Each year we place a number of students on the waitlist for a variety of reasons, and many students reach out to our office to learn what they can do to strengthen their application. Read this blog to learn more about the waitlist process and some frequently asked questions.

In a recent email to the Harris Community, Dean Katherine Baicker shared key takeaways and recordings from Black History Month programming.

Enrollment in Public Policy/Public Administration programs has grown steadily in the US over the last ten years. And for the Harris School of Public Policy—a graduate school that believes developing effective public policy is a science, based on data and measurable impact—that has certainly rung true. This growth is spurred in part by a shift in attitudes. The 2020 Deloitte Millennial Survey shows the importance of organizations taking intentional measures to drive positive societal outcomes, as well as being a place for talented employees to thrive in an impactful role. Read more...

If you are a recently admitted student, you may be wondering if you should take regular or advanced microeconomics and statistics in the Core. 

In his recent session, Taking Advanced Classes in the Core, Professor Tom Coleman, PhD’84 and Senior Lecturer at Harris, lays out some of the core differences between these classes. 

Watch the Webinar: Professor Tom Coleman on Taking Advanced Classes in the Core (59 min.)

Established in 2015, The Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts promotes discussion, understanding, and resolution of global conflicts through research, education and engagement with the global policy community. As part of the education component of its mission, The Pearson Institute annually awards Fellowships to a select group of distinguished MPP students. Read more...

Harris Policy Labs is a unique initiative in which teams of second-year (or second-third quarter MA) Harris students apply their rigorous core education to real-time public policy challenges facing client organizations. Students who complete the program have the chance to make an impact in their policy area of interest before they graduate, and are better-prepared policy professionals with a competitive advantage in the job market.

The following certificates have been approved for STEM eligibility. This means that international students who earn one of these certificates will be eligible to apply for an additional two years of OPT after the initial one-year OPT period, for a total of three years of possible work authorization.

Embarking on a full-time graduate degree is a big commitment. Harris Credential Programs can help prepare you for graduate school while you work or complete your undergraduate studies. We’ve shared three ways credentials can support your graduate study using the example of the Data and Policy Summer Scholar (DPSS) program.

This summer, Professor Austin Wright led the Data and Policy Summer Scholar (DPSS) and International Policy Action Lab (IPAL) programs in a research project on Covid-19 mask mandates. Teaching Fellows Geet Chawla, MPP Class of 2021, Luke Chen, MACRM Class of 2020, and Anthony Farmer, MPP Class of 2021, worked alongside Wright on a research paper, “Tracking Mask Mandates During the Covid-19 Pandemic.” We asked the Teaching Fellows about their experience this summer.

At UChicago, you’ll join a global network of alumni. During Virtual Admitted Student Week, join alumni across sectors to see what the trajectory of a Harris Student looks like.

At this year’s Virtual Admitted Student Week, networking events will be held in GatherTown, a unique video-conferencing platform that simulates an in-person environment (similar to a role playing game or “RPG”) where you can move around and interact with different people and even play games. The layout of the virtual building was designed by Bradley McCandless, MPP Class of 2022, to replicate the layout of the Keller Center and The Pub at UChicago. In this blog post, McCandless reflects on building the virtual Keller Center, and we share some instructions to use the platform.

Jenny Erickson, Director of Enrollment Management and Marketing Strategy at UChicago Harris Public Policy, answers questions about the academic and professional values of short-term, Credential Programs such as the seven-week Data and Policy Summer Scholar Program (DPSS).

We are excited to meet admitted students online at our Virtual Admitted Student Week (Virtual ASW) from Feb. 15-20. All sessions will be hosted in the online meeting platform Zoom. In preparation for Virtual ASW, we have a few helpful tips for Zoom.

David Kanos, MPP Class of 2021, discusses his summer internship with the Brookings Institute’s Africa Growth Initiative, and how Harris equipped him with the tools he needed to succeed.

We encourage Harris students admitted into our graduate degree programs to explore  opportunities to prepare for their fall enrollment.  

Our non-degree Credential Programs enable you to gain specific skills that can bridge gaps in your portfolio and connect you with the UChicago community before starting your degree. 

Last summer, amid a global pandemic and from their own homes, two students in the University of Chicago’s MS in Computational Analysis and Public Policy (MSCAPP) program rolled up their sleeves and got to work helping federal agencies better leverage data and technology. Eric Son and Launa Greer (both MSCAPP class of 2021) participated in the 10-week Civic Digital Fellowship, which promotes itself as a “first-of-its-kind internship for mission-driven, student software engineers, data scientists, product managers, and designers to innovate at the intersection of technology and public service.” Although neither had previous experience working in government, each recognized this as a unique opportunity to put their hard-earned computer science and data science skills gained through their first year in the MSCAPP program to the test.

We asked our Graduate Assistants and Harris Ambassadors about the highlights of their Admitted Student Day last year and what students should look forward to about Virtual Admitted Student Week.

Virtual Admitted Student Week is a chance for newly admitted students to connect with current and incoming students, as well as alumni, hear from faculty across policy areas, learn about the student support offered at Harris, and see the unique opportunities to study public policy and gain hands-on experience. We asked the Student Recruitment and Global Outreach team what they look forward to most about Virtual Admitted Student Week this February.

We are pleased to announce we are hosting a special Health Policy Living Room series for admitted students interested in health policy.  These sessions will be hosted by Ellen Cohen, Executive Director of the Center for Health and Social Sciences. Admitted students are welcome to register for these sessions at the registration links below. Series recordings will also be made available after the sessions.

We are excited to be hosting meet and greet sessions for admitted students with current students from our Harris Ambassadors program January 25–29. These sessions will be a great opportunity for newly admitted Harris students to ask questions, learn firsthand about the Harris student experience, and connect with current students as well as other admits.