Understanding the Dual Degrees & Graduate Certificates at the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs

Understanding the Dual Degrees & Graduate Certificates at the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs-image

A department within the College of Human Ecology, Cornell’s Institute for Public Affairs offers a two-year program of study leading to the Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree. Cornell’s MPA program prepares individuals for management and leadership careers in public service. The MPA offers a solid foundation of core coursework in management, economics and finance, and quantitative analysis.

In addition to Cornell's dynamic, interdisciplinary MPA program, CIPA students may choose to augment their MPA with either a graduate certificate program or by choosing a dual degree program.

Explore our digital resource page for MPA students — Enacting Change:  Tailoring Your MPA to Focus on Policy in the United States!

CIPA offers three graduate certificate programs, which are open to current graduate students in good academic standing:

Environmental Finance and Impact Investing:

Working with their academic advisor and CIPA’s Professor of Practice in Corporate Responsibility, EFII students design a program of study that meets the certification requirements. CIPA students pursuing this certification typically (but not exclusively) are working towards a concentration in one of the following areas: Economic and Financial Policy, Public and Nonprofit Management, or Environmental Policy.

Infrastructure Project Management and Finance:

Working with their academic advisor and the IPMF faculty coordinator, students pursuing an IPMF certificate will design a program of study that meets the academic requirements. CIPA students pursuing this certification are typically working toward a concentration in the area of Science, Technology, and Infrastructure.

Systems Thinking and Leadership (STML) Certificate:

Working with their academic advisor and CIPA’s STML program faculty, students design a program of study that meets the certification requirements. Students pursuing any concentration can work toward a concentration in the area of Systems Thinking and Leadership.

These certificate programs provide you with specific knowledge and tools for working in the respective area of study. The additional credentials that these certificates provide may offer you a competitive edge in your future careers. Courses that apply to your certification also apply toward your MPA degree requirements.

Further, CIPA offers a complementary degree option and a dual degree option for competitive, driven CIPA students looking to augment their MPA with an additional degree.

Complementary Degree:

Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Juris Doctor (JD): Applicants who wish to pursue a Cornell MBA or JD along with their MPA degree may work out a complementary program of study if they apply to and are accepted by both programs. Students may then apply up to twelve credits of the complementary professional degree program (MBA or JD) toward their MPA. Applicants to CIPA who have already completed a Cornell MBA or JD may apply up to twelve credits from their other degree program toward the MPA degree if these are appropriate for an MPA course of study.

Dual Degree:

Master of Public Administration (MPA)/Master of Health Administration (MHA): A dual MPA/MHA program is available for students enrolled at CIPA and the Sloan Program in Health Administration. This option enables students to complete both degrees in three years while eliminating duplicate coursework. Students must apply and be accepted to both programs (admission to one program does not guarantee admission to the other). The goal of this dual degree program is to enable students to combine training in public administration with training and management tools and their applications to health administration and of the organization of the health care sector, health policy, and the tools of public health.

At the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs, we're dedicated to preparing forward-thinking, impact-driven individuals who are capable of enacting social change. If you're a mission-focused individual seeking to jumpstart or advance your career by getting an MPA, we hope you'll request more information today.

Explore our digital resource — Enacting Change: Tailoring Your MPA to Focus on Policy in the United States — for advice and tips related to choosing a career in domestic policy-making.

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