Cornell Institute for Public Affairs

The Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (also known as CIPA) is a two-year, interdisciplinary Master of Public Administration (MPA) program at Cornell University.^[1] CIPA is part of the College of Human Ecology, Cornell University Graduate School and the Jeb E. Brooks School of Public Policy.^[2] CIPA MPA candidates are classified as Fellows.^[1]

The Cornell Institute for Public Affairs (CIPA)

Type	Nonprofit statutory college
Established	1985; 38 years ago (1985)
Parent institution	Cornell University
Director	Matthew Hall
Postgraduates	160
Location	Ithaca , New York , U.S. 42°26′57″N 76°28′42″W / 42.4492°N 76.478276°W / 42.4492; -76.478276
Website	www.cipa.cornell.edu

History

 

Martha Van Rensselaer Hall serves as the headquarters for the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs.

Though an MPA degree has been offered at Cornell since 1946 (originally through the School of Business & Public Administration), the CIPA program was established as a stand-alone entity in 1985.^[3] CIPA currently has 14 core faculty and 104 field faculty members.^[4][3] The program has an average total enrollment of around 200 with roughly 60% of the students being international, representing as many as 30 to 35 different countries at any given time. "Experience Vibrant Community at CIPA". Currently, CIPA has 1,500 alumni.^{[citation needed]}

Academics

CIPA Fellows design individualized plans of study based upon academic and professional interests and take courses from throughout the university.^[5]

CIPA Curriculum

CIPA Fellows complete foundation courses in the following subject areas: Administrative, Political and Policy Processes, Economic Analysis and Public Finance, and Quantitative Analysis.^[6] CIPA offers eight areas of concentration from which to choose and students take five courses in their chosen concentration:^[6]

• Economic 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

Public Engagement

Experiential learning is an integral component of the CIPA program. It serves as a practical complement to formal academic study. Students are expected to gain practical work experience in an area related to their concentration. There are several options for meeting this requirement. These can include an internship in the summer after their first year of study, off-campus study, or the Consulting for Government and Nonprofit Organizations course offered on-campus.^[6]

Professional Writing

As a culmination of the MPA program, students must demonstrate their high-level skills for writing and analysis by producing a professional writing project. There are three options for fulfilling this degree requirement:^[6]

• Capstone Project
• Professional Report
• Thesis

Off-Campus study

CIPA offers its MPA candidates numerous opportunities to study off-campus. These include:

• CIPA Washington Externship Semester
• New York City Externship Semester
• Cornell in Rome Program
• SVYM Mysore, India Externship Semester

Fellows are limited to one off-campus study semester.^{[citation needed]}

Rankings

For 2021, CIPA was ranked #34 overall out of 285 schools in the Best Public Affairs Programs category by U.S. News & World Report. In specialty areas, CIPA ranked #29 in Public Policy Analysis, #5 in Healthcare Policy and Management, and #12 in Social Policy.^[7]

Publications

CIPA graduate students produce the online publication, The Cornell Policy Review, an academic journal focused on issues surrounding the field of public policy^{[citation needed]}

Student life

CIPA fosters a vibrant and active student community. Students come from around the globe and represent widely varied fields of interests, endeavors, and experiences. CIPA has a long-standing reputation for fostering a culture of collaboration, openness, and genuine support and respect among students and faculty alike. While pursuing their M.P.A., Fellows engage in a variety of co-curricular activities ranging from academic to purely social.^{[citation needed]}

Co-curricular activities

Official student-operated co-curricular activities at CIPA currently include:

• The Cornell Public Affairs Society (CPAS)
• The Cornell Policy Review
• Women in Public Policy (WIPP)
• Cornell Latin America Student Society (CLASS)
• Cornell International City/County Management Association (cICMA)

Campus

 

Agriculture Quad viewed from Bradfield Hall, Ithaca's West Hill and Cayuga Lake in the background

Though not associated with the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the CIPA program is headquartered on the university's Ag Quad in Caldwell Hall. Caldwell is a historic building and the oldest on the Ag Quad. It is a Colonial Revival structure constructed in 1913.^[8]

References

1. "Master of Public Administration (MPA) – Cornell Brooks Public Policy".
2. "Graduate Degrees : Graduate School". gradschool.cornell.edu.
3. "CIPA History and Facts".
4. "CIPA Core Faculty".
5. "MPA Program Handbook – Cornell Brooks Public Policy".
6. "Curriculum – Cornell Brooks Public Policy".
7. "US News, CIPA".
8. . Archived from the original on 2010-06-13.

External links

• Official website