Curriculum

What You Will Learn

Week 1: Mastering the Three Types of Policy Stories

Week 2: Developing Persuasive Policy Stories Using Human-Centered Design

Week 3: Structuring and Formatting Your Writing for Maximum Impact

Week 4: Writing Clear and Concise Paragraphs and Sentences

Week 5: Communicating with the Media

Week 6: Telling Your Story

Develop Your Writing Portfolio

Develop a strong portfolio of writing that includes a policy brief and memo, an op-ed, and a piece of “solutions journalism” that shows readers how people around the world are responding to policy challenges.

Use your new portfolio to:

• Pitch and publish

• Highlight your academic readiness for graduate school

• Apply for internships and jobs in public policy or consulting 

Instructors

David Chrisinger, Associate Director

David Chrisinger is the Associate Director of the Writing Program at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy. He is also the author of Public Policy Writing That Matters, a book for analysts, advocates, and policymakers who are passionate about using writing to effect real and lasting change.

"David helped me understand the importance of writing concisely and clearly. By reviewing and editing examples of policy writing "gone rouge", David helped coach us through the steps involved in structuring, developing and reviewing a written argument so that your average person actually understands it."

Alejandro D. González, MAIDP’20
 

Schedule and Format

• March 29 - May 8, 2021

• Six (6) weeks, about 4-6 hours of work per week 

• Two (2) weekly live zoom sessions on every Monday and Wednesday from 8pm to 9:30pm (Chicago time) starting from March 29

• Sessions are 100% live and highly interactive, conducted on Zoom 

• Live office hours each week with faculty and teaching fellows 

Virtual Format

The lectures are 100% live on Zoom. You can expect active engagement with faculty and peers each session. The virtual program allows you to engage with the class from anywhere as long as you have a stable internet connection.

Time Commitment

You can anticipate a commitment of approximately four (4) to six (6) hours per week. This weekly estimate is based on three (3) hours of live lecture, two (2) hours for assignments, and one (1) hour of live office hours with faculty and teaching assistants.

Office Hours

Live office hours accommodate various time zones and schedules of working professionals. You can anticipate live office hours to be held in the evening of Central Standard Time (Chicago Time, UTC-6).