1200
46%
74%
• Full time • Part time • MIA/MS • MIA/MBA • MIA-JD• Creating a Social Enterprise
• Corporate Sustainable Development and the Role of Governmentin Advancing Environmental and Social Performance • Corporate Social Responsibility
50
TOP
Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs' (SIPA) greatest strengths are its diversity, rigorous program, and access to the resources of New York and Columbia. Due to both its large size and the deliberate efforts of the admissions committee, the student body is richly diverse in terms of professional backgrounds, future aspirations, and nationalities (over 50% of SIPA students are non-American), which boosts students’ exposure to new ideas and ways of thinking. The core curriculum and concentration requirements are rigorous and ensure that students graduate with a breadth of skills and knowledge. And the city and campus offer students access to incredible resources, from corporate leaders to top government officials.
As a public policy school from which 35% of graduates enter the private sector, SIPA combines strong policy expertise with business and management know-how. The student body is strongly motivated by the desire to do good and to do so sustainably. Core courses such as Conceptual Foundations of International Relations explore the ethics of policy and intervention. Concentrations such as Economic and Political Development, Energy and the Environment, and Human Rights allow students particularly interested in social impact and environmental sustainability to dive deeper into these issues, and specializations such as Management provide students with critical leadership skills.
There are many electives available to students interested in social enterprise, CSR, and sustainability, from Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainable Development to Microfinance in the Developing World. A course on social enterprise in India that includes a winter break trip to the subcontinent has also been offered in the past. Students are currently calling on the administration to create a social innovation center in order to expand such offerings. SIPA students also have access to the courses on social impact and sustainability at other schools at Columbia, from Business in Society: Doing Well by Doing Good at the business school to Sustainable Cities at the Earth Institute, Columbia’s sustainability center.
https://sipa.columbia.edu/ Prominent Faculty
• Sarah Holloway, Nonprofit Financial Management • Joanne Bauer, Corporate Social Responsibility • Steven Cohen, Sustainability Metrics
Prominent Alumni
• Nicole Stubbs, CEO and Founder, First Access • Lindsay Litowitz, Co-founder, Terranga
• Colman Chamberlain, Senior Design Innovation Manager, Nike Foundation
50
An impact job search
a traditional job search
of students are satisfied with extracurricular activities of students agree the program offers adequate career preparation resources for impact job seekers
Student Activities
Career Services
Financial Support for students accepting nonprofit or social ventures internships
Loan Forgiveness available to graduates going to work in the nonprofit sector. Preparing students to be
competitive candidates
Finding concrete job and internship opportunities
Providing professional contacts and networking
Teaching students about roles and industries
Career Support for:
Program Effectiveness
of students in the chapter
Net Impact Chapter contact:
Columbia University
School of International and Public Affairs | New York City, NY
59%
9%
65%
Students at SIPA are leading a social impact renaissance — membership in the Net Impact chapter doubled during the 2013-14 school year. Leadership expanded the chapter’s offerings, inaugurating a monthly CSR breakfast series featuring leaders from corporations such as Nike and IBM and co- hosting workshops on impact investing and design thinking. For the past several years, SIPA’s Net Impact chapter has co-hosted a Social Enterprise Bootcamp with social enterprise and design clubs from New York University and the School for Visual Arts. The boot camp is a two-day conference that includes a pitch competition and practical workshops. For 2014, SIPA’s chapter is leading a reinvention of the event to turn it into a 24-hour innovation challenge, a competition in which teams will compete to design a new product or service for real clients.
In addition to Net Impact, clubs such as the cross-campus Columbia Impact Investing Initiative (CI3) and impact investing fund 118 Capital provide students with hands-on experience in the form of consulting projects, which range from researching target clients to conducting due diligence on potential investees. Past CI3 clients have included the Aspen Network and Social Good Startup. Clubs such as the Student Energy Association provide networking opportunities and information sessions for students interested in careers in environmental sustainability.
Since SIPA students typically seek careers where they can foster social change and innovation, SIPA’s Office of Career Services (OCS) focuses on connecting students with such opportunities. OCS’s career panel series, for example, includes a session on social enterprise and impact investing. Throughout the year, OCS hosts info sessions with employers from impact- oriented companies, such as Acumen and Reboot. During winter break, OCS organizes a DC Career Conference that connects students with potential employers in DC.
In addition to providing standard career consultations and resume writing assistance, OCS also connects students with alumni who volunteer to give career advising sessions. OCS’s online database of jobs, SIPALink, gets mixed reviews: some students complain that SIPALink is not very user-friendly, while others praise the abundance and diversity of job and internship postings. Students do feel that OCS could be even more proactive in connecting students with social impact opportunities and are currently discussing their ideas with OCS and the administration.
Number of survey respondents: 43
Why Attend
US $
Full-time Students
of students agree with:
Avr. GMAT Avr. GPA
Admittance Rate
Degree Options Joint Degrees
Annual Program Cost
An impact job is a top priority for me
Environmental
Sustainability
Social Impact
of students are satisfied with social & environmental themes
Curriculum
Program Strenghts
Sample Courses
Community Development
Energy & Clean Tech
Impact Investing International Development Nonprofit Management Social Entrepeneurship Corporate Responsibility Entrepeneurship Innovation/Creativity Leadership Strategy
Skill Building
More information at:
Business as UNusual, Published by Net Impact 2014