Detailed Information
Program of Study
The Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA) offers a two-year program of graduate professional studies leading to a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) degree. The interdisciplinary nature of this M.P.A. program is one of its distinguishing features. CIPA students, called “fellows,” have the flexibility to design individualized plans of study using faculty resources from across the University.
The program consists of sixteen 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 adviser 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.
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: administration, politics, and public policy; economics and public finance; and quantitative analysis.
Concentration course work enables students to focus on a specific area of public policy study. They choose their course of study–domestic or international–from a broad range of options: environmental policy; finance and fiscal policy; government, politics, and policy studies; human rights and social justice; international development studies; public and nonprofit management; science and technology policy; and social policy.
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 fellows also have the opportunity to gain professional experience off-campus, while taking a semester of courses for credit through Cornell in Rome, the Cornell-Nepal Study Program, and the CIPA Washington, D.C. semester program. Fellows may also fulfill the practical experience requirement by participating in the Public Service Exchange, a unique service learning partnership with local nonprofit and government agencies.
As a culmination of studies, all students are required to develop and complete a professional writing project, which typically grows out of a student’s area of concentration and often incorporates work done during a summer internship. There are two options for completing this writing requirement: a professional report or a master’s thesis. The report represents an experiential project undertaken by a fellow on behalf of a “client,” such as a public, private, or nonprofit organization, and requires the fellow to solve a problem in policy analysis or program evaluation. The thesis is a substantial, independent research paper offering an original contribution to the field of public affairs. It requires a fellow to pose a policy problem, review and summarize previous efforts to address this problem, and propose an alternate solution.
CIPA students may elect to combine their M.P.A. study program with complementary degree study, such as a J.D. from Cornell Law School, an M.B.A. from the Johnson School of Management, an M.M.H. from the Hotel School, or an M.R.P. in the field of city and regional planning.
Research Facilities
Cornell is a major research university with significant derivative policy interests in natural and physical sciences, nutrition, genetics, engineering, computer and social sciences, health, education, consumer policy, art, architecture, and the humanities. Separate interdisciplinary work centers on the environment, international studies and development, and international food and agriculture. Programs on infrastructure, education, family development, and health administration provide valuable resources for fellows.
The University has a world-class library system, including nineteen libraries with more than 5 million volumes, 600,000 periodical titles, and extensive microfilm and other materials.
Financial Aid
The Cornell Institute for Public Affairs provides some funding to more than 80 percent of its students. The Institute itself, however, is unable to provide anyone with full support. CIPA fellows often win support from Fulbright, Truman, and World Bank fellowships. Applicants are encouraged to explore all available sources of external funding, including grants that may be provided by current employers. Because funding decisions are made on a first-come, first-served basis, those seeking funding should submit their application by the end of January.
Cost of Study
The estimated total cost of tuition and fees for full-time fellows for the 2009–10 academic year is $37,750. The estimated cost of books and materials is approximately $1200.
Living and Housing Costs
Living expenses for single students range from $1700 to $1800 per month, including room, meals, and personal expenses but excluding travel. There are many housing options for CIPA fellows. Some University housing is available exclusively to students in graduate and professional programs. Non-University housing includes apartment complexes, multiple-unit houses, single-unit houses, individual rooms, and cooperative living units. A listing of off-campus housing options is available from Cornell’s Housing Office.
Student Group
Enrollment in the CIPA two-year M.P.A. program ranges between 150 and 175 full-time students. In general, the program has similar numbers of men and women, and about 35 to 40 percent of the fellows are international students. Of the total CIPA population, about half study international relations, policy, or development, while the remainder pursue a wide variety of domestic policy interests, from social policy to national security policy to environmental policy.
Student Outcomes
CIPA employs a full-time professional development specialist who provides career advisement and assistance in locating employment and internships. Professional development at CIPA also includes the cultivation of an extensive network of alumni in the public, private, nonprofit, and academic sectors. CIPA historically places more than 95 percent of its graduates within six months of graduation. Recent organizations that have employed CIPA alumni include the World Bank, the United Nations (UN), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Deloitte and Touche, Goldman Sachs, and Booz Allen Hamilton, Inc. International students often return to their countries of origin to work in high-level leadership posts in government and industry. Some CIPA alumni choose to continue their graduate studies in J.D. or Ph.D. programs.
Location
Cornell is located in Tompkins County in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes region, with pristine lakes, waterfalls, and multiple state parks. The area has more than beauty to recommend it. People who like to be outdoors thrive at Cornell. Nearby are opportunities for skiing, swimming, hiking, sailing, and mountain biking. Ithaca may be small and rural, but it also has an urban sophistication and an intellectual dynamism.
The University and The Institute
The Cornell Institute for Public Affairs is an autonomous, University-wide program designed to build on Cornell’s legendary commitment to an education “which shall combine the practical with the liberal education.” Cornell has offered the M.P.A. degree since 1946, originally through the Johnson Graduate School of Management, and since 1989 through the broader Cornell Institute for Public Affairs. CIPA’s current alumni network includes graduates of both programs.
Applying
Admission to CIPA is selective. A committee of faculty members evaluates individual applications based on the student’s overall academic record; GRE scores; English language skills (applicants for whom English is a second language will need to obtain the following minimum scores on the Internet-based test version of the TOEFL: writing 20, listening 15, reading 20, and speaking 22); potential for public-policy leadership as evidenced by professional work and community, extracurricular, or other relevant experience (students should include a copy of their most recent resume); and letters of recommendation. Applicants should also include an extensive written statement of purpose in which they address why they are applying to the program, their personal and/or professional experience that led to their interest in Cornell’s M.P.A. program, their future goals (how they intend to put their M.P.A. degree to use), and examples of volunteer work, positions of responsibility, and any other life experiences contributing to their interest in public policy. The committee looks for sound analytic preparation and instruction or prior professional work experience in fields relevant to public affairs, such as economics, politics, public administration, planning, sociology, and law. CIPA has a rolling admissions policy; however, decisions concerning CIPA funding are made on a first-come, first-served basis, so students who wish to be considered should complete their applications by January 30.
The Faculty and Their Research
- The program offers great depth and flexibility. It is not confined to a single school or college but spans the entire University. More than 100 faculty members in the field of public affairs from a diverse cross section of schools, departments, and programs, welcome CIPA fellows into their courses and serve on thesis committees. Within this group, 11 members serve as Core Faculty, providing instruction in foundation course work.
- The Core Faculty
- David B. Lewis, CIPA Director; Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning.
- Norman Uphoff, CIPA Director of Graduate Studies; Professor in the Department of Government.
- Richard Booth, Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning.
- Nancy Brooks, Visiting Associate Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning.
- Nancy Chau, Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Economics and Management.
- Gary Fields, John P. Windmuller Chair in International and Comparative Labor in the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
- Neema Kudva, Assistant Professor in the Department of City and Regional Planning.
- Daniel (Pete) Loucks, Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
- Theodore J. Lowi, John L. Senior Professor of American Institutions in the Department of Government.
- Kathryn S. March, Professor in the Departments of Anthropology and Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.
- Jerome M. Ziegler, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Policy Analysis and Management.
Correspondence and Information
Cornell University
Cornell Institute for Public Affairs
294 Caldwell Hall
Ithaca, New York 14853-2602
Telephone:
607-255-8018
Fax:
607-255-5240
Email:
cipa@cornell.edu
