Changing Concentrations You dont have to stick with the concentration you picked when you first applied. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Changing Concentrations You dont have to stick with the concentration you picked when you first applied. COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog At SIPA, every MIA and MPA student pursues a concentration and specialization. These are similar to an undergraduate major and minor, respectively.  I applied to SIPA expecting to concentrate in International Security Policy (ISP); however I changed my mind during orientation after attending an information session and signed up for the Economic and Political Development concentration (EPD). I made the initial switch from ISP to EPD largely based on where I thought I wanted to be after graduation. I spent four years in Washington D.C. prior to SIPA and felt that EPD would offer more opportunities to live and work in other cities. While it was true that many ISP students ended up in D.C. after school, ISP was a much better fit with my personal interests and professional ambitions. I changed back to ISP after one semester. The administrative process of changing from one concentration (or specialization) is easy. It simply requires the student to submit the necessary form to the Office of Student Affairs. The bigger concern when changing concentrations is timing. There are three levels of graduation requirements at SIPA: your degree (MIA/MPA), your concentration, and your specialization. The longer you take to settle on a concentration, the less time you have to complete the requirements. I focused my first semester on my degree and specialization requirements rather than concentration requirements so I did not lose any classes; however, this becomes harder to avoid if you wait more than one semester to make the change. This is particularly true for the International Finance and Economic Policy concentration and the Advanced Policy and Economic Analysis specialization. There will be an information session for all of the concentrations and specializations during orientation. If you continue to have questions after these sessions about which concentration to pursue, reach out to a professor or second-year student. And remember, you will not be locked into your initial decision. Note from Admissions:  Information sessions for concentrations and specializations will also be available during Admitted Students Day 2018. Admitted students can register for ASD 2018 in the Welcome Portal.