Complement an existing graduate degree with the fundamental skills of policy analysis with this full-time program that allows you to earn an MA in public policy in one academic year. For those who already have an advanced degree but want to understand the public policy aspects of their field and are interested in attending school full-time, our one-year MA program in public policy provides the fundamental understanding of public policy and analytics to complement their experience. This program is also available to students enrolling for other graduate programs at the University. Program Contacts Students with questions about program requirements may ask their assigned academic advisor or the Harris Dean of Students, Kate Shannon Biddle (kbiddle@uchicago.edu). Your contact at UChicagoGRAD is Amanda Young, Associate Director, Graduate Student Affairs (amanday@uchicago.edu). Prospective and admitted students should contact Harris Admissions (harrisadmissions@uchicago.edu). Program Details Curriculum Our curriculum consists of any five of the six core courses available to MPP candidates and four electives, for a total of nine courses. If you plan to combine this degree with another one-year master’s degree at the University, both degrees must be awarded during the same quarter. Those interested in the public policy studies program should inquire about formal arrangements when they apply to their primary program. 9 graduate-level courses (900 units of credit), including a minimum of 7 Public Policy (PPHA) courses Any 5 courses from the Harris core curriculum that provide a foundation in critical analysis, reflecting our belief that mastering quantitative and analytical skills prepares students to be effective public policy leaders: PPHA 30800 Analytical Politics I: Strategic Foundations PPHA 31610 Analytical Politics II: Political Institutions Statistics Sequence I: PPHA 31002 Statistics for Data Analysis I, or PPHA 31202 Advanced Statistics for Data Analysis I Statistics Sequence II: PPHA 31102 Statistics for Data Analysis II: Regressions, or PPHA 31302 Advanced Statistics for Data Analysis II Microeconomics Sequence I: PPHA 32300 Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy I, or PPHA 32310 Advanced Microeconomics for Public Policy I Microeconomics Sequence II. Choose from the following: PPHA 32400 Principles of Microeconomics and Public Policy II, or PPHA 32410 Advanced Microeconomics for Public Policy II Other Requirements A cumulative GPA of 2.7 for all courses, based on a 4.0 scale A grade of C- or better in the core courses Completion of the math requirement (support available) No more than 1 reading/research, independent study, or internship courses No more than 1 course taken Pass/Fail (core courses cannot be taken pass/fail) Courses with grades of F, I, W, or with no reported grade do not apply toward the 9-course requirement for the program. Policies on the the results of not meeting these requirements can be found on the Harris policies page. Any questions about these requirements can be sent to the Harris Dean of Students Office at harrisdeanofstudents@uchicago.edu. Sample Schedule Autumn Microeconomics I (PPHA 32300) Statistics for Data Analysis I (PPHA 31002) Analytical Politics I: Strategic Foundations (PPHA 30800) Winter Microeconomics II (PPHA 32400) Statistics for Data Analysis II: Regressions (PPHA 31102) Analytical Politics II: Political Institutions (PPHA 31610) Spring Elective Elective Elective Research Research Shows People Are Driving EVs Less Than Projected The pledge for EV-powered fleets leaves a question unanswered: How much are consumers actually driving them? FAQs How do I apply to Harris Public Policy? How do I apply to Harris Public Policy? Applications must be submitted through the University’s online system. You can save your application and work on it at your convenience. Harris only accepts electronic applications. Requirements and deadlines vary for our full-time and part-time programs. For any specific questions, please reach out to your Admissions team. International Development I am interested in international development. Can I take classes in this area in this program? If you are interested in international development, we recommend exploring the Pearson Institute International Policy and Development (IPD) Certificate. The IPD is designed to prepare students for careers in government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, or multinational corporations. The certificate’s curated list of electives is designed to allow students to explore multiple academic approaches to understanding development, including from economics, political science, statistics, and psychology.Learn more here. STEM Is the MA program categorized as a STEM degree? Consistent with the highly quantitative and analytic nature of the Harris School's full-time MA degree, Harris has categorized the MA under a code which is currently on the DHS STEM list. Students on F-1 visas who have earned a degree that has been designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a STEM degree may be eligible to apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion optional practical training (OPT) so long as they meet all eligibility criteria at the time of application. Start making a difference today. Request Info Apply Now Recent News More news Alumni Profile: Lindsay Hiser, MPP’23 Thu., May 08, 2025 Alumni Profile: Ricardo Sande, MPP’23 Tue., May 06, 2025 New Research Shows 60% of Historic Homelessness Increase Prompted by Immigration Policy Tue., May 06, 2025 Upcoming Events More events DPSS Capstone Deepdive and TA Roundtable (in Chinese) Mon., May 12, 2025 | 7:00 AM Data and Policy Summer Scholar (DPSS) Mini Class with Sheng-Hao Lo Tue., May 13, 2025 | 7:00 AM Get to Know Harris! A Virtual Information Session Tue., May 13, 2025 | 4:30 PM
How do I apply to Harris Public Policy? How do I apply to Harris Public Policy? Applications must be submitted through the University’s online system. You can save your application and work on it at your convenience. Harris only accepts electronic applications. Requirements and deadlines vary for our full-time and part-time programs. For any specific questions, please reach out to your Admissions team.
International Development I am interested in international development. Can I take classes in this area in this program? If you are interested in international development, we recommend exploring the Pearson Institute International Policy and Development (IPD) Certificate. The IPD is designed to prepare students for careers in government, non-governmental organizations, international organizations, or multinational corporations. The certificate’s curated list of electives is designed to allow students to explore multiple academic approaches to understanding development, including from economics, political science, statistics, and psychology.Learn more here.
STEM Is the MA program categorized as a STEM degree? Consistent with the highly quantitative and analytic nature of the Harris School's full-time MA degree, Harris has categorized the MA under a code which is currently on the DHS STEM list. Students on F-1 visas who have earned a degree that has been designated by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as a STEM degree may be eligible to apply for a 24-month extension of their post-completion optional practical training (OPT) so long as they meet all eligibility criteria at the time of application.