The Institute for Policy Studies at Homewood and the Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, D.C., have established a number of certificate programs that are available to graduate students of both schools beginning in the current winter 2001 semester.

The certificates are designed to make the assets of SAIS and IPS' Master of Arts in Policy Studies program available to the students of both graduate programs. "IPS has an array of analytic domestic policy courses that will complement the offerings at SAIS," said Stephen Szabo, associate academic dean at SAIS. "We have many students with international experience who would like to learn more about domestic policy, particularly urban policy. Some of our students would like to stay state-side. They stand particularly to benefit from this collaboration. Our students are also interested in policy evaluation and nongovernmental organizations."

The certificates were developed by Sandra Newman, IPS director, and Szabo over the summer and fall.

"The synergies between domestic and international policy and the insights to be gained from cross-national policy analysis are increasingly important components in the education of policy professionals," Newman said. "We welcome this collaboration."

Students from IPS's Master of Arts in Policy Studies program may receive a certificate in either international relations or emerging market studies by taking four courses in those specialized areas at SAIS. For the certificate in international relations, students may select courses in the fields of conflict management, strategic studies, international law and institutions, and other areas. The certificate in emerging markets studies would require a series of four courses including Currency Crises in Emerging Markets and International Financial Markets.

SAIS students may receive a certificate in policy studies by completing their selection of four MAPS courses such as Program Evaluation, Policy Implementation and the Tools of Government Action.

The certificate in international relations appeals to Sergiy Yevstafyev, a first-year MAPS student from the Ukraine, as a way to round out his studies and to hone his political skills for work with the new Ukrainian government. "We have studies in science, in math, but not in policy in Russia. At IPS, I am developing excellent skills in analysis," Yevstafyev explained. "I will be able apply these skills to SAIS classes in monetary systems and finance."

Yevstafyev, who worked in the international department of a finance company in the Ukraine before coming to IPS, plans to return to the Ukraine and work as a policy analyst in government. He is commuting to Washington this term to begin work on a SAIS certificate.