Cornell Institute for Public Affairs

Graduate Field of Public Affairs

Although administratively CIPA is a unit of the College of Human Ecology, the MPA degree is granted by the Cornell Graduate School and CIPA is a university-wide program due to the graduate field structure of Cornell.  Affiliated faculty hold primary appointments in departments throughout the university, but are linked with the program via membership in the graduate field of Public Affairs. This broad representation within the graduate field brings an academic richness to CIPA that transcends disciplinary boundaries. Faculty affiliated with the program are drawn from the Departments of Policy Analysis and Management, City and Regional Planning, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Development Sociology, as well as the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, the School of Industrial and Labor Relations and the Law School.

M.P.A. Program

The two-year master of public administration (M.P.A.) degree program requires a minimum of 16 semester-length courses; CIPA Fellows must take a minimum of four courses per semester for four semesters. Although the M.P.A. program offers a basic structure for study, each CIPA Fellow has flexibility to design a program based on his or her specific area of interest.

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 foundation 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. Fellows choose their course of study—domestic or international—from the following options:

• Economics and Financial Policy
• Environmental Policy
• Government, Politics, and Policy Studies
• Human Rights and Social Justice
• International Development Studies
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Science, Technology, and Infrastructure Policy
• Social Policy

Fellows select a concentration during the second semester of study.

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 is a requirement for obtaining the M.P.A. degree. Summer internships, the CIPA Public Service Exchange, and off-campus study may be used to satisfy this requirement, and many students choose to gain experience through more than one of these options.

Most of our students fulfill this requirement through a summer internship between their first and second year of study. 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 the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.  Organizations who have offered internships in recent years can be viewed on the CIPA website.

The CIPA Public Service Exchange is a unique service-learning partnership with nonprofit and government agencies, many of which are located in the Ithaca/Tompkins County area.  These agencies provide real world projects for Fellows to work on.  In the process, Fellows gain practical work experience while completing their MPA coursework.  CIPA Fellows who wish to participate in the Public Service Exchange must register for PADM 5900-Consulting for Nonprofit & Government Organizations.

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

• CIPA Washington, D.C. Externship Semester
• CIPA New York City Externship Semester
• Cornell in Rome Program
• Cornell Capital Semester in Albany, NY
• CIPA SYVM Mysore, India Externship Semester

Final Project Requirement

As a culmination of studies in the M.P.A. program, Fellows must complete a final project that demonstrates well-developed analytical and expositional skills. This project 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 requirement: a capstone project, a professional report, or a thesis.

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:

• Cornell Public Affairs Society (CPAS):  CPAS is the student-run professional organization of CIPA. CPAS aims to provide Fellows with access to opportunities and experiences that enhance their professional, interpersonal and leadership skills to prepare them for a successful career in public affairs.
• The Cornell Policy Review:  This is CIPA’s student-edited academic public policy journal. Fellows serve as both editors and contributors, and the editorial board solicits book reviews, interviews, and scholarly contributions from members of the Cornell community, alumni and others.
• Women in Public Policy (WIPP):  This student organization is dedicated to furthering the understanding of the current role of women in public affairs and policy both in the United States and abroad.
• International City/County Management Association (ICMA):  CIPA Fellows pursuing careers in local government participate in Cornell’s chapter of ICMA, which is jointly sponsoring by CIPA and the Department of City and Regional Planning.
• International Affairs Forum (IAF): This student group facilitates exposure to various issues such as cultural similarities, diverse religious traditions, and “soft power” in the field of international diplomacy and public policy, through guest speakers, student-led forums, and other events.
• Cornell Latin America Student Society (CLASS):  Members of CLASS work together to foster the engagement of the Cornell community in projects, awareness, and other opportunities in Latin America.

Residence Requirement

Fellows are required to spend four semesters of study in residence to complete the M.P.A.  Exceptions are made for Fellows completing an approved semester of off-campus study.

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
• three letters of recommendation
• current résumé
• a written statement of purpose, as outlined on the CIPA website
• a public affairs essay as outlined on the CIPA website
• an online video interview

Applicants for whom English is a second language will need to meet minimum scores on either the TOEFL or IELTS exams.  Required minimun scores on the TOEFL exam are: writing 20, listening 15, reading 20, speaking 22, as well as an overall combined score of at least 100.  Minimum requirements on the IELTS exam are: 7.0 in each section as well as an overall score of at least 7.5.

Although CIPA has a policy of rolling admission, applications must be submitted by February 1 to be considered for merit-based tuition fellowships. For more information, contact the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs, 294 Caldwell Hall (tel: (607) 255–7049; fax: (607) 255–5240; cipa@cornell.edu; www.cipa.cornell.edu).

Financial Aid

Cornell Institute for Public Affairs is able to provide some merit-based tuition fellowships. The Institute itself, however, is unable to provide full support for any individual student. Fellows often win support from Fulbright, Truman, Rangel, World Bank, and other fellowship programs. In addition, Cornell University offers numerous 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.