University Senate Proposed: February 24, 2006

Adopted:

RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH A DUAL MPA-MPA DEGREE

BETWEEN THE SCHOOL OF INTERNATIONAL AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND

INSTITUT D’ETUDES POLITIQUES DE PARIS

WHEREAS, the Education Committee of the University Senate has favorably reviewed the proposal from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) to establish a dual degree program leading to the Master in Public Administration from the School of International and Public Affairs and the Master of Public Affairs from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (“Sciences-Po”), and

WHEREAS, the committee is satisfied that the proposal has the approval of the executive committee of SIPA and the appropriate approvals at Sciences-Po and the support of the appropriate officials at both institutions and that of the Provost and Dean of Faculties of the University, and

WHEREAS, the committee recognizes that the proposed dual degree program extends the collaboration already in place between the two institutions which already offer a dual degree program leading to two Masters of International Affairs from the respective institutions, and

WHEREAS, the proposed dual degree program will help meet the need for highly trained public and international policy professionals who will better understand both European and American perspectives, and

WHEREAS, the committee is satisfied that the creation of the dual degree program will further internationalize the student body at SIPA without creating any additional enrollment pressures, and

WHEREAS, the committee is satisfied that adequate and appropriate advising mechanisms have been put in place at both institutions to guide students through the two degree programs,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the dual degree program leading to the Master in Public Administration at the School of International and Public Affairs and the Master of Public Affairs at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris be established with the provisos that the committee will review the program in five years and that both schools will adhere to the Senate guidelines for dual degree programs.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Senate forward this resolution to the Trustees for appropriate action.

Proponent: Education Committee

DUAL MPA-MPA DEGREE BETWEEN SIPA AND

INSTITUT D’ETUDES POLITIQUES DE PARIS

Program Summary

Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) and the Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris, known as Sciences Po, propose creating a dual degree program, allowing participating students to obtain in two years the Master in Public Administration (MPA) at Columbia University and the Master of Public Affairs at Sciences Po.

The SIPA/Sciences Po dual degree program will be a unique opportunity in the field of public policy and administration, and is modeled on the parallel dual degree program with SIPA’s MIA degree and the regular master’s degree of Sciences Po. By spending a first year acquiring core skills at their first institution and a second year gaining specialized skills at their second school across the Atlantic, participating students will earn both SIPA's and Sciences Po’s MPAs. Dual degree holders will join the ranks of an exceptional set of trans-Atlantic professionals, forging a growing network of internationally trained decision-makers.

SIPA and Sciences Po share the conviction that professional education built around public and international policy studies is solid preparation for a wide array of careers. Both institutions are keenly aware of the value of instructors who are practitioners as well as theorists. Each is also committed to training students in the fundamental skills required for effective policy analysis.

The opportunity to pursue a professional education at leading institutions both in France and the United States is especially attractive in an increasingly interdependent world. European and North American perspectives on the role of the state in society and the economy differ greatly, and the policy students in this dual degree program will be required to confront and learn from those differences both in and out of the classroom.

Graduates will begin their careers as members of a small and impressive group of individuals trained to perform at the highest levels in an international context, and their skills will be valued in the international public and private job markets. As their careers develop they will establish and maintain contacts with networks of fellow alumni on either side of the Atlantic and around the world.

Both at Sciences Po and at SIPA, the dual degree will not replace existing programs. The dual degree students will be a part of the individual MPA programs at each school and the program can be folded into existing activities. Their enrollments will substitute for current enrollment so that neither program will grow in size as a result of the dual program.