Get one-on-one faculty mentoring and hands-on experience in research and quantitative methods with this master’s degree designed for people who want to do serious research or a PhD.

The Master of Arts in Public Policy with Certificate in Research Methods (MACRM) is a 15-month program that is part public policy degree, part research apprenticeship, and part intensive research methods training. It’s designed to be a stepping stone to either a PhD or serious quantitative research jobs in academia, think tanks, and policy organizations.

Build a high-level research portfolio and strengthen your candidacy for top PhD programs or policy institutes:

• Take PhD-level course work at the Harris School of Public Policy
• Work closely with world-class faculty at the University of Chicago
• Conduct research 

Program leadership and faculty members provide guidance in your pursuit of admission to a PhD program.

Applicants should exhibit strong quantitative backgrounds (including exposure to mathematical probability and statistics, multivariate calculus, and matrix algebra).

OPT Extension Eligibility 

The MACRM program is categorized as a STEM program within USCIS. MACRM graduates who hold an F1 visa and are currently engaged in post-completion OPT may be eligible to apply for a 24-month STEM extension of optional practical training (OPT). In order to qualify their job must be related to their STEM studies and their employer must be enrolled in E-Verify.

The application for programs beginning in the fall of 2023 is now open.

To receive a short video overview of our academic programs, and to be notified when the application is open, please complete this form.