional Planning; Gary S. Fields, the John P. Windmuller Chair in International and Comparative Labor; Robert Harris Jr., Africana Studies; (Daniel) Pete Loucks, Civil and Environmental Engineering; Theodore J. Lowi, the John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions in the Department of Government; Kathryn S. March, Anthropology; Per Pinstrup-Andersen, the H. E. Babcock Professor of Food, Nutrition and Public Policy; Norman Uphoff, Government; and Jerome Ziegler, Department of Policy Analysis and Management.

M.P.A. Program Flexibility

The two-year master of public administration (M.P.A.) degree program consists of 16 courses; CIPA Fellows typically take four courses per semester for four semesters. Although the M.P.A. program offers a basic structure for study, each CIPA Fellow works closely with a faculty advisor to design an individualized program based on his or her specific area of interest. Courses may be taken through the program in any department or college in the university.

Advising

Upon entering the M.P.A. program, each Fellow is assigned a program advisor based on his or her area of interest. These advisors are drawn from the CIPA core faculty. They assist Fellows in designing their individual program of study and selecting their courses. The assignment of advisors is meant to assist new students in getting a strong start with their studies. Once familiar with the resources available, Fellows are welcome to ask another core faculty member to be their program advisor.

Foundation Course Work

To develop a foundation of basic concepts and capabilities for the study of public policy, CIPA Fellows take three courses in each of the following three subject areas.

• Administrative, Political and Policy Processes
• Economic Analysis and Public Finance
• Quantitative Techniques and Analysis

Concentration Course Work

Concentration course work enables Fellows to focus on a specific area of public policy study. Students choose their course of study—domestic or international—from the following options:

• Economic Policy and Finance
• Environmental Policy
• Government, Politics, and Policy Studies
• Human Rights and Social Justice
• International Development Studies
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Science and Technology Policy
• Social Policy

Fellows select a concentration during the latter half of the first year of course work.

Practical Experience, Internships, Off-Campus Study, and/or Public Service Exchange

Experiential learning is an integral component of CIPA’s educational strategy, and a practical experience such as an internship is a requirement for obtaining the M.P.A. degree. Internships allow students to apply training in a practical environment and establish contacts for permanent employment. CIPA’s Office of Professional Development provides assistance to Fellows in finding internships that match their interests, expertise, and professional goals. Appropriate internships are available in public policy- or public affairs-related organizations in both the public and private sector. In recent years, 98 percent of fellows actively searching for an internship found one. Organizations include the following:

• Deloitte and Touche
• Government Accountability Office
• New York City Office of Management and Budget
• The Overseas Private Investment Corporation
• United Nations
• U.S. Agency for International Development
• U.S. Congress
• U.S. Congressional Research Service
• U.S. Department of State
• World Food Program
• state, local, and urban municipal governments
• nongovernmental organizations and think tanks worldwide
• private-sector consulting firms

CIPA Fellows also have the opportunity to gain professional experience off-campus, while taking a semester of courses for credit, through the following three programs:

• CIPA Washington, D.C., Externship Semester
• Cornell in Rome
• Cornell–Nepal Study Program

Additional opportunities for study abroad are available in Barcelona, Spain, and Budapest, Hungary.

Professional Writing Requirement

As a culmination of studies in the M.P.A. program, Fellows must complete a professional writing project that demonstrates well-developed analytical and expositional skills. This combination should provide Fellows with:

• An opportunity to integrate/refine knowledge and skills that have professional relevance; and
• Tangible products demonstrating professional competence to prospective employers.

In order to serve Fellows’ different career needs, CIPA offers three options for completing the professional writing requirement.

Co-Curricular Activities

CIPA Fellows gain practical skills by organizing, managing, and participating in a variety of professional development activities on campus. These provide Fellows with opportunities to share work experience with other Fellows and to meet practitioners and distinguished faculty members in the field of public affairs. These student-led initiatives include:

• Colloquium Committee: This student group sets the agenda for the weekly Colloquium Series and makes arrangements for the chosen guest lecturers to come to campus.
• Point of View (POV): The CIPA Public Affairs television program offers Fellows the opportunity to work in all aspects of TV production and presentation, gaining invaluable experience for the media exposure they will encounter as public-policy professionals.
• The Current: CIPA Fellows publish a journal of student policy research. Working on The Current offers Fellows a firsthand view of the rigors of publishing academic work, and also provides a foundation in professional writing and editing—necessary skills for preparing reports and position papers, and publishing research findings.

Complementary Degrees

CIPA has agreements with the Cornell Law School and the Johnson Graduate School of Management for joint degree programs, respectively, J.D./M.P.A and M.B.A./M.P.A.  To pursue the complementary degrees, one must apply to, and be accepted by, both programs respectively. By selecting courses that meet the requirements of both programs, Fellows are able to complete the two degrees together in a year’s less time than would be required to complete them separately.  This option has not been availed by many CIPA Fellows, but for some it is a very appropriate avenue for a career in public affairs.

Accelerated Master’s Program

An accelerated program for Cornell undergraduates allows advanced students to apply to CIPA in their junior year, begin CIPA-related course work in their senior year, and complete the M.P.A. in just one year beyond their undergraduate studies.

Residence Requirement

Fellows are required to spend four semesters of study in residence to complete the M.P.A. Those who enroll in the Cornell Accelerated Master’s Program can earn the equivalent of two semesters in residence during their senior year.

Admission

The CIPA program seeks diversity in its student body, drawing from a pool of applicants who have studied in a wide range of disciplines. No specific background or undergraduate major is required, although individuals with previous work experience in policy making or implementation are strongly encouraged to apply. Admission to CIPA is selective. A faculty committee evaluates individual applications based on the following:

• overall academic record
• potential for public-policy leadership as evidenced by professional work and community, extracurricular, or other relevant experience
• GRE scores
• two letters of recommendation
• current résumé
• an extensive written statement of purpose, as outlined on the CIPA website
• an essay as outlined on the CIPA website

Applicants for whom English is a second language will need to achieve the following minimum scores on the new (2005) Internet-based test version of the TOEFL: writing 20, listening 15, reading 20, speaking 22.

Although CIPA has a policy of rolling admission, applications should be submitted by the end of January to be considered for financial aid. For more information, contact the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs, 294 Caldwell Hall (tel: (607) 255–8018; fax: (607) 255–5240; cipa@cornell.edu; www.cipa.cornell.edu).

Financial Aid

CIPA provides some funding to more than 80 percent of its students. The Institute itself, however, is unable to provide full support for any individual student. Fellows often win support from Fulbright, Truman, World Bank, and other programs. In addition, Cornell offers numerous assistantship and employment opportunities for graduate students. Applicants are encouraged to explore all available sources of external funding, including grants that may be provided by current employers. Decisions on Institute funding are determined on a rolling basis following admission decisions.