康奈爾大學(xué)-康奈爾公共事務(wù)研究所

MPA (Master of Public Administration) degree is a two-year graduate program that requires four semesters of residence (of which one can be away from campus in approved off-campus study programs). Because post-baccalaureate experience is weighed heavily in CIPA admission decisions, a majority of Fellows will have spent some time already engaged in public affairs in some way. This makes the graduate learning experience more meaningful.

The MPA program presents a basic structure for undertaking graduate study in public affairs, but CIPA Fellows are the primary designers of their respective educational and career trajectories while at Cornell. When entering the program, each Fellow is provided a faculty advisor. Fellows work with their respective advisors to design individualized courses of study. After deciding upon a concentration and a plan of study by the end of the first semester, Fellows will choose one of the three options for completing the professional writing/analysis qualification: a capstone project, a professional report, or a thesis. The latter option will require a Fellow to identify an additional advisor with subject matter specialization.

MPA Fellows concentrating in Environmental Policy tailor their courses to gain an understanding of current economic, social, political, technical and legal issues regarding the restoration and management of our natural environment, as well as engineering, economic and legal perspectives for analyzing and formulating policy at the national, sub-national and international levels. Study topics can include, for example, the impacts of climate change on our environment and economies, and the interdependencies of the food, water, and energy nexus as society attempts to meet its demands for food, water and energy and reduce its risks from floods, droughts and the pollution of water, air and soil. Public policy has an important and critical role to play in the governance of environmental issues.